The 12 best Christmas activities for kids in London

What is it? Essentially a spectacular and hugely popular festive light trail, Christmas at Kew has become a key date in London’s festive calendar. See the 300-acre botanic garden lit up with larger-than-life illuminations, with both the venue’s glass houses and the trees that cover its grounds drenched in different hues.

Why go? Not so much a Christmas light trail as the Christmas light trail, the whole thing is stunning, but don’t miss the lake, where you’ll catch reflections of the vibrant bulbs dancing on the water, taking the magical feeling to another level. Keep yourself toasty along the way with warming winter snacks and make sure you pop by the grotto to say ‘hi’ to Father Christmas himself.

What is it? Each year, Hyde Park gets transformed from pretty park to designated Winter Wonderland. The annual favourite returns in 2025 for its eighteenth year, bringing a sleigh-load of noisy festive fun with it.

Why go? It’s loud, it’s garish, you’re going to spend a load of money there – yup, for children there is literally no downside to Winter Wonderland. There is also absolutely loads to do: you’ll find fairground rides, an ice rink, a child-friendly Santa Land (including Santa’s Grotto, where presents may be waiting) and traditional Christmas markets. Keep your silent night – this is urban Christmas at its most joyful.

What is it? Not Chtistmas themed but opening for Christmas, the biggest West End musical of the year is the film-era stage debut of Michael Bond’s beloved bear Paddington. As we understand it, it’ll be a remake of the first (2014) film Paddington.

Why go? The bottom line is you’re probably already a Paddington fan and you hope this new musical does him justice. And it should: no expense has been spared and there’s a crack creative team behind it that includes Starlight Express and & Juliet man Luke Shepherd directing, and songs by Tom Fletcher of McFly.

What it is? This latest show from the people behind the Tutankhamun and Titanic immersive exhibitions offers a spectacular look at the Roman town of Pompeii, both as a place where people lived and – of course – its final fiery end in the eruption of Vesuvius, which will be brought vividly to life by immersive film and VR.

Why go? The previous two exhbitions were a perfect balance of actually historic stuff and cool immersive bells and whistles. Okay it’s not exactly festive but it is the perfect family trip out on a desolate winter’s day. 

Where is it? ImmerseLDN. 

What it it? A hit in its native Australia, this immersive Christmas experience offers a 50-minute journey to ‘the North Pole’, where you’ll travel through various seasonally decorated rooms simulating Santa HQ – meet elves, Mrs Claus, and even the big man himself. 

Why go? It sounds quite a lot like a posh grotto, basically, but with much more spectacular surroundings. You don’t get a tatty present, but you do get a 50-minute adventure and a nice photo with Saint Nick. 

Where is it? Borough Yards, near Borough Market.

What is it? Chiswick House is now formally closed for 2025 in its usual English Heritage day-to-day incarnation. But this festive season the magnificent Neo-Palladium pile will open for holidays for the first time in a special incarnation that aims to capture the opulent hubbub of a Georgian Christmas, in a presentation themed around the contemorary carol ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’.

Why go? Basically it’ll be very Christmassy, and show the house off as a place for entertainment – as it was in the past when people lived there – and not just a dry historical exhibit. It’s suitable for all ages, and will be further pepped up with an eighteenth century-style Father Christmas’s Grotto.

What is it? Flit to north London this Christmas and you'll find a magical light trail inspired by the world of Peter Pan. Glowing installations will let you follow Tinkerbell's fairy dust path from the Darling's family home in London to Neverland, a pirate-filled land of adventure. There'll be dramatic lighting and sound design to sweep you into the world of J M Barrie's story, plus street food stalls and hot chocolate vendors so you can warm up chilly hands. 

Why go? Because you like a bit of twinkly Christmas magic of an evening and because we’re expecting big things from this spectacular night from the same team as the Kew light trail. 

Where is it? Kenwood House.

What is it? Each winter, London fills up with pop-up rinks, from the legendary Somerset House to the newer Glide at Battersea Power Station to the returning Queen’s Ice Rink in Greenwich (pictured) returning after a fallow year.

Why go? Is there anything more wonderfully wintry than wrapping up warm, pulling on some ice skates and gliding around a frosty slab of ice with your loved ones? While London’s ice rinks are defintely adult orientated later at night, they’re a frozen treat for kids during the day – grab one of those cute penguin skate aids and get swooping.

Time Out tip: You can drop an awful lot of money on a rink – and may well be happy to – but the centrally located Queens Skate Dine Bowl in Bayswater is worth a look, being both London’s oldest rink (it’s been around since the ’30s) and one of its cheapest, with tickets starting at just £8 and topping off at £13.75 if you pre-book. 

At all, you’ll find festive vibes ramped up to the max, especially come December – and a lot of fellow Londoners vying for a spot on the ice. Book in advance to guarantee you can show off your best ice moves (or your ability to stay upright, at the very least). Here are some of the best rinks to soar across this winter.

RECOMMENDED: our ultimate guide to Christmas in London.

What is it? London is – to put it simply – the best place in the world to see a pantomime. We’ve got everything from ultra-hip, hyper-local numbers to massive celebrity blowouts and all points inbetween. To not go to at least one panto is to not truly participate in Christmas itself.

Why go? Because it’s Christmas in Britain and it would simply be silly not to.  

Where is is it? Click through for our informed guide on where to panto this season.

What is it? Returning to the repertoire at the Lightroom this holidays is Tom Hanks’s spectacular immersive film about the Apollo landings and their legacy.

Where is it? The Lightroom.

What is it? Jack Thorne’s raucous Old Vic take on Charles Dickens’s beloved seasonal ghost story has run every year at the storied theatre since 2017 – even in 2020. It returns for probably the final time in 2025 with Paul Hilton as redeemable miser Ebeneezer Scrooge.

Why go? It’s a boisterous classic of contemporary theatre and a seasonal must see for kids aged eight and over. It’s also probably the last time we’ll see it as the show’s director Matthew Warchus is stepping down as Old Vic artistic director next autumn.

What is it? Birmingham Rep’s ballet spin-off of Raymond Briggs’ dreamy Christmas classic is back in London for its twenty-sixth year.

Why go? It’s a little creakier than the timeless animation, but once the boy and his snowman pal get flying you see why the stage version remains a classic in its own right, and still inspires rapture in the two-to-eight-year-old target audience and nostalgic sniffles in their middle-aged parents.