Yes, Christmas is fun for adults. But it’s mostly fun for kids, who thrill to the sights, the sounds, the light and the implied magical forces of the season. Plus the presents. So many presents.
I’m Time Out’s theatre editor and lead kids writer, and I can confirm that as far as my own two children are concerned, Christmas is the most magical time of year. It’s also one of the few holidays where you’re not necessarily desperately scrabbling to find things to do with your kids every day during a two week holiday that is largely take up with family, opening presents and feasting, plus a handful of days on which London actually, properly shuts down.
They run Monday December 22 to Friday January 2 2026. So in effect your children will be off From Saturday December 20 to Sunday January 4. And watch out for the school piling a cheeky inset day on after.
Really, though, kids’ Christmas in London starts way before the schools break up: it’s pretty much go from when the big trees go up and the iconic lights are switched on. By the end of November you can easily meet Santa, go for an ice rink and take in a pantomime, all on a single day.
This list is a best of things to do with kids over the London Christmas period. There is, unabashedly, a lot of highlighting of classic activities: have you been to Christmas at Kew? Great! You should go again. But there are also a handful of entirely unfestive events because maybe come early January everyone might just want to kill time at an exhibition.
We can can only really scratch the surface here, but if you wnat to get a bit deeper we have plenty other recommendations, from ice rinks and Santa’s grottos to dazzling Christmas lights and Christmas theatre shows. But here is our guide to the best festive activities for children in London this winter.
RECOMMENDED: Find more festive fun with our guide to Christmas in London.
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 reviews have been tremendous, with particular praise reserved for the extraordinary way Paddington himself has been brought to life. If you love the little bear, you’ll love this.
What is it? You know what a grotto is. Or you thought you did. London actually has a ludicrous adundance of grottos for every taste and budget. Check out our round up.
Why go? Because meeting Santa is magical, and in London there are any number of ways to encounter him, from Noir Kringle – a Black Father Christmas who diversifies the fictional character’s imagined whiteness – to a grotto in a pod of the London Eye.
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 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? Child friendly New York magician Mario has become a regular visitor to the UK of late – now he has his first ever Christmas season over here.
Where is it? Underbelly Boulevard
Why go? His delightfully ramshackle DIY machines are the nominal USP, but actually it’s his terrific way with children – boy, he can give childish – and straight up old skool sleight of hand skills that make him such a winner.
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? Yes another immersive exhibition for London: 7 Wonders of the World: An Immersive Experience uses ‘interactive elements, replicas of artifacts, and unique features’ to conjure up both the seven wonders of the ancient world and the seven of the modern one, with its centrepiece a giant size immersive film that will take you on a journey through what is in fact 14 wonders.
Where is it? 106 Commercial St (just off Brick Lane).
Why go? Exactly how much anyone is going to learn from this thing is TBC, but it looks like an incredible spectacle and a diverting thing to do with the little ones this hols.
What is it? This official live immersive Minecraft show opened im London at the same time as the blockbuster film and has extended several times. But it’s off to Denmark soon and so this Christmas should be the last school holidays you can see it in London.
Where is it? Corner Corner, Canada Water.
Why go? If your kids are on the younger side of school age and – crucially – into Minecraft, it’s a lot of fun, 45 minutes of frenzied resource gathering and ghast smiting. Yes, it’s short. But they’ll be knackered by the end.
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