London theatre for toddlers and young children

What is it? Just Audibert’s delightful long-runner based upon Anansi the trickster spider of West African myth is back for a summer stint in Regent’s Park.

Where is it? Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.

What is it? Blippi, to the unitiated, is an American educational YouTube character whose U-rated antics have offered a gateway drug to the online world for generations of tots. What you’re pragmatically getting with this live show is a gentle curiousity-based adventure from Blippi and his pal Meekah, replete with various beloved songs from the show including ‘The Excavator Song’, ‘Monster Truck’, ‘Dino Dance’ and ‘Curious Like Me’. Many but not all performances feature Clayton Grimm, the current 'real’ Blippi.

Where is it? The Arts at Marble Arch.

What is it? Katie Mitchell's 2009 National Theatre adaptation of Dr Seuss's rhyming kids' classic The Cat in the Hat is full of wit, silliness, and arty flourishes, with ingenious designs by David Shields that bring the original's scratchy drawings to life. It's been doing the rounds in director Lillie Collier's touring production since 2015, and now it'll swing via Kingston and Walthamstow for the summer as part of a lengthy UK tour. Ages three-plus.

Where is it? Rose Theatre Kingston and Soho Theatre Walthamstow.

What is it? This Olivier-winning family hit offers big, bold dinosaur puppets and a fun storyline that’ll delight young lovers of the Cretaceous period.

Where is it? Troubadour Wembley Park.

What is it? This cute, clever, puppet-driven Roald Dalhl musical adaptation for ages three to eight is perhaps a little too cuddly considering the source material but is a delight nonetheless.

Where is it? Lyric Hammersmith.

What is it? Tall Stories’ stage adaptation of all-time kids classic picturebook The Gruffalo is only a couple of years younger than the book itself. If your tot is into Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler’s yard about a crafty mouse outwitting a succeesion of predators, don’t miss out.

Where is it? Shaftesbury Theatre.

What is it? If you’re suffering from extreme panto withdrawal in the middle of the summer then this might be the answer to your prayers. The Australian Shakespeare Company’s take on Jack and the Beanstalk isn’t formally billed as a panto and is liable to be considerably shorter than one, but nonetheless it sounds like a spirited and fun account of the story that finds room for Daisy the Cow et al so is presumably appropriately light-hearted. For all ages. Entry includes entry to Kew.

Where is it? Kew Gardens.

What is it? A shy little mouse wishes he could become as brave as a lion – but ends up learning that even lions aren’t always brave. Puppet-powered stage adaptation of Rachel Bright and Jim Field kids’ book from Sarah Punshon, who also directs. For ages three-plus.

Where is it? Unicorn Theatre.

What is it? Bored at home with nothing to do, Nora is forced to turn to her imagination to pep up her day – and what a gift that proves to be as she discovers dragonflies as big as her head, plants that can eat you whole, a polar bear that likes fishing, yes, a tiger… Aimed at kids aged three to seven, it’s adapted from Lizzie Stewart’s award-winning picturebook in collaboration with the author herself.

Where is it? Polka Theatre.

What is it? Although it’s not quite in the Mousetrap leagues, the stage adaptation of Judith Kerr’s eternally delightful The Tiger Who Came to Tea has played in the West End for long enough that members of its original audiences will be eligible to vote in the next general election. There are a few bumps in translating the eccentric source material to stage, but it’s a lovely bit of theatre for beginners.

Where is it? Theatre Royal Haymarket.