5 free cultural activities for families to check out in London this autumn

Until November 1, Frieze Sculpture has turned Regent’s Park into a visual feast with a free outdoor exhibition featuring 11 international artists that will inspire little ones and big kids alike – Angel Otero, Conrad Shawcross, Tarini Sethi and Ivana Bašić included. Giving families the perfect excuse to see contemporary art in the beautiful English Gardens, the autumn extravaganza is part of wider London Sculpture Week (September 19-27) – a city-wide celebration of public art – while Bloomberg Connects returns as Frieze Sculpture’s Official Digital Guide.

For the first time ever, there’s a family audio guide with eight stops – narrated by children themselves and education experts – plus a free family activity pack distributed around the park over select weekends during the event. Inside, kids will find six cards  with an activity that invites them to look closely at some of the 11 sculptures, ask questions and engage meaningfully with the artwork in front of them. But the fun doesn’t stop there: little ones can take the pack home with them where they can give it a second life by building their very own sculpture from its pieces. Clever, right?

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Elsewhere in the city, Bloomberg Connects can also help families to discover London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE, an ancient temple, 600-strong collection of ancient Roman artefacts and a series of contemporary art commissions relating to one of the UK’s most significant archaeological sites. It’s awe-inspiring stuff for both kids and adults. Found at the location of Bloomberg’s European headquarters near Bank and St. Paul’s Tube stations, the immersive and multi-sensory experience is completely free to visit, meaning you’ll love it as much as they do, but we suggest pre-booking to get through the doors at your preferred time. 

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Not only does London Canal Museum tell fascinating stories about London’s famed waterways, but shines a light on the cargoes transported, the people who lived and worked on its narrowboats, and the ice industry in the capital (who knew it was a thing?).

Naturally, the museum is housed in a former ice warehouse in King’s Cross built in 1862-ish for Carlo Gatti, the famous ice-cream maker, while kids will get the chance to climb aboard an actual narrowboat and explore its cabin, as well as peer down a huge Victorian ice well used to store ice imported from Norway. Bloomberg Connects comes with a family-fun tour that dives deeper into everything you’re told and flags when special events and boat trips are on so you don’t miss the best bit! 

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Is your gang more into animal magic than ancient ruins? We hear you. UCL Grant Museum of Zoology – just a hop, skip and a jump from Euston Square station – is home to no less than 100,000 specimens from every continent, ocean and animal group, making it a must-visit for those with a zest for life (quite literally).

With a collection that’s been used in teaching and research since 1828, you can find everything from dodo bones and a quagga skeleton to a jar of moles (yes, really) and giant deer antlers on display. Better still, it’s free to enter, although booking is required, while Bloomberg Connects brings everything to life with an audio-described tour of the highlights as well as a soundtrack featuring immersive recordings with poems and music inspired by the natural world.  

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Step aboard a full-size reconstruction of Sir Francis Drake’s Elizabethan galleon – the first English ship to circumnavigate the world, no less – that set sail from Plymouth in 1577. The impressive London replica, built in 1973 and anchored in Southwark, is a museum that lets you explore maritime history by bringing it spectacularly to life rather than setting it behind glass like traditional heritage sites.

But the best bit? Thanks to Bloomberg Connects, you’ll get access to immersive audio tours that talk you through each space of the ship you uncover, from the Captain’s Quarters and the Armoury to the Gun Deck where animals were kept alongside the majority of the crew. Think of the smell! It’s a fun fact kids and adults can takeaway with them to tell others long after the visit is over. 

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Download the free Bloomberg Connects app and explore the family guides for your favourite cultural institutions in London