August is by no means a quiet month. Families have plenty to choose from, including some of the best theatre for children to interactive open houses at London’s best cultural institutions.
A favourite shoe brand (and the most comfortable) launches their kid’s range for super stylish kids and we have the ideal gifting solution for new mums. Plus, here are some of the best behind-the-scenes experiences that kids will never forget. August, we’ve not got enough days in the month to enjoy all that you have to offer, but here’s a good start. This is what we’re loving (the most) in the Citizen Enfants’ August hotlist.
ENJOY THIS Barbican's 'Our Street'
If you have children with wild imaginations, The Barbican has everything for them this August. Imagine the street of your dreams. A joyful and welcoming space where children and families play, make and dance, and communities come together through gaming, performance and conversation. Our Street imagines such a place – a fun, participatory and free-to-enter takeover of the Barbican’s Curve Gallery, where children, families, young people, and the young-at-heart can get creative and connect through play. Travel the length and breadth of the route, taking in the familiar bus stops, London skylines, local shops and hopscotch courts, on a journey of encounter and surprise. From 1 to 23 August 2024, Our Street will wake early and close late, with the option to just drop in to explore, doodle and be playful, and the opportunity to take part in a programme of curated events including workshops, crafting, street parties, game nights and a family rave – all created in collaboration with a range of exciting community partners. Pop-up programmes include: a dance session with award-winning hip-hop dance theatre company and Barbican Artistic Associates Boy Blue; sensory circus play with Really Nice Theatre; storytelling with Sierra Leonean performer Usifu Jalloh; Animanimals Short Flicks from Studio Film Bilder; make-a-paper-playground with Artizine; Rhyme Time with Barbican Library; and Play Cycles from Museum of London. And on Sunday 18 August, Big Fish Little Fish (the 24-hour party people) will present the original and anarchic Family Rave for clubbers and their kids.
BUY THESE Le Monde Beryl Children
Le Monde Béryl, fast became the slipper of choice for A-listers globally. Their debut Venetian slipper, inspired by the city’s traditional gondolier shoe, has now extended to children’s sizing with the Soft Venetian Slipper and the Mary Jane (available in sizes running from 26 to 35.) Lined with leather and in a colour palette of tones adjacent with Le Monde Béryl’s design aesthetic, the Soft Venetian Slipper comes in pink, jeans blue and gold in velvet whilst the Mary Jane is available in black, brick, pink, jeans Blue and tobacco in leather, with more styles to follow. “Having had so many requests from clients for a wider range of sizes for daughters, godchildren, friends and all manner of family members, coupled with the fact that we both have our own daughters, this felt like such a natural brand extension and evolution for Le Monde Béryl,” say founders Katya Shyfrin and Lily Atherton Hanbury. Equally stylish and equally comfortable for kids to run around in.
GIFT THIS Merci Maman
For a meaningful, elegant gift for any new mum, Merci Maman is the perfect choice. The bespoke jewellery brand offers a range of pieces, each one lovingly hand-engraved with a name, date or message by a team of skilled artists. Opt for a personalised gemstone necklace paired with a Merci Maman signature disc charm which can be hand-engraved with a meaningful message, be it a special date, quote or a cherished memory, and choose from labradorite, green onyx, rose chalcedony, aqua chalcedony, blue chalcedony, lapis lazuli and moonstone. Perhaps the Merci Maman Personalised Intertwined Necklace symbolising an ever-lasting bond. The larger ring can be personalised with a special quote, while a significant date, name or short message can be hand-engraved on the smaller circle. From rings to bracelets to necklaces, its an ideal and thoughtful gift for a new mum.
STAY HERE The Retreat at Elcot Park
Packed with personality, the Retreat at Elcot Park is a fun, informal, easy getaway in the UK. Despite being relatively central to so many locations, this elegant 18th-century mansion hotel is a breath of fresh air creating the illusion that it is in rural seclusion. With plenty to do for the whole family (spa treatments, games of tennis, ebike rides) and eat, everyone can be entertained for a mini getaway. Kids stay for free throughout the school holidays (ages 14 and below), there are family friendly rooms ideal for little ones, The Pantry is accessible full of delicious goodies ready to be raided by constantly hungry little mouths, family splash times in the heated outdoor pool, a welcome goodie bag to take home, a playground, plenty of garden games, tennis and if you feel like stepping out, nearby activities include Bucklebury Farm and Hawk Conservancy.
BOOK THIS Zog and the Flying Doctors
Based on the bestselling novel by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, Zog and the Flying Doctors is brought to life on stage by Freckle Productions. In this sequel to the enormously popular Zog, this friendly dragon is not the star, but Pearl, a girl who aspires to be more than the story book princess she was born to be. An incredibly energetic cast sing, dance and enthuse their young audience non-stop for the sixty minutes filled with adventure flights. There’s barely a beat that hasn’t been considered and embellished, including some nice moments of interaction keeping the young audience involved throughout, with children and adults clap in unison after each song. Having seen a lot of London theatre, this is by a terrific production and perhaps one of the best children’s shows we’ve enjoyed and an August highlight for all families (my 1 and 3 year old were glued).
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