Come rain or shine, this weekend has plenty to offer, outdoor festivals if the weather holds, indoor screenings and exhibitions if it doesn’t.
There’s something for every age, from London’s normally-private gardens thrown open for the weekend and free workshops and singalongs for the little ones, to medieval battle re-enactments and half a century of skate culture for older kids and teens.
1. The Great Exhibition Road Festival, South Kensington
Running 6–7 June, this is one of London’s best free family weekends with free workshops, live experiments, creative installations, talks, performances and hands-on activities spread across Exhibition Road. An interactive maths playground packed with puzzles, games, chess challenges and hands-on experiments, a little drop-in zone for under-5s with songs, stories, rhymes and wriggling about, it will spill out around the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and V&A.
Address: Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ
Find out more here
2. London Open Gardens Weekend
London Open Gardens, now in its 27th year, is a ticketed fundraising weekend when more than a hundred normally closed or hidden green spaces across London open their gates to ticket holders. This weekend, over 120 gardens spread across about 12 boroughs open up their gated squares including draws like Battersea Roof Gardens (balloted), and gated squares such as Portman Square and historic City gardens like Charterhouse and Middle Temple. Many gardens will host their own live music, workshops, tours, refreshments and children’s activities. So check each one when planning, and with kids you’ll want to pick a cluster in one area rather than crossing the city.
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Dates: Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June, 2026
Address: Across London
Book tickets here
3. Teddy Bear Picnic, Fulham Palace
The Teddy Bear Picnic at Fulham Palace runs this Sunday in the beautiful walled garden, and it’s a lovely option for little ones. You and your favourite teddy are invited for a teddy-tastic day of family fun where you can pack a picnic from home or grab something from the café while taking part in teddy-themed activities and garden adventures. The day includes an outdoor theatre performance, lively games, teddy-themed crafts, garden games and a Mini Mozart music session, plus extras like a gummy-bear guessing jar and teddy photo moments. Tickets are £12.00 standard, with £9.00 per additional child and £5.00 per additional adult, and a few practical notes: it’s a limited-attendance event that goes ahead in all weather unless unsafe, home picnics are welcome, buggies go in a monitored buggy park, and registered assistance dogs are welcome.
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Address: Fulham Palace, Bishop’s Avenue, Fulham, London SW6 6EA
Book tickets here
4. The Barnet Medieval Festival
The Barnet Medieval Festival marks the 555th anniversary of the Battle of Barnet, the 1471 clash where Edward IV’s Yorkists crushed Warwick’s Lancastrians in one of the Wars of the Roses’ biggest battles. From 10:30am–5pm you get battle re-enactments, mounted knights, cannon fire, archery, falconry, music, a medieval market and kids’ activities, building to the headline Battle of Barnet re-enactment at 4pm. It’s great for kids learning history in school and ready to get stuck into the action.
Dates: Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June, 2026
and Address: Lewis of London Ice Cream Farm, Fold Farm, Galley Lane, Barnet EN5 4RA
Book tickets here
5. Skate 50 @ Southbank Centre
A pay-what-you-can multimedia exhibition running at the Queen Elizabeth Hall celebrates 50 years of the Undercroft Skate Space, widely considered the birthplace of British skateboarding. Developed with the Southbank skate community, it tells the story of the graffiti-covered concrete space beneath the hall through new commissions using photography, moving image and sound. With the total running time of the films around 38 minutes, this is great for older kids and teens, especially budding skaters, though it’s more of a reflective gallery experience than a hands-on activity.
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Dates: Until Sunday 21 Jun 2026
Address: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX
Book tickets here
Any Questions or Tips to add?