Best Things to Do With Kids in London This Week: 8 to 14 June 2026

The week of 8 to 14 June 2026 hands London families a gift: Saturday 13 June is one of the most child-friendly days of the year, with soldiers, horses, marching bands and a thundering RAF flypast in the morning, followed by an orchestra playing Holst's The Planets to a free crowd in Trafalgar Square in the afternoon. Around that showpiece sit the city's best bookable attractions and a clutch of family musicals that keep every age entertained. We checked the dates against the organisers and priced the attractions from our live catalogue, so you can plan a brilliant week without any guesswork.

The big free day: Saturday 13 June

Children rarely forget their first Trooping the Colour. The King's Birthday Parade sends more than 1,300 soldiers, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and the massed bands of the Household Division between Buckingham Palace and Horse Guards Parade, with the ceremony running from 10.30am to about 12.25pm. The finale that wins every child over is the RAF flypast over the palace at 1pm. You do not need tickets to enjoy it: stand on The Mall or the St James's Park side of Horse Guards from around 9am, bring snacks and something for little ones to stand on, and you have a free morning of pure pageantry.

In the afternoon, the London Symphony Orchestra's free open-air concert in Trafalgar Square is a wonderful first taste of live classical music for children. The programme includes five movements of Holst's The Planets, and few things land better with kids than the stomping menace of Mars or the big tune in Jupiter played by a full orchestra outdoors. Gates open at 2.45pm for a 4pm start, no ticket required. Bring a picnic blanket and let them sprawl on the steps below the National Gallery.

The best bookable attractions for families

When you want a plan that cannot be rained off, London's attractions deliver. These are the family favourites with live prices from our catalogue, pulled on Monday 8 June 2026.

• London Zoo, from £30.50. A full day in Regent's Park with penguins, big cats and the walk-through gorilla and monkey territories. Always a winner with under-tens.
• SEA LIFE London Aquarium, from £28. Sharks, rays and the glass-floor ocean tunnel, right on the South Bank next to the London Eye.
• Kew Gardens, from £25. The best-value big day out on this list: 300 acres of glasshouses, treetop walkways and room to run.
• London Transport Museum, from £27. In Covent Garden, with vintage buses and Tube trains the kids can actually climb aboard. A reliable hit on a wet afternoon.
• The London Eye, from £29. The half-hour rotation gives even fidgety children a thrill, and the views set up the rest of the city.
• The Tower of London, from £37. Crown Jewels, ravens and Beefeater tales of the macabre; history that holds a child's attention.

Family shows on stage this week

A West End matinee is a rite of passage, and this week the family-friendly roster is as strong as ever. The Lion King at the Lyceum, from £43.75, remains the most spectacular introduction to theatre for younger children, with its opening Circle of Life parade still the best three minutes in the West End. Matilda the Musical, from £25, is the sharp, funny choice for slightly older kids who like a heroine who fights back, and it is excellent value at that price. For families with teenagers, Wicked, from £31.25, and the singalong joy of Mamma Mia!, from £18.75, both go down a treat.

Not sure which show suits which age? Our parents' guides do the matching for you: the best London shows for families with kids covers ages 3 to 12, the best West End shows for kids by age breaks it down stage by stage, and for older ones, the best West End shows to take a teenager to in 2026 avoids the ones they will find babyish.

More free favourites for children

If the Saturday parade gives children a taste for pageantry, the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace delivers more of the same on selected mornings through the week, with bands, bearskins and plenty of marching, all free to watch from the palace railings. Down at the river, the moored warship HMS Belfast makes a thrilling few hours for older children who like to climb ladders and explore gun turrets, with family trails and an activity room on board. And a simple ride on the top deck of a red double-decker bus remains one of the most reliable free thrills in London for younger ones, so grab the front seats and let the city roll past.

Free playgrounds and green space

London's parks are a family secret weapon, and the best playgrounds cost nothing. The Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens, with its enormous wooden pirate ship and sand, is one of the finest free play spaces in the country and easily fills a morning. Coram's Fields near Russell Square is a seven-acre playground and city farm where, charmingly, adults are only admitted if accompanied by a child. Add the wide open space of Hyde Park, Regent's Park and Greenwich Park, all free and all glorious in June, and you have a ready-made plan for burning off energy between paid attractions.

The rainy-day plan

London weather has a sense of humour, so it pays to have an indoor plan ready. The Natural History Museum and the Science Museum in South Kensington are both free, both vast and both built for children, with the Science Museum's hands-on Wonderlab the kind of place where an afternoon vanishes. The London Transport Museum in Covent Garden, from £27, lets kids clamber over real buses and Tube carriages, and the SEA LIFE London Aquarium, from £28, keeps everyone happy and dry on the South Bank. Pair any of these with a warm lunch and the worst of the British summer is no obstacle.

A family week, mapped out

Here is a relaxed way to spread it across the week without burning anyone out. Begin midweek with a morning at London Zoo and an afternoon in Regent's Park next door. On another day, take a Thames cruise from Westminster to Greenwich, from £15, and let the river do the entertaining. Slot in a West End matinee, then keep Saturday 13 June clear for the free Trooping the Colour spectacle and the LSO concert. Fill any gaps with free museum time, and you have a full, varied week that does not blow the budget.

A free day plus a treat: how to balance the budget

The clever family move this week is to anchor the weekend on the free Saturday 13 June spectacle and spend your budget on just one or two paid attractions across the rest of the week. A morning at London Zoo, an afternoon Thames cruise and a West End matinee is plenty for a memorable few days, and it leaves room for free museum time in between. For more parent-tested musical recommendations, the best London musicals for families is an honest guide to what actually holds up with kids in the room.

A note on family pricing

tickadoo is built by the founders of London Theatre Direct, and family days out are where good pricing matters most. Every figure here was verified live on Monday 8 June 2026, which is why a major attraction can start at £25 and a family musical at £18.75. If you bring the children to London more than once a year, tickadoo+ membership is designed to make the shows and attractions add up to less over time; see the membership page for how it works.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free family event in London this week?

Trooping the Colour on Saturday 13 June is a wonderful free morning for children, with more than 1,300 soldiers, horses and marching bands, finishing with an RAF flypast over Buckingham Palace at 1pm. Watch for free from The Mall.

What is the best value attraction for families this week?

From our live catalogue on Monday 8 June 2026, Kew Gardens is the best value big day out at £25, with 300 acres of glasshouses, treetop walkways and space to run.

Which family shows are on in the West End this week?

The Lion King from £43.75 and Matilda the Musical from £25 are the standout family shows, with Wicked from £31.25 and Mamma Mia! from £18.75 also going down well with older children.

What can we do with kids in London if it rains?

The Natural History Museum and the Science Museum are free and built for children, and the London Transport Museum and the SEA LIFE London Aquarium are reliable indoor options that keep everyone happy and dry.

Are there free playgrounds in central London?

Yes. The Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens, with its giant pirate ship, and Coram's Fields near Russell Square are two of the best free play spaces in the city.

Is the free LSO concert suitable for children?

Yes. The London Symphony Orchestra's free Trafalgar Square concert on 13 June includes Holst's The Planets, and the stomping drama of Mars and the big tune in Jupiter are a great first taste of live classical music for children.

Keep exploring

That is the family week mapped out. For everything else happening across the city, see our what's on in London this week roundup, and if you are keeping costs down, the best free things to do in London this week has more no-cost ideas the whole family will enjoy. Browse and book every attraction and show on the tickadoo London hub.