Our 5 fun Christmas activities for families and nannies to enjoy with the kids in London including magical rides, live shows, ice rinks, musical comedies, places to receive presents from Santa and more.

If you want to make this festive season even more magical for kids you can take them to the Winter Wonderland which is one of the biggest attractions held in London in Hyde Park. It usually opens around mid-November and finishes in the first week of January. It’s full of festive markets, over 100 rides, live shows & music, ice rink, Bavarian village, Santa land and more. Entrance is free, but tickets are needed for most of the major attractions. To ensure you get the time and date you want you can buy your ticket in advance here:https://ticket.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/introduction

The event is very busy and organisers advise getting to the site 30 minutes prior to pre-booked attractions. 

Pantomime, or Panto for short, is another traditional attraction for families to attend and enjoy at Christmas time. Panto is a musical comedy performed on stage typically around Christmas and New Year time. Panto is very popular and well attended and the audience participation has an important part in it. They are encouraged to boo the villain whenever he enters the stage to argue with the Dame (who is always a man) and warn the Principal Boy (who is always a girl) when the villain is behind them by shouting out “He’s behind you!” By the end of the panto the villain is defeated, true love conquers all, and everyone lives happily ever after. Slapstick is another important part of a pantomime – the throwing of custard pies, the ugly sisters (who are always played by men) falling over, lots of silly costumes including of course, the pantomime horse which is played by two people in a horse costume.

Some of the pantomimes and Christmas shows to enjoy in London 2019 are: 

Cinderella at the Lyric Hammersmith - age recommendation 6+

Dick Wittington and his Cat at the Hackney Empire - suitable for all ages

Goldilocks and the Three Bears at the London Palladium - age recommendation – 5+

Marry Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre - age recommendation 7+

Nutcracker at the London Coliseum - age recommendation 5+

Sleeping Beauty at the Theatre Royal - suitable for all ages

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Richmond Theatre – suitable for all ages 

Stickman at the Leicester Square Theatre - suitable for all ages

The Red Shoes at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre - age recommendation 5+

The Snail and the Whale at the Apollo Theatre - age recommendation 4+

The Snowman at the Peacock Theatre - suitable for all ages

The Tiger Who Came to Tea at the Theatre Royal - age recommendation 3+

White Christmas at the Dominion Theatre - age recommendation 5+

Another popular seasonal activity this time of year for all the family is to go ice skating. There are many both indoor and outdoor skating rinks. For a full list of places please follow this link: https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/ice-skating-in-london

A Santa’s grotto is another popular attraction this time of year. They started in England in large department stores and have since expanded and have become a Christmas tradition. The children receive a toy from Father Christmas upon visiting his Grotto which can be in a shopping mall, a little garden centre or a Christmas market. Grottos are sometimes free and sometimes they charge parents to let their kids see Santa and receive a surprise gift.

Many Christmas markets would also have one and you can shop for gifts and enjoy festive food there too. Here is a link to some of the biggest ones in London: https://secretldn.com/christmas-markets-london/

We hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful and if you have any more questions or if you would like us to help you find your perfect candidate then please do not hesitate to contact us. We’d love to help you.