Theatres
Some London theatres put on plays for young people. A few are listed below.
The Molecule Theatre. The Molecule theatre puts on lively fantasy plays, which help to explain simple scientific principles in a fun way.
The Polka Children's Theatre. Lots of exciting and funny shows, using puppets, toys and magic. There are also puppet, music, clowning and storytelling sessions.
The Unicorn Theatre for Children. The Unicorn puts on plays full of adventure, magic and comedy. There are all kinds of theatre workshops to join in, too, where you can have a go at acting and scene - painting.
The Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. Both run backstage trips to see rehearsal rooms, scenery workshops and back-stage equipment.
Bear Gardens Museum. Displays on London theatres in Shake-speare's time, including a scale model of the Globe Theatre. London theatres put on lively pantomimes at Christmas, plays based on fairytale themes. They are performed by famous stars, and the audience is often asked to join in. Traditional pantomimes include Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Aladdin and his lamp.
Art Galleries
There are art galleries all around London, housing lots of valuable works of art. The most famous are listed below.
The National Gallery.The National Gallery has one of the biggest picture collections in the world. A good way to understand them is to get a children's activity sheet from the information desk. These are based on fun themes, such as "Monsters", with questions based on particular pictures.
The Tate Gallery. The Tate Gallery houses a special collection of historic British paintings, and lots of exciting and surprising modern exhibits from around the world, including unusual sculptures and abstract paintings. During school holidays there are children's quizzes and trails.
The Royal Academy.The Royal Academy holds a huge exhibition of over 12000 pictures from May to August. Anyone can enter, and thousands of people send their works along for selection. They are judged by a panel of artists, and about one in ten get through to the exhibition.
Practical places. Many local arts and community centres put on plays and workshops for children, when you can have a go at acting, dancing and all kinds of crafts.
The Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood. The Bethnal Green Museum runs practical days on things like puppet and toy-making, based on its collection of toys through the ages.