With summer in full swing, it's time you stopped daydreaming about having fun in the sun and went out and did it. Over at the South Bank, you could be zooming through the sky on a 35m zip line, soaking up some vitamin D from Queen Elizabeth Hall's roof garden or taking in some of the best circus, comedy and music acts in town.
Thrill seekers will want to join the queues for a go on the world's fastest urban zip line, opening in Archbishop's Park. After kitting up, you'll jump from a 35 metre-high tower, where you'll be treated to a bird's eye view of the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the Shard and the London Eye, all while zooming along at 50mph. If you prefer to slow things down, City Cruises provide great city views, plus you get a three-course dinner with live jazz thrown in.
If you've got little ones in tow, there are weekly Pram Jam sessions, a Moomin exhibition and outdoor circus shows, but we reckon the joy on little kids' faces as they tumble through Jeppe Hein's unpredictable water fountain will be worth the trip alone (just don't forget to pack a towel). A trip to this side of the Thames shouldn't break the bank either. From anarchic drag acts to classical dance to WOMAD, a festival celebrating world music, the National Theatre's River Stage has plenty to suit all tastes and ages. Best of all? It's totally free.
After something to kickstart your weekend? Don't miss the South Bank's series of summer pop-ups. We recommend seeking out the Apothecary cocktail bar, a throwback to 1980s New York counterculture, or there's the Garden Bar, which comes with its own living herb wall. If you're peckish, follow the smell of freshly baked pizza emanating from a vintage Citroen van.
But when it comes down to it, you can't say you've experienced summer in London until you've scrawled your initials in the South Bank sand and put it through an Instagram filter. There are 85 tonnes of the golden stuff so plenty of room for everyone's sand art. Whether you're a culture vulture, a yogi, or just want to pull up a deck chair and sip on Pimms all afternoon, the South Bank has you covered.
So grab your shades, whack on the factor 50 and start turning your stuffy office daydreams into your dream summer days with the South Bank's line up of jam-packed activities. Oh and don't forget to tag your sand selfies #SouthBankDreams.
