If you've already been ice skating, seen the Christmas lights and been to a festive show, and you're STILL looking to entertain the little ones ahead of the big day, here's our pick of London's top alternative Christmas treats.
Christmas at Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens' new winter experience promises a magical mile-long trail through the gardens with lights, music, festivities and vintage fairground rides.
5pm-10pm, until 2 Jan, Kew Gardens, Richmond, TW9 3AB
Adults £16 (£18 on the day), Children aged 4-16 £10 (£12 on the day)
Elf Academy at the Conservatoire
Do you have what it takes to be an Elf and help out the big man in red? Prospective recruits (aged 10 and under) will complete three important tasks at this fun Conservatoire-based workshop: present making, elf choir practice and gingerbread cookie decoration.
Until 23 Dec, 19-21 Lee Road, SE3 9RQ
Adults £5, Children £15
A Quackmas Carol Tour
London Duck Tours present a Christmassy trip, part sightseeing tour, part treasure hunt. Can you help Charles Duckins rescue the Spirits of Past, Present and Future from the dreaded Mr Scrooge?
Until 23 Dec, London Duck Tours
£27.50
Benjamin Franklin House's Children's Christmas Party
Head to Benjamin Franklin House for their 18th century Children's Christmas Party with crafts and treats. Sing along to festive classics with accompaniment on the Glass Armonica, Franklin’s own musical instrument. Enjoy mince pies and make a Christmas wreath to take home.
12 Dec, 10.30am, Benjamin Franklin House, 36 Craven Street, WC2N 5NF
Free, donations welcome
Christmas Costumed Tours at Charles Dickens Museum
Step back in time to Christmas 1839. Dickens and his young family are out; in their absence, the housemaid is up to no good… Step through the original door of 48 Doughty Street and discover the secrets of the young Dickens and his growing family. Enjoy an exclusive tour of Dickens’s house filled with festive greenery, authentic Victorian fayre and the scent of citrus and spice.
10am, 10.45am, 11.30am; 12, 19 Dec
Adults £18, Concessions £14, Children £10
London Zoo Keeper's Little Helpers
When did your family last make Christmas presents for meerkats? Maybe this is the year to start. Create crackers filled with straw and tasty treats to give straight to the animals at London Zoo this December.
1.45pm 12 & 13 Dec and 18-24 Dec
Kentish Town City Farm Christmas Fair
A band, Santa on horseback, a grotto and mulled wine all add to the mix making this Sunday's Christmas Fair at Kentish Town City Farm a real treat for families.
13 Dec, noon-4pm, Kentish Town City Farm, 1 Cressfield Close, NW5 4BN
Adults £1; Kids 50p
Christmas Fairy Tale Shadow Puppetry and Storytelling Workshop
If your little ones are prone to theatrics, why not inspire them further with this three-hour workshop, where the kids create their very own fairy tale and make a beautiful shadow puppet to illustrate their story. The day concludes with a performance with their creation. The puppet comes home with you. 10am-1pm, 13 Dec, Dulwich Constitutional Hall, 33 East Dulwich Grove, SE22 8PW
£25, discounts for siblings
Baby Broadway Christmas
Enjoy well-known songs from Annie, Mary Poppins, Frozen and many more, as well as some special Christmas numbers with your baby in tow in these fantastic mini-concerts for mini people and their carers. Fancy dress encouraged.
14-19 Dec, various London venues
£10 per adult; kids go free
Winter Warmer at the William Morris Gallery
Pop up to E17 and join the Friends of Lloyd Park at the William Morris Gallery for live music, art and craft activities, festive performances and food and drink to banish the cold weather.
2-5pm, 20 Dec, William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road, Walthamstow, E17 4PP
Free
Leaps and Bounds at the Royal Festival Hall
The brilliantly named Leaps and Bounds event at the Southbank Centre includes inclusive BSL-interpreted dance workshops designed for disabled children and their families, followed by a Paracheer workshop (a BSL-interpreted cheerleading taster session). Then there's winter-themed craft opportunities in the afternoon, plus a relaxed, subtitled screening of The Muppet Christmas Carol.
11am-5pm, 20 Dec, Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XX
Free
