Budget-friendly things to do in London this week for £5 or less.
Looking for more free things to do in London? Here are 102 of em! We've also compiled this epic map of free stuff in London.
Walk the Camden Green Loop
A Camden Green Loop initiative has just been launched, with a map of the area spanning Camden Town, Euston and King's Cross. Cyclists and walkers following the trail are led to various titbits of heritage, architecture, food and nature. You can pick up a printed map from the Global Generation Story Garden, the information desk at King's Cross railway station, the TfL Visitor Centre at King's Cross Underground station, or Camley Street Natural Park. Alternatively, there's an online version.
Free, anytime
Sign up to a free yoga, terrarium or art class at Love Summer
Love Summer — a festival in Canada Water — is in full swing right now, offering a raft of free activities for kids and adults. Among them are workshops where you can make your own terrarium, yoga and Pilates sessions, art classes and introductions to climbing at The Arch. It's all free, but you'll need to pre-book your slots.
Free, until 28 August
See Sir Brian May discussing asteroids
Queen guitarist Sir Brian May focuses on rock of a different kind, as the Natural History Museum launches a new series of talks, Dig Deeper. May — an astrophysicist as well as a musician — joins forces with Professors Dante Lauretta and Sara Russell to discuss the OSIRIS-REx mission, which aims to collect a sample from an asteroid and return to Earth in September. Hear from May about how he got involved in the project, from Lauretta about the challenges of dealing with potentially hazardous asteroids, and from Russell about how her team is preparing to analyse the asteroid sample.
Tickets to attend the talk in person have sold out, but for a fiver you can watch the live stream online at home.
£5, 31 July.
Enjoy Summer on the Square
After the success of the inaugural event last year, The National Gallery has extended this year's Summer on the Square, a free festival of art taking place just outside the gallery in Trafalgar Square. It starts on Tuesday and offers the public a chance to get involved in activities such as sketching and painting through daily creative sessions and masterclasses.
Free, 1-28 August.
Master the basics of Samba
Notting Hill Carnival isn't until the end of the month, but you can get the kids prepared at Museum of London Docklands. It holds an afternoon of Samba celebrations, where the whole family can learn the basics of samba, Latin dance and classic Carnival moves, before taking part in a mini parade through the Docklands.
Free, 2 August.
Take a tour of a stunning chapel
Ever been inside Fitzrovia Chapel? Considering its central location close to the BT Tower, it's not very well known — but it's stunning inside, and absolutely worth visiting. Twice a month on a Wednesday, you can take a free guided tour — no need to book, but places are limited on a first come, first served basis.
Free, 2 August.
Get 'Busted' at Spark Storytelling
Busted is the theme of this month's Spark Storytelling, in all senses of the word: getting caught in the act, broken objects, and a certain pop band. If you've got a story to tell along any of these lines, head to Upstairs at The Ritzy in Brixton and join in with the open-mic style night. Alternatively, sit back and enjoy the tales told by others.
£5, 2 August.
Get a free lunch at the new Kerb+ Fleet
Street food market KERB unveils its new location, KERB+ Fleet Place on Thursday this week — with free lunches up for grabs on the launch day.
The first 100 visitors to find a KERB member of staff when the new site opens (from 11.30am, 3 August) will be given a free lunch voucher to spend at any of that week's six traders. After opening day, the market pops up every Thursday, with a rotating selection of stalls each time.
Free, 3 August.
Stay late at Whitechapel Gallery
Whitechapel Gallery stays open late for an evening celebrating the inaugural East London Art Prize shortlist of local artists. Enjoy live performances from Lulu Wang and xiaoyu1002; workshops by Alaa Alsaraji, Woo Jin Joo and Cora Sehgal Cuthbert; films by Kat Anderson and Ufuoma Essi; talks from David Aston, Lulu Bennet and Sophie Cunningham; and an installation by Damien Cifelli — all celebrating the creative talent of east London.
Free, 3 August.
Get hands-on with Lego
Shoe Lane Library in the City teams up with the LEGO Group, for a free workshop centred around the plastic bricks. Take the kids along for building inspiration to keep them entertained for the rest of the summer. Well, for an hour, at least.
Free, 3 August.
Visit an Archbishop's garden
On a few Fridays each summer, the gardens of Lambeth Palace — home of the Archbishop of London — are opened to the public. It's a chance to see inside a central London green space that's usually hidden behind a wall, and wander among the plants and flowers. Refreshments are available to purchase in a marquee in the garden. We visited a few years ago — have a read of what we thought. Money raised goes to local charities.
£5, 4 August.
Send your teens to a free screening of Captain America
Parents and guardians of teenagers: bookmark this page. Throughout the summer, the Wellcome Collection near Euston has a programme of events for 14-19 year olds, including free screenings of films. This Saturday it's 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and there's free pizza, popcorn, sweets and soft drinks — plus cultural producer, curator and educator Drea Asibey introduces the film and leads a discussion about it afterwards.
Free, 5 August.
Enjoy free live music at the Horniman bandstand
It's always worth heading to Horniman Museum Gardens to enjoy the views over the London skyline — but even more so this Saturday, when there's free live music at the bandstand.
Music producer Tash LDN hosts an afternoon of R&B, jazz and neo-soul tunes, performed by Eleazar, Aaliyah Jasz, Tino Xoul, Ruth Brown and Nathalie Lindi.
Free, 5 August. There's a similar event on 19 August, with different performers.
