Since 1966, this Carnival has brought the streets of Notting Hill alive for two days at the end of August every year and is now one of the largest street festivas in the world.  Sunday is Children's Day and tends to be a little quieter than the Grand Finale on Monday but is still full of colour, music, dancing, food and fun.

West London

Kick start Carnival weekend with an evening of free open-air entertainment as national steel bands compete for the title. A fantastic evening that will definitely get you in the carnival mood.  Held every year on the last Saturday of the month.

West London

Feel the sand between your toes without leaving the confines of the M25!  There a number of urban beaches that pop up from July to August each year so get googling to find one for you.  Locations include Brent Cross, Stratford, Brixton, the Royal Docks, Greenwich and Camden with many of them offering lots of on site activities and refreshments too.

Various locations

An annual festival of celebrating and exploring that little thing called love.  There is a jam packed schedule of dance, music, performances and workshops including plenty of activities available for children - a lot of which are free!

Southbank

Roam through a beautiful sea of lavender and bring a touch of Provence to your day.  Take a picnic or grab a bite from the on-site shop.

Bansted

Held on each Thursday of the school summer holidays in Kingston town centre.  Lots of free activities usually on offer including craft workshops, story-telling, face painting, boat rides, hunts and more.

Kingston

A great way to spend a warm summer evening.  Pack some popcorn, a few nibbles and drinks, a blanket and something comfy to sit on and relax for a spot of alfresco movie watching.  There are lots of outdoor screens popping up all over the place so take a look at what's on offer and book early.  Check out thelunacinema.com, popupscreens.co.uk, whereisthenomad.com, rooftopfilmclub.com, backyardcinema.co.uk or get googling for alternative locations near you.

Various locations

From strawberries to sweetcorn, cherries to courgettes and pumpkins to peas - find a 'PYO' (Pick Your Own) site and let the kids see first hand how some of their favourite fruits and vegetables grow before you pick a few for your punnet and sample the delights.  There are a few places around London to do just this (Copas Farm and Garsons are a couple) but one of our favourites is Crockford Bridge Farm in Addlestone.

Addlestone and various locations

An extremely varied, weird and wonderful collection of shows held within their 'Paradiso' show tent. 

Southbank