A fantastic event is about to hit London --and the best bit is, it can entertain your kids without costing you too much. Find out how.
I was chatting to a friend of mine the other day who has two children aged eight and ten. She's feeling quite broke at the moment due to having had a lot of expenses come at once, and was feeling slightly anxious about the fact the school summer holidays begin this week, as she's finding it harder and more expensive to entertain her little darlings the older they get. However, one thing she mentioned she and her husband had planned to do was to take them on a couple of trips to London, to explore the museums, and hopefully see a play or show at the theatre.
Of course, trips into London aren't cheap at the best of times. However, I could see that by using a Family Railcard (or taking advantage of one of the many Groupsave promotions offered by the rail companies) and packing a picnic with plenty of drinks and snacks a fun, and relatively cheap day out could be had at one of London's many (free) museums and parks.
But a trip to the theatre for a family of four can be a very expensive prospect -- indeed, even the cheap seats can often cost £20 each. But this is where I admit I had something to learn, as my friend explained all about Kids Week.
Kids Week (17 August - 31 August)
For two weeks in August children aged between 5 and 16 can see one of the listed shows, musicals and plays for free, as long as they are accompanied by an adult paying full price. What's more, another two children can go for half price. So if your kids are keen to see The Lion King, Joseph, Les Miserable, The Phantom of the Opera, the Complete Works of Shakespeare you can take them for free.
What's more, many of the shows have free book-able workshops and activities to enjoy as well, before the show (indeed, my friend plans to sign her two up for a behind the scenes look at the puppets and costumes for the Lion King, before seeing the show). And I've found that there is a wealth of activities available, including improving your dancing with the English National Ballet, to learning the fight techniques used by the OpenAirTheatre's Shakespeare productions.
Booking for Kids Week has opened today, so don't delay if you want to sign up for an activity or workshop as spaces are limited and fill up fast. It's certainly a fantastic opportunity to introduce kids to the theatre and as it is in its tenth year, this one promises to be the best ever. I can't wait until my toddler is old enough to join in (although by doing some checking I have found that there are even a few activities aimed at the under fives!). And although the kids' tickets only come free with a full price adult ticket, which you may be able to find cheaper elsewhere, you may find the workshops and activities worth the extra by themselves.
So don't panic about the summer holidays - why not take a look at the Kids Week site and see if there is anything that could interest your youngsters?