The best Christmas things to do with kids in London in 2026

What is it? Essentially a spectacular and hugely popular festive light trail, Christmas at Kew has become a key date in London’s festive calendar. See the 300-acre botanic garden lit up with larger-than-life illuminations, with both the venue’s glass houses and the trees that cover its grounds drenched in different hues.

Why go? Not so much a Christmas light trail as the Christmas light trail, the whole thing is stunning, but don’t miss the lake, where you’ll catch reflections of the vibrant bulbs dancing on the water, taking the magical feeling to another level. Keep yourself toasty along the way with warming winter snacks and make sure you pop by the grotto to say ‘hi’ to Father Christmas himself.

What is it? Each year, Hyde Park gets transformed from pretty park to designated Winter Wonderland. The annual favourite returns in 2025 for its eighteenth year, bringing a sleigh-load of noisy festive fun with it.

Why go? It’s loud, it’s garish, you’re going to spend a load of money there – yup, for children there is literally no downside to Winter Wonderland. There is also absolutely loads to do: you’ll find fairground rides, an ice rink, a child-friendly Santa Land (including Santa’s Grotto, where presents may be waiting) and traditional Christmas markets. Keep your silent night – this is urban Christmas at its most joyful. This year’s big new addition is Gandeys K-Pop Dragon Circus, which takes place three to five times every day, and does indeed feature K-Pop, (puppet) dragons, and circus.

What is it? There has been a Birmingham Rep production of Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman coming to London under the auspices of Sadler’s Wells for over 30 years now. But it’s not this one! Yes, after over three decades the original production had been retired and the two theatres have put their heads together to stage a new 2026 Snowman completely from scratch, with a new team headed by director-choreographer Will Tuckett.

Why go? The Snowman simply is British Christmas, a charming, magical and strangely haunting story of a boy and his fleeting snowy friend. This revamp won’t tinker with the story, but it will provide it with a striking makeover visually.

What is it? The Southbank Centre’s big family-friendly Christmas show is the European premiere of Cirque Alice, an Australian circus extravangaza with an Alice in Wonderland theme from the team behind the recent West End hit Now You See Me.

Why go? It’s big, slick circus fun for all the family. Expect mind-boggling acrobatic feats made even more mind-boggling yet via the addition of Lewis Caroll’s various trippy denizens. For ages five plus.

What is it? This tersely named show does what it says in the packaging, being a ten-room immersive experience themed around Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Why go? Carroll’s absurdist fantasy world should be the perfect subject for what sounds like a mix of the Insta-friendly experiential fodder represented by the likes of House of Dreamers and Bubble Planet, crossed with actual immersive theatre – we’re promised there will be actors in this one. 

What is it? You know what a grotto is. Or you thought you did. London actually has a ludicrous adundance of grottos for every taste and budget. Check out our round up.

Why go? Because meeting Santa is magical, and in London there are any number of ways to encounter him, from Noir Kringle – a Black Father Christmas who diversifies the fictional character’s imagined whiteness – to a grotto in a pod of the London Eye.

What is it? Each winter, London fills up with pop-up rinks, from the legendary Somerset House to the newer Glide at Battersea Power Station to the returning Queen’s Ice Rink in Greenwich (pictured) returning after a fallow year.

Why go? Is there anything more wonderfully wintry than wrapping up warm, pulling on some ice skates and gliding around a frosty slab of ice with your loved ones? While London’s ice rinks are defintely adult orientated later at night, they’re a frozen treat for kids during the day – grab one of those cute penguin skate aids and get swooping.

Time Out tip: You can drop an awful lot of money on a rink – and may well be happy to – but the centrally located Queens Skate Dine Bowl in Bayswater is worth a look, being both London’s oldest rink (it’s been around since the ’30s) and one of its cheapest, with tickets starting at just £8 and topping off at £13.75 if you pre-book. 

At all, you’ll find festive vibes ramped up to the max, especially come December – and a lot of fellow Londoners vying for a spot on the ice. Book in advance to guarantee you can show off your best ice moves (or your ability to stay upright, at the very least). Here are some of the best rinks to soar across this winter.

RECOMMENDED: our ultimate guide to Christmas in London.

What is it? London is – to put it simply – the best place in the world to see a pantomime. We’ve got everything from ultra-hip, hyper-local numbers to massive celebrity blowouts and all points inbetween. To not go to at least one panto is to not truly participate in Christmas itself.

Why go? Because it’s Christmas in Britain and it would simply be silly not to.  

Where is is it? Click through for our informed guide on where to panto this season.