Whether you’re a visitor or native, taking the family or making a solo trip, here are some of the best things to do in London over the next few months.

1. Discover your natural fashionista at the V&A
Always a hit, the V&A fashion exhibition series has turned its attention to the natural world for its latest offering, Fashioned from Nature. Running until January 2019, it explores the complex relationship between fashion and the natural world since 1600, showing how fashion continues to draw on the beauty and power of nature for inspiration. Featured items include Emma Watson’s Calvin Klein dress made from recycled plastic bottles, a cape of cockerel feathers, a pineapple fibre clutch bag and clothes and accessories from Christian Dior, Dries van Noten and Philip Treacy. £12

2. Admire child artists at the National Gallery
The 23rd annual Take One Picture exhibition showcases the work of children from across the UK, who each year are invited to focus on one of its paintings and respond creatively to its themes and subject matter, historical context or composition. This year it’s the turn of Penelope with the Suitors by the Italian Renaissance painter Pintoricchio, which dates from about 1509 and the resulting exhibition ranges from portraiture and printmaking to flag designs and depictions of voyages. Free

3. Hang with the bugs at the Science Museum
Superbugs: The Fight for Our Lives explores the bacteria that lives inside us – some harmless, some less so. Find out how some bugs are fighting back against antibiotics, watch a film to step into a world without antibiotics and use virtual reality to explore the secrets of bacteria and play the most dangerous game in the world in the Superbugs Arcade. Free

4. Visit the tropical butterfly house at the Natural History Museum
Get close to hundreds of live butterflies and moths from Africa, Asia and the Americas. Take a jungle trail through the winged ones, find out fascinating butterfly facts and learn more about their behaviour and diversity. £5.85

5. Take a small one to the Tate
At Tate Modern on the third Saturday every month, children aged 8 to 14 and their families get to create a shared artwork using themes, ideas and materials inspired by an artist’s way of working (free).

6. Become a superhero at London Zoo

The Superheroes and Villains experience invites kids to join the Zoological Society of London’s vets, keepers and scientists in their epic battle against three of Earth’s toughest enemies: plastic, poaching and climate change. Afterwards, the junior superheroes can explore the Zoo and its 19,000 animals. Free with admission price to the Zoo, from £21.90

7. Find your inner child at V&A Museum of Childhood
The Museum of Childhood is the largest institution of its kind in the world. It holds the nation’s childhood collections and is an international leader in engaging audiences in the material culture and experiences of childhood. It also runs regular workshops, events and activities for kids and is a great resource for parents, particularly in holiday time.

8. Brush up on Shakespeare at The Globe
The theatre’s summer season includes Hamlet, As You Like It, The Winter’s Tale and Othello. It’s the perfect trip for teens who are going to be studying Shakespeare in the coming terms; The Globe truly brings the plays to life. From £5

9. Feast your eyes on the Goblet of Fire
Warner Bros Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter is currently celebrating all things Goblet of Fire in this new feature running for almost five months at the studios. The Goblet of Fire returns to the Great Hall for the first time since filming ended with live demonstrations showing visitors how the parchment pieces were propelled out to reveal the Triwizard champions. Many new props and costumes from the Triwizard Tournament will also be on display including those belonging to Barty Crouch Jr and Fred and George Weasley. From £31

10. See T H E U N S E E N Chloropleth flag at Somerset House
Visit the iconic courtyard at this wonderful London landmark to see this specially created flag change colour. Reflecting the impact of pollution on the environment around Somerset House, the flag uses a chromic colour change compound, which reacts in real-time to ultraviolet (UV) radiation – pictured at the top of the page. See the Union Jack when radiation exposure is low but once it’s high, the flag becomes monochrome. Free

11. Dig deep at London Transport Museum
The museum’s latest gallery, Digging Deeper explores the history of tunnels and a new exhibition reveals some of the secrets behind Crossrail. You can also go on a London adventure to discover some of the jobs required to keep the city moving, playing all sorts of characters along the way – Tube drivers, gardeners, track maintenance workers, cleaners and poster designers. £17.50, under-18s free

12. Get to know your teeth at Wellcome collection
From vampires and tooth fairies to barber-surgeons and professional dentists, Teeth traces the evolution of our relationship with our teeth and what they say about us. It features over 150 objects, including cartoons and caricatures, protective amulets, toothpaste advertisements and a range of chairs, drills and training tools. Free

13. Hoist the sails on the Cutty Sark
Summer events at the Cutty Sark, the 19^th century British clipper sailing ship and the fastest of its time, include the All Aboard Game where kids get to climb the rigging, scrub the decks, hoist the sails and create their own maritime themed board-game to take home with them and the Sailors’ Challenge game where they try to outwit the crew for a ship takeover. Events free with admission, £12.15/£6.30

14. Head into space at the Royal Observatory
Holiday to Space in the observatory’s planetarium is filled with spectacular close up views of the planets and a chance to go on a sing-along adventure to find the great big bear. (£8.20)

15. Be inspired at Dulwich Picture Gallery
The current show, a retrospective of the British artist Edward Bawden, master printmaker, illustrator, watercolourist and designer, presents a fascinating collection of his work, showcasing everything from fine art works to advertising posters. (£16.50)

16. Walk with dinosaurs in Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace dinosaur sculptures were commissioned in 1852 for the park at the Crystal Palace, following its move from Hyde Park, and unveiled in 1854 as the first dinosaur sculptures in the world. They represented the latest scientific knowledge at the time, though some are incorrect by modern standards but nevertheless they are Grade 1 listed. Free

17. Create a masterpiece at the Horniman
Colour: The Rainbow Revealed explores the endless ways in which colour shapes our world and the animal world. It has lots of family-friendly displays and interactive games including an Art Machine where you can create your own vibrant masterpiece, a Mood Room with multi-coloured lights, and a Colour Café to learn why only certain colours tempt our taste buds. £7.70/£4.40

18. Immerse yourself in culture at the Southbank Centre
Exhibitions, concerts, storytelling, literature, dance and much more – check out the hugely varied programme running throughout the summer at the Southbank Centre, with a large amount of free events taking place every day. Upcoming highlights include the centre’s classical programme of over 200 concerts and Lee Bul’s transformation of the Hayward Gallery into an immersive dream-like landscape.

19. Step into the House of Dreams
Open only on very selected days of the year, the House of Dreams is a private house in East Dulwich, where every wall, ceiling and surface is covered with a very personal collection of random items, fashioned together by artist and owner Stephen Wright. It has everything from old Christmas decorations, crockery and broken toys to intricate mosaics and life-sized sculptures of fantastical characters. From £5

20. Visit an ancient woodland
While you’re in East Dulwich, check out one of London’s lesser known green spaces nearby, the historic Sydenham Hill Wood, which is the last remaining part of the ancient Great North Wood. This nine-hectare patch of dense woodland once covered all of south London from Deptford to Selhurst. Free

21. Treat the kids to a very special afternoon tea
Add a touch of glamour to your day out with Hamleys’ children’s afternoon tea in The Langham hotel. As well as a sumptuous tea (£29), they’ll also receive a Hamleys’ teddy bear. The kids’ tea, with jigsaw puzzle sandwiches and DIY cake treats, is served alongside the Wedgwood afternoon tea for adults, but the big people won’t get a bear.

22. Feel like royalty at the Royal Lancaster
So the much-talked-about Royal Wedding is over but you can still experience the royal treatment at this sumptuous 5-star London address and treat yourself to a stylish afternoon tea. From £35, children’s menu £15

23. Have fun at The Arch
The Family Fun package at The Arch starts from £390 and includes a complimentary extra bed or cot, special family menu, a visit from Archie the puppy, kids’ evening milk and cookie, bathrobe with slippers and lots of toys available from the toy box. A family Full English breakfast, soft drinks minibar, Sky HD package, Nespresso machine and Jing tea are also included.

24. Visit the Queen’s favourite UK hotel
Okay, hands-up, it can’t be said FOR SURE that this is the Queen’s favourite hotel but it’s just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace, known to have hosted the monarch’s private birthday parties and the only hotel in the UK with a Royal Warrant. Its Bring The Family to the Goring package includes overnight accommodation for two adults and up to two children in interconnecting or adjacent rooms, full English or continental breakfast each morning, evening cocktails for parents and mocktails for children, V.I. (little) P. amenities, unlimited WiFi, complimentary mineral water and daily newspaper. From £750 per night. And – speaking of Royal Weddings – this is where Catherine Middleton stayed the night before she married Prince William.

25. Eat your way around Asia

Bang Bang Oriental is London’s biggest Asian food hall and a complete delight for the taste buds with 24 different traders offering their wares in a light, airy, visually stunning space in north London. With everything from Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Indian to Vietnamese, Taiwanese and Malaysian, the dishes are authentic, the chefs are happy to chat and help you make your choices and the vibe is ‘relaxed restaurant’ rather than ‘soulless food hall’.
Here you’ll find what has been named as ‘the best roast duck in the world’ (Financial Times) at the Bang Bang branch of the famous Chinatown institution Four Seasons; Japanese delicacy Yakitori grill at Yaki Ya Grill, served with the authentic Yaki Ya sauce that takes 48 hours to prepare; a rare find in London – Indonesian cuisine – at Bang Bang’s newest addition, Makatcha, with its signature Rendang dishes; and Malaysian flavours of peanuts, curry and zingy salads from Kuala Lumpur at Coconut Tree, serving a big selection of halal dishes with colours that pop from the vibrant green plates.

There’s bubble tea from Taiwan at Chatime, using tapioca to provide the popping bubbles in a range of flavoursome refreshing teas and juices and desserts to finish at Wonderful Patisseries, with its famous green tea ice cream served in a fish shaped cone.
Prices are extremely reasonable and you can have a slap-up meal for under a tenner; 399 Edgeware Rd, NW9

26. Dine in the City
For central London dining in an area that was once almost exclusively the preserve of ‘suits’ but is now fast becoming one of London’s buzziest destinations, head for the Bloomberg Arcade in the heart of the City. An all-star restaurant line up has moved into the covered pedestrian arcade running through Bloomberg’s new European headquarters. Inspired by the idea of creative cuisines from all across the world, dining options include Caravan, Homeslice, Vinoteca and Bleecker Burger.

27. Join Captain Cook’s explorations to the South Pacific and Antarctic
Running through the summer at the British Library, James Cook: The Voyages explores the three famous Captain Cook expeditions to the South Pacific and Antarctica, as well as the colonisation of New Zealand and parts of Australia for Britain. These are today very controversial missions and the Library doesn’t shy away from this. It presents period pieces like the journals and log books from the voyages, letters, maps and drawings alongside contemporary videos that present a modern perspective on what it means to be ‘colonised’ and how that can continue to impact through the generations. The exhibition is sponsored by cruise line Ponant, a company that offers contemporary travellers a chance to follow in the footsteps of famous explorers like Cook and travel the world in a less controversial and much more luxurious way. £14

28. Be inspired by London
The Museum of London is a fantastic place to engage with the city’s fascinating history and offers a chance to wander through Roman, Medieval, Victorian and contemporary London – as well as discover its earliest history before the city was even built. Current temporary exhibitions include suffragettes, fatbergs and London by night. Free

29. Eat cheese like a Queen
Did you know that the royals’ favourite cheesemonger is Paxton & Whitfield? It’s one of the most famous cheese purveyors in the city and now has teamed up with the Academy of Cheese, to offer one of the first UK industry recognised cheese training programmes. Designed for both amateur foodies and professional cheese lovers, it runs on June 13 (£195).

30. Take the train for less
Think about taking the train to the city because there are lots of great savings available if you’re in the know. For example, you can save up to one third off most of your train fares if you have a railcard – which costs just £30 for the year and also gets you lots of great discounts in various attractions and events around the UK. There are lots of different options available – like the 16-25 railcard (which is also open to people over 26 who are in full time education), the Family & Friends Railcard which offers one third off most adult fares and 60% off kids’ fares in the UK, a Seniors railcard once you’re over 60 and a Disabled Persons railcard if you have a disability that makes travelling by train difficult, which entitles both you and a friend to the discount.
There’s a Network railcard for anyone over 16 travelling in the South East, offering one third off most rail fares in the area and with this one you can take up to three adults and four children with you, who also get the discount.
All of the railcards can be registered onto your Oyster card when you’re travelling within London so you continue to get the discounts on the Tube, Docklands Light Rail and London train services. And they’re also available digitally to download onto your phone.
Get more information at www.railcard.co.uk

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