November comes in with a bang and out with a sparkle, we’ve round up all best things to do this month for kids in East London. From Guy Fawkes to Festive Fun, we hope you find some inspiration.
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1 Create! Studio for Families
Saturday 8 November 2025, 11:00–16:00
Young V&A (V&A East), Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PA
Tickets: £4.00–£6.00 (families with children aged 4+; younger siblings welcome with ticket; babies under 1 free)
Get creative together in this family workshop where children and adults explore textures and patterns inspired by the building and exhibits at Young V&A, then make their own texture sculptures using clay plus drawn or printed patterns. Booking is essential.
2 Family Dance Sessions at Southbank Centre
Saturday 8 November 2025, various times
The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London SE1 8XX
FREE (some sessions require advance booking)
Get moving with a full day of high-energy, family-friendly dance at the Southbank Centre. Rain Crew bring their break-dance sessions for kids and parents, with relaxed workshops for beginners and a more upbeat afternoon jam, while Ballroom Boogie × Toasty Tots XL turn the floor into a DJ-led family dance party. Expect beats, games and plenty of space for kids to show off their best moves.
3 Family Activities at Tower Bridge
Saturday 8th November 2025 10:00 – 16:00
Tower Bridge Learning Space, Tower Bridge Road, London SE1 2UP
Entry tickets: Adults £16 | Children £8 | Concessions available
Tower Bridge Community Ticket
Residents of Tower Hamlets, Southwark and the City of London can visit Tower Bridge for just £1 with proof of address and photo ID. Children go free with an eligible adult.
Join the drop-in family activity sessions at Tower Bridge, where kids (especially aged 6-10) can get hands-on with historic-themed crafts and interactive fun while you take in riverside views. This month, families will find out how the ‘Guardian Angel’ parachute was tested at Tower Bridge in 1917 then make your own mini parachute to take home and keep. With shorter November days, book a later-afternoon slot so you can enjoy the evening glow on the Thames as you visit.
4 Stow Firework Spectacular
Wednesday 5 – Saturday 8 November 2025 (three nights)
Walthamstow Cricket, Tennis & Squash Club, 48a Greenway Avenue, Walthamstow E17 3QN
Tickets: Adults £9.50 | Children (6-17) £4.50 | Under 5s £0.50 | Family (2 adults + 2 children) £23.50
Expect a full-on Bonfire Night blow-out for families with a low-noise children’s fireworks display at 6pm and the main explosion at 8 pm, plus fire-performers, fun-fair rides, street-food and licensed bars in a buzzing East London setting.
5 The Lady Mayor’s Show
Saturday 8 November 2025, from 11:00 am
City of London (procession from Mansion House through the Square Mile)
FREE
Dating back more than 800 years, the Lord Mayor’s Show is one of London’s most spectacular annual parades. This year marks a historic moment as the City welcomes a Lady Mayor, Dame Susan Langley DBE, only the third woman to hold the post in over 800 years, and the first ever to be titled the ‘Lady Mayor of London’. Families can expect a celebration of tradition and progress in one vibrant spectacle. Expect marching bands, floats, horses, and historic carriages as thousands parade through the streets in a dazzling display of London pageantry.
6 Gladiators Live
Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 November 2025 (matinee & evening shows)
The O2, Peninsula Square, London SE10 0DX
Tickets: Seats begin at around £32.95 per ticket. There is a family offer but it’s not clear what it entails
Jump into the live-arena action as the new heroes from the hit BBC series Gladiators go head-to-head with daring contenders in a two-hour spectacle featuring the legendary Eliminator, purpose-built sets, state-of-the-art lighting and jaw-dropping stunts. A high-energy family day out full of athleticism, drama and crowd thrills.
7 Ice Skating Canary Wharf
Season 2025/26 (covered rink)
Canada Square Park, Upper Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AB
Tickets: from ~£12 children / £18 adults (check site for exact pricing and time-slots)
Set beneath a transparent roof in the heart of Canary Wharf, this 875 m² luxury ice rink offers year-round shelter from the weather, a giant mirror ball, twinkling fairy lights and a premium skating experience for all ages. Enjoy an Apres skate hot cocoai or festive drinks in the ringside chalet.
8 The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return
Saturday 15 – Monday 17 November 2025
Half Moon Young People’s Theatre, 43 White Horse Road, London E1 0ND
Tickets: £9
Set in austerity-stricken Luton over one wild night, this gritty play follows two best mates as they pursue the highs of youth against a backdrop of violence and systemic neglect. Raw and urgent, it’s a 75-minute collision of friendship, survival and changing lives.
9 Wendy & Peter Pan
Tuesday 21 October – Saturday 22 November 2025
Barbican Theatre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
Tickets from £25
Fly away to Neverland with the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Wendy & Peter Pan, a magical reimagining of J.M. Barrie’s classic tale that puts Wendy at the heart of the adventure. Packed with swashbuckling action, stunning design, and touching moments of laughter and loss, this is a family show that delights children and adults alike.
10 A Christmas Carol
Wednesday 12 November 2025 – Saturday 10 January 2026
The Old Vic Theatre, 103 The Cut, London SE1 8NB
Tickets: £15–£95. Premium tickets available. A £2.50 transaction fee applies
An incredibly festive event sure to get you feeling the spirit of Christmas. Join this atmospheric, in-the-round staging of Dickens’ festive classic, adapted by Jack Thorne and directed by Matthew Warchus, and experience a heart-warming tale of kindness, ghosts and redemption suitable for ages 8+.
11 Watch the Haringey Huskies at Alexandra Palace
Saturday 22 November 2025, doors open 17:00
Alexandra Palace Ice Rink, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY
Tickets: Available via Alexandra Palace — free for season-ticket holders when logged in.
Calling all Canadian and Nordic parents keen to share their traditions! But even if Hockey has no cultural significance for you, you can still get into a high-octane ice-hockey showdown as the Haringey Huskies take on the Slough Spitfires in this cup fixture. It’s a roaring, family-friendly evening of puck-slams, fast breaks and community atmosphere. Perfect for introducing kids (or yourself) to ice hockey.
12 The Last Days of Pompeii
Friday 14 November 2025 – Sunday 15 March 2026
Immerse LDN at ExCeL London Waterfront, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL
Tickets from £24 adults / £18 children
Step into ancient Rome at this spectacular immersive experience: wander reconstructed streets of Pompeii, explore VR gladiator combat, see real artefacts and body-casts, and witness the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 360° projection designed for families and history fans alike.
13 Christmas at the Tower of London
Friday 28 November 2025 – Sunday 4 January 2026 (closed 24–26 December & 1 January)
London EC3N 4AB
Tickets: Adults from £35.80 | Children (5-15) from £17.90
Concessions: Residents of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets can visit for just £1 (adult ticket + up to three children) with proof of address/ID.
Step into a story-book festive adventure inside the Tower of London, with shimmering decorations, themed displays inspired by royal legends and the menagerie of beasts once held within its walls, plus photo-moments, backdrops and holiday music for the whole family to enjoy.
14 The Polar Express: Sensory Storytelling
From Sunday 24 November 2025 (various times)
Discover Children’s Story Centre, 383–387 High Street, Stratford, London E15 4QZ
Tickets (in addition to Discover entry): Children £10 (includes gift) | Adults & under 1s £5
Snuggle up for a festive storytelling adventure aboard The Polar Express. Follow one child’s magical journey to the North Pole and the moment they receive a very special sleigh bell, one that only true believers can hear. A cosy, sensory experience filled with Christmas sparkle and a special gift for every child. Booking recommended.
15 Queen’s House Ice Rink
Friday 21 November 2025 – Sunday 4 January 2026, 10 am–9 pm
Queen’s House, Romney Road, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF
Tickets: Off-peak Adults £16 | Children (3–15) £10 | Peak Adults £18 | Children £12
Glide across the stunning open-air rink set against the backdrop of the historic Queen’s House in Greenwich. With sweeping views of the Thames and Canary Wharf, one of London’s most scenic skating spots has returned!
16 Victorian Santa’s Grotto at Museum of London Docklands
21 November – 23 December 2025
No 1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL
Tickets: From approx. £3.50 per adult or child (children above nine months) for the grotto session. Adults accompanying children don’t need a separate ticket. London Museum+1
Step into a festive, Victorian-style grotto in the Docklands where children meet Santa in a Dickens-inspired setting, receive a thoughtful gift made of traditional materials, and you can snap your own photo too. Quiet sessions available early morning for children with extra sensory needs.
17 Mama Goose
Friday 21 November 2025 – Saturday 3 January 2026
Theatre Royal Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, London E15 1BN
Tickets: £10–£39.50
Join local-lass Mama Goose and her magical golden-egg-laying goose in this festive re-imagining of the classic fairy tale with a bold East London twist. Expect a high-energy panto packed with humour, songs, and vibrant characters.
18 Santa’s Puppet Workshop
Friday 29 November – Wednesday 24 December 2025
Little Angel Workshop, 41 Cross Street, London N1 2BB
Tickets: £20 Adult | £30 Child (ages 1–17)
Step into the festive world of puppetry at this 40-minute family experience. Meet Santa himself and capture that memorable moment, join one of his busy elves in a craft-making activity, enjoy a magical screening of The Night Before Christmas, hop into Santa’s sleigh for a photo, and take home a surprise Christmas gift. Suitable for children of all ages (younger children will need adult support for the puppet-making activity).
19 Scrunch
Sunday 30 November 2025 – Sunday 4 January 2025
Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Street, London SE1 2HZ
Tickets: 1 adult + 1 child £18.50–£21.50 | 2 adults + 1 child £25.50–£28.50
Snuggle up for a magical, multi-sensory festive show created especially for babies (6-18 months) where it’s not about the presents — it’s about the crumpling, rumpling and scrunch of the wrapping paper! At the end the little audience get to play and dance together in the space for a full immersive experience.
20 Bow Families: Bringing Your Drawings to Life with Rosie Gibbens
Sunday 30 November 2025, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Bow Arts (Courtyard Room), 183 Bow Road, London E3 2SJ
FREE drop-in (all materials provided)
Bring the whole family to this creative workshop, where children and adults use drawings, collage and clock parts to make moving body-parts sculptures and collaborative installation art. Led by artist-curator Rosie Gibbens, it’s open to all ages and abilities.