Last Updated Thursday 27 July, 11am
Use the links below to jump to the activities of most interest:
Arts and Crafts
Sports and Activities
Excite, Inspire and Expand Young Minds
Kids Eat for Free Promotions
Explore Culture & Heritage
Competitions & Promotions
Activities for Grown Ups
GET CRAFTY & CREATIVE
Have you got a budding Picasso at home? Then Kingston has a wide variety of creative workshops and crafty sessions for children of all ages to enjoy this summer.
Kingston Museum
Saturday Snappity
August 12, August 19 (£2 per child – 10:15am – under 5s)
Each week Saturday Snappity hosts storytelling and craft sessions for under 5’s, featuring engaging activities such as music and crafts based on weekly themes inspired by Kingston Museum – each session costs £2 per child and can be booked on Eventbrite!
David Bowie Banner Making
22nd July (FREE – 2pm – 7+ yrs)
Unleash your creativity by making David Bowie-inspired banners with Kingston-based milliner Bea Miller as part of Kingston Museum’s Bowie and Beyond exhibition.
Kingston Library
Lego Free Build
24th July & 22nd August (FREE – 10am – 7-11 yrs)
Let your imagination run wild with this free event. Design, build, knock it all over again – it’s up to you! Fun for all ages, especially those who have an eye for architecture…
Rainbow Unicorn Activities
7th August (FREE – 10am – Children 4-8 yrs)
Anyone with a passion for the fantastical world of unicorns won’t want to miss this magical workshop, with multiple crafts and activities based on rainbow unicorns.
Colourful Flag Crafts
10th August (FREE – 12pm – 4-12 yrs)
Cheer your team on in style by creating your own sports flag as part of Kingston Library’s Ready, Set, Read summer challenge.
Rosette Children’s Craft
24th August (FREE – 10am – 4-10 yrs)
Everyone can be a winner with this free rosette-making craft session!
The Entertainer
Lego Build Event
Saturday 29th July (FREE – 2pm)
Come in and use the bricks available to build your best Lego construction, snap a photo and share it with The Entertainer on the dedicated Facebook Post for your chance to win a trip to Legoland Resort in Windsor, including accommodation!
All Saints Church, Kingston
Brilliant Bugs and Blooms
27th July (50p-£3.50 per craft activity – 11:30am)
Join us to create bugs and blooms to celebrate Summer. Take part in a range of craft activities including decorating wooden flowers, windchimes, suncatchers and scratch art. Accompanied children only.
Kings and Queens
10th August (50p-£3.50 per craft activity – 11:30am)
Did you know the first King of England was crowned on the site of All Saints Church? Come and make your own creations fit for royalty- including creating crowns and decorating swords.
Marvellous Music
17th August (50p-£3.50 per craft activity – 11:30am)
Take inspiration from the musical traditions at All Saints Church and create your own marvellous musical instruments!
Terrific Treasure
24th August (50p-£3.50 per craft activity – 11:30am)
Take inspiration from the medieval tiles discovered at All Saints Church to make your own mosaics and create treasure chests to keep treasured items in.
Craft Extravaganza
31st August (50p-£3.50 per craft activity – 11:30am)
Enjoy the highlights of craft activities from the summer – from decorating crowns to suncatchers and scratch art.
Bentalls Centre
Pizza Making Class
Fenwick, Restaurant Level 3, Bentall Centre, Wood Street, Kingston
Tickets – Child: £15 each and £18 per adult
This summer holiday, join in the fun at Restaurant on Three in the Bentalls Centre for dough-lightfully fun children’s Pizza Making classes. Watch as your little ones transform into budding chefs, crafting their very own pizzas while you take pleasure in a relaxing and delicious brunch.
Booking essential – see Eventbrite for more + T&Cs.
Baking Class
Fenwick, Restaurant Level 3, Bentall Centre, Wood Street, Kingston
Tickets £15 each
Taking place across selected stores, the afternoon sessions will offer young aspiring bakers the opportunity to put their artistic skills to the test. Meanwhile, adults will be treated to an array of sophisticated delights, including a glass of sparkling wine, two homemade mini fruit scones accompanied by clotted cream and jam, and a comforting cup of tea or coffee. The classes will take place from 2nd August to 1st September, Wednesday to Friday at 3.30pm at Mason + Rye in the Bentalls Centre.
Booking essential – see Eventbrite for more + T&Cs.
John Lewis
Free Drawing Sessions
3rd Floor, John Lewis, Wood St, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 1TE, ongoing throughout summer
Let the imagination of young minds run wild with the team at John Lewis and come along for some artistic fun! Throughout the summer, John Lewis is continuing to offer free drawing sessions involving a big roll of paper and lots of doodles. All materials such as crayons and pencils will be provided. No booking is needed – just turn up and let your kids unleash their creativity!
SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
No school = kids with an abundance of energy. Bring them along to one of these fun-filled sports-themed activities or events!
Bentall Centre
Kids Club
Thursdays 10am – 4pm, throughout August – FREE
This August the Bentall Centre will be offering activities for all as its Beach Club returns for 2023. As part of this, there will be a range of free of charge activities for kids located on the Lower Ground Floor of the centre. There are no bookings required and open to all families.
Teenage Yoga Sessions
Fridays from 12noon, throughout August – £3 per session
Led by local meditation and yoga instructor Melissa from The Kindfulness Effect these free sessions are focused around wellbeing and offering 12 to 16 year olds an element of zen over the summer holidays.
Kingston Library
Ready Set Read sporting events
31st July, 14th August (FREE – 5-8 yrs 10am, 8+ 10:40am)
To support the sport-themed summer reading challenge, Kingston Library is hosting two sporting events for kids! Let out some energy with races, games and a whole lot of fun.
Music & Dancing for the Summer Reading Challenge
Tuesday 8th August (FREE – 10am – 4-12 yrs)
Make a move for the Summer Reading Challenge by taking part in this fun free event with music, dancing, and Musical Statues!
Diary of a Wimpy Kid sports activities
17th August (FREE – 10am – 7-11 yrs)
Step into the hilarious world of Diary of a Wimpy Kid for a range of activities based on Greg Heffley’s misadventures – get ready for laughter, creativity, and a wimpy-good time!
Children’s Board Games
25th August (FREE – 10am – 7-12 yrs)
Calling all gamers! Explore a world of strategy, luck, and laughter as you play a variety of different board games. There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of friendly competition…
Kingston Museum
Bowie and Beyond Family Fun Day
Saturday 5th August (FREE – 11am)
Inspired by Kingston Museum’s Bowie and Beyond exhibition, the Museum is hosting a Bowie-full day of fun for all the family – grab an ice cream and head on down!
EXCITE, INSPIRE & EXPAND YOUNG MINDS
Intrigued by Kingston’s heritage, or obsessed with letters and numbers? There’s an array of activities and workshops available for the little ones, including historical tours of Kingston and educational sessions at the library.
Kingston Museum
Bowie and Beyond Museum Exhibit
Throughout summer
Learn all about Kingston’s music scene and its links to legendary rock star David Bowie in this special exhibit at Kingston Museum. From performing at the Toby Jug in Tolworth to the former Kingston Polytechnic (now university), Bowie perfectly encapsulates the shifting trends of Kingston’s art, music and pop fashion scene at this time. This exhibit is running all throughout the summer, so why not check it out?
Quirky Kingston Tours
July 22nd, August 12 (FREE)
Qualified Kingston tour guide and local history author Julian McCarthy will show you some of the unusual objects in the Kingston Museum’s collection on this drop in drop out family-friendly tour.
See Eventbrite to book and for more information.
Saxon Fayre
Saturday 26th August (From 11am)
For the first time ever, Kingston Museum is hosting a Saxon Fayre, suitable for all the family! With games, crafts, tours and music, this is a day not to be missed if you want to learn all about the Saxon way of life!
Kingston Library
Explore Learning Community Workshops: A Knight’s Journey
Tuesday 25th July
All knights have quests and this fun workshop is no different – children will be transported back to medieval times and joust their way through grammar tournaments.
Explore Learning Community Workshops: Superhero Shapes
Tuesday 25th July
Want to make the world a safer place? Well, now you can with this fun event where children can design their own superheroes using 2D and 3D shapes.
Explore Learning Community Workshops: Word Problems
Tuesday 1st August
This workshop helps kids tackle their way through wordy maths equations so they can become fearless problem solvers.
Explore Learning Community Workshops: Spring in Your Step
Tuesday 1st August
In this reading comprehension workshop, kids can develop some great skills that’ll boost their confidence when it comes to reading literary texts.
KIDS EAT FOR FREE
All those activities will make you hungry! Why not dine outdoors by the river, making the most of the summer breeze?Make the most of these great kids eat for free promotions at Las Iguanas (valid 24 July to 3rd Sept, see restaurant for details), Bill’s, or Yo! Sushi, or if you’re still at a loss for where to go, check out our Insider Guide for the spots that’ll make you feel like you’re travelling the world.
TAKE TIME TO EXPLORE KINGSTON
If you want a day off to do something a little more chilled, then the town centre has many options for those laid back lazy days. If you’re wandering around with no plan in mind, try one of these out!
Follow along the Chimp Trail
Free – Throughout Summer
If you haven’t already, make a day of it wandering around the streets of Kingston checking out the ten sculptures from Gillie & Marc’s wildly popular ‘Chimps are Family’ public exhibition! Fall in love with these cheeky monkeys as you explore the delights of Kingston.
Enjoy a bite to eat
All those activities will make you hungry! Why not dine outdoors by the river, making the most of the summer breeze? Utilise the kids eat free promotions at Las Iguanas, Bill’s, or Yo! Sushi, or if you’re still at a loss for where to go, check out our Insider Guide for the spots that’ll make you feel like you’re travelling the world.
Catch a movie
We know that sometimes the weather in Britain can be unpredictable, so if the clouds threaten to pour, spend the afternoon watching a film with your family at either of Kingston’s cinemas: the Odeon or the Curzon.
Take a ride on the River Thames
Take a picnic on board or go swan-spotting while taking in the beautiful views with GoBoat, an exciting self-driving boat experience along the River Thames. Or for a more leisurely journey up and down the river, check out Turk’s Launches.
Spend time at a magical soft play area
Calling all adventurers and explorers! Wacky Kingdom is a fun soft play centre in Kingston, located in the Bentalls Centre and suitable for all children aged 12 years and under. There are two areas of indoor soft play: the play frame with 3 stories of fun and a Baby Zone with a whole unit dedicated to early years’ visitors.
Treat your teens to new trends
Get ready to unleash your inner style icon! Step into a world where retro meets modern, and old becomes new again. This vibrant market hosted at All Saints Church is a treasure trove of unique finds, where the spirit of the past mingles with the tastes of today. Places are limited so booking is required. See Eventbrite for full details and T&Cs.
COMPETITIONS & PROMOTIONS
The Rotunda
Batman to visit from Gotham City
Saturday 29th July
Batman will make a special appearance at Rotunda on Saturday 29th July.
The beloved cape crusader will be available for a free meet-and-greet with fans.
Get up close and personal with one of the most iconic superheroes in history. Whether you’re a die-hard Batman fan or just looking for a fun day out, this event is not to be missed.
The Entertainer
Running in all stores between Thursday 20th July – Wednesday 16th August
Competitions Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) Pizza Party
To celebrate the release of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie, The Entertainer is giving you a chance to win a Turtles Inspired Pizza Party – Enter via in store competition forms.
TMNT ‘Shelfie’ Competition
Win a Cineworld voucher and the ultimate Turtles prize bundle by sharing your best “Shelfie” using the QR codes in store allowing you to pose with the famous turtles themselves!
FREE TMNT Activity Sheets
Become a turtle, pick up an activity sheet instore, colour it in and become a turtle! Don’t forget to share your photos with #TheEntertainerVIP!
FREE Barbie Activity Sheets for Barbie fans young and old!
Test out some new toys
Join in at The Toy Shop to get your hands on some of their best toys!
RC Cars!
Saturday 15th July
Race around the store and see if you can pass your RC Car driving test and claim your driving licence.
Nerf or Nothing!
Saturday 22nd July
Take aim with some of Nerfs latest and best blasters! – https://www.thetoyshop.com/brands/nerf
X-Shot
Saturday 29th July
From the Motorised Rage Fire to the latest Skins blasters, we have them all! https://www.thetoyshop.com/brands/x-shot
The Entertainer / Toy Shop runs assisted demonstrations at all times for RC Cars, Pitter Patter Pets, and Glow Tracks, so if you’re in town, stop by their store in The Bentall Centre.
ACTIVITIES FOR GROWN UPS
The Bentall Centre
Adult Yoga, Meditation and Pilates classes Weekday lunchtimes from 12noon – Cost £3 per class
Why should the kids have all the fun this summer? Treat yourself and take part in a lunchtime yoga, meditation and Pilates class at The Bentall Centre. All classes are being run by local instructors that offer participants the opportunity to continue after the summer workshop programme. Each class costs £3 per session with all proceeds donated to the Bentall Centre’s local partner charity ‘Brite Box’