This is a guest post by Florence Rolando of the fabulous blog, Pirouette. And the second in our series of 3 Top, Free Things To Do With Kids in different cities. Here is our first one from Melbourne.
1. Soak your feet in the pool at the John Madejski Garden
The Victoria and Albert’s Museum (V&A) is a great place to hang out with kids, especially when the weather is hot as they can play in the garden’s shallow pool. The elegant courtyard is a real oasis for families, with a small restaurant offering a wide range of healthy food for all tastes. Parents can take turns to visit the permanent collections, or take the children to the British Design exhibit which is lots of fun and a must-see (until August 12) : architecture, design, fashion but also video clips from the Beatles and David Bowie and a room dedicated to video games. Cromwell Rd, London, SW7 2RL. Some exhibits are free, check http://www.vam.ac.uk
2. Visit the Wellcome Collection
The Wellcome Collection is a museum exploring the connections between medicine, life and art. The permanent collection is free, and displays an unusual mix of medical artifacts and original artworks. The museum is targeted to kids with interactive giant human body helps understanding the anatomy, films and stations to draw. The food served at the cafe is delicious (healthy). Don’t miss the video showing an aquatic creature turning into a human being in 7 minutes. Impressive. And don’t miss the book store, full of treasures to read or to play with. Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE, UK –
www.wellcomecollection.org
3. Play with Yoko Ono at the Serpentine Gallery
Every summer, the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Part invites an architect to build a pavilion (
see it here) in its garden. This year the guests are Herzog&De Meuron + Ai Weiwei. The gallery itself hosts a show by Yoko Ono, that includes a glass maze, a giant chess game as well as an interactive video project called “smilesfilm”. Free entrance. Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA –
www.serpentinegallery.org/
Photos by Florence Rolando
