Imagine Children’s Festival at the Southbank Centre
Just in time for February half-term, the Imagine Children’s Festival is all about arts, literature, and culture for the young children.
Many neighbours on my road are educators, screenwriters, architects or artists. As such, many have recommended the highly popular Imagine Children’s Festival currently taking place at the Southbank Centre. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Imagine Children’s Festival brings together the best of children’s theatre, comedy, music and literature. Looking for a day out, we went to check out the festivities, and of course a walk along the riverfront to our final destination: Borough Market.
Music, Theatre, Literature and Mindfulness
Through its 20 year history, the aim of the Imagine Children’s Festival is to promote culture and arts. The organisers were spot on curating a fun-filled and inspiring programme of events for the whole family. With over 160 events jam-packed over 12 days, there is never a dull moment at the Imagine Children’s Festival. Many events are free and open to the public as drop-in sessions. Otherwise, there are numerous ticketed events from music concerts, live theatre, and book events throughout the week. With emphasis on mindfulness recently, there is also a special “wind-down” session for kids at the end of the day.
The whole Southbank Centre was buzzing with school-aged children. The main event for the day was a massive dance party at the Clore Ballroom where a DJ was spinning some hip hop songs. Elsewhere children were queuing up to get their face painted by professional artists, or following the do-it-yourself Family Activity Trail. There are also a handful of Under-5s events, but most were already full. The whole atmosphere was energetic; full of happy children and happy parents.
Shape the World with Tangrams
Sponsored by OKIDO, the arts and science magazine for kids, the Shape the World free play is all about learning through the ancient Chinese game of tangrams. I booked Lady Yeya in for a 30-minute play session to inspire some STEAM learning. Through the use of seven geometric shapes, tangrams teach children about spatial relationships and arrangements. Solving tangram puzzles encourages problem-solving skills through trial-and-error. It was delightful to watch Lady Yeya use her creative skills to make various tangram “animals.” We wish the OKIDO session was just a bit longer because Lady Yeya didn’t want to leave. But not to fret, as I just ordered a magnetic tangram set for more STEAM learning fun at home.
Overall, it was a lot of fun visiting the Imagine Children’s Festival. If you have nothing in the diary for this weekend, be sure to visit as the festival wraps up on 20th February. We look forward to returning next year for its 21st anniversary.
