London: festive lights with youngsters at Christmas

Seeing the Christmas lights illuminating Oxford Avenue and Regent road is at all times a spotlight of the 12 months – however there’s extra to the London festive lights than these (UPDATED FOR 2021)

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Every year, the capital appears to have extra illuminations, gentle festivals and festive trails lighting up the town than ever earlier than, each standalone occasions and at a few of London’s best-known household sights.

So if you need a technique to brighten up the winter (and who doesn’t), right here’s my choose of one of the best London festive lights with youngsters.

For extra of one of the best issues to do for Christmas in London with youngsters, take a look at my prime picks

Christmas at Kew

There’s by no means a nasty time to go to Kew Gardens however Christmas at Kew is among the finest to get you feeling festive – particularly with Santa and his elves alongside the way in which.

The illuminations within the botanic gardens are again with an extended run, with over one million lights concerned within the path, together with branches glowing like stars and the hearth backyard.

The Cathedral of Gentle might be return too, plus a 12 Days of Christmas tree set up alongside Syon Vista and LED gentle spheres illuminating the evening sky overhead – Spheric, a 15m broad dome of sunshine, will use over 2,000 LED pixels above water making a mirrored phantasm over the lake.

You may as well see a recreation of the Aurora Borealis, the Meadow of Life and lightweight projections onto the Palm Home to a soundtrack of Christmas classics.

In addition to being an incredible wander by the gardens, there’s food and drinks stalls alongside the way in which: sponsored this 12 months by Montezuma, you received’t be wanting scorching chocolate, however there’s with every thing from mulled cider to sourdough pizza.

Christmas at Kew runs from November 17 to January 9, with classes from 4pm, final entry at 8pm (gardens open to 10pm). You need to guide prematurely (and it often sells out – tickets with reserved parking go in a short time with restricted slots for January 2022 left).

This 12 months you possibly can enter by the Victoria Gate, Brentford Gate and Lion Gate. Tickets value from £21.50 for adults, from £14 for youngsters aged 4 to 16, whereas members get a reduction (doesn’t embody day entry to Kew Gardens).

Enchanted Woodland at Syon Home

Top-of-the-line illuminated trails for households, this mile-long route winds across the decorative lake and arboretum at Syon Home, ending within the Nice Conservatory – and there are slots from 5pm in the event you’re heading out with youthful youngsters.

The illuminations pageant is again once more after a 12 months off, lighting up its woods with over 400 totally different species of bushes illuminated in numerous colors in addition to lasers and strobe lights, all set to music.

There are drinks and snacks available for purchase from the restaurant firstly and end, together with scorching chocolate.

Enchanted Woodland runs on Fridays, Saturday and Sundays from November 12 to twenty-eight at Syon Home – the home itself is closed for the winter in any other case.

Tickets value £10 for adults and £7.50 for youngsters – guide on-line.

Christmas at Kenwood

Model new for 2021, the gardens of Kenwood Home in Hampstead might be coming alive with a brand new illuminated path this winter.

Operating by the landscaped gardens after darkish, it guarantees to be a mixture of gentle, hearth and sound, giving a contemporary twist to the traditional Christmas lights.

Going down from November 26 to January 9, 2022, you possibly can guide tickets right here with common admission and twilight viewing slots.

Tickets value from £21.50 for adults, from £14 for youths aged three to 16 (underneath threes go free) for common admission, with additional packages accessible, or extra for the particular restricted twilight viewing entry.

Enchanted Eltham Palace

Eltham Palace transforms its wonderful gardens with the Enchanted Eltham Palace occasion throughout December, together with the outside of the Nice Corridor bathed in gentle.

The path is simply over a mile lengthy, operating across the palace itself by the gardens, with some components choreographed to music.

Highlights of previous years have been interactive installations among the many festive lights equivalent to speaking bushes, a glimmering maze that’s at all times a success with youngsters and a disco ball suspended above the moat.

There’s food and drinks alongside the way in which, together with mulled wine and mince pies, plus conventional fairground rides to take pleasure in – for an additional small cost, often round £2-3. Santa received’t be making an look this 12 months although.

Takes place on Sept. 11 December, 16-23 December and 27-30 December with half hourly entry timeslots from 4.30 to 7.30pm, closing at 9pm.

Tickets value from £14 for adults, £9.50 for youngsters and have to be pre-booked, plus there’s a small low cost for members. Day entry isn’t included – in the event you do go to on a day when Eltham Palace is open, you’ll have to go away the grounds after which return once more on your Enchanted slot.

When you’ve entered, you possibly can keep so long as you need (till closing) – most individuals are inclined to spend round 90 minutes to 2 hours exploring. Some areas are inaccessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs however there’s an alternate path to allow you to see the vast majority of the sunshine path.

It’s price figuring out there’s no parking on website (aside from Blue Badge holders) so that you’re requested to return by prepare the place attainable – Mottingham station is round 10 minutes away whereas Eltham is round quarter-hour stroll, or you possibly can take bus 161 to Eltham Church, which is 5 minutes away.

The Palace of Stardust, Hampton Court docket Palace

One other model new gentle path for 2021, Palace of Stardust is coming to Hampton Court docket Palace from December, impressed by its well-known Astronomical Clock, put in by Henry VIII.

The illuminated path will characteristic a fantastical wonderland of clocks, moons, planets and sundials all through the palace and the gardens – every thing from glowing lanterns to magical projections.

You’ll wander previous a flickering moonlit ball within the East Entrance Gardens, in addition to being transported to a different planet within the depths of the Wilderness.

A model new expertise for the palace, it’s the primary time guests will be capable of expertise the grounds fairly like this – plus there might be seasonal food and drinks to purchase alongside the way in which.

Runs from December 8 to January 3, 2022 (excluding December 11, 24, 25 and 26) – priced £12.50 for adults, £8 for youngsters (underneath fives go free), with half-price entry to members and members-only timeslots.

Click on right here to purchase tickets for the timed entry slots.

Lightopia, Crystal Palace

Lightopia is returning to London for 2021 – final 12 months’s deliberate occasion couldn’t happen at Chiswick Home and Gardens (which usually has illuminations and lantern path evens through the winter) however it’s returning to the capital to a brand new residence at Crystal Palace Park.

Operating on dates between November 19 to January 2, the path will recreate the well-known Crystal Palace in gentle inside the park the place it as soon as stood.

There can even be a Christmas gentle stroll and the prospect to find extra concerning the historical past of the park by interactive shows, with illuminations starting from lanterns and lasers to water gentle reveals.

Spy the butterfly area and phoenix alongside the way in which, to not point out a youngsters’ zone – and the illuminated dinosaurs to accompany the well-known Crystal Palace dinosaurs.

There’ll be food and drinks to purchase as you stroll. Tickets value from £19.50 for adults, from £13 for youngsters aged three to fifteen (underneath threes are free), plus there are household tickets accessible.

There are timed entry slots, which run from 5pm to 10pm with the final entry at 8:30pm. There’s restricted parking, with tickets available for purchase prematurely, however Crystal Palace station is lower than 10 minutes’ stroll away.

Winterfest at Wembley Park

It’s not simply south and west London which have winter lights trails – Wembley Park’s Winterfest has been including a brand new set of festive illuminations to the capital, returning this November with the theme ‘Reunited in Gentle’.

Combining gentle, sound and contact, the illuminated artwork installations embody London’s tallest-ever LED Christmas tree, again for 2021.

In addition to some returning favourites – you possibly can marvel once more on the Hopeful tree with over 100,000 lights – there might be new installations this 12 months.

Reunion will fill Market Sq. with a collection of interactive gentle arches forming tunnels, to encourage individuals to return collectively once more in a technicolour area, whereas the uplifting Reflections of the Future runs alongside Olympic Means utilizing optical illusions, in addition to gentle and sound.

Earlier highlights have included Illumaphonium: Halo which reacted to the touch to play totally different sounds, whereas the Sonic Runway, which appeared at Burning Man pageant in Nevada, made its European debut in north London.

It’s free to go to. This 12 months’s occasion takes place from November 25, 2021  to January 9, 2022.

Canary Wharf winter lights

** EDIT: 2022’S EVENT IS NOW CANCELLED BUT HOPING TO RETURN NEXT WINTER ** You needn’t lay our a fortune (or get squashed by the crowds in Oxford Avenue) to see London’s festive lights with youngsters – and the free Canary Wharf Winter Lights additionally imply there’s a good way to brighten up the New Yr.

Operating in January 2022, there might be greater than 20 gentle installations on present, together with some favourites from earlier years in addition to works commissioned for the occasion, and a few that are on show within the UK for the primary time – an incredible one to go to with older youngsters.

Earlier years have seen illuminated installations together with large rabbits, a phrase waterfall and illuminated graffiti, with themes together with Linked by Gentle and Vibrant Nights.

And like final 12 months’s occasion, a number of the illuminations are designed to be appreciated from a distance to be able to safely convey individuals collectively once more.

For extra of one of the best issues to do for Christmas in London with youngsters, take a look at my prime picks

Different festive gentle trails with youngsters

Lumiere London

This gentle pageant final took locations within the capital for 2018, however isn’t at present resulting from return for 2021 – as a substitute, Lumiere might be happening in Durham as soon as once more.

London Zoo

London Zoo’s earlier Christmas occasions have included illuminations for an after-dark go to among the many animals, in addition to choices to satisfy Santa plus festive movies as a part of its The Magic of Christmas occasions. Any occasions for 2021 are tbc.

Southwark Park

The park hosted an Alice in Wonderland themed set of illuminations in 2018.

Extra Christmas lights in London

When you’re out exploring London with youngsters, maintain an eye fixed out for the festive lights over the principle purchasing streets from November onwards.

In lots of circumstances there aren’t any huge swap on occasions, to keep away from crowds, however right here’s what to see and when to identify them.

Carnaby Avenue – from November 4, there might be 600 butterflies floating over the road.

Covent Backyard – the large baubles out there are at all times enjoyable to identify, with this 12 months’s lights switching on from November 9, plus a bonus of faux snow on the hour between 12 and 7pm till December 27

Regent Avenue – the Spirit of Christmas angels are getting back from November 13 (though maintain your eyes open in October as there are a couple of swap on assessments happening).

Oxford Avenue – taking pictures stars sparkle above London’s busiest purchasing road, model new for 2021

Bond Avenue – maintain an eye fixed out for the illuminated peacock tails shimmering above the realm round Bond Avenue, a reference to the society dandies (or peacocks) who as soon as strutted the streets right here.

Belgravia – changing final 12 months’s rainbow lights, there’s a string of less complicated white lights this 12 months, together with a small tunnel.

Trafalgar Sq. – yearly, since 1947, the individuals of Norway have given the individuals of London a Christmas tree as a thanks for assist through the Second World Struggle. The lighting ceremony takes place in early December – 2021 date tbc.

Try the following pointers for the finest scorching chocolate in London with youngsters, in the event you’re seeking to heat up afterwards

PIN FOR LATER: LONDON FESTIVE LIGHTS WITH KIDS

Try these posts for extra concepts of the finest Christmas markets in London with youngsters in addition to one of the best of London’s festive ice rinks with youngsters

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Major picture/Kew at Christmas: Jeff Eden/RBG Kew; Enchanted Syon: Simon Hadleigh-Sparks; Enchanted Eltham ©English Heritage.

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