With February half-term on the horizon, it’s time to start planning ways to keep the family entertained whatever the weather. Fortunately, the riverside around County Hall — in the shadow of the London Eye — is packed with attractions.
You may already know Shrek from the big screen, but for a deeper dive into the world of the gregarious green ogre, head to the interactive walk-through experience, Shrek’s Adventure! London. Journey through Far Far Away as you explore nine fairytale-themed live shows and meet the films’ other cherished characters including Princess Fiona and Donkey. Little ones will love getting lost in the Mirror Maze of Insanity and taking a ride on the Magic Bus – expect blasts of air and water sprays to take you by surprise!
Another film favourite has prowled over to the South Bank, namely a marmalade-munching bear. You’ll start The Paddington Bear Experience in the heart of Paddington Station (no, not the real one a few miles away) and hop onboard a full-size train carriage to take a trip through the capital. When you finally arrive at 32 Windsor Gardens, the Browns’ family home, you’ll be greeted by multiple interactive rooms full of familiar faces from Michael Bond’s beloved books. The Peruvian jungle is the next destination, to collect some oranges for Mrs Bird, before ending up at the Marmalade Day Festival! It’s a wonderful way to spend a few hours, but if you still haven’t had enough of the endearing beast, get down to the Savoy Theatre to catch the show-stopping Paddington the Musical.
If it’s raining outside, you can explore another watery world at SEALIFE London Aquarium, which is home to more than 5,000 underwater species. None of them are movie stars like Shrek and Paddington, though you are bound to find Nemo among the colourful clownfish in Coral Kingdom. Hold your nerve to walk through the glass tunnel with sharks, rays and turtles swimming above you, then brave the Rockpool Explorer zone, which lets you get hands-on with starfish and crabs. Completely mesmerising, however, is the Ocean Invaders area, where numerous species of jellyfish float around like aliens from outer space, and the Polar Adventure, which is packed with Gentoo penguins strutting their stuff in a frozen habitat. They’re hilarious to watch.
ANNA FRAME
