Free summer places, family groups and days out
Published Thursday 11 June 2026
Book a free Food and Fun holiday place, catch family groups before the summer break, and plan low-cost museum and farm days out.
Top Updates
Free Food and Fun summer holiday places are open to book
Southwark's Food and Fun holiday programme is taking bookings for the summer break. It is free for children aged 4 to 16 who get benefits-related free school meals, and each session includes activities and a healthy meal across more than 30 venues around the borough. Families can check what is on near them and book a place through the Food and Fun booking page, where each venue lists its own ages, dates and contact details.
Catch free Time and Talents family groups before summer
Time and Talents runs two free weekly groups for children at its T&T2 space inside Surrey Quays Shopping Centre. Toddler Shake 'n' Boogie is a drop-in of crafts, songs, music and play for under-fives on Tuesdays, 9.30 to 11.30am, and it does not run over the summer, so the next few weeks are the time to try it. Mischief Squad is a free dance club for children aged 6 to 11 on Tuesdays, 4 to 5pm, with no need to book. The full list is on the children and families programme.
Brunel Museum's Summer of Sustainability trail
The Summer of Sustainability family trail runs daily at the Brunel Museum through to September, 10.30am to 3.30pm with last entry at 3pm. Children listen for trains in the tunnel, spot the spiky monkey puzzle tree and plant wildflower seeds to take home. Under-16s go free and SE16 and SE8 residents pay £2.50, so it makes a cheap rainy-day or holiday outing close to home.
Dates For Your Diary
Thursday 25 June, 8pm
Hithertones choral concert in the Thames Tunnel shaft
The Hithertones choir performs a cappella, folk, jazz and classical pieces in the underground shaft at the Brunel Museum on Thursday 25 June, 8 to 9pm, with the bar open from 7pm. Under-16s go free and SE16 and SE8 residents pay £2.50, with tickets on the museum's booking page. Step-free access is limited, so contact the museum when booking if you need it.
Friday 10 and Saturday 11 July
Open-air Romeo and Juliet at Surrey Docks Farm
Putney Theatre Company brings open-air Shakespeare to Surrey Docks Farm on Friday 10 July at 6.30pm and Saturday 11 July at 5.30pm. Tickets are £16, or £12 concessions, and must be booked in advance through Putney Arts Theatre.
Tuesday 28 July, 10am-noon
Fix it Repair Cafe at the Brunel Museum
Time and Talents brings a special edition of its Repair Cafe to the Brunel Museum on Tuesday 28 July, 10am to noon. Take a dodgy toaster, wobbly chair or favourite jumper and volunteers will help fix it and share DIY tips. Under-16s go free and SE16 and SE8 residents pay £2.50; spaces are limited, so booking is needed.
What's On
Saturday 13 June
Southwark parkrun, 9am. The free weekly 5k starts in Southwark Park at 9am. Children can take part with a responsible adult, but this is the standard 5k rather than a junior parkrun; register and bring a barcode through Southwark parkrun.
Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June
Meet the Small Animals at Surrey Docks Farm, 12.30-1pm. The farm is open and free to visit 10am to 4pm every day, and on weekend afternoons runs a Meet the Small Animals session from 12.30 to 1pm, with rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets and chickens to meet for £3 per person. Animal feed is £1 a bag, and The Barn coffee shop on the Thames Path is open for drinks and snacks.
Saturday 13 June
Craft and colouring club at Canada Water Library, 2.15-3.15pm. Canada Water Library's craft and colouring club for children aged 5 and over runs on Saturday afternoon. Places are limited, so arrive in good time.
Sunday 14 June
Guided tour at the Brunel Museum, 12.30pm. Weekend guided tours run at the Brunel Museum at 12.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays, telling the story of the first tunnel under a navigable river. Under-16s are free with paying adults.
Roadworks and Transport
Rotherhithe Tunnel overnight closures and size limits: Transport for London continues twice-weekly overnight maintenance closures of the Rotherhithe Tunnel, including overnight from Monday 15 into Tuesday 16 June, so plan another river crossing if you drive late at night. The tunnel also has standing limits of 2 metres for height and width and 2 tonnes for goods vehicles, with fines for vehicles that ignore them.
Rotherhithe Street and Rotherhithe New Road: Southwark road closures on Rotherhithe Street continue through Friday 19 and Tuesday 23 June. On Rotherhithe New Road, Thames Water has a lane closure from Sunday 14 to Wednesday 17 June, and UK Power Networks multi-way signals run on into July, so allow extra time towards Bermondsey and the Old Kent Road side.
Surrey Quays Road, Southwark Park Road and Drummond Road: UK Power Networks multi-way signals on Surrey Quays Road run into late summer, two-way signals on Southwark Park Road continue into July, and Openreach two-way signals on Drummond Road last through Wednesday 24 June. These are the works most likely to slow trips around Surrey Quays and Lower Road.
Planning Watch
Extensions and dropped kerb on Timber Pond Road: Southwark has received application 26/AP/1596 at 32 Timber Pond Road, SE16 6AG. It proposes full-width rear extensions at ground and first floor, a single-storey front porch, and a dropped kerb for off-street parking.