National Portrait Gallery
St Martins Place Trafalgar Square
London WC2H 0HE
The National Portrait Gallery is home to over 120,000 portraits of famous British men and women from the 16th century to the present day. Families can enjoy special art activities and workshops throughout the year and during school holidays. The 3rd Saturday of every month at 11:30 am and 2:30 p.m., children 5+ and their carers can explore portraits in the Collection with Family Art Workshops, followed by an art activity. The workshops are free, but places are limited and tickets are allocated on a first-come, first served basis from the Information Desk in the Ondaatje Wing Main Hall. The sessions last about 90 minutes and children must be accompanied. Also on the 3rd Saturday of every month, children 3+ and their carers can join the free drop-in storytelling sessions. Storytelling is at 2 pm and 3 pm, and lasts about 30 minutes no ticket is required, just meet in the Ondaatje Wing Main Hall. Throughout the school holidays children aged 5+ can print their own t-shirts, make special portrait mugs, decorate a bag to take on holiday, create a poster, mix and match faces and hairstyles, create a hanging gallery of their favourite portraits, and even make themselves into a jigsaw puzzle. Most workshops are at 11:30 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. – check the National Portrait Gallerys website for details. Free tickets are available an hour before each workshop from the Main Hall. There is a nice restaurant on site as well as a cafe serving light lunches – the cafe is better suited to families with young children. There is a quiet area ideal for new parents as well as baby changing facilities next to the Ondaatje Wing Theatre. Admission is free, as are all of the family workshops.
Opening Hours: Open daily 10 am – 6 pm, open til 9 pm on Thurs & Fri.
Website: Visit National Portrait Gallery website
Rate National Portrait Gallery and you could be our next winner!
National Portrait Gallery was recommended as great for kids. What do you think? Rate it below and tell other mums and dads what you thought. We’ll thank you by popping your name in the hat for our next prize draw. Tell me more…
Contact us with corrections | Claim or upgrade this business
About the Author: Janis
I look after the day-to-day running of ReallyKidFriendly.com, as well as some geeky stuff behind the scenes. Thanks to my two boisterous rascals (aged 4 and 5), I have become an expert in soft play areas, parks, energetic music classes, and where to get a stiff drink once the kids have gone to bed. Really – ask me anything! 
Review of Children’s Art Day:
Described as “Fire Wire”, one room of the main gallery was devoted to helping visitors make masks with wire, tape and copious amounts of help from parents.
It was actually much better than it sounds, with enthusiastic support from staff and other, ahem, artistes. All free, too. We still have a very poor mask of Norman Foster on the back of the living room door, which may stay there some time as it’s creator is determined that Daddy will not throw it away. If your house is also filled with such “art”, be warned.
Was this comment or review helpful?
0 
0