Cirque Du Soleil: Kooza, at the Royal Albert Hall

The consistently innovative and spellbinding Cirque Du Soleil bring Kooza to the UK for the first time, which fuses acrobatics and clowning to create a breathtaking and memorable show. Kooza tells the story of The Innocent, who receives a mysterious package that opens up his lonely life and helps him find his place in the world. A return to the original style of Cirque Du Soleil, the production has received rave reviews in other countries and will surely be a spectacular way to start 2013. 5 Jan – 14 Feb

Disco Loco at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club

Head to Bethnal Green for some unusual family fun – a disco in which kids and their parents can party together! Between 3pm-6pm families can dance to music from DJs, watch live acts and enjoy a range of other activities and surprises. The disco is designed to make children appreciate their parents’ music, so you won’t be dancing to the Peppa Pig theme tune! Entry costs £3. 6 Jan

Festival of Winter Walks, Across London

This weekend is your last chance to participate in the Festival of Winter Walks, an initiative by British walking charity The Ramblers to encourage people to explore places on foot. There are lots of great walks around London, which are all free and present a perfect opportunity to discover hidden parts of the city. Check out The Ramblers website for full details of routes and start times. Until 6 Jan

London Short Film Festival, Various Venues

Described as “the Best Short Film Festival in the World” by the Guardian newspaper, the London Short Film Festival offers a diverse menu of shorts from talented filmmakers. Not only does the programme feature cutting-edge films from the UK’s finest, but it also contains networking events, panel discussions and film surgeries. Get into the festival spirit at the opening night party at the ICA on Friday night. 4-11 Jan

Cockroach Tour of the Science Museum

See things from a completely different perspective during this entertaining and fascinating tour. After you’ve put on the special cockroach shell costume you’ll spend 45 minutes exploring the Science Museum’s galleries and looking at human innovation from the hardy insect’s point of view. The free Cockroach Tour is a great way for people to rediscover this fantastic museum, although it is essential to book in advance. Saturdays and Sundays throughout 2013

Here are a few of our top picks:

1. Striking Your Own Chord: Journeys into Musical Plagiarism
Why do people plagiarise music? George Harrison was once found guilty of “unconscious plagiarism” in a law suit which cost him a million dollars. In this free lecture for adults, neuroscientists and musicologists explain why plagiarism is pretty likely to happen and give you the chance to try out karaoke pods to find out how unique your music writing skills are.
7-9pm, 17 March at the Science Museum. Free

2. Subterranean Tours
Paying £5 to crawl down an abandoned tunnel might not be your idea of fun, but it will be worth it when you get to the other end and find yourself in the former Grand Entrance Hall of the Brunel Museum. This subterranean amphitheatre has been inaccessible for 140 years and is now open for you to explore.
Afternoons 13-21 March, don’t wear your favourite trousers.

3. Behind the Scenes Tour – Kew’s Herbarium, Library, Art and Archives
This is a real treat – take a sneaky peak at the secrets of The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew! Kew have collected 7 million herbarium specimens and 200,000 artworks during their 250 years and the collections are usually only available to view by horticulturalists and historians. Tours are free but you need to book in advance.
16 March www.kew.org

4. Geek C’est Chic: Fashion in Science and Science in Fashion
Forget leggings, jeggings and treggings, the hottest garment you could possibly be seen in during National Science and Engineering Week is your lab coat. At Geek C’est Chic, London fashion designers will be redesigning the lab coat for the modern scientist. This simple protective garment will be transformed, not just in fashion terms, but using the latest nanotechnology and “smart” materials.
7.30pm on the 19 March at the Bethnal Green Men’s Working Club. Free.

5. Geek Pop presents … The Science Sessions
One of the best nerdy parties in London, the Geek Pop science night promises science songs from Helen Arney, Spirit of Play singing about quantum physics, and rock god Dr Stu and the Neutron Stars.
7.30pm on 18 March at The Miller. Tickets just £2 from www.geekpop.co.uk

National Science and Engineering Week runs from 12 to 21 March 2010. Find out more information about the events mentioned and check out everything else going on in London at www.britishscienceassociation.org