Aspiring young zoo keepers have the chance to go behind-the-scenes at ZSL London Zoo. Kids can get close to some of their favourite zoo animals and find out what’s it like to take care of them during the Junior Keeper for a Day experience. We sent 12-year-old Téo Grimshaw to report on his day as a zoo keeper:

“We were given numerous jobs during the day which included feeding, grooming and cleaning the animal enclosures. We started at the Rainforest Life zone and fed lion-headed tamarins, titi monkeys, emperor monkeys, anteaters and sloths with apples, grapes and meal worms.

“The next job was scooping up llama, alpaca and donkey dung. We really enjoyed petting them when cleaning was competed.

“One of my favourite tasks was feeding the cute meerkats. They nervously came out of their habitats under the ground, as they were frightened of a blue kite which they mistook for a bird of prey.

“The coatis were unusual animals – we had to make a game of hiding their food for them around their enclosure.  They were running around our feet looking for the food.

“The most favourite task for me was feeding three enormous giraffes with carrots. They used their long blue tongues to wrap around the carrot sticks and eat them.

“The whole experience lasted just over 3 hours. At the end we were given a goody bag which contained a cap, t-shirt and fabric bag all with Zoo Keeper for a Day logo and certificate. It was a great day and everyone really enjoyed themselves.”

Junior Keeper for a Day is available for 11-15 year olds and costs £170 per person, including zoo entry for the participant and one accompanying adult. The experience lasts from 9:15am to 1pm and includes morning refreshments. Find out more

Too old? There’s a Keeper for a Day experience for adults too, or spend a night at the zoo in a luxury tent.

School was out and fun was in, especially along London’s South Bank.

The Southbank Centre has been playing host to the ever popular Imagine Children’s Festival, which returns this year with even more attractions than usual. The good news is that although half-term may be over for most, the action-packed festival continues to run until Sunday 26 February.

I have never braved the Tube on my own with all three of my young men. Yet I felt compelled to conquer my fear of excitable little ones on busy platforms and venture up to Waterloo. I packed a bag with activity books, sharpened pencils and a delectable array of goodies. There was no moaning, no crying and the journey went remarkably smoothly.  

But when we arrived at the Royal Festival Hall, my heart sank. For there in the foyer was a lengthy queue of fed up parents, all surrounded by kids and similarly stuffed backpacks. They were all there for the free Become a Superhero workshop. Staff were on hand to help aspiring Supermen and Wonder Women create their very own super hero persona, complete with superpower and dazzling costume. The problem was that you needed to be super patient to stick out the lengthy wait of one hour or more! As patience has never been my super strength, my boys sadly missed out.

Another free attraction, the Imagine craft pavillion, was inundated too. So we went in search of a bespectacled man in a stripy red top called Wally. Yes, that’s right, he of Where’s Wally fame. The kids loved racing around the Royal Festival Hall in search of the popular book character, though they only found two “injured” cardboard cutouts behind the ticket desk. Probably not quite the idea, but they enjoyed themselves all the same.

After a quick pitstop for some ice cream sundaes at nearby Giraffe, we headed over to the Queen Elizabeth Hall for James Campbell’s Comedy 4 Kids. If you’re wondering what Comedy 4 Kids is, it’s exactly as it sounds. Comedian James Campbell performed an hour-long stand up set especially for those aged six and up. James, a father himself, clearly knows what makes kids tick and he really gets down to their level. He made jokes about scooters, school and the double entendre that is the Nintendo Wii! Of course, this led to a good 10 minutes of toilet-related humour, which obviously had the kids tickled pink (there were a many adults chortling away to themselves too).

The packed-out comedy performance was unfortunately a one-off at Imagine, but there is much, much more in store for families this week. Highlights include a chance to meet bestselling author Jacqueline Wilson and the London Book Swap.

Imagine Children’s Festival at the Southbank Centre until 26 February 2012. Read more

Twinkle Twonkle is the latest production from Tall Stories, they of  The Gruffalo fame. During the two-person show at the Roundhouse in Camden they take on the challenging concept of the Big Bang – or Big Sneeze – Theory and do their best to explain it to kids as young as five.

Stella’s bedroom is her own makeshift version of the universe. Paper lanterns, inflatable globes and a colander all substitutes for the planets she is so fascinated by.

Meanwhile her younger brother Ryan is more interested in the cow that jumped over the moon. Desperate for a playmate, he badgers Stella to take part in his endless renditions of his favourite nursery rhymes.

But Stella just wants her brother to go to sleep so she can stare at the starry night through her telescope.

When Ryan refuses, she does the next best thing and teaches him about the worlds around him.

There are plenty of laughs and songs in the 50 minute performance and we all came out a lot wiser and more informed about the likes of constellations, galaxies and the basics of astrophysics! Even so, I’m still left wondering – what exactly are stars made of…?

Twinkle Twonkle at the Roundhouse until 31 December 2011

Neither myself nor my kids had any idea of what this might mean, and so we took ourselves down to the lovely Unicorn Theatre by Tower Bridge in the hope of finding out.

Walking in to this intriguing performance for pre-schoolers, we were each handed a weird and wonderful hat. My boys were too shy (or too cool) to wear theirs, but how could I refuse the offer?! Once inside the studio theatre, the children got to meander their way through a walkway of hoops and bells. Then as the doors closed we were asked to take our seats by the… Er… Strange table-type stage.

Specially designed, it is essentially an outsized ring-shaped wooden table. There are actually two concentric rings which move in opposite directions. The actors are inside the ring, while the little ones sit with their elbows on the table – their curious parents right behind them. And so the show began. It is a simple tale of a little girl who goes in search of her beloved lost dog. What makes this production by interactive theatre company Oily Cart so special is that the characters are played both by actors and puppet versions of themselves. The original music is catchy and the set and props are all crafted from a host of recyclables.

As the human girl sings her way through the story, her tiny alter-ego brings the action to life on the moving set. Her journey takes her from home to sea, then out to a desert island and eventually to space. Meanwhile the kids get very involved in the action, helping the puppets to travel faster and faster, heaving on a rope that sends them out to sea, searching for choccy biccies and even teaching the doleful man in the moon how to dance.

Audience participation is always a winner with kids, but Ring A Ding Ding takes this to new heights as the little ones really feel as if they are an integral part of the performance.

Ring A Ding Ding at the Unicorn Theatre until 30 December 2011. Book tickets

Two for One Tickets to Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model Live: A great offer for a glamorous day out. Fashionista’s won’t want to miss this three-day fashion, beauty and shopping event at ExCel in October.

Two for One Dirty Dancing Theatre Workshops: You’ve seen the film and watched the live show, now it’s time to dance the dance! Pick up a few moves with dance steps and routines set to music from the successful live show (various dates throughout 2011).

Kids’ Premier League Football Tickets for £1: Enjoy a family day out at Craven Cottage as Fulham FC take on Blackburn Rovers. Kids tickets are just £1!

The 22 roaring residents of The O2′s Dinosaurs Unleashed exhibition are getting a make-over in time for the summer holidays. The animatronic dinosaurs are more lifelike than ever thanks to a lick of paint on their claws, a thorough polish of their teeth and a bit of voice box tweaking!

The dinosaurs are joined by some real-life reptiles, a falconry show and an origami expert who will show you how to make a paper dinosaur. Plus, there’s a chance to win your own dinosaur by entering the Dinosaurs Unleashed competition which is raising money for Richard House Children’s Hospice.

Dinosaurs Unleashed, The O2, until 31 Dec 2011. Book tickets

BBC bosses struck TV gold when they commissioned In The Night Garden for CBeebies.

Aimed at pre-schoolers, the award-winning show was devised by the team behind The Teletubbies.

Like that phenomenally successful global brand, In The Night Garden speaks to pre-school children in a way adults find nigh on impossible to comprehend. Nevertheless, however baffled you may be, if you’re a parent of a tiny tot you’re probably familiar with the show’s incredible ability to mesmerise your little one.

Now fans have the chance to meet their heroes, up close and huggable. In The Night Garden is coming to London this summer and it’s bringing its own inflatable venue. Big, white and fluffy, the weatherproof showdome looks like something out of the surreal series. The live event will play at two venues in the capital. The first run will stretch from July 30 to August 13 in Richmond’s Old Deer Park. Then on September 10 it will reopen for a fortnight in Brent Cross.

We caught a sneak preview at Woburn Abbey. My son was a huge fan, but I wondered whether he would still be interested having recently turned three. I needn’t have worried. He had a huge smile across his face from the moment we sat down. While we waited, he delighted in the moving images projected on the ceiling of the dome.

Then as the lights dimmed, the magic began. Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy and Makka Pakka were brought to life by puppeteers and actors in costume. While most of the audience (including my son) sat captivated, the excitement proved too much for some who burst into tears. But that didn’t ruin it for those other wide-eyed little ones who truly believed that they had been transported to the Night Garden.

Tickets cost between £14.50 and £25, depending on the date. The running time is 50 minutes, which may leave you feeling a little short-changed. Nevertheless, it’s long enough for children that young to sit still and concentrate.  

If your kids come out demanding more, more, more, there is the opportunity to meet the characters. But be warned: the show’s organisers are charging £15 extra for the privilege.

In The Night Garden: Old Deer Park, Richmond, 30 Jul-13 Aug 2011 and Brent Cross, 10-24 Sep 2011. Visit www.nightgardenlive.com for tickets and information

The Gruffalo is one of the most popular children’s stories of modern times.

You might be thinking: “A gruffalo? What’s a gruffalo?”

Ask any child of primary school age or younger and you are sure to find an answer. Watch as their eyes light up, they assume a scary pose and reply: “Why didn’t you know…?

Julia Donaldson’s rhyming fable tells of a tiny mouse who wanders through a deep, dark wood in search of nuts. En route the mouse encounters three hungry animals – a fox, an owl and a snake. The quick-thinking rodent frightens off its predators by telling them of the terrifying beast that it’s going to meet – the gruffalo. To the mouse’s amazement it eventually crosses paths with the imaginary beast, who fancies the mouse on a piece of toast.

In 2001 the clever tale was brought to life by Tall Stories Theatre Company. Since then it has travelled everywhere from Australia to Alaska. This year the show is on at the Garrick Theatre – the production’s third West End season.

The theatre was packed out with excited youngsters and their no-less excited adult companions. My little ones watched in awe as one of their favourite stories was retold on stage.

Those of you familiar with the story may be wondering how it could possibly work as a full-length children’s show. Tall Stories have stayed faithful to Donaldson’s story, but added in some extra narration, a few catchy tunes and a dash of audience participation.

The kids loved it – especially my two-year-old who had never been to the theatre before. He bounced up and down in his seat and relished the opportunity to show the on-stage animals how loudly he could roar.

Christmas may be over, but there is still time to buy a ticket to see The Gruffalo in London. The show runs until 16 January. Buy Gruffalo tickets here.

It’s the Tower of London, but not as you know it! This one is made from paper and on display at the V&A Museum of Childhood as part of their Cut it, Fold it: Build it with Paper exhibition.

If your early years were spent happily cutting out little tabs and assembling elaborate cardboard castles you’ll love this exhibition. The models on show are absolutely stunning and very carefully made (not one of the modellers had resorted to selotape!) The tiny elaborate buildings include Hampton Court Palace, shops, parks, houses and tourist attractions from all round the world.

One of the most interesting items was a lovely example of cinema merchandising, a printed kit for building Mr Blanding’s Dream House from the 1948 Cary Grant film.

The only frustration is that when you’ve seen this exhibition, you’ll be desperate to make paper models and the museum shop didn’t have any. Thankfully the internet does, so here’s a free paper model of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre we found for you to stick to your fingers!

Cut it, Fold it: Build it with Paper at the Museum of Childhood. 9 October 2010 – 9 January 2011. Free entry. www.vam.ac.uk/moc

There was a new addition to the family of giraffes at London Zoo this weekend – but for one day only.

Giddy the Giraffe, a cuddlier version of his mammalian relatives, made a special appearance at the world-famous animal park in Regent’s Park on Sunday. No prizes for guessing which popular restaurant chain Giddy is the mascot for. Struggling? It’s Giraffe of course.

The occasion was the restaurant’s first ever family fun day, held in a private enclosure at the zoo. Restaurant bosses treated their staff and 100 website competition winners to a fantastic day out at the popular London attraction. My sons – 2, 4 and 6 – are all big animal lovers and so were thrilled at being included on the VIP guest list.

Besides a free entry to the zoo, Giraffe laid on a bouncy castle, face painters and an entertainer who taught the kids a few nifty circus skills. There were drinks, drinks and more drinks, and a Giraffe-style buffet lunch laid on for all the guests. Once lunch was over we had a lovely wander in the sunshine around the zoo. We visited the gorillas, zebras, reptiles, penguins, meerkats and more.

And then it was back to the enclosure to find out if we’d won any prizes in the raffle. Sadly not, but it was money well spent as our cash goes towards supporting ZSL’s vital conservation projects in Britain and around the world.

The event marked the start of an on-going partnership between the restaurant chain and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), which runs the zoo. The chain aims to raise  £50,000 for ZSL this year. Customers can help their efforts by ordering a Falafel Deluxe Burger when they dine out at Giraffe. The restaurant will give 50p from every sale to support ZSL’s critical work. From working to save the British house sparrow to making sure the newly-discovered population of okapi (the closest known relative of the giraffe) are safe, the money raised aims to make the planet a better place.

Have you visited London Zoo recently? In the comments below, tell us what your (or your kids’) favourite animals are.