The London International Horse Show at Olympia

See Olympic medal winners at the thrilling London International Horse Show, which is celebrating its 40th year at Olympia. Not only are there world class dressage and show jumping events, but you can also watch carriage driving, dog agility trials and the Shetland Pony Grand National. Don’t miss the extensive shopping village where you can find great equestrian gifts and treats. Tickets start from £15. 17-22 Dec

A Wetland Christmas Carol at the WWT London Wetland Centre

A unique festive show crowns a varied programme of family activities at the WWT London Wetland Centre this weekend. “A Wetland Christmas Carol” features a suitably-themed twist on the classic tale, with a mud-hating Scrooge visited by the ghosts of Wetland Past, Present and Future. Alongside the performances, which take place at 12pm and 3.30pm, you can feed otters, craft your own Christmas decorations or take a guided tour. Events are free but standard admission charges apply – see the website for full details. 22-24 Dec

Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, St Paul’s Cathedral

Get into the Christmas spirit with this beautiful choral work by Benjamin Britten, performed in the exquisite surroundings of St Paul’s Cathedral. Commencing at 5pm, it is performed by the Choristers of St Pauls and the Vicars Choral, with Sioned Williams playing the harp. Entry is free, and other carol services take place here throughout the weekend – see the website for details.  21 Dec

Pop Up Screens at the Truman Brewery

The popular Pop Up Screens brings a week-long programme of Christmas films to the Old Truman Brewery, which are perfect for some laid back festive fun. Screenings include Bad Santa, Scrooged and Nightmare Before Christmas, and a wide range of refreshments is available from their bar. Tickets are £14.  18-23 Dec

Christmas African Market, Dalston

Head to Gillett Square in Dalston between 11am-5pm for your chance to pick up original gifts at the Christmas African Market.  Stalls will be selling everything from jewellery and clothing to arts and crafts, plus there’s a varied programme of family activities that includes face painting, mask making and a drumming circle. 22 Dec

Greenwich Charity Pantomime Horse Race

The other horse-related event this weekend is slightly more frivolous, but every bit as enjoyable. On Sunday, people dressed as pantomime horses will race around Greenwich to raise money for Demelza Hospice, which cares for terminally ill children. The hilarious caper starts at 1pm, but you can also watch the opening ceremony at 12pm or enjoy a charity concert starring Not The Rolling Stones after the race (tickets are £20 and must be booked in advance). 23 Dec

Team GB’s haul of gold medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games is clearly having an impact across the city.

This mallard at the WWT London Wetland Centre has got in on the action, giving birth to a super-cute golden duckling! A real one-off, the gold-coloured baby has five siblings with more usual markings. London Wetland Centre staff have nicknamed the duckling Jessica in honour of the heptathlon gold medal winner, Jessica Ennis.

We think this addition to the Wetland Centre’s brood is a real winner too!

If you want to introduce your kids to art, check out The Sunday Spot at South London Gallery in Peckham each Sunday in August. There are hands-on workshops inspired by the gallery’s current exhibitions. This summer, artists Ross Robertson and Lauren Willis are joined by Isa Suarez to explore some of the local soundscapes around the gallery. The Sunday Spot is free and runs from 2-4pm every Sunday. Ideal for children aged 3-12 years.

Treat your kids to a tour of the London Wetland Centre this summer. If you’ve got little ones who love creepy crawlies, the themes for next week’s walks are Reptiles and Invertebrates. You can also take part in a Great Pond Safari, and get crafty at the Summer Crafts sessions at the end of each day.

Think your kids will hate exploring a military museum? Think again. The National Army Museum in Chelsea has a new Kids’ Zone open this summer, specifically for kids aged 0-8 years. As well as a soft-play space for babies, there are arts and crafts, dressing-up costumes, books, interactive toys and, best of all, forest- and arctic-themed climbing frames! The Kids’ Zone is open from 10.10am to 5.15pm, and there are six 1-hour sessions each day.

There’s more for craft-loving children at the William Morris Society in Hammersmith. From now until Saturday 27 August, you can take part in a number of free Arts and Crafts Workshops, including fan-making, stained glass and lettering workshops, and block printing.

Argh, me hearties! If you’ve got a pirate fan in the family, set sail for the Museum of London Docklands this week. There’s storytelling, pirate puppet theatre, and even the chance to become pirate yourself in the excellent drama workshops at the museum. The recommended age is from 3 years upwards. If you’re really passionate about life on the high seas, check out our feature on other places to play Pirates in London.

Have you been to any other fun summer holiday events in London? Let us know in the comments below.

Read Summer Holiday Activities for Kids in London Part I

Congratulations to the London Wetland Centre nature reserve, which has just recruited its 200,000th member.

And that member is keen wildlife photographer, Rachel Andrew. Rachel recalls many happy childhood visits to one of WWT’s other centres in Washington, Tyne and Wear. She chose to join the Trust after a day out at London Wetland Centre with her family earlier this year.

London Wetland Centre thanked Rachel with a special private visit to the reserve on Monday before it opened to the public. Rachel and her family then took a tour of the beautiful Wildside area of the site with Adam Salmon, the Centre’s reserve manager, where they were lucky enough to spot green sandpipers and hear Cetti’s warblers singing.

General manager Martin Senior presented Rachel and her family with a special hamper of WWT goodies.

Rachel said, “We became members of the WWT in order to support the work that they do and to be able to enjoy the centre throughout the year, as it is a fantastic location for wildlife photography. We really enjoyed our day at the centre where we discovered how much work goes on behind the scenes to make the London Wetland Centre such a special place for birds, animals and plants – and for the visitors like us who come to enjoy seeing them.”

Martin Senior, General Manager said, ”We are delighted that Rachel chose to join WWT here at London Wetland Centre. Our members are really important because they ensure we can carry on protecting wetland wildlife. Rachel and her family will now be able to come in as often as they want and see how the reserve changes throughout the year.”

Find out more about the WWT London Wetland Centre

Tomorrow is the start of the London Wetland Centre’s 10th anniversary celebrations.

And what better way to mark the occasion than with this great video by Cazzyweb of her day out at the centre in Barnes.

Pop down to the Wetland Centre during the birthday week (29 May-6 Jun) and you’ll find lots going on. 

Gyles Brandreth, who lives near the Wetland Centre and is a keen supporter, is cutting the birthday cake on Saturday at 12.00 to launch the celebrations. If you’re around on the day, you’ll be invited to join in the opening celebrations at noon, and receive a free piece of the wetland-themed cake!

Or take your pick from the following over the week:

• Birds of prey
• Mammal and moth safari (see the moths, shrews, mice and voles that live on the reserve)
• Newts, froglets, toads and slow worms 
• Bats and hedgehogs 
• Otters

Check wwt.org.uk/visit-us/london/events for details of which events are happening each day.

This adorable little mallard is going for an Easter stroll at the London Wetland Centre – why don’t you pop along this week and join him!

There are loads of activities going on at the London Wetlands Centre during the easter holidays, including easter egg hunts and watching baby ducklings learn to swim. There’s even the opportunity to dress up as a duck!

If you take any cute pictures in London this weekend, share them with us at the Visit London Flickr pool.

Last weekend, I headed to bird-spotter’s paradise the London Wetland Centre in Barnes.

Although not ornithologically-inclined myself, I do like ducks, so seeing numerous species including the White-faced Whistling duck, Indian Running ducks and mallards was a bit of a treat!

The 42-hectare site features ponds, rivers and reed beds, making it a perfect home not just for birds, but bats, insects, water voles and other wildlife too.

You can wander the paths in just a few hours and keen bird-spotters can set up camp in one of six hides located around the site. Admittedly, the centre looked distinctly brown and muddy at this time of year, but our tour guide assured us that it becomes much more colourful by spring.

My highlights included:

• A pair of bullying Black Swans who chased any other birds off their patch of water
• The strange and random sculptures scattered around the site, including a seal carcass and a bird sculpture made out of shopping trolleys
• Ducks, ducks and more ducks!

The WWT London Wetland Centre also runs regular events for kids – look out for pond dipping and Easter egg hunts this Easter.