London has no shortage of theatre shows. But when you’re heading out with a baby or toddler in tow, you need a very specific kind of performance.
Little ones need something short, simple and full of energy, with puppets, music and plenty of flexibility to feed, wriggle and wander.
Many mainstream West End shows don’t admit under-3s. So for 0–2s, we recommend children’s theatres and relaxed performances created with babies and toddlers in mind.
Read on for Loopla’s updated list of magical baby and toddler shows in London during spring and summer 2026. Each was designed for very young audiences. Many even welcome under-2s.
In a hurry? Quick picks for 0–4s
Best baby‑friendly concerts:
Bach to Baby Family Concerts run relaxed 45‑minute classical gigs where babies can feed, crawl and dance to live music without anyone shushing them.
Best value live music show for little ones:
Boppin’ Bunnies Interactive Music Show at Blackheath Halls mixes original songs, live instruments and sensory props. Tickets start from £10, with under‑1s going free.
Best sensory show for babies in summer 2026:
Take Flight at Half Moon is a gentle, sensory show made especially for 0–2s, with a short running time and floor‑seating for crawlers and babies sitting in their grown-up’s lap.
Best Julia Donaldson show for toddlers in London right now:
The Flying Bath at Little Angel Theatre brings Julia Donaldson’s picture book to life with puppets, songs and lots of visual fun for 2–5s.
London’s best baby and toddler shows in 2026 (0–4 years)
The Flying Bath
The Flying Bath is a puppet adaptation of the Julia Donaldson and David Roberts picture book, following bath toys who swoosh off on watery rescue missions when their family goes out.
Using simple storytelling, songs and plenty of visual fun, the show is designed for a short attention span. Little Angel also offers relaxed performances of The Flying Bath, with softer lighting, open doors and a more flexible approach to noise and movement.
Event details
Ages: 2–5 years
When: Till Sunday 12 July 2026
Where: Little Angel Theatre, Islington, N1
Prices: From around £8.50–£16 (varies by performance)
There’s a Monster In Your Show
There’s a Monster In Your Show is another great pick for mini music lovers. It features cuddly puppets and original music co-written by McFly’s Tom Fletcher (who wrote the book it’s based on).
The story is about a Little Monster who escapes from a book and crashes a stage performance. He then calls in his friends Dragon, Alien and Unicorn, so as you’d expect, lots of comedy and chaos ensue.
Event details
Ages: 2 years+
When: Wednesday 27 – Saturday 30 May 2026
Where: artsdepot, North Finchley, N12
Prices: From £15
Take Flight
Specially created for babies and toddlers, Take Flight lands at Half Moon Theatre in June.
What makes this such a great first-theatre experience is the fact that it somehow manages to be gentle and spectacular. The 35-minute performance combines movement, music and simple visual storytelling.
In a relaxed studio setting, audiences will sit at floor level while the performers make their way around, engaging them with props and smiles.
Noise, feeding and movement are welcomed, removing some of the barriers that make parents nervous about taking their baby to the theatre.
Event details
Ages: 0-2 years
When: Friday 5 – Saturday 6 June 2026
Where: Half Moon Theatre, Limehouse, E1
Prices: From £18
Wood Owl and the Box of Wonders
Wood Owl and the Box of Wonders is a sweet, uplifting show about kindness.
The story follows a wooden owl who longs to join his friends in the night sky. One day, another lonely traveller arrives who might just be able to help him. If that weren’t wholesome enough, the story is told with beautiful handmade puppets.
Event details
Ages: 2 years+
When: Saturday 6 June 2026
Where: Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, W6
Prices: £12
Tales from Acorn Wood
If you have a toddler, there’s a good chance you already know Tales from Acorn Wood. Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s lift-the-flap books are a fixture of bedtime for many 1 to 3 year olds.
This familiarity is part of what makes the stage version a safe bet for a first theatre trip. Over 55 minutes, little fans will get to see their old friends Fox, Rabbit and Postman Bear on stage as puppets. As with most toddler shows, audience participation is encouraged, so they’ll get to sing with them, too.
One clever touch we love is how they recreate the flaps from the books. A mix of projection and stagecraft means tots get to watch them open live, just as they would at home.
Event details
Ages: 1 year+
When: Friday 22 – Tuesday 26 May 2026
Where: artsdepot, North Finchley, N12
Prices: From £15
Groove Onto the Moon
Groove Onto the Moon is one of the more unusual shows we found for this list. It’s maybe best described as your little one’s first live gig, because the music is the main draw.
A jazz and funk trio plays a full set of original songs (which tots can sing along with) while around them the story unfolds: a quest to find Neil Armstrong’s footprint.
Groove Baby has been making shows like this since 2013. Their musicians come from the UK jazz and contemporary scene, so the band is good enough that grown-ups will enjoy the gig too.
Event details
Ages: 3 years+
When: Tuesday 26 – Saturday 30 May 2026
Where: Lyric Hammersmith, W6
Prices: From £14
Bach to Baby Family Concerts
Bach to Baby host relaxed live music concerts for babies, toddlers and their grown-ups.
Professional musicians perform a mix of classical favourites alongside jazz, folk and themed programmes. They do so while creating an environment where tots are free to move around, make noise or take a break as needed.
Concerts typically last around 45 minutes and take place in family-friendly venues across London. Click below to browse upcoming dates.
Event details
Ages: 0-4 years
When: Various dates this spring
Where: Locations across London
Prices: From £16
Boppin’ Bunnies Interactive Music Show
Boppin’ Bunnies are award-winning specialists in music for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers aged 0 to 4 years (with under-1s able to join sessions for free).
Their structured classes are led by professional musicians. Toddlers get to explore instruments, sounds and simple sensory props with their grown-ups. You can also expect plenty of space for wriggling, dancing and snack breaks.
As well as classes, Boppin’ Bunnies often do special one-off music shows. We’ll let you know when and where to find upcoming events if you sign up for Loopla’s free newsletter for parents. We also include free events and pop-ups, along with special deals that could save you money on your next day of family fun.
Event details
Ages: 0–4 years
When: Tuesdays, Wednesdays + Fridays
Where: Various locations in South-East London
Prices: Tickets from £9; under‑1s free
Alice in Wonderland
For toddlers ready to sit through a story, Alice in Wonderland will introduce them to the joys of live ballet.
Most ballet productions are too long for the under-5s. This one is 40 minutes, with professional dancers playing Alice, the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts and the Mad Hatter.
Let’s All Dance Ballet Company has been making short, accessible ballet for families for over ten years. They pick their dancers for their acting and ability to connect with little ones, not just technique. After the show, yours will get to step on stage for a photo with them.
Event details
Ages: 2 years+
When: Sunday 24 May 2026
Where: Leicester Square Theatre, WC2
Prices: From £14
Bin Rat
Most toddler theatre is based on familiar storybooks or fairytales. Bin Rat is about rubbish.
Kids follow Bin Rat and her friends from Squeaky Clean Street Cleaners as they rummage through the rubble to find out where the junk goes. At the heart of this silly, interactive show is a serious point about litter and recycling.
The show is by The Last Baguette, a family theatre company founded by graduates of two of Europe’s top physical comedy schools.
Event details
Ages: All ages
When: Saturday 13 June 2026
Where: Lyric Hammersmith, W6
Prices: From £12
The Tiger Who Came to Tea
The Tiger Who Came to Tea is a great pick for a toddler’s first big-theatre outing to the West End. It runs all summer at Theatre Royal Haymarket, London’s third-oldest playhouse still in use.
Now in its twelfth London season, the musical play was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Family Entertainment.
It is of course based on the Judith Kerr book that most toddlers already know. The famous story is told with songs, sing-along moments and also magic. The illusions were in fact designed by a former president of the Magic Circle.
Event details
Ages: 3 years+
When: Monday 22 June – Saturday 5 September 2026
Where: Theatre Royal Haymarket, SW1
Prices: From £10
Teddy Bear’s Picnic
Teddy Bear’s Picnic is a good first-show option for younger toddlers who might find a theatre setting overwhelming. At least one familiar friend will also be in the audience to comfort them if needed, as kids are encouraged to bring their favourite bear along.
The show itself uses puppets, songs and dancing to follow a group of friends trying to get to the picnic on time. Numbers, colours and shapes are also woven into the story, so kids pick up a bit of learning too.
It’s the work of Rah Rah Theatre Company, who have been touring the show for twelve years.
Event details
Ages: 2-6 years
When: Saturday 4 July 2026
Where: Lyric Hammersmith, W6
Prices: From £12
There’s a Tiger in the Garden
There’s a Tiger in the Garden is based on Lizzy Stewart’s award-winning picture book of the same name. It runs for five weeks this summer at Polka Theatre in Wimbledon, a venue built specifically for children’s shows.
Toddlers have wonderful imaginations, and the story here celebrates this. It follows a girl called Nora who thinks she’s too old for her grandma’s make-believe games. Then she finds dragonflies the size of her head, plants that try to eat her toy giraffe, and a polar bear that fishes.
For this adaptation, Flock Theatre Makers worked with Lizzy Stewart herself.
Event details
Ages: 3 years+
When: Wednesday 8 July – Sunday 9 August 2026
Where: Polka Theatre, Wimbledon, SW19
Prices: From £13
The Lion Inside
The Lion Inside is a gentle confidence-builder for shyer toddlers. The show follows a small mouse who is fed up with being ignored by the bigger animals. So he sets out to learn how to roar like Lion.
Along the way, he discovers that even the biggest, bossiest creatures get scared sometimes. There’s a nice takeaway here for little ones: you don’t have to be big to have the heart of a lion.
The show is based on the bestselling picture book by Rachel Bright and Jim Field, and runs at the Unicorn, the UK’s biggest theatre dedicated to children.
Event details
Ages: 3 years+
When: Tuesday 14 July – Sunday 2 August 2026
Where: Unicorn Theatre, London Bridge, SE1
Prices: From £10
The Gruffalo
The Gruffalo is one of the most popular shows for young kids. Over three million kids have seen Tall Stories’ adaptation since it premiered 25 years ago.
It’s also one of the most interactive on this list of toddler shows. Rather than restage the picture book scene by scene, actors tell it directly to the audience. Every ten minutes or so, they pull children into the action with songs and gentle participation.
The show plays at the Lyric Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue and runs for an hour, well-suited to a three year old’s attention span.
Event details
Ages: 3 years+
When: Friday 17 July – Sunday 6 September 2026
Where: Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, W1
Prices: From £10
The Enormous Crocodile
Roald Dahl stories are rarely suitable for toddlers, but The Enormous Crocodile is aimed at 3 year olds and up. In the 55-minute musical, the crocodile is a bumbling, pantomime-style villain whose plan to eat children is played for silliness, not for scares.
Time Out actually saw the show’s lack of “dark streak” as a flaw. But if you’re looking for a softer-edged introduction to Dahl, this is probably what you want.
The show’s fun puppets were widely praised, though, as the villainous croc assembles and disassembles to take on new dastardly disguises.
Event details
Ages: 3 years+
When: Friday 29 July – Saturday 22 August 2026
Where: Lyric Hammersmith, W6
Prices: From £15
The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny
The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny is set in a garden and performed in one, too.
Covent Garden’s St Paul’s Church hosts it for one afternoon this July, making this the most central London outdoor toddler show on our list.
The adaptation pairs two of Beatrix Potter’s stories. Peter sneaks into Mr McGregor’s garden and gets tangled up with nets, cats and a furious gardener. His cousin Benjamin joins the trouble later.
Quantum Theatre specialise in outdoor family touring, though usually at country estates, so this is a rare chance to see them in Zone 1.
Event details
Ages: All ages (recommended 3 years+)
When: Wednesday 29 July 2026
Where: St Paul’s Church (the Actors’ Church), Covent Garden, WC2
Prices: From £13.99
Young MacDonald Wants a Farm
Young MacDonald Wants a Farm is one of our top picks here for tots who love music. Like Groove Onto the Moon, it’s more like a mini gig than many of the toddler shows on this list.
The story itself is a sequel of sorts to the classic nursery rhyme, with Old MacDonald’s son seeking to set up a farm to rival his dad’s. Tots get to enjoy electro music, gentle clowning and playful interaction while finding out whether he pulls it off.
Event details
Ages: 2-6 years
When: Saturday 27 June 2026
Where: Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, W6
Prices: From £12
Treat your toddler to a play day at one of London’s most famous museums
Did you know many of London’s big museums and galleries run special sessions for toddlers? Our favourites include the V&A’s Design Baby and the Natural History Museum’s Adventure Babies.
The only problem is that they often book up quickly. Signing up for Loopla’s newsletter can help you stay ahead of the pack. That way, we’ll keep an eye out for upcoming events, and the only place you need to check is your inbox.
FAQ: How to find the best toddler shows in London for your family
What is the best theatre show in London for babies and toddlers?
For under‑2s, we recommend gentle, sensory shows created specifically for babies. You’ll typically be sitting on floor cushions with your baby, while the actors come around engaging with their tiny audience members. Take Flight at Half Moon Theatre is a good example, as are relaxed baby concerts like Bach to Baby.
Older toddlers (2–4) will likely be more interested in shows with more of a story, including Little Angel Theatre’s The Flying Bath and Tales from Acorn Wood at artsdepot.
Polka Theatre and Little Lyric’s 2-6 productions are also brilliant “next steps” once they’re ready to sit and focus on a longer narrative.
Can I take a 2‑year‑old to the theatre?
Yes – you absolutely can take a 2-year-old to the theatre, just as long as you choose the right show. Look for early‑years pieces with age guidance starting at 0–2 or 2–4, or for relaxed performances. Puppet‑ and music‑based shows are a great way to introduce tots to theatre. Small venues like Polka, Little Angel, Unicorn and Half Moon often cater specifically to this age group.
Are West End shows suitable for 0–2s?
Most West End theatres set a minimum age of 3–5. Many don’t admit babies or strongly advise against bringing under‑3s because of the volume, length and content. For 0–2s, we recommend early‑years theatres and relaxed concerts instead. Save those big West End musicals for when your child is a bit older and more comfortable sitting through a full‑length show.
How do I find more toddler shows in London?
To find more toddler shows in London, use Loopla’s filters to search for events by age (0–2 and 2–4) and location. That way, you’ll see everything from baby concerts to toddler puppet theatre in one place. It’s also worth checking the “What’s On” pages at Little Angel Theatre, Polka Theatre, Unicorn Theatre, Southbank Centre and Lyric Theatre Hammersmith regularly. New early‑years runs and relaxed performances are added throughout the year.