Grrrr. No sooner do the summer holidays begin in earnest, than the heavens open. Do the fates not know how difficult it is to keep children occupied when they can’t scamper around London’s green and pleasant parks and commons? We’re currently playing balloon volleyball in the sitting room, with an Ikea soft toy dragon as the dividing line. This should hold them off for at least half an hour. I’ve snuck off to the computer to book some alternative, indoor fun for them next week in form of tickets to the annual West End theatre’s Kids Week. It runs from 13 August to 3 September (so quite a lot longer than a week), and offers a free child place with every full paying adult. There’s something for everyone, from Room on the Broom for the under-fives, to The Railway Children for the slightly older mob, to grown-up shows, including Mamma Mia and Avenue Q, for tweens and teens who consider themselves far older than you are. You can also book free activities to go with the shows, from classes making puppets, to drama workshops at the Old Vic and Royal Court Theatres. What luvvie treats.

There’s a section dedicated to theatres at angels & urchins’ What’s On – go and visit. And if you fancy writing a review of anything you see this summer, get in touch via the comments section, below.

And if you have any ideas for games that might just wear them out, PLEASE let me know! Balloon volleyball might  just end with a bang, and then we’ll be lost…