Second Saturday - Family activities at Guildhall Art Gallery

A revolving programme of family activities may have you heading into the Roman Amphitheatre and hearing tales of Roman conquests, or creating crafts from the Victorian paintings surrounding you.

At their next Second Saturday on 13 September, they are filling Guildhall Art Gallery and London's Roman Amphitheatre with architectural activities for families to do, in celebration of the Open House Festival.

At Guildhall Art Gallery & London's Roman Amphitheatre

11am to 4pm: Drop in activities

Fold Your City: Help create a large paper city to take over the Art Gallery with A Line Arts
Design Lego landmarks: Create your own skyscraper to add to the skyline, surrounded by their London artworks
Recreate Roman buildings: Use our nets to colour and cut your way as an ancient architect amongst the ruins of London's Roman Amphitheatre
Explore the Architecture in Art trail: Pick up your free trail at the front desk to discover our artworks
Under 5s Construction zone: For our youngest builders, with soft foam, wooden and Duplo bricks
Calm down colouring: Colour in our HUGE copy of London's oldest map
Dig into stories or try on some costumes in the book corner

They will also be providing a small quiet space with ear defenders and sensory toys for those that need it.

Pick up a free map on the day to find other City venues running family activities, including:

At London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE

Join London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE for a free family day inspired by art installation Performance of Entrapment by Jane and Louise Wilson. Craft colourful portraits and fans and uncover the secrets of the ancient Temple of Mithras—fun for ages 5–11 and beyond! Explore more on Bloomberg Connects.

At Dr Johnson's House

Visit the home of Dr Johnson, who wrote the first comprehensive English Dictionary, for free on this special day for families. Hear about the architectural history of the house, dress up in 18th century costumes and try your hand at writing with a quill and ink! You can also pick up an activity sheet to guide you through the house and browse the replica dictionaries to look up unusual words like 'jiggumbob'!

The activities are free; however, booking is encouraged as it helps us ensure we have enough resources for everybody. Walk-ins are welcome on the day.

This event is for children aged 3 to 13 and their families. It is not suitable for individual adults.

To stay up-to-date on family activities taking place in Guildhall Art Gallery, sign-up to the family newsletter.