Immersive Experiences For Kids In London That Entertain And Empower Education This Summer

London is a tireless frontrunner in art and culture. There are always plenty of things to do and explore in the city. But for parents with kids, curating a must-visit list can be daunting, especially knowing the ever-changing and trend-bearing tastes of today’s tweens and teens. We at DP recommend going beyond the touristy favourites and heading to a captivating array of immersive experiences that bring the best of cutting-edge digital technology, action-packed adventures with artistic experiences that reflect the influence of pop culture today. 

DP’s immersive art and design experience guide includes life-size Lego sculpture exhibits, dopamine flooding immersive rooms to perception-challenging art installations that navigate the complex terrain of illusions and VR-technology-led travel into the surreal and colourful world of bubbles.

1. Boost Your Happiness At The Multi-Sensory Experience Of Dopamine Land

With nearly two years of roaring success, Dopamine Land continues to excite with unique themed rooms that offer a blend of audio-visual and olfactory experiences. Immersed in a vibrant setting, the ten galleries feature interactive digital installations designed to elevate one’s dopamine levels. Dreamt up as a total disconnect from reality, it buoys tons of fun for kids and adults and doubles as a dazzling photo opportunity venue. 

Some of the exhibit highlights are the ‘Galaxy Of Lights’, entering this space feels like entering a galaxy of stars with ever-changing colours; The enchanting ‘Woodland Wonderland’, a digitally layered forest bathed in green light and soothing pine aroma, is a unique alternative to forest bathing. The dopamine rush leads you to the bubble bar, where you must try the bubble teas and unique cocktails. Discover more exciting environments in Dopamine Land, conceptualised by Fever in the London summer of 2022.

Location: 85 Old Brompton Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 3LD. Book Your Tickets Here.

DP recommends the ‘Story Tent’, an innovative space that revives the ancient art of shadow puppetry and encourages both kids and adults to engage in playful activities. 

2. Learn the ‘Art Of The Brick’ Deemed The Most Elaborate Display of Lego 

‘The Art of The Brick’ transports visitors into a fascinating world of sculptures made from Lego. The exhibition showcases over a hundred sculptures, snapping millions of little Lego blocks together. Expect an extraordinary collection featuring life-size sculptures and re-imagined versions of renowned art masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s David, Van Gogh’s Starry Night, and Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The New York Artist behind the show, Nathan Sawaya, says, “I wanted to make the art very accessible, something that everyone from the family could relate to, and I think Lego is that type of medium,”. 

This groundbreaking exhibition, Sawaya’s brainchild, is a testament to the limitless possibilities of Lego engineering and the first of its kind in sculpture art. As an artistic medium, LEGO provides therapeutic aid and conveys profound messages through its sculptures, akin to other traditional art forms. The highlights are the captivating installation of 250 skulls designed in an LED light that grooves to the rhythm of light and sound; the thought-provoking ‘My Boy’ is the artist’s outpouring of parental loss. One has to see it to believe it. 

Location: The Boiler House. 152 Brick Lane, London. Book Your Tickets Here.  

DP recommends the 6-metre-long sculpture, a re-imagination of a Tyrannosaurus Rex made of 80,020 individual Lego bricks occupying an entire gallery.

3.  Enter A Mind Boggling Playground of Illusions at The Twist Museum

Conceptualized by a team of artists, neuroscientists, and philosophers, Twist Museum is an immersive experience that forces your brain to embark on an adventure in perception. TWIST is an acronym for “The Way I See Things,” which reflects in the pioneering interactive illusionary exhibits that enable children of all ages to see the world through a different lens.  Counted as ‘London’s Home of Illusions,’ its interconnected immersive rooms showcase over 60 installations, best described as a trip down the rabbit hole to the wonders of illusion. The highlights are the ‘Ames Room’ pioneered by physics researcher Adelbert Ames Jra is a black-and-white cubicle that replicates the shrinking effects of the illusion. The ‘Sound Lab’ unlocks one’s extrasensory powers, allowing you to grasp water temperatures only through your auditory prowess. 

Twist Museum explores and puts to test the power of one’s mind in experiencing the world around. Can a corridor go on forever? Can you see colours that aren’t there? Get ready for such mind-bending answers at London’s first, Twist Museum which opened its door on Oxford Street on 16 November 2022. 

Location: 248 Oxford Street, Oxford Circus, Mayfair, W1C 1DH. Book Your Tickets Here.

DP recommends the futuristic photo booth that generates a 3D hologram of one’s headshot.   

4. Travel Into A Infinite Dreamscape At The Bubble Planet 

Bubble Planet draws kids and young adults to its quirky, colourful bubble-themed exhibits enhanced with VR technology, themed rooms, fantastical landscapes, and even a hot-air balloon flight simulator. Mark Twain was fascinated with bubbles and once said ‘A soap bubble is the most beautiful thing, and the most exquisite in nature’ we couldn’t agree more. The surreal and immersive experience includes eleven different immersive zones decked out in bubbles of varying sizes and shapes unfolding the concept of play and pose within the dreamy exhibits. The creative oomph of bubble-led attractions kindles ‘Kidulting’ a new cultural trend where millennials engage in playful acts caused by nostalgia. 

Highlights include the ‘Balloon Gateway’  a futuristic robot-led bubble show; the ‘Giant Bubble Room’; the ‘LED Room’ mimics the undersea life breathing out bubbles. In between exhibit strolls, if kids feel peckish, one can find bespoke bubble waffles from the appetizing on-brand pop-up counter of ‘loaded bubble waffle’. Do you want to fly high to the sky in a balloon getaway? Visit Bubble Planet London which opened in 2023 and dates for booking are available. 

Location: 20 Fulton Road Wembley. Book Your Tickets Here. 

 DP recommends the balloon flight stimulator that spellbinds to a hot-air balloon experience. 

  5. Relearn The Joy Of Discovery At Paradox Museum 

Set to open on 17th July, The Paradox Museum promises eye-tricking and mind-bending immersive attractions that defy reality leading to scientific paradoxes one is yet to explore in the capital. Headquartered in Athens, Zagreb, and Miami – Paradox Museum has been recognised as a leading attraction in every city. It will feature 50 exhibits and 25 immersive rooms and will  takes visitors on a 90-minute-long journey into mirror mazes, a giant kaleidoscope, a zero-gravity room and much more! Combining the worlds of science, art, and psychology the exhibits play with the frontiers of space and gravity. There have been talks that the London outpost will have a local flair packed into its visual trickery showcase such as the upside-down London tube station drawn on optical illusion and Harry Porter-themed room are few to name. 

In a world where technology evolves rapidly and attention spans grow shorter, finding innovative ways to educate and engage kids has become challenging. Paradox Museum embraces the challenge head-on and designs exhibits to spark curiosity and ignite a sense of wonder in visitors of all ages. Be astounded and ride to London’s first Paradox Museum on the 17th of July. Keep an eye out to pre-book the tickets. 

Location: 90 Brompton Rd, London, SW3 1JJ, Knightsbridge. Book Your Tickets Here.