Five surprisingly affordable family festive experiences to have in London

Even Scrooge himself would have to concede that London looks pretty magical during the festive season, when the streets of the city centre are brightened up by dozens of creative light displays. Look out for switch-on celebrations featuring free performances and celebrity guests in mid-November, or take a DIY tour of some of the biggest displays by hopping on a London bus. We’d suggest heading to Baker Street and jumping on the 139 to Waterloo; from the top deck, you can peer out at the twinkling lights of Marylebone Village, Baker Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street, before hopping off to explore Carnaby Street’s display on foot. £1.75 per person.

It’s one of the most famous shopping streets in the world, so you can bet that Oxford Street goes all out for the festive season, with a whole bunch of dazzling Christmas window displays to enjoy while you’re rushing around buying presents. The most iconic of all? That would of course be Selfridges, whose display spreads across 18 windows and is viewed by more than 150,000 visitors a day. Stop by from November 6 to gawp at this year’s dazzling display, a collaboration with Disney, featuring some of the animation studio’s most beloved characters. Free.

You’ve probably tried your hand at boules before, but now it’s time to say hello to its cousin from colder climes. A Winter Olympic sport that involves gliding a series of polished granite ‘stones’ across a sheet of ice towards numbered targets, curling is steadily becoming a favourite winter pastime in London thanks to a series of seasonal venues appearing across the city. Head to Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross to give it a go yourself at Club Curling, where groups can hire one of six lanes for 45-minute games, before retiring to a pop-up bar for a well-earned cocktail. £9 per person.

Few parts of London look more festive in winter than Covent Garden, where the halls are decked with gigantic golden bells. The Covent Garden piazza is also home to one of London’s most magnificent Christmas trees, a towering, 60-foot specimen grown right here in the UK, and traditionally decorated with over 30,000 twinkling Christmas lights and an enormous red bow. Stopping by to admire the tree? Afterwards, head to buzzy bakery Donutelier on the corner of Charing Cross Road to sample its collection of festive sweet treats inspired by ‘The Nutcracker’. Free, donuts from £6.50.

Miss belting out ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ at full volume during your primary school Christmas assemblies? Trafalgar Square is the perfect place to get your carol-singing fix. Choirs from all over London descend on the square each evening during the festive season to raise money for charity by singing carols in the shadow of its lofty Norwegian spruce. Performances usually take place between 4pm and 8pm on weekdays, or between 2pm and 6pm on weekends, but check the schedule before you head down, and be sure to take some loose change for the donation buckets. Free, donations welcome.