A new version of the London Underground map has been unveiled by Mayor Sadiq Khan, which aims to promote events being held around the capital this summer and to encourage families to take part in activities such as dodgem cars at Somerset House and free art classes in Trafalgar Square and Tate Modern.
With the school summer holidays here, many parents will be looking for ways to keep the whole family entertained, especially with foreign holidays still looking uncertain for many due to the pandemic, and the redesigned map has been created by five young ‘play mayors’ to highlight key events being held during the summer holidays, reports My London.
The scheme is part of the £7m Let’s Do London initiative designed to boost the capital’s economy by encouraging Londoners and out-of-towners to take a staycation.
The dodgem event at Somerset House includes £5 dodgem car racing in the courtyard for children and adults, while the National Gallery has erected 30 easels in Trafalgar Square for its Sketch on the Square scheme, while young visitors to Tate Modern are being encouraged to draw in the Turbine Hall as part of the free but ticketed Tate Play festival.
The new Tube map, redesigned at City Hall in July by five children chosen as the ‘mayors of play’ - Maya, 8, Elliott and Mateo, both 9, Narumukai, 10, and Neveah, highlights a series of children’s events to help parents navigate the London Underground.
The other events include London Zoo and the Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition at the V&A museum.
The results of a survey commissioned by City Hall food that over a third of families had not been able to organise their typical summer holiday due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, and almost half of the respondents said they would consider a London city break instead of their usual beach holiday.
Mr Khan said: “After a long period which has seen children, in particular, miss out on so much fun and play due to the pandemic, there’s no time like the present to explore our city and enjoy all the fun and accessible activities London has to offer families this summer.
“The young Mayors of Play were tasked with helping me showcase the very best of family fun in London, and I’m delighted with the outcome of their hard work.”
He added that the reimagined edition of the iconic London Underground map showcased the breadth of the activities being offered in London, all through the eyes of little Londoners.
“It’s for kids, by kids,” he said, adding that with 70 per cent of families struggling to find ways to keep kids entertained during the school summer holidays, the abundance of free things to do and exciting places to see in London makes it an ideal holiday destination for the summer and beyond.
Elliott, one of the play mayors, said: “It was really tricky choosing what to go on the Tube map – there’s so much fun stuff to do in London.”
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