Do you have an upcoming family-friendly event that you want to be included in our listings? Maximize the reach of your event and promote it on beijingkids’ social platforms!

Let us know by leaving your message in the comments section below or by emailing us at webeditor@beijing-kids.com. Follow us on WeChat (ID: beijing-kids) or join our family events WeChat group by sending us your WeChat QR code. Please note that readers should confirm with each organizer if events are canceled or scheduled as planned. For more events that may not be included in this list, please check our Events page. 

America’s Backyard BBQ – AmCham China 2019 Independence Day Party, Jul 6
Join AmCham on July 6th as they celebrate American Independence Day! They’ll be throwing an American-style backyard BBQ with food and drink, kid’s activities, a live band, and a raffle with lots of fun trips and prizes up for grabs.

RMB 550, RMB 250 (kids 5-14). 11am. JW Marriott. (Go here to reserve your tickets)

Double Piano Concert: Tom and Jerry, Jul 7
All ages. The piano has long been a favorite for composers, but two pianos at once is even better. Join this concert, as it presents a family-friendly program of classical works like “The Trout” and “The Carnival of Animals”, plus classic songs from the movies and television shows like Tom and Jerry, Beauty and the Beast, and My Neighbor Totoro.

RMB 100-380. 10.30am. Beijing Theater. (Go here for tickets and more info)

Magic Drama: One Starry Night & Out of the Blue, Jul 12-21 

Ages 2+. This stage work for kids and families gives children a taste of 28 pieces by Van Gogh, Monet, Kandinsky, Da Vinci, and Michelangelo, telling the story of Lena, a little girl who falls asleep while reading a book of classical paintings her grandfather sent her. This performance is suitable for children over the age of 2, and is performed in English.

RMB 180-480. 7.30pm. Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center. (Go here for more information or to buy tickets).

Beauty Unites Us- Chinese Art from the Vatican Museum, Now-Jul 14
All ages. The Palace Museum brings together Chinese artifacts from the collection of the Vatican Museum. The Vatican collection includes a great variety of approximately 5,000 items from China, spanning the ages. Those shown here are divided into three sections:, Catholic Art, Buddhist Art, and Secular Art. The Palace Museum, in a gesture of friendship and generosity, has furthermore added masterpieces of its own to be exhibited alongside works from the Vatican Museums.

RMB 60. 8.30am-5pm. The Palace Museum.

Japanese Animation & Studio Ghibli Manuscript Exhibition, Now-Aug 29

All ages. Studio Ghibli is best known for its animation feature films, with notable pieces like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, which are loved widely by many. Polar Bear Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of rare production celluloids – original artworks featuring some of the fascinating scenes from these celebrated films, traditionally hand-drawn before the advent of computer animation.

RMB 68. 10am-6.30pm. Polar Bear Gallery 798 Art District. (Go here for tickets and more information)

Picasso – Birth of a Genius, Now-Sep 1

All ages.  “Picasso – Birth of a Genius”—the most significant exhibition of work by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) ever to take place in China—will be presented at UCCA between June 15 and September 1, 2019. The exhibition, which offers a comprehensive overview of the first three decades of Picasso’s career, is drawn from the collection of the Musée national Picasso-Paris. It includes 103 works in total, including paintings, sculptures, and works on paper.

RMB 138-188. 10am-7pm. UCCA. (Go here for more information or to buy tickets).

The Beatles: Beat On, Now-Sep 15

All ages. The Beatles were a legendary rock group that formed in Liverpool, England, in 1960, and went on to transform popular music as a creative, highly commercial art form over the next decade. The Beatles were one of the most popular bands of all time, producing songs like “Yesterday, “Hey Jude,” “Penny Lane, “With A Little Help From My Friends,” “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown),” “Day Tripper” and “Come Together.” Apart from the music, the exhibition is also a panoramic look back into the Beatles’ golden eras, to comfort Chinese fans of the years they missed.

RMB 98, RMB 68 (advance). 10am-10pm. Joy City Chaoyang. (Go here for tickets and more information).

Anthony Browne’s Happy Museum, Now-Sep 22 

All ages. The exhibition displays 162 original paintings from renowned British writer and illustrator Anthony Browne, who is a winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international recognition given to creators of children’s books. Themed ‘happiness’, the exhibition shows how Browne portrays his characters with impeccable details and pencil strokes to truly bring them to life. The exhibition is filled with paintings and interactive activities that people of all ages can relate to. As Browne has said: “Picture books are for everybody at any age, not books to be left behind as we grow older.”

RMB 58. 10am-6pm. National Museum of Classic Books. (Click here for more information and tickets). 

Van Gogh Immersive Experience: Fantasy of the Inner World, Now-Sep 22 

All ages. Let’s be honest, it’s not always easy to get the kids excited about a trip to the museum. But, when you throw VR into the mix then you have another thing all together. From now until Sep 22, The National Museum of China is hosting this immersive VR exhibition, bringing to life some of the most famous works of famed Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh. The experience has more than 200 works by Van Gogh, reconstructed into a multi-sensory experience for new audiences.

RMB 55. 9am-5pm. The National Museum of China. (6512 8901,For more information or to buy tickets, visit here). 

Awaken: Live with Confidence Masterclass, Jul 8-29

Adults. Certified life coach, Caneisha Berry is back, and this time will be offering a four-week online masterclass program aimed at helping women and men to improve their relationships, self-belief, and emotional intelligence. There is lots to gain from this comprehensive and well curated program, including: gaining emotional clarity, dealing with mental turmoil and insecurities, overcoming self-sabotage, and improving your decision-making skills.

8-9.30pm. This event has no physical location. (WeChat: BerryThoughfulLife).

Keystone Academy China Discovery Program, Jul 15 – Aug 2

Kids aged 8-17. Keystone’s Summer Archway language immersion program serves Western students in mastering their command of the Mandarin language. In three weeks, students will explore the past, the present, and the future of this exciting and influential city while simultaneously strengthening the communication skills of Chinese language learners. In the classroom, students will interact with creative and experienced lead teachers through discussion and exploration activities. Outside the classroom, students will visit historic and contemporary sites that demonstrate the diversity of experiences that make up Beijing’s cultural environment.

For more info please contact Keystone Academy (8049 6008 ext. 2777 or summer@keystoneacademy.cn).

PAW Patrol Live! – Race to the Rescue, Jul 24-27

Ages 2+. It’s the day of the Great Adventure Bay Race between Adventure Bay’s Mayor Goodway and Foggy Bottom’s Mayor Humdinger, but Mayor Goodway is nowhere to be found. PAW Patrol Race to the Rescue! Ryder summons Marshall, Chase, Skye, Rubble, Rocky, Zuma and Everest to rescue Mayor Goodway and to run the race in her place.

RMB 180 – 580. 10.30am-7.30pm. Beijing Exhibition Center Theater. (Go here for tickets and more information) 

Photos: Courtesy of event organizers

With this series we want to help you plan the perfect weekend out with the family through highlighting great activities going on in different neighborhoods around the city. We hope this helps you to make the absolute best of your weekend leisure time! All of the venues listed are in the same area, which will allow you to easily get between places conveniently on foot or with public transportation.

Jun 29-30 in Wangfujing/Tiananmen

There’s so much to do in these two neighboring areas that are located smack dab in the center of Beijing, but we often avoid the journey as these places are most commonly associated with streams of tourists and tea room scams. But you might not be aware that there’s been a lot of recent developments, in Wangfujing specifically, that should make it a great destination even for seasoned Beijingers. Here’s what’s going on this weekend!

Gogh VR!

Let’s be honest, it’s not always easy to get the kids excited about a trip to the museum. But, when you throw VR into the mix then you have another thing all together. From now until Sep 22, The National Museum of China is hosting this immersive VR exhibition, bringing to life some of the most famous works of famed Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh. The experience has more than 200 works by Van Gogh, reconstructed into a multi-sensory experience for new audiences. For more information or to buy tickets, visit here.

RMB 55. 9am-5pm. East side of Tiananmen Square, Dongcheng District. (6512 8901) 东城区天安门广场东侧

Get Stuffed at Cheesecake Factory

Journey north a little ways over to Wangfujing to finally check out the Cheesecake Factory. It has been open for over a year now, so maybe it’s time to finally indulge in a couple of items from their 200 dishes on offer and learn what all the fuss is about. Known for their massive portion sizes, dining at this restaurant doesn’t come cheap, but it’s nigh time to scratch this legendary American restaurant chain off your bucket list once and for all. Following your meal, walk it off with a little shopping at WF Central, then head over to that massive Hamleys toy store which is also in the neighborhood (practically next door).

11am-10pm Mon-Fri; 10am-10pm Sat-Sun. 4F, 412-419 WF Central, 269 Wangfujing Jie, Dongcheng District. (6525 1238) 东城区王府井大街269号4层412-419室

Catch a Performance at NCPA

We know you’ve all been dying to experience some authentic revolutionary ballet. This performance by the Shanghai Ballet troupe, titled Bright Red Star, will provide you and your family with a one-of-a-kind experience that will keep you on your toes, by combining this very traditional western art form with the story of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Don’t expect Swan Lake, but rather a unique form of expression mixed with a creative interpretation of history to create something very special. While this maybe isn’t for anyone, at least we live in a city where stage performances from a variety of genres occur quite often, so feel free to replicate these weekend suggestions on another weekend with a different show at the National Centre for the Performing Arts.