Join us for fantastic in-person events at The National Archives in Kew.
We also host a full programme of online events, which can be enjoyed from the comfort of home.
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Festive Family Day
Sunday 4 December, 11:00 – 16:00, free
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… celebrate with the whole family at The National Archives’ FREE festive family day!
Join us for festive workshops and carols under the Christmas tree. We’ll be joined by The Blue School children’s choir who will perform carols, and our resident face painter Arty-Cat Faces will be on hand to transform you into a reindeer, elf or holly princess! You can also see our beautiful Christmas tree featuring 150 hand crafted origami decorations by London-based artist Toshiko Kurata.
Maids of Honour will be providing festive fare including gingerbread, mince pies, hot chocolates, and mulled wine, and our shop will be open if you need to tick some gifts off your list.
What’s on and how to book:
Arctic Adventure storytelling for 5-7s
Using props, toys and music, we’ll travel to a faraway snowy place on a festive mission! Sessions last for 45 minutes and are for children age 5-7 years. There is a small fee for this session.
Limited places available – book now
Festive Feasting for 8-11s
From pig heads to pineapples, journey back in time to explore the wild and wonderful treats people have enjoyed at Christmas time throughout history.Sessions last for 60 minutes and are for children age 8-11 years. There is a small fee for this session.
Limited places available – book now
Origami workshop
Inspired by our beautiful Christmas tree, why not have a go at making your own hand-crafted origami decorations including stars and hearts with London-based artist Toshiko Kurata.
Free, drop in, no booking required.
Christmas Craft Club
Come along to create and decorate lots of Christmas and festive themed crafts during this free, drop-in event.
Free, drop in, no booking required.
Treason: People, Power & Plot – exhibition now open
Our new exhibition is now open and is free to visit.
Treason: People, Power & Plot is a major new exhibition from The National Archives on the history of treason since 1352. The exhibition brings iconic and unknown archival documents to life, including the original Treason Act and the Monteagle Letter that tipped off the Gunpowder Plot.
Origami Christmas tree
1-30 December
Our beautiful Christmas tree for 2022 will feature 150 hand crafted origami decorations made from copies of printed and handwritten documents from The National Archives’ collections relating to Christmas and the festive season. This includes a 19th century recipe for roast beef and plum pudding, cards from the Front and Victorian Christmas cards and crackers. The origami decorations will be created by London based Origami artist Toshiko Kurata. She is a member of British Origami Society & teaches origami to adults and children through her own workshops as well as teaching in schools and private events. Toshiko has worked with a wide range of clients over 10 years such as Clerkenwell Design Week, Japan Festival at Kew Gardens, V&A Museum, Tate Britain, Chelsea College of Art & Design, BBC Four, Christian Dior, Tokyo Paralympics for UK Sport, Kodosai Japanese Cultural Event and many others.”
Missed an event or can’t watch a talk live?
All events are viewable for 48 hours after the published date and time, which means that attendees who registered but were unable view the live event can catch up at their leisure.
You can also replay most of our talks on our Archives Media Player, where our curated playlists will help you find talks of similar interest. Please be aware that it can take up to three months for past events to appear on our media player.
Common questions about booking and accessing our online events.