It's a bug's life!
FESTIVAL OF STEAM MODELS Work up a head of steam this weekend in Kew, where a steam traction engine is the star of the show. This Victorian riverside pumping station boasts a host of other models, plus two narrow-gauge locomotives offering free rides outside the museum to keep younger kids very happy. Plenty of noise and steam guaranteed.
Kew Bridge Steam Museum, Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, Middx (020-8568 4757). Sat 4 & Sun 5 Oct, 11am-5pm, £4.60, child £2.50, family ticket £11.95.All ages
TOOTH AND CLAW The Big Draw, a month-long celebration of children's artistic talents at 1,000 venues across the UK, kicks off this Saturday in London at the National History Museum. Explore the wonders of the natural world with the top artists who are holding all manner of art workshops - from botany and geography to architecture and collage - to get kids' creative juices flowing. In addition, bigname cartoonists from the national newspapers will compete in Celebrity Draw, where you can help judge the winners. There are also free sketch pads to encourage wannabe artists.
The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 (020-7942 5000). www.thebigdraw.org.uk. Sat 4 Oct, 10.30am-4pm, free. All ages
CELEBRITY NETBALL SEVENS More than 40 stars from the world of music and soap take to the court this Sunday to shoot some hoops and earn funds to fight breast cancer for charity Cancer Research UK. Atomic Kitten, Jordan and Liberty X will be giving it their best shot, joined by personalities from EastEnders, Hollyoaks and Emmerdale - plus a few players from the national netball squad. There'll be lots of entertainment, including the the nail-biting 'penalty shoot-outs'.
Crystal Palace National Indoor Arena, Ledrington Road, SE19 (0115 912 9111). www.cup.uk.com. Sun 5 Oct, £8, child £5. 7+
BUGS! Insects hitting the screen is not normally a cause for celebration, but a 3D extravaganza opening at the Science Museum will have you gawping in awe. Bugs 3D focuses on the lives of a praying mantis and a butterfly in the South East Asian rainforest. Forty tropical critters are featured in extreme close-up - some magnified to 250,000 times normal size. Narrated by Dame Judi Dench, and seen on a screen the height of four double-decker buses, it takes the world of the mini to the max.
Science Museum IMAX Cinema, Exhibition Road, SW7 (020-7942 4777). Mon-Sun 10am-6pm, £7.10, child £5.95. 4+
THE GREAT ARC EXHIBITION It's 200 years since the Great Survey Of India was carried out, a mammoth task which involved mapping and measuring the entire Indian subcontinent. Not only did the survey unravel the secrets of the Himalayas, it also established Everest as the world's highest peak, when it was previously believed to have been in the Andes. This major exhibition, sponsored by the Indian government, brings to life two centuries of discovery and daring of the Great Arc (as it became known), but it's not just about the past. It also brings us up to date with modern mapping techniques and looks at some state-of-the-art technology coming out of the National Institute Of Design at
Ahmedabad.
Atlantis Gallery, Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, E1 (020-7770 6016). Mon 6 Oct-Wed 12 Nov, Mon-Sat 11am-7pm, Sun noon-6pm, £5, child £3. 8+
