The Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 has unveiled an incredible season packed with creativity, laughter, and learning for children and families. Running from 30 July to 25 August 2025, this year’s top five picks for children’s theatre promise a blend of technology, science, storytelling, and cultural exploration that will engage young minds and entertain the entire family.
Whether you’re a regular Fringe attendee or planning your first family visit, these five shows offer something extraordinary for children of all ages. From hilarious AI robots to explosive science experiments, here’s your essential guide to the most exciting family-friendly theatre at the world’s biggest arts festival.
1. How To Train Your Robot
📍 Gilded Balloon, The Nip | 30 July – 17 Aug (11.40am – 12.40pm)
An interactive theatre experience like no other, How To Train Your Robot blends STEM education, comedy, and real-time audience interaction. This innovative show follows a team of human improvisers—the Improbots—on a mission to teach A.L.Ex, a humanoid robot powered by advanced speech recognition and AI, how to be funny.
Young audience members play a starring role, helping co-create a short film using green screens, silly costumes, and improvised scripts. It’s a joyful and imaginative journey that explores the boundaries of AI and humour, all while sparking curiosity and creativity in young minds.
🔗 Want to learn more about teaching AI to understand humour? MIT’s research on machine learning and humour offers fascinating insights.
2. The Alphabet of Awesome Science
📍 Underbelly George Square, Udderbelly | 30 July – 24 Aug (12.00pm – 1.00pm)
Big words meet big experiments in this high-energy, educational spectacle. The Alphabet of Awesome Science features Professors Lexi Con and Noel Edge, who guide the audience through 26 unpredictable science demonstrations—one for each letter of the alphabet, chosen at random every show.
Expect clouds of liquid nitrogen, fireballs of hydrogen, and even Rice Krispies flying through the air, all while learning scientific concepts in a fun, messy, and memorable way. This is hands-on science that makes kids laugh while they learn—and even includes some experiments they can try at home.
🔗 Want to bring science home? The British Science Association offers family-friendly activities and experiments.
3. Cinderella Ice Cream Seller – A Musical
📍 Underbelly, Bristo Square, Ermintrude | 30 July – 17 Aug (Not 13 & 14) (11.40am – 12.40pm)
A frosty twist on a timeless classic, Cinderella Ice Cream Seller is a musical reimagining of the beloved fairytale. Told through the eyes of two ice cream parlour workers, Talvi and Caldwell, the story unfolds with original songs, theatrical magic, and themes of ambition, creativity, and empowerment.
Set in a whimsical ice cream parlour kingdom, this musical is a flavourful mix of storytelling and humour that redefines Cinderella’s journey—not to a ball, but to business success.
Perfect for all ages, it’s a heartfelt tale of dreams, self-expression, and finding your place in the world.
4. The Little Prince
📍 Pleasance Courtyard, Beyond | 30 July – 25 Aug (Not 11 & 18) (12.00pm – 1.00pm)
In a beautiful one-person adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved book, performance poet Toby Thompson brings The Little Prince to life with poetic storytelling and visual projections.
This heartwarming show explores the deep themes of friendship, love, and what truly matters in life—told with wide-eyed wonder and a playful spirit. It’s a reflective and moving performance designed to appeal to both children and adults, reminding us all to look beneath the surface and cherish what makes life beautiful.
🔗 For context on the importance of The Little Prince in literature and education, see this UNESCO article on timeless books for children.
5. Dic Dic Chang Chang Playground
📍 theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, Theatre 3 | 1–9 Aug (1.10pm – 1.50pm)
Introducing children to the vibrant world of Cantonese opera, Dic Dic Chang Chang Playground is a fast-paced theatrical adventure that blends live music, audience interaction, and traditional cultural elements.
Captain Dic Dic and Chang Chang must defend Cantonese Opera Land from the villainous Boring King. Along the way, the audience becomes part of the story—learning Cantonese phrases, engaging in symbolic gestures, and taking on the role of secret agents in this playful cultural exchange.
It’s an inventive show that makes traditional Cantonese opera accessible and exciting for younger generations.
Planning Your Fringe Family Adventure
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is renowned for its diverse programming and electric atmosphere. With a wide selection of child-friendly theatre, this year’s lineup highlights the festival’s commitment to education, entertainment, and creativity for all ages.
To plan your trip, explore the official Edinburgh Fringe Festival website for full schedules, ticket details, and venue maps.
These five standout shows offer more than just entertainment—they offer inspiration, wonder, and the kind of shared experience families treasure.
Conclusion
The Fringe is a feast of creativity, and these children’s shows prove that meaningful theatre can be equal parts fun and educational. Whether you’re introducing your children to science, AI, music, or global cultures, Edinburgh in August is the place to be.
Pack your raincoats, grab some tickets, and prepare for a summer adventure full of laughter, learning, and lasting memories.