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London with the kids?

10 replies

ThePrincessSleptFor100Years · 20/03/2022 17:00

Planning a few days in London this summer.

Not really feeling like going abroad this year. Kids (8 and 4) are obsessed with Harry Potter so we thought we could do Harry Potter and then another 2 or 3 days in London.

Coming from Scotland and I’ve only been to London once, years ago. Some suggestions for things to do with the kids would be great!

OP posts:
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DarlingCoffee · 20/03/2022 17:14

I love the South Bank so you could do the London Eye, Tate Modern, and have lunch at one of the restaurants along the river - lots of family friendly ones to choose from.

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gingerhills · 20/03/2022 17:14

The Science Museum's children interactive area is brilliant and free. Definitely that. You could also visit the National History Museum ob the same day, have a picnic in Hyde Park, go boating on the serpentine or have tea in the cafe at Kensington Palace and go to Diana's playground.

On another day, I think a boat from London Eye to Greenwich is a good idea. You see Westminster, Tower Bridge , Tower of London etc. Stop off at the Tower for a visit if you want, or just sail by. From Greenwich you can take the cable car, walk in the foot tunnel under the river, ride the driverless DLR trains. DC love being at the front. When mine were small, the conductor sometimes even let them push the 'Go' button, so they were the drivers. There's also Greenwich market for food, the park with playpark and pedalos, the Observatory if they're interested in weather and time, the Maritime museum which used to have a quite fun kids area where they could do Morse code to each other, parka virtual ship in a harbour, play battleships with a virtual cannon, and best of all, load and unload a ship using a toy crane.

A third day in the West End could be good - go to a matinee of a child-friendly show, have noodles in China town and those tiny fish shaped vanilla cakes for pudding. Visit Lego and M&M stores and Hamleys. Watch the street performers at Covent Garden.

If they are older, Shoreditch is good - the Street Art walking tour is amazing, the cool clothes, food markets and Brick Lane bagel and curry houses. Museum of London has some good stuff.

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gogohm · 20/03/2022 17:22

Boat to Greenwich (part of public transport network) and the national maritime museum (free), imperial war museum (free) the South Kensington museum's (free) trip to hamleys (can be free) Camden market late afternoon and have dinner from the street food vendors was popular with mine, Chinatown for food too (mine liked the cheap buffet) if weather is good the Diana fountain in Hyde park, row on the serpentine.

We always walk a lot so if your four year old gets tired easily and your still have a cheap umbrella buggy it's worth bringing it.

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gogohm · 20/03/2022 17:23

Oh and check out if kids theatre weeks are running, kids go free, one per adult or did at least

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newlabelwriter · 20/03/2022 17:30

www.wizardexploratorium.io/ - if they're into Harry Potter also platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross. There are some free Harry Potter walking tours too but they might be a bit little for them.

You can get a barge along the Regents Canal which is lovely (up to little venice where Paddington was filmed.

Olympic Park is great and lovely playgrounds there too.

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reluctantbrit · 20/03/2022 17:48

I would go a bit by interest. No point in the Tower if they don't like castles. DD found the Eye boring at that age but like the Sky Garden to walk around and have a view about London.

Lots of the big museums are free (you may need to. book a ticket though if they. still do crowd limitation) and lots do children packs (the V&A one is fantastic, never thought we would enjoy. that museum so much).

If you come in August, West End has Kids week with free tickets for each. paying adult. Tickets go normally. live beginnning of June, ideally. set yourself up for a newsalert as they go in minutes.

There is a bus line which covers a similar route as the open deck bus tours, can't remember the number, maybe route 15.

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BookHermitBlack · 20/03/2022 18:13

The best thing I did when took mine age 5-10 at the time was a 24 hour bus ticket on the open top bus and combined boat trip. Saw so much more of London than we could have done otherwise with little legs. Also science museum and natural history museum were big hits (and free).

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Geranium1984 · 20/03/2022 19:02

Second the suggestion for a day in south kensingto. Visit the science museum, book tickets for the wonder lab. They will be the perfect age, it is really interactive. Could then spend the afternoon at
Princess Diana playground in Kensington, it is fab!!
Plenty of outdoor restaurants on exhibition Road for lunch.
Head to the theatre.
Southbank, could have dinner by tower bridge eg. Strada or dim T have fantastic views.
Have a great time!

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MMAMPWGHAP · 20/03/2022 19:07

Buckingham Palace has a very good kids audio tour. I am NOT a royalist but still took kids and they enjoyed it. Nearby is the total news with the golden Coronation coach which might be in use fairly soon.

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PenelopeProsser · 20/03/2022 19:10

Boat to Greenwich is always a hit with my visitors.
If Romans on the agenda at school for the 8 yr old any time soon there is an amphitheatre under the Guildhall in the city of London which is accessible via Guildhall art gallery and the slightly mysterious mithreaum under the bloomberg building (it might be book in advance).

Also a roman walking tour app from museum of London in city that kept my history obsessed godson entertained for an afternoon.

We forget but actually just going to see the outside of Buckingham Palace and changing of the guard (times online) is pretty cool if you are little and haven't seen it before.

I always bribe small visitors with posh ice creams - favourites are Udderlicious in 7 dials, 3 Bis Gelato in Borough Market or Dark Sugars on Brick Lane. Venchi/ Amorino are also chains with lots of outlets.... I've got an extra km or 2 out of them by promising one!

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