What to do in London with kids.

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I am visiting London for 3 days and wondered where I should take the DC that they will love. They are age 4, 6, 7 and 9.

Is London Eye and Shrek experience worth it or will it be too much queuing?

Any suggestions appreciated.

I posted a similar thread a few weeks ago and got lots of good suggestions: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3287080-London-on-a-budget

The parakeets (of all things!) were the biggest hit with my DD, the Natural History museum was brilliant BUT the queues were incredible, you need to be there for when it opens and plan which exhibits you want to see (I should've done this better).

We also went to see the performance at The Scoop -londonbridgecity.co.uk/events/2018/august/the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz which was suggested, it was brilliant! And there are fountains nearby too the kids can play in.

I enjoy the London Eye but I'm in my mid-30s 😂. The aquarium is really good, you can buy joint tickets with the London Eye and they don't need to be used on the same day.

Natural History Museum (free)
Science Museum (free)
Cruise on the Thames
London Zoo

PS - I think the London Eye is a waste of money for kids, it moves very slowly and I'm not sure they get much out of it. I've done it personally but wouldn't take my DD, I think it would be wasted on her.

DS is 6- we visit as we live in Yorkshire. He has enjoyed the British Museum (madly into Egypt), the Diana playground, Changing of the Guard, the Lego shop, Hampton Court and the Natural History Museum.
I want to do the Tower of London next time we go down.

You can skip the queues at the natural history museum if you buy tickets for the butterfly exhibition (£6.50) which is outside & has no queue

www.towerbridge.org.uk/lift-times/

I wanted to see the bridge lift but didn't manage it - if you went to the exhibition this would be a great time to go!

The ‘changing rooms ‘ fountains on the South Bank (between the RFH and the QEH) (free, they will get wet)

Boat to Greenwich, Maritime Museum (free) , up the hill to the Astronomy museum and International DateLine (free), walk round the Cutty Sark (free, or pay to go in). back on the DLR through Docklands (avoid rush hour during the week).

Wow, such wonderful suggestions and links. I am going through them all.

I have a few (silly) questions:

Is the Wizard of Oz performance at The Scoop outdoors and free? My DC will love that.

If I buy tickets for the butterfly exhibition online, can I skip the queues and go straight in to the Natural History Museum?

I have BOGOF tickets for a place called Kidzania. Is it worth it? Will the DC enjoy it?

I am fascinated by the Sky Garden. How do I secure tickets as I will be at work when they are released?

I am so excited. Can’t eait to tell the DC.

Yes the Wizard of Oz performance is free, there were donation buckets if you wanted to give them some money but it wasn't expected. Do get there early though, people were queuing from 5ish. I think they do another performance of a more grown up show at 7.30 too. I was so grateful for ThomasNightingale for suggesting it - many thanks if you're reading!!

I don't know about the queues for getting into the Natural History museum with butterfly tickets, but all I'd say is that even if you can skip the queues it is extremely busy inside later on..I'd go early if you can. We left after lunch and it was so busy it was hard to get through the crowds to get out!

Only do the Shrek if children are not sensitive. Two children were hysterical with fear when we went. The staff were very good and let them out of a back entrance. One was a toddler but the other was a little boy about 6.

The Queen Elizabeth Park great fun, and free. You can see the helter shelter and Olympic stadiumThere are lots of places to eat or have a picnic, if you do that take towels or clothes change as my lot love playing in the fountains.

Transport Museum always gets rave reviews from parents of primary school age children, but I have never been myself!
Boat trip along the Thames.
Trip on a double decker bus if you don't have these at home!

I honestly wouldn't bother with the London eye if you have four small children with you.
How about the Monument? You can climb it, which will make them nicely tired..:)
You could take the River Bus down to Greenwich and see the Cutty Sark.

When we went recently with our 3 and 8 yr old, we did the mummies in the British museum, Covent Garden for the street performers, the Shard (no queue, cheaper than the eye, higher than the eye and can stay up there as long as you want), and we travelled down to the Cutty Sark on the underground/driverless train which they LOVED and got on the city cruise back up to Westminster... We saw Buckingham palace, changing the life guard, 10 Downing st and Horseguards. Also squeezed in Hamleys and the south bank for more street performers.. It was brilliant.

We did natural history and science museum last year- natural history better than science I thought but crazy busy....

Want to do the zoo and transport museum next.

…..and a lovely place where you could go for a rest/sandwich lunch is Corams Fields, where only adults with children are allowed in, and I think there might be some small animals there as well.

Sky Garden tickets do not usually go that quickly, just go on the website and see where they are up to and click on through if they have suitable dates up for you.

Centrepoint was somewhere we used to go, next to tottenham court road and they have a restaurant almost at the top, we used to go for breakfast, it's not eyewateringly dear, and depending on how busy and how nice the staff are they sometime will send you on up to the viewing gallery You'd need to check and possibly book for breakfast, it's been a good while since we did that.

We are heading to London for a few days with our DC (age 6&4). Currently planning on the following:
Science Museum
The Shard (kids really want to go after grandparents went)
Tower of London & London Bridge
Definitely going on a double decker bus as we don’t have them.
Buckingham Palace
Hamleys or Harrods, where is the Lego store?
Going to do quite a bit of walking and visit parks, Trafalgar Square, all the usual tourist sort of landmarks.

We have no set plans other than tickets booked for the Tower of London, but have a good idea of what we would like to do each day.

I have also downloaded onto our phones an app called Time Explorers which has little missions to do at different palaces around london.

Cravingcake... lego store is in Leicester Square I think... Having done both Harrods and Hamleys - Hamleys better for children. Harrods absolutely massive- always rammed and the toy dept isn't massive to be honest...
We hit Hamleys at 4pm, there were people in there but not that busy, no queue at tills etc.. (I was pleasantly surprised as had been dreading it!!)

Never been to kidzania but my sister (who is super fussy) really rated it.

Hyde Park Princess Diana Memorial playground and fountain? Both free.

Loads of free things to do:
Science Museum (hands on sections are brilliant)
Natural History (meh to us but some children love it)
V&A if they love amazing dresses and jewels.
Maritime museum (my DC loved the hands on stuff here - load a cboat from a sit on toy crame; dock a ship)
Docklands museum
Museum of London
Diana playground in Kensington Gardens
Fountains for playing in and 'beach' on Southbank
City Farms at Mudchute, Vauxhall, Hackney
Skygarden
feed very tame squirrels and parakeets in Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens

Cheapish things to do: get the Clipper river bus (discount if you have travelcards) from London Eye to Greenwich
Underground Miniature postal train at the Postal Museum
Ride on the driverless DLR trains - sit at the front and pretend to drive
Ride front top deck of a big red London bus
Climb Monument
Go to Hamleys

Many thanks everyone I really appreciate it !

Oops wrong thread