If you could visit only 1 attraction/do 1 thing in London with a 7 year old, what would it be?

[BroomstickBicycle]

I will have about 5 hours or so. Hit me with your recommendations!

My DD would opt for the Science Museum. What does your 7 year old like to do normally?

Science museum or transport museum for me

I was going to say the zoo but not sure 5 hours is enough. Big wheel and boat trip maybe? Depends on your budget and how often you are likely to get to London.

Tower of London!

We've done the science museum already but she was younger and might like to go again.

Budget not too much of a problem.
I was thinking the Eye and then maybe Trafalgar Square/parliament to st James park and buck palace. But then I remembered there's that shrek thing next the Eye and she wanted to do that last time, is it any good? Not sure I'll get away with dragging her past it again.

We are fortunate to live near a great zoo so might save that for another occasion.

The science museum
or
A trip on the Clipper riverboat from London Eye to Greenwich. You get to see all the famous landmarks: Parliament & Big Ben, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and have time at the other end for a quick trip to either the maritime museum (with some fun hands on stuff for children) or a visit to Cutty Sark, or to the playpark and Royal Observatory. If he is curious, you can even go down into the Victorian foot tunnel and walk underneath the river.

Ooh, what goes on at the transport museum?

DD is into running around like a loon and science (but doesn't have the patience to stop and read anything).

Hadn't thought of the Tower! I've not been since I was a child. Does it get hideously busy? (Daft question, it will be a Saturday in the summer).

You pay for the Science Museum now (well, for the old launch pad stuff) so they may have improved if a bit in the last few years now they are charging.

Otherwise I’d see The Lion King but timing is short so possibly not if it doesn’t fit. We live in London, none of mine have ever shown the slightest interest in the London eye. Shrek was appalling.

Take the clipper and go to the maritime museum? Or the Plantetarium, they are very close so you could do both.

Or the southbank is always good and Underbelly is on.

www.underbellyfestival.com/#stq=&stp=1

Shrek was appalling.

That's the kind of info I need!! That's the London Eye out then. I think she'd love the planetarium and maritime museum.

Shreks Adventure and Sealife Centre

They're both right next door to each other. My 6yr old thought Shreks Adventure was hilarious, he giggled and squealed all the way round. And as a nature lover he was in his element at Sealife.

Oh, just seen your update
I see you've done Shrek already!
Agree, DH and I thought it was pretty shit too but DS loved it

Not done shrek but only ever heard good things about it. London Eye was a bit boring for my 2. Aquarium or you could climb monument. My youngest loved it as had just done a school project on great fire of London.

My 7 yo's favourite trip involved boat trip to Greenwich and visit Cutty Sark, then cable car across the Thames and journey back on the Docklands light railway.

Shrek was the worst day out ever. The aquarium was fun though. How about the Zoo?

I live in London and my children are in their teens now - boy and girl. The transport museum followed by M&M world and a trip to Hamleys then lunch at TGI Fridays has remained their top day out through the years and even now they ask for it.

The Tower is hideously expensive.

Natural History museum.

Transport museum in Covent Garden, there are usually loads of street entertainers to watch too.

Sealife London Aquarium - near the Eye.

Cutty Sark and Greenwich.

Would a 7 year old really enjoy the Maritime Museum?

A friend raved about that place so we took DS and all of us were a bit Theres a bit of a kids play area in there but nothing spectacular. The rest is all very much aimed at adults who have a keen interest in maritime history. Otherwise it's pretty boring for kids and not tons to see.

Shrek could have been good but the old county hall building is not suitable for it, it’s all too corridor-y and narrow for the amount of people they squish in. The queues were awful and totally manufactured to make the kids beg you to buy things at the shops they had all the way round. I got in free, we almost went home after 20 minutes of queuing to have a picture taken that we were never on this earth going to buy.

The Museum of London has a good exhibition on about the Fire of London.

If you do the planetarium, buy a combo ticket as it’s much cheaper. I actually bought a membership because that worked out better for us as a large group.

Mine loved The Shard when they were about 10. The boat ride to The Tower and The Eye.

The worst waste of time was hours spent in the queue at Madam Tussards.

Depends on DC and your interests. Tower of London is good. My DC used to like the natural history museum at that age ( look for bus routes that take in the sights) but if they like Ancient Egypt etc the BM is very good and has children's maps etc it is also not too far from Covent Garden for lunch. Another good trip is the Imperial War Museum with lunch at Borough Market. We had a vg day out with DCcof similar age incorporating the Bank of England museum/ the monument and the 'wobbly ' bridge with loads of landmarks to see. Like a pp I like the river bus plus maritime museum as a day trip also look at the big museum websites to see what summer holiday exhibitions they have on.

@PlinketyPlinketyPlonk - I wouldn't drag them around the hwole maritime mseum - that would be boring. I've not been in a while so maybe it;s changed but when DC were small there was a crane you could sit on to load and offload cargo onto a boat - they loved doing that. And you could fire cannons at distant pirate ships , and park a massive boat in a harbour, using computer graphics. There was also morse code signalling to try out - enough stuff to keep them busy for 45 mins to an hour. It's free, so no need to hang around.

I’m with the person who said M&M world at Leicester Square. Hard work for grown ups but amazing for children. Rainforest Cafe is fun for little ones too.

Is she learning the Great Fire of London at school? We did the Museum of London followed by a walk up Monument which is adjacent to Pudding Lane. Amazing views and way cheaper than the Eye (£5ish each I think)

Start with either the Science or Natural History museum (early, before they're heaving. Then go the V&A - just opposite and less busy. With Hyde Park just next door if you want a bit of time outside.

Or British Museum, also near The Postal Museum and Corams Fields

The Tower of London does get busy, but it's big enough to absorb people IYSWIM, then you could walk over Tower Bridge (or go up it) and mooch along the south bank (also Golden Hind and HMS Belfast)

The tower is great. If you are a member of CSSC you can get in with x amount of guests for free (varies from attraction to attraction). Membership is something like £4 a month and you get entry to English heritage places as well as royal palaces among other things. So worth looking if cost is a concern. As others have said transport and science museums are fab. Or maybe a river boat trip. Or Greenwich.