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!

Go to Monument tube, great fire etc, book a slot in advance to the sky garden in the Walkie Talkie building, it's free!

Yes to clipper then maritime museum (refurbed last year) . Especially in the summer. Even better if coming in to Waterloo or London bridge.

London Transport Museum, then watch street entertainers in Covent Garden. If have time could walk up to Leicester Square/M&M World/Lego shop and then walk through China Town and get some lunch.

Honestly, my seven year old prefers just the Londonishness of London to organised activities or museums — he likes riding on top of buses, the DLR, the Kings Cross fountains in Granary Square, street performers, the changing of the Guard, short stints inTate Modern, the South Bank. Going up the Monument was a great success, too.

I'd do a boat trip hop on hop off down the Thames. Your idea of Trafalgar Square and walking down the Mall to Buckingham Palace is good too. Maybe a trip to Hamley's afterwards?

Not keen on anything where they make you queue unnecessarily and try to sell you stuff at the same time. I'm writing Shrek off. Sorry!

She's just done the great fire of London so monument would be good, I had no idea you could climb up it!

People rave about the Sky Garden but to me that was a really underwhelming experience. You queue for ages and ages to get through security then eventually come out into a glassed area with a few shrubs in it and nice-ish views of London. It had all the atmosphere of an airport lounge. Climbing Monument is far more fun and the views are brilliant.

Yes I agree monument is great. You can download a fire of london walking tour and see all the great fire landmarks

@BroomstickBicycle this is the walk we followed

www.mummytravels.com/great-fire-of-london-walk-locations/

You can always include St Paul’s in the Great Fire of London topic. Also go across the bridge to The Globe Theatre for lunch.

Great ideas! I'm definitely looking for a chilled day, I don't want to rush around. I'm in London a lot for work so I think DD may just like seeing a few sights that I mention when I come home. She'd like to see the Globe and St Paul's i think (big Shakespeare and Mary Poppins fan).

We went out on to the outside viewing terrace at the Sky Garden, I wouldn't have liked to be only on the inside bit.

The war museum is quite impressive and I'm saying that as someone who doesn't support wars. It's done in such a way it covers history with out glamourising and lots of things to see, also what life was like in the war for people , children. My kids loved it and I was a lot more impressed than history or science museum

Are you going over the summer? If so, I wouldn't pay to go in anywhere. Mine enjoyed Buckingham Place at that age to see changing of the guard (get there early), then down to Horse Guards. Walk through Green Park, see the squirrels and grab a drink and ice cream.

Or you could go to Covent Garden, look around the market, watch all the Street Performers, then along to Piccadilly Circus to M&M World (hell in earth but kids love it!)

DDloved Kidzania, at Shepards Bush Westfield.

Shreks Adventure was also very good.

Sea life centre was rubbish, (we have one down the road and hey were very similar) very busy with people just walking around staring at the exhibits through their phones.

Body works was good but no good if you are squemish.

You could kill ages at the Princess Diana Peter Pan park and then DD could go for a dip n the fountain.

When we went the London museum had a great fire of London exhibition which was good, many of the items are there normally and was no way near as busy as the main London museums.

Well, my ex husband and my children are in London this week (kids haven't been there in a few years but did all the touristy stuff last time they were there). The thing they've enjoyed the most this week is the Leake Street tunnel. They've been back twice. I think it might be behind Waterloo Station (correct me if I'm wrong). Apparently it's 'Amazing!'

Science museum

My 7 year old's favourite thing, by a huge distance, was HMS Belfast.

We’ve done shrek loads of times (we have merlin passes) we think it’s great!

The Wonderlab at the Science Museum.

Second choice would be the aquarium.

Third would be the Natural History Museum.

DD is a history nerd, she would vote for Tower, Museum of London, Cutty Sark, Maritime Museum (never did all of it but liked it enough to have a nice outing).

Buckingham Palace is a bit disappointing, it is not a lot to see and while we liked it I wouldn't go anytime soon again or even bring visitors unless they are really into it.

She was over the transport museum at that age. Natural History can be a hit and miss, she liked it when she was younger, with 7 she found it either too boring or too detailed. Similar the Science Museum, they were better when she was older and had a better understanding.

The V&A is surprisingly good as well, they do backpack tours of several galleries and we spend 2-3 hours each time and it was never boring.

British Museum - I would say for older children unless there is something she can use for a school topic or they have a special exhibition of a period she is interested in. I also find it big, noisy, full with people and not very easy to go around and find things.

If you get on the clipper at the Tower Hill pier, you can see the outside of the Tower and go under Tower Bridge, which is always a treat even for a native Londoner.

We are BM members and the kids love it but I have to cajole them along to some of the stuff. Egypt and Mexico they are all over but the Assyrian stuff, not so much. There should be an activity in the great hall if it’s holidays.

My children and I have done lots of day trips to London. I would vote for Transport Museum (hopefully they still have tickets that they can stamp at each stage - my kids loved these), watch one of those free pavement shows in Covent Garden whilst you are there (museum is in Covent Garden) and browse the shops there (they was a small shop with lots of little paper models and old fashioned toys - that was always popular. Again browse Covent Garden markets stalls, snack or lunch in one of the cafes there and that's probably 5 hours.