Places that won't be very very busy in London next week, suitable for a 7yr old with ASD, moon on a stick?

[Catoninetails]

My teenager is desperate to go to London for an art exhibition they want to see before it finishes at the end of August. This is doable as we have family we could stay with who would love to see us all, but I'd also have my 7 yr old who has ASD/ADHD with me if I go. I could send teenager alone but she hasn't done the journey before and isn't confident about the underground etc, plus it would be nice to see family so I'd like us all to go if possible.

Is there anything at all that won't be packed that I could do with my 7yr old? Likes include Minecraft, history, space, dogs 😂, Harry Potter... But very busy places are a real struggle as are long queues, so am I being unrealistic?

We're off to the science museum AND the BM tomorrow/Tuesday. I'll take the tip about heading upstairs in the science museum first.

When it gets too much we'll head to Kensington Gardens and take a look at the Serpentine.

Could you use Uber instead of the tube?

I'm an annual member of the zoo and its always quiet at opening even in the holidays. Also if you go right when you go in to see the giraffes first then it's empty as most people go left.

Yy to going to the front of the queue with ASD letter. (Youll need tickets for the exhibition so that will get you to the front if the queue too.

Dont expect to go round the British museum... in and out quick. Other things that might help Noise cancelling headphones or ear defenders, hoodie pulled up over face. Some kids have success with an umbrella (at least to get you from station to museum) as it delineates their own space.

I really wouldnt attempt a second museum. Its like getting the kid out of one uncomfortable place then expexting him to manage another

From the British Museum check out whether the Somerset House fountains are working. Its a quiet walk down the back streets to get there, they are quiet and beautiful and a good sensory anecdote to the British Museum. Otherwise theres a quietish play park at Coram Fields, or Granary square fountains but they are usually more busy. You could also try hoping a bus (double decker) or underground to princess Diana fountains but they are more of a distance.

I agree with PP’s, Grant museum of zoology at UCL kooky and interesting, your teen may like it to. On the ten min walk between the British Museum and there, pop into the Petrie Museum of Egyptology, guaranteed to be about one zillion times more quiet than British museums Egypt bit and with excellent artefacts.
Wellcome Collection is a good shout by a PP and has a nice cafe. Then hop on the bus at Euston to, as another PP said, Granary Square (to York Way, or 15 min walk if you’re not knackered, although this would be a busy stretch unless you go back streets) which has a lovely free little public gallery, The House of Illustration, which your teen should find interesting. If teen is interested in Art, this day includes checking out the Slade and St Martins from the outside :)

For anyone wanting to go to the NHM, the queues are often considerably shorter at the Earth Galleries entrance on Exhibition Road (the old Geological Museum). Once inside you can walk through to the Life Galleries (the iconic NHM building on Cromwell Road), but stop by the mineral displays on the (2nd???) floor first. They are beautiful and soothing, and the reason why I became a geologist.

This is all fantastic info, thank you all so much The tips for smaller lesser known museums and galleries are great as I think that's exactly what we need (we do the same with beaches too, head for the smaller ones with no toilets or ice-cream van that hardly anyone else goes to )

I would book for the experiential science floor at the science museum. cant remember its name! But once in its amazing, and appealed to my asd kids apecial interests. The staff are incredibly well trained and got ear defenders for me when I realised we'd left ours behind, and also said to make sure we speak to any of the education staff if we had any problems.

ive also emailed the science musuem in advance mentioning asd and asking which were quieter areas if she needed space and they were amazing.id donthis again with any museum.

What my child finds really really hard (and we wont do london in the holidays again unless we really really have to) was the crowds on the street and the sheer sensory overload with people, lights, buildings etc is so so much more than she's used to.

Ear defenders were a must. We found a quiet park we took her to to break the day up but even so she struggled.

Can you do a visual timetable with the exact plan on? Train times, what the order of the day will be? We looked at some pictures online first too of the places we were going. She's v high functioning/high IQ but the sense of order is calming. Fidget toys for the train.

An OT friend suggested next time she should carry a backpack with some heavy things in (!!) Water bottles/lunch etc as apparently the weight/pressure can help.

Ooh lots of posts in betwèen!

Are you actually going to the art exhibition wih the teen? If so I'd not try and do another museum,

Or are ypu looking for somehting to do at the same time? I'd absolutely try to minimise bus/train/tube journeys and plan with least travelling in mind.

We planned to walk from south ank to london eye and the pkayground there as we've done in the past but it was so so so busy in the half term holidays that just that short wlak was too much.

The Diana memorial playground in Kensington Gardens seems to be not too far from the Science Museum. We're planning a trip next week and I have it in mind for if the science museum turns out to be too much. Worth thinking about.

Drop your Dd at the BM and take Ds to Coram Fields playground.

The Docklands Museum isn’t usually crowded.

Open top bus tour to see all the famous sights? My ASD son loves buses and would be delighted to spend a day in London travelling around randomly on the tube!

That playground will be heaving in summer holidays though as ita so popular which would be too much for my autistic daughter (amazing not in holiday time though)

When would you be going? Kings Cross are recommending you avoid travelling through there this weekend due to delays caused by building work.

But obviously autistic children are all different so might be fine at the playground. Mine cant stand the tube due to the whooshy noises and all the people .

Just go very early in the morning as soon as it opens op. Then leave when your DC has had enough.

Olafur Eliasson at the tate modern is awesome btw

I would just do the science museum. Then come out at about 3 and see what the queue is like at the side entrance to the natural history museum. It’s true that if you explain special needs in your dc they might let you walk in but they are only allowed to do this with a letter and they also have a cut off with the number of people queue jumping. Also, nothing is quiet in the mhm.

Science museum and also contact the microsoft store on Oxford street. They're running loads of sessions over the hols for kids and have amazing facilities inc. Gaming And minecraft. If you explain your situation I'm sure they'll be able to accommodate you as it's all about accessibility and I believe they have a quiet time too. It's way more than a shop!!! I recommend anyone going to the city pops in.

There is the Bank Of England museum. Ds has asd and we took him earlier on this year. He's a teenager so slightly older. The museum was busy-ish but not overwhelming so. I'm not sure it opens every day though.

I would do Coram Fields and Wellcome Collection as both are walkable from the British Museum so avoids trekking across London.
Also, right near the museum is a small park at Bloomsbury Square Gardens which has a small playground. It will be young for your son but could be a good place for him to get some space and peace if needed for a few minutes.

Museum of London or Docklands Museum

@Catoninetails If you need some time out whilst you're in central, Victoria Embankment Gardens are always far, far quieter than the surrounding areas. I work in Whitehall and it's my little oasis of calm compared to the chaos around. Look for the Met Police HQ and the gardens are next door. It's a nice place to sit and chill out if it was needed.

Postman park also an oasis of calm near museum of London! It was in a movie with Julia Roberts and is dedicated to people who dies performing heroic acts.

We went to the science museum last weekend and were amazed at how quiet it was once we got away from the first hall

Imperial war museum is usually quieter as it's off the beaten track. It's also an incredible museum. I'm not into war but it's utterly fascinating.

Otherwise I'd go postman's Park. Ken gardens. Regent park. Tate Britain is usually quiet too.