London advice please - with 6 year old who doesn't like lots of walking!

[buckeejit]

We're going with dc-6&9 for 3-4 days in Nov. Mainly for oldest to go to Harry Potter world. 6 year old tires quite easily & fil has bad knees so don't want to be non stop.

What could fill a morn/eve session enjoyably? I'm looking at booking a show - thinking the lion king or Matilda? And maybe a bus tour?

If anyone has any advice that would be great - we're staying in Trafalgar sq.

Bus tour, or take one of theses routes www.visitbritainshop.com/world/articles/top-3-bus-routes/

River trips also good.

Hop on , hop off bus tour to get you between the main sites? Or boat trip. Tower (Museum of London), Westminster, Buckingham Palace etc. Southbank or Covent Garden for watching street entertainers, London Eye, South Kensington for Science Museum and Natural History Museum.

Download Citymapper onto your phone and use the buses, super cheap and convenient and 9yo can help work out routes.
In terms of filling time I’d do a morning at one of the old school cinemas, cable car over the Thames followed by lunch/bowling at the O2, maybe choose just one area of one of the museums unless your kids are very into history etc. If you’re going anywhere near Shoreditch I’d do a round of crazy golf at Junkyard Golf club and money dependent Kidzania.

Riverboat to Greenwich tube bus to get the cable car & bus or tube back.

Thanks - these are great! Looking at other shows, the comedy about a bank robbery looks good but is recommended as 11+

Both dc were really interested to hear about the play that went wrong by the same company when we last went. It says sexual innuendos - wouldn't bother me, so otherwise would we be ok to take 6 year old?

I took a 7 year old to The Play that Goes Wrong last month. She loved it! I can't even remember the sexual innuendo, even though I have seen it three times , so it can't have been that bad. It is also way funnier than the Bank Robbery one.
Helps if they a) can sit still for an entire show and b) understand the concept of a murder mystery. There were some very small kids there and they weren't getting much from it, my kid wouldn't have been ready younger...
Matilda is also good especially if they have read it.
There is a lot of walking and standing at Harry Potter studios BTW, be prepared...

Thanks small - we loved the play that went wrong but mil already seen it twice now so though the bank robbery might be a good alternative. If she has popcorn & there are some funny bits, she will probably like it! I do like the idea of Matilda too though

We (including a 6yo) enjoyed School of Rock very much.

I second that @LarkDescending we saw school of rock and Matilda within weeks of each other and I much preferred school of rock. I got our tickets through timeout for only about £15 each as well. They were a side on view but that didn’t matter at all

Remember under 10s travel free on the tube which could cut down lots of walking.

Thanks - will check out school of rock. Good to know about under 10s going free - shame it's 2 days after ds 10th birthday-May postpone his birthday for a month!

Open top bus all the way!

It’s under 11s (not under 10) that travel free on underground overground and buses. Possible on some of the boats too but not 100% on that.

School of rock is considerably cheaper than Matilda so could justify doing that & the robbery if pil are interested- good to know a side on view isn't a problem. I always worry about seats being not so good but when I'm in the theatre I think any seat has a grand view.

Slightly concerned what we're going to do at night time as dc will probably be wrecked & want to go to bed by 9pm ish. Any recs for food? Ds loves Asian, dd is fussy but will be happy if she can get chips!

My ds loves trains- we've often gone to Paddington station! Walk around, watch trains... there's a really great family pub on the top floor of the station we've had lovely lunches there. Afterwards a walk around the Paddington Bear shop and i buy him a small treat from there for good behaviour ( key ring / badge)
Also the transport museum in Covent garden- can you see a theme here lol

Hang on... are you aware Harry Potter world isnt central London, its very much london outskirts. Have to factored in travel times and the fact that anyone with any mobility issues will be knackered from the stidios and journey alone.

I wouldnt be planning anything else for the same day

Harry Potter is somewhere near Watford I believe.... train from Euston and then i think a Harry potter bus ??? PP is right , it's a bit of a mission .

I also recommend the transport museum. When we lived in London I used to take DS all the time. He loved it

Hi OP,

With theatre seats, check theatremonkey.com which lists every west End theatre seat and describes & rates view and value for money.
Definitely second school of rock.

I would recommend you check what's on at The Unicorn theatre in London Bridge. It's a children's theatre and their stuff is amazing, plus a bit cheaper as it's off-west end. It's located right by Tower Bridge so could easily be combined with a trip on the clipper from your location at embankment pier, perhaps a look at HMS Belfast, and a wander round Borough food market which is full of wonderful sights and smells and yummy food for all tastes!

"Asian" food is a bit general! This is London, you can find food from every single Asian country and beyond so whatever their tastes you'll find something. In the evenings can't you just have dinner somewhere? If you want to hang out then the South Bank or Covent Garden piazza are where all the tourists go and there's plenty to see / people watch.

Hope you have a great time!

If you are staying near Trafalgar Square there are plenty of restaurants in each direction - Wagamamas between the Strand and Covent Garden, Prezzo on Northumberland Avenue etc.

If your going in November maybe take the DC to Hamleys toy shop in the early evening. There are plenty of restaurants a short walk away. my DC like Ed’s Diner and they really enjoyed the sing along sound of music and frozen at Prince Charles cinema just off leicester square. Boat trip to Greenwich is good fun although might be too much walking at the other side.

Super thanks - unicorn theatre looks great but nothing on over our dates. Evening trip to Hamleys is a good idea. Will look up boat trip & check with pil. Defo going to do a bus tour of some sort to tick a lot of tourist boxes quickly! Great that there's so much nearby for food.

Thanks, I know that Potter is a way away, think it will be just me, ds & mil for that. Was sort of hoping that if we got there for the 9am entrance, (ambitious enough!), we could maybe have a nap & do a show in the evening? Maybe we will just leave the evening for that clear & play it by ear.

I wasn't really looking forward to it before but really am now

Have you booked HP? You need a time slot rather than just turn up. Also will be more expensive to travel by train before 9:30.

I think your timings are going to be quite tight to do HP in Watford, then train back into London (it's 15-min bus ride from the station), presumably have lunch if your kids are anything like mine they'll be hangry by the time they've done all of HP and then get to a matinee show in the West End. HP takes a good 3-4 hours to do properly and the first tour doesn't begin until 10am.

Misread your post! If you want to do a show in the evening, that's fine. But bear in mind most finish around 10pm, so that's quite late for a six-year-old who tires easily.