Things to do in London with a 6 year old

[MadameJosephine]

DD and I are travelling to London for a couple of days at half term to visit her brother at uni. We go regularly but always seem to end up going to the same places in the Kensington area - Science Museum, wonderlab , natural history museum, Diana memorial play area in Hyde park.

Anybody have any other recommendations for things to do that won’t break the bank? We’ll be staying with DS who lives near East Acton tube so anywhere within a reasonable tube journey is fine

Kidzania in Westfield is really good - mine absolutely love it and you get some good discounts here www.picniq.co.uk/london/kidzania-london/

South bank centre

Emirates sky car thing?

I really recommend doing a round trip on lots of different forms of transport, like taking the clipper ferry from Embankment to North Greenwich, crossing the river by Emirates cable car, then taking the DLR back towards the Jubilee line, and/or double decker bus. The really brilliant thing about the DLR is that you can sit right at the front of it, and pretend to drive.

Thanks

Kidzania looks great, especially if the weather’s not so good.

DD would be up for the cable car but I’d never get her brother on one unfortunately

The Postal Museum is great www.postalmuseum.org/visit/for-families/ and if the weather’s nice you could go to Coram’s Fields www.coramsfields.org which is really close.
At the Southbank Centre there’s a free fairytale trail to follow at your own pace which involves solving puzzles and taking part in games and creative activities using the trail kit. There’s a reward for anyone who completes it.

London transport museum
Tower Bridge experience and Monument
Open top bus or just riding around on top of the bus spotting things

Maritime museum at Greenwich (could easily be added to dev suggestion as only one or two boat stops down or on the dlr). Greenwich park has a nice playground not too far from the museum as well and if the market is open there are street food options

I take my 6 year old most school holidays for a day. Often museums like you but once we just got the underground to Greenwich, played on the street art exhibition thing that was there, went on the Emirates skyline then got a clipper back down past tower bridge, houses of parliament then a walk on southbank. He loved it (helped by ice cream).

Not so cheap options he enjoyed were london zoo (obsessed with komodo dragons) and shrek experience on south bank.

His favourite museums so far are the British museum and wonderlab at the Science museum.

I am thinking of trying tate modern or the transport museum next time.

The globe theatre often has great activities during the holidays

www.shakespearesglobe.com/seasons/half-term-tales-2019/

Free Museums:
Museum of London
Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Astronomy Museum and Dateline, at the observatory, Greenwich. Small, but interesting as part of a day out in Greenwich
Museum of Docklands . Visit by DLR on the way to Greenwich
Look st the Cutty Sark from the outside (you can pay to go in) as part of Greenwich trip.
Museum of Childhood , Bethnal Green
Look on Time Out website for events that week

Paid activity:
See what is on at Unicorn Theatre
Polka Theatre
(Both children’s theatre and cheaper than the big musicals etc)

Remember that the Transport Museum is not free.

When we've visited kids loved Tate Modern, Greenwich Park, the cable car and DLR, wandering the South Bank, Borough Market, walking across the top of Tower Bridge, lido swimming. All free or reasonably priced.

London transport museum is free for kids under 17.
An adult ticket is £18 but that’s a one of cost that gives you entry for a year.

DD’s favourite was the Museum of London.

Otherwise the Maritime Museum is great as is the Cutty Sark, you have to pay for her though. You can walk through the park to the observatory, DD found it quite technical at that age but the idea of the time line stuck with her.

What is she doing in school at the moment? DD enjoyed trips linked to whatever topic was on.

The Tower should have a half term program as well.

If you decide to go out further, Hampton Court is easy to go to by train from Waterloo in 45 minutes , Windsor is also doable but I think that may be Paddington Station.

The Museum of Docklands is also a nice one, not so much else to do in the area though.

Wow, some great ideas, thanks

I think we may go the the south bank centre to do the fairy trail and then a day at Greenwich this time but got lots of ideas now for future trips. Museum of London looks great too

I think half term is a week before ours in London? Her school hols are w/c 28 Oct so some of the school holiday activities don’t be on when we visit but there are loads of other things to be thinking of