London with kids

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I am taking kids 3-5 to London next week for a few days. What's worth doing
We Will do the second museum and natural history museum any maybe the aquarium.

Any hidden gems

Transport museum.
Princess Diana playground
Maritime museum at Greenwich has fab soft play

Don’t plan too much that’s far away from each venue otherwise you’ll be exhausted from travelling.

Where are you staying? Make it easy for yourself and have kid friendly early dinners or get a supermarket picnic for the evening while watching a film

I may be stating the obvious but do book ahead. Most of the Wonderlab slots at the Science Museum are gone.

V&A Children’s museum is lovely.
For 3-5 the Transport Museum is great.
Take them on a ride on the Thames Clipper.

Oh Kew Gardens has a fabulous play area for kids and the gardens are lovely too. But you have to book ahead for both.

If you go to Princess Diana playground look out for the Elfin Oak while you’re queuing outside. It’s like the Faraway Tree.

www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensington-gardens/things-to-see-and-do/memorials-fountains-and-statues/elfin-oak

pools playground victoria park

battersea park childrens zoo
any of the city farms vauxhall hackney brook farm or kentish town farm or mudchute farm

Thank you everyone. Lots of googling to do

V&A childhood museum is closed just now

Museum of London is good as well.
We also tried all the types of transport. Bus through Oxford street and Piccadilly. The DLR is a driverless train and fun if you can get right upfront they like to pretend to drive the train. (All included in day travel pass) Greenwich park is also lovely.

Mine are that age group and really love going on the cable car over the river

Ice cream parlour at Fortnum & Mason, but definitely book ahead.

Cable car over the river is very high, only do it if you are ok with heights yourself. I realised part way up that I am only ok on cable cars that go up mountains... Thames clipper boat from North Greenwich up the river is great though. Plus boats have a loo onboard which can be useful.
If you book V&A and the weather is nice there is a lovely fountain and pool in the courtyard there. We had coffee there last week and it was lovely to see the small children having so much fun playing in the pool. Lots of savvy parents who had taken towels and changes of clothes

Army museum in chelsea is great with little kids that age - book a session at the play base bit!

Which part of London are you staying in?

We are staying right by Hyde park

www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/hyde-park/things-to-see-and-do

With children so little I would base stuff around a few of The Royal Parks - you will have activities, shade, nature, fresh air, safety, restaurants, culture, etc and also next to other sites …. Have a look at Holland Park, Kensington Gardens, St James Park, Regents Park and Greenwich Park on the link above. Throw in an open top bus and river boat and you will have a great experience. If you are doing any of the museums - get in first thing if you can.

We're good on a trip to London next weekend and I've booked the British Museum and the V&A in the last 2 days so there's still availability.

I also recommend Whole Foods 1st floor in South Ken for food. They have various foods available i.e. kids can have pizza if they're fussy and you can be more adventurous. I find it's usually cheaper than a normal sit down restaurant in that area.

Whilst I agree that the cable car doesn’t go to where anyone wants to go it is quite fun to go on a round trip to / from the O2 side and then take the boat back one stop to Greenwich to the previously mentioned maritime museum , Greenwich park etc .Greenwich is great fun .

The Postal Museum is quite good fun, there’s an underground train ride and a post-themed indoor playground.

goboat.co.uk/paddington/

We did this the other day …. Cute little boat through Little Venice, past London Zoo and through Regents Park - was great fun (if the weather is good)

if you head to the tate britain there is a viewing gallery which is free. Nice walk along to aquarium etc too. Boat trip is a fun thing with young ones ut hyde park is a great spot too. Natural history museum is great for that age group.

if you head to the tate britain there is a viewing gallery which is free.

Tate Modern. And if it’s still on, an installation visitors can write / draw on.

The viewing gallery was opened after the nearby flats & has an excellent view into them. Unless the residents have all put up curtains / blinds by now.

EmpressWitchDoesntBurn yes Tate modern! No idea why I said Britain