Fun day out ideas with young toddler London / South London

[Hollyontherampage]

We live in central south London but I am bored with all our usually weekend activities. DD age 21 months has finally recovered after two horrible colds back to back. We have a free weekend. She naps around 12-1.30 normally but this could happen in the bugaboo on the tube or in the car potentially.

Any London parents with some fresh ideas for a fun day out?

I recently found out there's a Minature ride on railway in Brockhall Park.

Surrey Docks Farm
The Castle Centre has under 5s swimming on Sundays www.everyoneactive.com/centre/the-castle-centre/?activitySearch=swimming%20timetable
The aquarium at The Horniman
Discover Children’s Story Centre
Handa’s Surprise www.littleangeltheatre.com/whats-on/handas-surprise/

Battersea park children’s zoo?

Are there parts of the Natural History Museum that could be suitable for your DD?

London Museum of Water and Steam at Kew Bridge has water play and a steam train that usually runs at weekends.

Deen City Farm, nearish Colliers Wood tube? Good playground as well as the animals.

Thank you, yes we have gone NHM a few times, and most of these options. Swimming at Elephant we haven't tried, and the Brockley train sounds good too! Thank you

Horniman Museum - there is a park across the road which has a huge sand pit.

Crystal Palace park, walking around the lake with the Dinosaurs. Also has a farm.

Eltham Palace - it has a play area and lovely gardens with a fish pond.

Morden Hall Park - lovely walk by the River.

Quite a lot of places will be doing special Easter stuff this weekend so worth looking around. Loads of places seem to be doing dinosaur stuff. There's a Very Hungry Caterpillar thing on at Kew Gardens. Theatres will be doing kids shows too.

Docklands Museum - great free soft play area too!

The horniman. Random nice parks like Hilly fields which is my favourite park. Stunning views and great playground. Also nice cafe.

Peckham rye

London Transport Museum, Vauxhall City Farm, Horniman Museum, Tate Modern for a mooch around, Latchmere Leisure Centre wave swimming pool and soft play, Crystal Palace Park dinosaurs, Beckenham Place Park, Godstone/Hobbledown farm

Imperial War Museum. surprisingly engaging. Docklands museum/ Greenwich naval museum. Greenwich boat trip.

My son absolutely adored Discover, it was magical. There used to be a trampoline place next to it with an area for little ones.

The train in Brockwell Park is only one Sunday a month I think, and takes about 3 mins so probably not worth the trip on its own

Horniman is wonderful but probably for a slightly older child. They used to do free drop in sessions on Sundays, art or music or something crafty, lovely events. Don't know if they've resumed post covid though.

Bockets Farm

Unicorn children's theatre right next to London Bridge - there are a couple of age appropriate shows on at the moment.

Greenwich - can combine with Ahoy kids play area at the Maritime museum (need book now I think) but enough to do just wondering around town centre/market/river/park/playground

Greenwich peninsular area. Great scooter riding down by the river walk, can go on the cable car and pop into o2 to marvel at its strangeness. Also a mini art gallery and random sculptures dotted about

Canary Wharf - can combine with mudlarks at docklands but again fun just to mooch around and look at the water and crazy buildings. Shopping centre, food court, little parks.

Tower bridge/Bermondsey area and cross over the river for a mooch around the marina

Elephant park - especially when it gets hotter for the best water play

Peckham rye - 2 playgrounds, nice cafe, lots to explore

Deptford market - buy random things for your house for 25p, see a show in the Albany theatre go to the deptford library to read books (the library is actually v nice)

Hillyfields park for a cute cafe, playground and nice views

Horniman museum in forest hill. It’s free, they do have paid for exhibitions (butterfly house etc). Farmers market on weekends.

Hendon royal airforce museum

@PenguindreamsofDraco

My son absolutely adored Discover, it was magical. There used to be a trampoline place next to it with an area for little ones.

The train in Brockwell Park is only one Sunday a month I think, and takes about 3 mins so probably not worth the trip on its own

Horniman is wonderful but probably for a slightly older child. They used to do free drop in sessions on Sundays, art or music or something crafty, lovely events. Don't know if they've resumed post covid though.

@PenguindreamsofDraco - my nephew and his friends have loved Horniman from 2 upwards.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

I recently found out there's a Minature ride on railway in Brockhall Park.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves - it’s Brockwell Park, nephew has done the train and loved it. Good playground with water features there too and bmx ride part. Very Near Herne Hill

London Wetland Centre - lovely for walks and have great play areas.
Kew Gardens - magic garden and plenty of nature trails.
Hampton Court - magic garden is really good, but also palace gardens and maze are fun for toddlers.

If you want to drive further out Ightham Mote is stunning - the gardens anyway with a fairy part. Beckenham Place Park and Kelsey Park both great for young children the latter especially re nature and wild birds/geese/ducks.

Polka Theatre, Unicorn and Half Moon young people’s theatres often have shows for very small children.

Vauxhall City Farm

If you go to Crystal Palace for the dinosaurs there is also a farm there.

I haven’t seen the Brockwell Park little train running for ages.

The water park playground at Brockwell park also not in action atm, but good for hot days later in the year.

Army museum in Chelsea, great soft play and interactive museum