London for geeky teens - but free or cheap?

[notwhatineednow]

We're in London for the holidays and I have some days planned that are going to be pretty pricey!

Can anyone help me plan a cheap or free day to balance it out?

I'll have 4 DC with me that day, two 13 year olds and two 9 year olds.

Can anyone suggest anything for the 13 year olds to do?

They like tech, warhammer and other table top games, art, computer games, anime, science, history, music and they're good in museums.

(The 9 year olds are easier to entertain, but any tips for them would be great also!)

We'll probably be starting from Greenwich on our "cheap" day. I'm thinking maybe starting off with a boat down the Thames - but to where?!

(I guess pretty much all of central London is accessible from the Thames + a bit of a walk!)

You can get the clippers from Greenwich.

www.thamesclippers.com/plan-your-journey/timetable

www.treasuretrails.co.uk/?gclid=CjwKCAjwi6WSBhA-EiwA6Niok8QpJDDhmXryKsKQpwT4pPPFmc4vCImIb_6EbYngMfK204NQ5BXTARoCfEYQAvD_BwE

My teenager enjoys these, lots to choose from in London and a good way to explore bits you wouldn't always notice/go. Think it's £10 to download and print your own (can print as many copies as you want)

Following

@Fashionablylate1999

www.treasuretrails.co.uk/?gclid=CjwKCAjwi6WSBhA-EiwA6Niok8QpJDDhmXryKsKQpwT4pPPFmc4vCImIb_6EbYngMfK204NQ5BXTARoCfEYQAvD_BwE

My teenager enjoys these, lots to choose from in London and a good way to explore bits you wouldn't always notice/go. Think it's £10 to download and print your own (can print as many copies as you want)

Ooh, these look good!

@Fashionablylate1999

www.treasuretrails.co.uk/?gclid=CjwKCAjwi6WSBhA-EiwA6Niok8QpJDDhmXryKsKQpwT4pPPFmc4vCImIb_6EbYngMfK204NQ5BXTARoCfEYQAvD_BwE

My teenager enjoys these, lots to choose from in London and a good way to explore bits you wouldn't always notice/go. Think it's £10 to download and print your own (can print as many copies as you want)

Have you done any of the London ones? (Like you say, there's loads to choose from!)

Assuming the weather isn't terrible, then we're definitely going to do one of the treasure trails, and combining it with the boat. If the DC like it, then we can do them in loads of other places. It's basically gamifying sight seeing, isn't it?

I'm trying to decide between one of the ones near South Bank, or around Westminster, or around Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens, or one that takes you across the river twice (Tower Bridge and London Bridge).

Not super geeky but if you like NHM I thoroughly recommend the Horniman, its free and in lovely spacious grounds with loads of different exhibits. The 13 yos could do their own thing and you explore with the 9yo.

What about Tower Bridge? There's a walkway across the top (enclosed!) various activities including the engine room. A family ticket seems to be about £30.

www.towerbridge.org.uk/your-visit?_ga=2.56672226.977817850.1649009331-1572414184.1649009331

Watching planes at Heathrow - mine loved it at that age. There are various buses around the perimeter (no longer free but just usual capped bus fares) plus a great cafe at T5 overlooking the runway. There are some prime spots for watching, depending on the landing/taking off ends.

Are you sure it’s a good place to go for your crew?

The Bank of England museum is worth an hour. They can hold a gold bar.

And Battersea Power Station

batterseapowerstation.co.uk/?msclkid=23398ee2b37a11ec879d1ea3e8e73b1e

You can't go into the iconic building just yet but the surroundings are great and there's often various activities going on. The Uber clipper boats stop there, and there's now a Tube station.

@iCod

Are you sure it’s a good place to go for your crew?

Which place? (Or do you mean all of London?!)

Place marking for my grumpy sullen teen who said "there's nothing to do in London "
Plonker

The boat is good. The cable car is very cheap too compared with eg the London Eye.

London. If shops Etc are a hassle and money an object 😀

The Barbican has a cool conservatory which is free to wonder around and often has free events on too. Sky Garden is also good for views of London. They might enjoy the street art in Brick Lane and Shoreditch inspiringcity.com/2020/07/23/a-street-art-map-of-shoreditch-and-brick-lane/ combined with some street food from one of the many places around.

Wandering along the South Bank is easily a day out if you don't walk too quickly!

Head towards Leake Street to hang out and watch street artists at work before going into Draughts, the board game cafe. The Festival Hall is good for hanging out and watching the world go by, eating your own sandwiches on one of the public floors or reading in the library there. Tate Modern has already been suggested but if you want to go north from there, the Millennium Bridge leads towards St Paul's and just after the Salvation Army HQ (with good value cafe) is a small pavement playground which is good for a short stop.

Depending on the tide, you could go Mudlarking on the beach of the Thames either by the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich or closer to town. The Museum of London at Docklands is free and well worth a visit but there's plenty to wander around at Canary Wharf, including some public cafes with excellent views.

You see I don’t think that young children like wandering around watching the world go by

@MoiraNotRuby

Not super geeky but if you like NHM I thoroughly recommend the Horniman, its free and in lovely spacious grounds with loads of different exhibits. The 13 yos could do their own thing and you explore with the 9yo.

Ooh, that could be good, thanks.

@yellowsuninthesky

The boat is good. The cable car is very cheap too compared with eg the London Eye.

Yes, we're definitely going to do the cable cars! We're going them the same day we go to the Cutty Sark & the Planetarium. I'm not sure on getting from the Cutty Sark to the cable car though. Walking up to the 02?

Or maybe going under the tunnel and then getting the DLR (the Jubilee line) which would be a novelty as mine haven't been on a driverless train before.

I mean, then the jubilee line

[quote Westfacing]What about Tower Bridge? There's a walkway across the top (enclosed!) various activities including the engine room. A family ticket seems to be about £30.

www.towerbridge.org.uk/your-visit?_ga=2.56672226.977817850.1649009331-1572414184.1649009331[/quote]
Now that's tempting, it looks ace!

But I'm trying to have a cheap day. Family ticket is just under £40 and I'm also tempted by the a day pass on the boat, which is about £40 so it's starting to add up again... Hmmm...

We are doing other days which cost an arm and a leg money but I wanted to see if we could do one cheap day at least.

Walk over Tower Bridge. Get caramel peanuts to share between two, £6, or ignore and free. Look at the river and the bits of walls and the Tower. If you can plan for a bridge opening that is doubly exiting.

Walk past Ken’s Great Glass Testicle and enjoy the Thames, maybe try and get onto the beech, and go into Tate Modern.

Back over wobbly bridge to look up at St Paul’s. Maybe have a look at some Great Fire things.