What to do in London tomorrow morning with 9 year okd

[TwoThreeFourDive]

Had the day booked for a while but after suffering from an horrendous abscess over the weekend it was up in the air but after seeing my angel dentist today hopefully I’ll be fine for tomorrow. We have the sea life and London eye booked form 1.30 onwards (merlin pass holders) but not sure what to do for the couple of
Hours before (arrive in London at 10.30). I was thinking of getting the Thames clipper to Greenwich, having a mooch then getting the cable Cars back over but then again we’re going on the eye so will have a high up view of London. And also not sure if I’ll be cutting it too fine with getting back for 1.30?

My other thought was the transport museum? Ive seen mixed reviews, is it worth the cost?

Any help would be great! Thanks

There's a nice park/play area on the south bank right near the London eye.

How about milk train for ice creams then the forbidden planet shop?

That sounds like quite a lot to pack in by 5:30pm train home. How long are you going to be at the aquarium for? The aquarium takes up the best part of the day for us. I'd ditch hamleys because you visit regularly anyway and there's always a long queue to get in.

Treasure trails can be fun if you're child's into them to explore different parts of London, take a couple of hours and you can stop when/where you like for lunch www.treasuretrails.co.uk/

Check opening days for the Bank of England museum. It isn't always open.

Green Park is just along from F&M. So I'd start at Hamley's then walk down to F&M ice cream parlour for milkshakes, then meander along Piccadilly to Green Park for your picnic. Jump on jubilee line at Green Park to Waterloo.

Sky gardens was pretty ok for us. It's free and you can book online however they do have spaces to let people in who haven't booked.

Yeah I did book an early train because it worked out £35 for the both of us (with the rail card) if we got that train but obviously it makes it a shorter day. But I figured if I drove anywhere (we live in a tiny town with barely anything to do) by time I factored in petrol/parking/admission it would cost more than £35 so thought a few hours in London would be a nice little trip.

I’ll have a look at the other museum to see if that’s sold out as well.

Thanks again for all your amazing tips

Does anyone know if I can just go to the ice cream parlour or is it booking only?

The Wellcome Collection museum across the road from Euston tends to have kid-friendly exhibitions and it has a seriously good shop and cafe… wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/YZeNOxEAACQAXM-0

The tower bridge experience is excellent. You climb the stairs to the top and there is a glass walkway over the Thames with a great view of London, you get shown a film of when it was first built and then you get to go down into to the engine rooms. My 11 and 14 year olds loved it and it's not expensive. Takes less than an hour.

Mu 9yo was fascinated by the British Museum last week, shes just done Ancient Egypt at school. Is that one sold out?

It sounds like you’re going to have a lovely day.

If you're going to the South Bank, my sons love the Leeke Street graffiti tunnels by Waterloo station. We went there again recently and they're worth a visit.

Or, if you're nearer London Bridge, Borough Market is nice to wander around.

I can't believe you have to book the Science museum. Yikes.

The British Museum is also fully booked 😳. Genuinely did not enter my mind that things like that still need to be booked! But I think I was trying to pack loads into an already short and busy day, I just didnt want to be wandering around aimlessly. It’s fine when it’s me and DP as we always find somewhere ( a pub!) to go to and enjoy just walking around but DS likes a plan 🤣

I wouldn't book another big 'thing' if you already have the sealife and the eye booked - I would just head down to the South Bank and have a mooch - mine love watching the skaters at the south bank centre, get some lunch, hang out. You could get the tube to St Paul's, walk over the millennium bridge, look at Shakespeare's globe then head along towards the Eye.

Princess Diana playground near Lancaster Gate station. The kids tours of the Globe Theatre on the South Bank (they also put on sword fighting demos and you can have a picture taken holding one of the old swords - it sounds gangster but it's not!)

Hi we’re here now and eating a picnic in St James Park! Ds is having a mad run about between trees so I’m resting my feet and having a little browse on my phone! We’ve been to fortnum and masons for ice cream (it was lovely but very pricey!), had a nice stroll down to the park, then were going to walk over Westminster bridge, have half hour mooching around the south bank then into the aquarium. The eye is booked for 3.30 so after that we’ll go for some tea and head back to the station. All in all hopefully a lovely day!

Thanks so much for all your recommendations. We’re coming back in may and everything you’ve recommended is on my list so I’m
Hoping we’ll never have to step foot into m&m world again 🤣