London hidden gems for children

[Snuzzle]

Taking my 8 year old to London soon and just wondering if anyone has any suggestions of places to visit or things to do beside the usual tourist attractions

Museum of London
Coram Fields playground
Kensington Gardens playground
The Southbank

Horniman Museum
Postal Museum
Icing Cafe at Biscuiteers

Princess Diana fountain in Hyde Park - good to combine with the museums

Terrible Thames (not been ourselves but looks fab)

Sky Garden - tickets are free, released 2 weeks ahead (I think?) great for views

Borough Market and the Golden Hinde (but this may be shut for restoration, not sure)

Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern and the pedestrian bridge over to St Pauls, climbing the dome of St Pauls (a LOT of steps)

Good climbing frame behind the London Eye

Treasure trails are a fun way to explore an area

Boat on the Thames - a Rib if you're feeling adventurous

Pedalo on the Serpentine in Hyde Park

If it's hot, the Appearing Rooms fountain on the south bank is SO much fun - but you'll need a towel & change of clothes

The huge Waterstone's on Piccadilly is always a draw with my 2 DCs

Not in Central London but the Horniman Musuem in Forest Hill and the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park. Both reachable on the Overground train line.

Museum of London,very hands on!
Interactive, goes through the ages, we love it

Museum of London is on a good route near st Paul's,the wobbly bridge, Tate modern and South Bank.

I'e you can cover lot's.

Horniman museum abit dull for 8 year olds I'd argue (I live nearby),

national history museum, science museum, tate modern, battersea park, southbank,

There is a great blog / Instagram page called Bablands for things to do in London with kids

Bank of England museum. It's free and they can hold a gold bar.

Thanks everyone, some of these places are already on our list and I’ll have a look at the rest with DD to see where she’d like to go

Take the overground to the Museum of London Docklands.

Unless you spend a lot of time in London I think Horniman Museum and Crystal Palace Park are not really that impressive. Nice yes but hardly so special to do the trip south.

Not sure when you go but the House of Parliament do family tours, they are really fun and you learn lots of little tidbits even we adults didn't know (and we did a normal one prior to it just DH and me)
www.parliament.uk/visiting/access/families-with-children/

Another vote for Coram Fields. It’s a little central london haven, next to GOSH and a stone’s throw from the BM.

Parliement tour is amazing!! Royal Courts of Justice do one too, but not sure she’d like that.

Climb the Monument- great view from the top (photos are always useful if your DD does the Great Fire of London in school😉)

Thames Clipper boat down the Thames eg Westminster to Tower of London (or the reverse) - much cheaper than tourist boats and a great way to see London

@minipie sorry to hijack but would sky garden be ok for a 5 year old and a 7 year on a Sunday afternoon?

Book at taster session at the Westway Climbing wall

If you are staying overnight there is a good bowling alley/arcade outside of Finsbury Park tube station called Rowans. We went one night when staying in London and really enjoyed it.

@winemedown absolutely, we took ours around that age. There isn’t anything to do exactly but you walk around the garden, look out at the various viewpoints and there’s a cafe (we didn’t use the cafe though). Think we spent about 45 min-1hr there.

Novelty Automation then Corams fields afterwards

We do postal museum train then coram fields then the fountains at Granary sq - all a close walk.

Depends what your kids are into I think

If you are visiting Coram's Fields then pop into the Grant Museum of Zoology. It's tiny but quirky.

If you are coming for one day and haven’t done the ‘Big Attractions’ then no way would I be doing an extra trek to Hornimans or spending time in Corams Fields as a specific destination.

Oh I misread I thought this was more for those who live here.

The big museums prob best for a single day.

Or aquarium / zoo