Things to see/do in London with an almost 5 year old

[immchuckbass]

Hello, I’m hoping some of you have some pearls of wisdom of things I can take my nearly 5 year old daughter to do, see, eat whilst we are in London next week. I’m taking her to see frozen the musical but want to make the most of our time there.
She is really into most things so open to any advice anyone may have 🙂
thank you!

There's usually lots to see if you wander along the Southbank if you're near there and you can go into the Royal Festival Hall if it's raining.

Or a boat trip on the Thames.

We spent last weekend in London with my 5 year old niece. She went to see the frozen show with SIL on the on the first day. She was very keen to see all the big landmarks so we stayed on the river, just next to the tower of London. We had dinner at Coppa Club there which has views of tower bridge and has a good kids menu/activity sheet/crayons etc so was very child friendly. The following day we did Buckingham Palace, big ben and st James' park, she enjoyed seeing the pelecans there and we stopped for a coffee and a cake in the cafe. We spend a couple of yours in the natrual histroy museum in the afternoon which she really enjoyed though perhaps your little one is a touch too young for that?

Also the London Transport Museum's ok, depending on her interests.

Ours enjoyed the Science Museum and Natural History Museum at that age (still do as teens!).

A walk along the South Bank too, lots to see. There's a great play area near the London Eye.

Tower Bridge has a glass floor which is fun for kids. I think it was quite reasonably priced when we went. Thames River cruise? London Eye? (Pricier)
If it's a nice day snd you go to look at the outside of Buckingham Palace then St Jame's Park (opposite) has a kids playground.

A cruise boat along the Thames is fun, and a good idea for a rest/picnic lunch.

Dd is 5 and we've done the Natural History museum and the Science museum, both are brilliant (though make sure you book for Wondrtlab in the latter). She also just enjoyed exploring and going to some of the parks.

Southbank to see Big Ben, M&M store In Leicester Square and then Lego store opposite.

The postal museum is sweet and great for kids. Has a train and lots interactive.

The zoo is also great, lots to do there.

Tons of fun food options

DS loves the natural history museum, the science museum, especially the wonder lab. The Southbank, borough market (food), covent garden and the performers, transport museum, watching tower bridge open and the glass floor, just walking around spotting things like red buses/black cabs, the Paddington statue, Big Ben, also loves the river taxis and the cable car, he even enjoys the novelty of a train that goes underground. Battersea park, StvJames' Park, Greenwich -park, observatory and cutty Sark. The theatres. Lots of other things too but there's plenty there to get started!
I'm from London but we live in the home counties now. DS will be five before the end of the year.

The Science Museum is brilliant (and free) but it does get very crowded. The best bites for a 5yo are the garden in the basement www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/garden, the pattern pod and the power of music exhibition (which you have to pay for). It’s fairly easy to travel between the museum and a Covent Garden because they’re both on the Piccadilly Line.

If you want to stay in the Covent Garden area, there’s the London Transport museum which is excellent for young kids as it’s so hands-on. The Playzone is designed for children under 7, plus there are themed trails around the rest of the museum and regular events in the holidays www.ltmuseum.co.uk/visit/families/all-aboard
There’s also a gorilla trail in Covent Garden www.coventgarden.london/the-tusk-gorilla-trail-at-covent-garden/ and there are always plenty of street performers and mime artists in the summer.

I realised the link for the Gorilla trail was dodgy www.coventgarden.london/the-tusk-gorilla-trail-at-covent-garden/
There’s M&M world and the largest Lego store in the world (so my dc tell me) in Leicester Square

Definitely Natural History Museum if you have time. There's a really nice little play park in the bit of Green Park in front of Buckingham Palace and you can buy nuts to feed the squirrels.

The young V&A in Bethnal Green is great for that age.
If they fancy sightseeing then a walk down the south bank to look at Houses of Parliament is good, and by the London eye there’s a lovely playground.
My DD enjoyed walking over tower bridge too, and looking at the boats in St Katherine’s dock.

When we took our son to London when he was about 6 I think, he found a lot of it overwhelming, lots of people and queuing and walking. The best part was a little place called Corams fields that we found, it was a lovely little park, can't remember exactly what was in it or where it was but I'm sure Google can help.

We have done Frameless and BBC Earth Experience with DS (aged 5) this year and they were both good. Similar concept so you'd only want to do one of them.

Also London eye, Tate modern, boat down the Thames (you can get the clipper down to Greenwich which is fun and cheaper than a specific tour), open top bus tour, science museum, national history museum, Greenwich observatory.

Enjoy!

The Diana Memorial Garden is a brilliant play park. It's in Hyde Park and my 4 year old loved it. Worth going to the nearest tube station though as walking across the park to it involved a lot of foot dragging!

My 5 yo LOVED the london eye

Hms Belfast. Too young probably to appreciate the history of it but the interactive-ness of the experience is great. Loads of climbing and nooks she crannies for kids to be delighted by!

Ah these are all amazing, thank you so much.
I really had no idea where to start but this has been a wonderful help 😊