Natural History Museum with an almost 5yo

[touristinginlondontown]

Taking 4yo DD to the NHM this week, have entry tickets booked for 10:45 to hopefully skip the queues. What are your must-sees? Dinosaurs obviously (she's obsessed, hence the visit), what else? Any good interactive areas?

No other plans so can spend all day there or just an hour - but preferably leaving mid-afternoon to avoid the Bruno Mars crowd on the way to Wembley (due to busyness rather than the fans themselves), cba with a picnic so will grab lunch in the museum (or should I make sandwiches)

Hopeful bump 🦖

The Science Museum is also excellent and loads on the bottom floor to entertain a nearly 5yr old (the space bit is great).

The Mammal corridor is really good (in the NHM). There's also some kind of David Attenborough exhibition on at the moment I think

Take the lead from your dc, the science museum is next door and more interactive (at least was, my dc are grown, been a while). It’s nowhere near Wembley so that won’t make a difference, London will be heaving with tourists though.

It can get very busy and there is only one cafe. We did the same with our DD who was also dinosaur mad.

the NHM can get very hot. So be prepared!

There is a film called Attenborough live in the NHM. She loved it and it enabled her to see what it was like there. Also meant she knew about the Archaeopteryx and its importance.

if you have the funds (as it is quite expensive) there is a dinosaur afternoon tea just around the corner and the ampersand hotel.

Have a great time- we love it there!

The space and earth section is pretty cool as well! I would ask her what she wants to see too when you are there.

Take sandwiches, or go to somewhere in south ken, the cafes in the museum, can be packed and are very expensive and you can sit outside which might be nicer :)

Science museum right next door is great too

It was mega busy when we went and we went out of season in Sept time. We never got around it all so my best advice would be to ask him. Explain the different sections and ask him to pick 2-3 he definitely wants to see. If you manage to fit any more in it’s a bonus

It will be packed. The queues build before it opens, even with timed tickets.

Just play it by ear. If it gets to much, Hyde Park is very close by.

I would make sandwiches purely because the food there can be a bit tricky in my experience or involve lots of waiting or walking to get to the right place. With a hungry 4 year old 200 meters is suddenly 200 miles.

I would try and do less, don't plan loads, you can always do more if you want. I'd also explain ahead of time that the dinosaurs are bones not living. Otherwise 'going to see the dinosaurs' is hugely disappointing

I’d probably stick to one main thing and do that - dinosaurs I assume! I think the space stuff is supposed to be quite cool but we’ve always run out of steam before we get there. I thought it was looking a bit shabby when we were there last year. Lots of broken displays and things.

If you take a packed lunch, there's a quite good picnic area in the basement which is usually for schools but is open to anyone during the holidays.

I went last year with my 5 year old, he loved the dinosaurs and animals but not much else. Science museum was brilliant we spent almost the full day there he loved it!

Honestly at that age mine only cared about the dinosaurs, so we just did that then went next door to the Science museum. Now they’re a bit older they like the volcanoes/earthquakes bit ( though be warned it gets very hot up there) and the mammals section. The rocks bit also has a vault at the back with some pretty impressive diamonds and stuff. Some of the paid exhibits are good too, but can get pricey if you’re not a member ( we are but we live in London and go often).
From memory the cafe is decent but gets very busy (not been for a while as we use the cafe in the members room). If you bring sandwiches they usually open up the schools area in the basement for general use in the holidays, but for some reason people don’t know this so there’s plenty of tables.
If you do go to the Science Museum they have a lot more interactive stuff, The Garden in the basement is perfect for that age and mine enjoyed the pattern pod. I wouldn’t bother with Wonderlab until she’s a little older.
Science museum also has more than one cafe so they don’t get so busy. Think only the main one does hot food though.

Thanks all, I thought about the science museum too but decided I wanted to focus on one rather than rushing around - we're close to London so plenty of time! Might stick to the dinosaurs, space and earth and earthquake/volcano bit.

Noted re sandwiches, I'll take a picnic!

@hahabahbag- yes I'm aware Wembley is nowhere near but we go through Wembley Park to get home and I only just managed to get on a tube last week due to the crowds - seemed a lot busier than commuting during Taylor Swift/Harry Styles/football.