Best days out in London?

[mushlett]

Would people mind giving me their opinions on the best family days out in London that they have had?
Children are 9 and 10 if that makes any difference. We’re planning on going at the weekend.

The City Cruisers down the Thames are a good way of seeing the sights.
Can use Tesco Clubcard vouchers for tickets.

we are Londoners who had a great day out with country cousins (aged about 7 and 12 at the time) doing every form of transport:

train
tube
cable car
DLR
foot tunnel
boat
bus

If you're on a budget the number 11 bus (so normal price, kids free) goes past a lot of the sights

Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green is lovely

Yes going down the river is lovely!

The Natural History Museum is obviously great, as is the slightly further out Horniman Museum that has loads of interesting natural history exhhibits and bonus live llamas.

Battersea Park children's zoo or Hackney city farm. Battersea Park in general is good with kids, has lots of variety. Or you can go and try to see the Pelicans in St James Park.

Avoid if your children have a tendency to wander: Covent Garden

Sit on the front of the DLR or take the Emirates Cable car

Hell on earth for adults, but depending on your kids they might like M and M's world in Leicester Square

London is a city 80 miles across, anywhere particular in London? which train station would you be coming in to ?

Thank you for the suggestions.
We have been to the Natural History museum fairly recently and we have tickets to a Family Ghost Tour at Greenwich Royal Maritime but the weather for this weekend looks rubbish so we will probably leave that for another time.
I am keen on an art gallery but my husband isn’t so I’m trying to think of other things to do.
The train station we will use will depend on where we are going.

surely the station depends on where you're coming from? You can't go into Paddington if you're coming from Essex.

If you're not on a budget I'd suggest Merlin passes.

This will get you onto the London eye, into Madame Tussaud's, the London dungeon, shrek adventure and sea life.

They are valid for a year so can use them throughout the summer for other trips. Well worth the money for us

I’ll be coming from Gatwick so can get anywhere. Surely you can just change trains or get the tube to wherever you want to go?

London dungeon is a great idea.
I need to get Merlin passes at some point but they’re a touch over budget for this weekend.

London Dungeon is quite scary. Not for the faint hearted!

Kidzania is fantastic, although it's entirely for the children, not really a family day. But you can leave them there at 9 and 10 I think . You can have lunch/hit the shops with DH.

yes, but from Gatwick you'll be coming in to either Victoria or Blackfriars, so suggesting something that's pretty far north probably wouldn't be a great idea.

Trains from Gatwick come into Victoria, from where you can get the No.11 Bus which is a whole sightseeing trip in its own right.

Get off at St Pauls and walk over the Millennium Bridge to Tate Bankside and the Globe

Or

Go the other way from St Pauls to the Museum of London (Free)

Or

Get off at Bank and take the DLR to Greenwich for Cutty Sark, Observatory and the Meridian Line.

Then River boat back to Embankment. Train from Waterloo to Clapham Junction, change for Gatwick train.