To ask what is the best thing you’ve done with you child in London

[Differentcorner]

Tomorrow I am taking my 9 yr old son to the imperial war museum and then we have the rest of the day to do what we’d like... was thinking a walk by the river/Southbank and he wants to go to Hamleys but would love to hear your top suggestions

Natural History museum.

Boat along the Thames. It's fairly cheap too.

Postal museum and mail rail - my 8yo ds said the mail rail was "amazing"

We have just been on Tower Bridge. You can walk right along the top of it and there is a glass floor where you can see the road and river below, it has a mirrored ceiling so you can take some really unusual photos. The entry price lets you in to the engine room too. Just under the bridge is a good restaurant called the Vault. The food is superb and you can sit inside or along the river.

If he is interested in Science, then the Thames Barrier is very interesting. From Tower Bridge you can get a train or a boat down to Greenwich. The maritime museum is there and also the Cutty Sark.
Personally I would do the Cutty Sark as a single visit and get there early. We spent a long day on there and the children loved it. However on a Saturday at the end of half-term it will be mega busy.

Oh, and if you're feeling very rich, lunch in the Rainforest Café.

Hamleys is not fun. Overwhelming, busy, hot, loud and very very overpriced. I wouldn't bother. What type of toys is he into? If it's Lego then the Lego Store would be much better (Hamleys charge a higher price than Lego Store). If he is into collectable type toys (Star Wars /Marvel Super hero) or Pokemon or Nintendo type things then Forbidden Planet shop is the place go. It does get busy there and can be a bit expensive but the wow factor for most kids is much higher than Hamleys. Plus they have the biggest selection of comics your son will ever see.

Not sure if you're likely to be back in London again soon, but if you do go to the London Transport Museum (nice and close to Hamleys so could be a good combo) then see about turning your ticket into an annual pass. It's free and just takes five minutes.

London dungeons and tower of London. Both loved by my DC.

The Rainforest Cafe has crap food. Its certainly not where you will find the 'very rich' just the very gullible

The street performers on the Covent Garden Piazza are good fun for kids and adults. The atmosphere is really fun. There are a restaurants nearby like Wagamama for an easy lunch and the cafe at the transport museum is nice for snacks. I also second a trip on the Thames Clipper.

Hamleys will be crazy on a saturday. Mental preparation a must

It's not cheap but Thames Rockets speedboat trip down the Thames is great. Don't bother with Hamleys or Rainforest Cafe. Chinatown for dim sum combined with Covent Garden.

Duck Tours are no longer in London.

DH took DS age 6 to the Army Museum earlier this week. It's fairly newly renovated and not well known, so was apparently very uncrowded. Things to dress up and lots of other interactive stuff for DS. DH thought it was actually better for kids than the Imperial War Museum, which is now rather somber and serious since it's renovations. But if your DS is 9, that may be less of a concern than with our 6 year old.

Go to Hamelys first thing, as soon as it opens. Will be much less crowded. Also, if your Ds is into Lego, the Lego store at Leicester Square is great.

Mine love:
The street performers in Covent Garden (esp the Brummie dog)
London Eye and the Sky Garden
Lego Store in Leicester Square
London Transport Museum
Riding the Docklands Light Railway (esp at the front)
Thames Clipper

PLEASE not the Rainforest Cafe. I get that Hamleys is his own idea but be braced for your own disappointment. Lego store is more fun though.

A walk along the South Bank in itself is great. Street performers everywhere, usually some extra entertainment on, particularly at the end of half term. A collection of decent places to eat (avoid Giraffe). Loads of (free) fun stuff happening at the Festival Hall and around.

www.southbankcentre.co.uk/visit/family-fun

If you are near south bank there is a good food market behind festival hall from 12 noon that is really good my kids love choosing food (and cakes) and it's not expensive for central London. The roof top bar/ garden might also be open which is good for a rest. You can get a boat / aquarium inc penguins or London eye on Southbank too.

Seeing tower bridge open is always interesting - although not sure the times will work for you tomorrow.

At kings cross there’s a lovely water fountain area that the kids can play in. Perfect for winding down after a morning in the museum. Well worth taking trunks and a towel in my opinion, my ds loved it at that age

When ds was little we loved to go to the transport museum. Or go to the science museum (early morning). Then odonos for ice cream.

Cruise on the Thames from Westminster pier. Hamleys is shit

Science museum was looking very tired the last time we were there (2years ago).

Tower of London was brilliant.

I took the kids to see the outside of Buckingham Palace which they weren’t too excited about but when we got there they were caught up in the atmosphere and loved it. It helped that the security guards spoke to them and had a bit of banter.

And Tower of London is bloody amazing and very reasonable we loved it

See if you can book in the new Sky Garden. My son (9) loved that and it’s free. Great views.

I would also second PP. Hamleys is not that much and the river boat was good fun (although wrap up as it is cold out on that river).

www.thamesribexperience.com/

High speed RIB down the Thames, blasting out James Bond music. Not just the DC's favourite thing in London, but mine too - and I've lived here 25 years!