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

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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

Dear god not hamleys - during half term? For the love of god!

Science museum.
National army museum
Pelicans at St James
Natural history museum if you can bear the crowds
Boat spotting
Performers at the south bank
Performers at Covent Garden
Pizza / ice cream in Covent Garden - huge range and all budgets
Transport museum
Lots on at the Barbican
Feeding vermin (pigeons) at trafalgar sq
Houses of Parliament
Parliament square for a picnic

Open top red bus can be pretty fun too.

My two loved the Duck Bus.
Also the London Dungeons (which I hated but I am not 8 I suppose )

Feeding the pigeons in Trafalgar Square is now ILLEGAL!

In my experience the IWM is pretty much a full day. That and a potter on South Bank is all you need it for a lovely day. Not trying to do too much is definitely the best way to enjoy London with kids. Bus rather than tube if you can, you see more. If he wants to do Hamleys I would but either agree that you are window shopping only or give him x amount to spend it is vastly overpriced but if you treat it as an attraction and tell yourself that it is a bonus that they have a toy out of their entry cost then it doesn't feel quite do painful

You probably know already but if you're travelling in by train this might be useful.

Boat along the Thames.
Treasure Trails are fun. Especially good for making you pay attention to what is around you.

Megabus tour for £1?! Really? Definitely doing that next time we go.

Twinkledonttinkle I can't see kids prices on Megabus?

London Dungeons were always a favourite. The tower, and Buckingham Palace mainly because my DDs wanted to see a real live Prince. Hyde Park and Princess Diana's memorial fountain is beautiful and ideal on a hot summers day, great place for a picnic.

Open top bus

London Eye

Boat to/from Greenwich - with a look round the Cutty Sark

From IWM it isn't far to Waterloo Pier - get a boat to the Tate Modern and walk under London Bridge to HMS Belfast.

You can have a look at the Turbine Hall at the Tate and the outside of the Globe and the Golden Hind on the way and stop off at Borough Market to pick up a picnic (can eat there/in the Churchyard at Southwark Cathedral or the covered Galleria by the Belfast if the weather isn't great.

After the Belfast cross over Tower Bridge which will get you to the tube.

What are your timings? Last time we were in London, we went into Hamleys shortly in the evening (around 8pm I think) and it was pretty empty. My DC were amazed that we could be in a toy shop at a time they are usually in bed. We then went out for dinner and ended up getting a black cab through Soho back to our hotel. One of my favourite memories ever is of DC1 with her nose pressed up against the taxi window and her jaw around her knees just gazing at all the people and all of the things going on (we live in a village)

Tower bridge and the monument. You can get a ticket that covers both and then you can walk past Tower of London when going from one to the other.

Hamleys is hideous! Probably fun if you're 9 though

River boat down to Greenwich and back

Have a look online for 2 for 1 London. There are loads of offers. All tickets are 2 for 1(obviously), you will save a fortune.

I went to Greenwich yesterday. Mainly to buy lunch at the food market, but there is a fab place there which makes fudge, the owner (Patch) is like a stand-up comic, he demonstrates how to make fudge, hands out endless free samples, it's great free entertainment, with no hard sell.

• Hand feed the squirrels in St James' Park
• Up at the O2 (climbing over the roof)
• ArcelorMittal Orbit at the Olympic Park
• HMS Belfast
• RIB on the Thames
• Tour of the Palace of Westminster
• Swimming in the Serpentine
• Natural History Museum
• West End show (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is great)
• Ghost Bus tour
• The Duck Tour is awesome, seeing London by land and water in a WWII amphibious craft (do they still do that?)
• Hyde Park pedalo hire

It's just one massive playground, really - enjoy!

Another vote for tower bridge. It is reasonable to get in and the glass floor is exciting for many ages of kids.

If you have Tesco vouchers to exchange tower bridge was available with them as well as the London eye for a small cash top up.

My 8 year old loved HMS belfast

Harrods - how the other half lives
Covent Garden - street performers etc
Buckingham palace - changing of guard (check times) and picnic in park next door
Diana memorial park - Has kids play area

Boat trip up the Thames. The DC loved this more than the museums. They got to see all the sights without walking, it was great.

Also, the bridge lift times for tower bridge are here - well worth watching it it go up.

M&M world. Don’t ask 🙈

London Eye, followed by fish n chips from the fantastic chippy next door followed by River boat trip which picks up next to the Eye. See a lot without the walking

I second Treasure Trails anywhere, but London works very well. From the Imperial War Museum you could pick www.treasuretrails.co.uk/things-to-do/london/south-bank

or either of the Battersea ones

Definitely the tower bridge experience. They loved it and spent ages taking selfies and it was really cheap.