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

www.towerbridge.org.uk/tower-bridge-glass-floor/

Two boys 10 and 13

Boring for them:

Tower of London (apart from the Crown Jewels)
Museums - overdone them maybe?
Covent Garden entertainers

Fun:

Theatre
Staying at hotels
Rainforest Cafe (extortionate and not great food but they liked the animals)

London Transport Museum is good fun. DS also loved the Tower of London and asked to go there again on our recent trip together. He's nearly 19 though so a bit older than yours! As a small child he liked Greenwich Observatory, IWM and the Science Museum. He is a bit of a cultural museum geek!

If you asked my DDs the best thing they've ever done in London, they'd say The Rainforest Cafe.

DH and I found it underwhelming and overpriced (but I do remember loving it as a child!)

Duck Tours don’t run anymore sadly. Thanks Clipper from Westminster to Greenwich is lovely

Mine loved the natural history museum, St James park, the Lego shop and hamleys.

Top things at various ages:

Watching Tower Bridge raise to let a shop go through
Walking along the South Bank watching the world go by, eating street food from the Royal Festival Hall market, and admiring the buskers.
Trafalgar Square
Hand feeding the Parakeets in Kensington Gardens
Lego Store
Science Museum
Fountains at Somerset House/Kings Cross
Clipper along the Thames (especially the bit that goes under Tower Bridge)
Westminster Abbey (expensive but great)
Changing of the Guards (combined with admiring the pelicans and the tame squirrels in St James’ Park)
HMS Belfast
Skyscraper spotting in the City

Top tip is that Harrods toy departments is huge and exciting for children but infinitely more civilised than Hamleys.

My kids both (surprisingly) loved the houses of parliament. There is a kids audio tour that they found hilarious. I loved going into the house of commons, so much smaller than it looks on tv!

Natural History Museum! Also walking along the South Bank and watching performers/getting ice-cream.

Just a warning it is very hot tomorrow in London - 27 Celsius. So if you wish to travel around avoid the tube.

Walk along southbank, London dungeons.

I grew up here in London, and still find new things here. You can walk along the Southbank, pop into the Underbelly, there’s nice food places and stalls, avoid Hamleys, it used to be great now it’s the same toys you’ll find anywhere.

Hamleys is awful -overcrowded, overpriced with not a tad of originality - if you want toys the Harrods toy dept. Is great.
DO NOT eat at the overpriced crappy Rainforest cafe - the food is actually inedible.
I LOVE the science museum, It’s awe inspiring. You can also pop into the Vand A or history right next door.
London Zoo is great. For longer stays get the boat from Richmond to either Greenwich planetarium or all the way to Hampton court.
St James’ park is lively, as is Richmond park. Diana memorial playground is divine for under 10’s.
For an evening treat check out the Open air theatre Uni Regent’s Park - also have matinees, beautiful venue, very personal space, never seen a bad show there and I go a lot.
Kidzania is fun for younger kids in a rainy day.

My two always wanted to go to Hamleys but actually enjoyed Harrods toy dept more. Lego Store wasn’t open back then but ds (now 15) still always wants to go there and M & M World is opposite.

Around the age of 8/9 mine loved the Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens.

DS always asks to go back to the Diana Princess of Wales playground.

Hamleys is hideous and will be even more so on a hot day like tomorrow.

We went yesterday (dd8 and ds6). We go quite often.

Milk train ice cream parlour (google images)
Southbank
Primark (none round here!)
Waterstones in Piccadilly Circus
Emirates cable cars
Covent Garden to see the street performers
Double decker bus (again no buses round here)
M&M world
Oh it's going to be hot tomorrow, they love the fountains at the Queen Elizabeth park but it is quite far out.

You won't fit in as much as you think, wear comfy shoes!

I live in London and my ds's love
South bank - you could eat there and watch the skateboarders and other performers
Diana Park in Hyde park followed by a bit of boating there too
Rib down the Thames
Science museum but two museums in one day is probably a bit much
School of rock show

Hamleys is awful! Really crushed and expensive. If you really must windowshop try Harrods - always good for a laugh, especially the pet accessories department - chaise long for your pooch? Tiara for your cat? Doggy patisserie? French maid outfit for your dog (😲🥺)? Bacon flavoured bubbles, canine nappies...

Yes I love the south bank - I’ve been going there for 30 years now! Also the Barbican - we use to take DS to the kids cinema on Saturday mornings.

The Emirates air cable car - as its commuter transport it is cheap not attraction prices- think about £3.50. That an riding the tube kept mine entertained!

I work near Hamleys and often pop in for emergency kids party presents. It's awful! Incredibly busy (to the point of being claustrophobic) and very hot. There are also loads of annoying and loud staff everywhere, shouting out their demonstrations. It is headache inducing.

I reckon you'll find that the museum takes up most of the day. If you do have time to kill, I would catch a bus (always fun if you sit upstairs) into town and take him to a fun restaurant like Yo Sushi.

I also recommend Harrods, the toy dept is cool and there are loads of fab restaurants inside including the best pizza I've ever had in the UK!

Mine ADORED Kidzania (they’re 6 and 4) and had a great time in the Tower of London.

They’re also show addicts. Their favourites have been Aladdin, School of Rock and Wicked.

People have probably mentioned it but the if you can use your oyster to travel by boat (we did it from Greenwich to tower of London).

South bank - udderbelly festival, sandpit and watch the skateboarders/performers.

Emirates cable car things

I think after the Imperial War Museum, pooling around the South Bank is close, realistic and fun as there's always lots going on. You could get a boat down the river. Mine always go for the Lego shop over Hamleys.