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

Yes south bank then up to the millennium bridge that’s in Harry Potter, and go and have a look at st paul’s.

Day trip last year we started at Tower Bridge (they loved the glass walkway), past the Tower to climb Monument, caught the DLR (front seat obviously) to the Cable Car, across the River, then boat up to Greenwich to look round there.

Cable car
Boat trip down the Thames
London eye
London zoo

We’ve done quite a few of the museums and usual site seeing spots but, my dc is absolutely in love with the ring necked Parakeets.

You can spot them in St James’s Park but...the BEST spot is Kensington Gardens (as we’ve recently found out). Take some peanuts and an apple. Get the tube to Lancaster Gate. Walk across the road to KG. Follow the right hand path past the fountains, keep going past the Peter Pan statue, a few paces after take a right turn and enjoy.

If your Ds doesn’t like wildlife a walk down the Southbank. A few places you can stop and have a drink while looking out to the Thames.

My 7 yr old really enjoyed a walk from Victoria past the palace, through st James' Park, through horseguards, downing st, trafalgar and up to Covent Garden. We caught the end of the changing of the guard too, and there are always free street shows going on at Cov Garden.

No need to pay for something to do in London on a nice day!

If it's raining we like the science museum. Now she's a bit older I'll think about things like Westminster Abbey. Tempted to try the transport museum too!

HMS Belfast is still one of our most fondly remembered days out. It's brilliant.

Would he enjoy a ghost tour in the evening? There are some great, atmospheric ones that cover the Fleet St, Blackfriars, old Bailey, Smithfields areas. Great fun.

Thames RIB boats
Cabinet War Rooms

Oh I’d forgotten the Cabinet War Rooms. Riveting.

Bear in mind he'll probably be really tired after just one museum, once you include the transport getting to and from.

Tower of London, London Eye, Natural History and Science Museums, Postal Museum. Buckingham Palace and changing of the guard.

My oldest DS wants to the Thames speedboat next time. It does look great fun.

Enjoy your day

Mine likes to sit on the steps of St Paul’s singing Feed the Birds at the top of her voice

Bit would you take a kid to the cabinet War rooms sane day as imperial War museum? Methinks too much museum in one day

Feeding apples to the parakeets. We did so much there when we spent a week in the summer but all the children wanted to do was go back to see the birds.

BettysLeftTentacle
I love your DD

Sorry I loathe Hamleys, totally overrated. I would go down to Greenwich on a boat and then stop on the way back to go over the Thames on the Emirates skyline. You can pay double and go there and back, or one way and pick up the boat on the other side. Way more fun than Hamleys in my opinion (and my son's!).

My daughter is 4 so her tastes are simple, picnic in Regents Park (they have a great all ages play area)

Hamleys is near Carnaby St which is quite nice but will be stupid busy tomorrow, it is payday weekend after all.
Covent Garden has the transport museum and whilst it’s still busy, it’s not as stressful!

Avoid Hanley’s at all costs

She’s a fruit @Serin. We take her everywhere twice...once to apologise

The Diana Memorial is fantastic if it’s hot; you can walk along all the tiers while the water gushes over your tired feet, and it’s free to visit. Children often go the whole hog and play in it in their costumes too.

The Museum of London and Museum of the Bank of England are interesting; I second Westminster Abbey - I have been lucky enough to sing Evensong there a few times in various holidays of the boys and once we got a tour around afterward. So beautiful and entirely fascinating.

It s going to be very hot.
Take him to Diana memorial fountain to paddle
Or Somerset hpuse fountains or granary sq fou ntains

South Bank - inc Tate Modern
Tower of London
Harrods

Wicked the musical, at apollo Victoria best one we have seen yet!

The (Royal Mail) postal museum ( near Kings Cross/ Farringdon) is a little known gem .
Its interactive & offers a train ride through London's underground mail tunnels.

Kids loved it! www.postalmuseum.org/visit/plan-your-visit/