Calling all Londoners / london frequenters

[Allthegoodnamesarealreadytaken]

Sorry posting for traffic

all of you in the london know, if you had a weekend in london coming up, what would you do?

massive caveat, it’s with a 3 year old and a 11 month old.

we’re leaving tomorrow for london and staying 3 nights.

we’re definitely doing the natural history museum and going to the rainforest cafe (or whatever it’s called, I know the food is pants but dd went in Disney land and loves it )

what else would you do for your days out? Nothing too expensive. Think mme tuassards and dungeon would be too scary and sealife centres are a bit crap (we’ve got one near us anyway, seen one seen them all) Any recommendations for nice child friendly restaurants with decent enough food for adults?

I love the Museum of London and Docklands Museum. They’re both free and have lots of hands on exhibits.

Shrek experience?
In other notes I found the London aquarium way better than other sealife centres but each to their own.

If the weather is okay the boat tours tell you loads about London. Don't know if that's any good for an 11m old though

A trip up the river? The memorial playground at Kensington Gardens?

I second the aquarium but I’d also keep it very low key.

Yes, agree with PP that the London Aquarium is a very long way from 'crap'. Plus there's generally all sorts going on nearby on the South Bank, especially at weekends.

Covent Garden? Plenty of places to eat, street entertainers and Moomins 😀

Lots of beautiful parks in London
Holland
Chiswick
Hyde
Regents
Kew Gardens
Hampstead Heath

Go for walk, play, and get a coffee and watch the world go by

I hate doing super touristy things, just too busy. Especially with children.

I would think a 3 year old might prefer the Transport Musuem instead of Natural History unless they are completely dinosaur obsessed.

The weather forecast isn't great, but if it turns out reasonably dry, the Diana Memorial Playground in Hyde Park would be good, as would Coram's Field in Bloomsbury.

If you go to the Docklands museum, you have the cable car very close by, which would be fun.

We enjoyed the National Maritime Museum when DD was small. It's in Greenwich, which is good for a day out with small ones - Greenwich Park has lots to explore, and there is a good playground, plus the observatory at the top of the hill.

Last time we went to the Natural History museum, in August, it was absolutely rammed. It made it quite an unpleasant experience. It was hard to stop to look at some of the exhibits because you were in such a stream of people - I don't think it would be very enjoyable for small children.

I'd definitely suggest a trip on the river if the weather is good.

The play area in the basement of the science museum would be great for the 3 year old.

Science museum is just around the corner from natural history museum and is free to get in (there are parts you pay for but your children ages probably not worth it yet)

Princess Diane memorial playground, free entry, near Queensway tube, is a nice park with lots of areas (has a sand area so think of clothing/footwear!)

@Allthegoodnamesarealreadytaken has your 3 year old read any London based books like Topsy and Tim visit London, Peppa Pig meets the Queen etc. Maybe use those as a bit of inspiration. I can't remember if 3 is a bit young for I Spy books.

Where are you staying? With a 3yr old and 11month old, I'd try to avoid as much as possible criss crossing around the whole city because its just a pain on the tube. Maybe we can help with an itinerary nearer to your base?

Museums which have great activities for little kids:
Transport museum
Postal museum
Museum of London Docklands
Science museum
National Maritime museum

Excellent playgrounds:
Diana playground, Kensington gardens
Hyde Park
St James’s Park (right next to Buckingham Palace)
Holland Park
Victoria Park
Greenwich Park

It’s not a comprehensive list but where I’ve personally enjoyed taking little ones.

Another vote for London Aquarium. It did not start out as being a Sealife Centre which is why I think it is so much better than other Sealife Centres. Also St James Park is beautiful and has resident pelicans.

Battersea Park have a Children's Zoo which I think remember taking DS to once and he loved it www.batterseaparkzoo.co.uk/your-visit/

Where's your hotel? Should be fairly easy to come up with an itinerary with minimal schlepping about that will tire you all out. Personally I like the London Transport Museum and Museum of London Docklands for that age, would think they're a bit young for most of the South Kensington Museums, although the Science Museum is quite good.

I'd take a look at what's on at Tate Modern and Bablands and work out what's close to where you're staying.

The science museum (next to the natural history museum) has a great water and sensory type play area in the basement, and a fun patterns/lights play area upstairs, plus lots of machinery/planes to look at.
We went to the Kensington creperie beforehand for pancakes for a brunch/early lunch, then got the kids a sandwich meal deal in the museum cafe around 3pm (wanted to avoid the cafe at peak times with hungry kids).

If the weathers good then the tumbling bay playground in the Olympic park is great - water and sand play and an adventure playground trail.
I’ve heard good things about the discovery story centre in Stratford, and the playground between Westfield shopping centre and Stratford international is nice if you happen to be in the area and a child needs to let off steam.

Battersea park. The mini zoo is really decent for little ones and not too expensive. There are 2 playgrounds, plus extra play areas in the zoo, the main playground is I reckon the best in London, and the mini golf cafe situated right next to it has amazing pizza!

Oh is the sealife centre worth it in london? The bham one is pants, I mean kids love it but 40 mins and you’re done and it’s easy £50. I thought they were all the same but in different locations, ive been to one other (can’t recall which but it was exactly the same as the bham one)

3 year old loves dinosaurs, she wants to see an oviraptor fossil ( no idea why, or where she got it from?) and other animals so is really looking forward to seeing all the different sorts of animals there. Hoping if we go Friday, it won’t be too busy. Friday looks crap weather wise, Saturday looks promising though.

id thought about the Diana memorial park and science museum. Wondered about a river trip but honest to god I get the worst motion sickened ever, travel bands and sea sickness meds don’t even help. It’s awful lol

any eatery recommendations?

Natural History museum for sure, and a nice lunch around central and maybe a pop into the fancy shops like Harrods just for the atmosphere.

I always take my daughter to Hamley's and places around there as it's quite magical around xmas and we live up North now so you don't get the same atmosphere here.

Unsure what else tourists do outside central but we get a taste of the South East where I'm from because we stay with my mum. London just has a different atmosphere and I love visiting central and residential areas. Couldn't live there though.

London zoo is a brilliant day out

Walk along the south bank and look at the entertainers

Lovely play park near the London eye too.

Regent's Park ( or any park) for a run around and picnic lunch

Hamleys

Staying in Chiswick

Also, I’d say skip the natural history museum unless your 3YO is completely dinosaur obsessed, it’s too crowded and just really not great, my DD absolutely hated it.

Do the science museum instead, and don’t miss the interactive play stuff in the basement. My DD also loved the wonderlab bit that you pay for, but she was 4 when we first went. If yours is almost 4 I’d do it but would probably skip if she’s only just 3 and stick to the free stuff.

Yes, that’s the toy shop name! I couldn’t remember for the life of me