London with littles help me out please!

[Cacanutmilk]

Hello lovelies, apologies I’m posting for traffic!

Impromptu london trip this weekend. One day we’ll be at the Disney expo.

what else can we do, ideally free or low cost as the expo and london itself are pricey.

we’re staying by the expo and kids are 4 and 2 and we have an out and about double (the skinny one). We’ve done natural history and science museums before (so a fall back if we can’t find anything else to do) and we’ll be going to the jungle cafe or whatever as my kids love it.

kids do love natural history and looking at taxidermy animals (weirdos lol) there’s another place that has a good collection in london isn’t there? Maybe something with a play aspect or sensory or run around aspect too as well if that’s possible?

ill have them for myself on Monday too whilst dh is at a meeting so what place, ideally accessible via bus would be good to take 2 feral beasts kids to solo?

The Horniman is a bit of a treck… you need to get the jubilee line to Canada Water, then the overground, then a walk…and it is a rather small place
transport museum is nice but not free
bethnal green - Young V&A is lovely - dlr to Stratford and central line to Bethnal Green. However… not all stations are accessible, so sometimes you need to carry the buggy. And on busses you might be asked to fold your buggy too. DLR is all accessible

If you mean the rainforest cafe heads up that is now closed!

Not really it’s on the central line only a couple of stops from Stratford.

Hi - about Horniman. Yes, no dinosaurs and maybe as pp said, a bit of a trek tho not bad from docklands - right side of London. I second the Postal Museum too - little known gem.

Don’t bother with the Horniman- it’s hugely overrated and is a trek to get out to. There’s tons of better options in the city.

London transport museam is great.

I went last year and it was like rebranded into life jungle cave or something, has is gone completely now?

Young V&A also truly outstanding.

and we’ll be going to the jungle cafe or whatever as my kids love it.

If this is the old Rainforest Cafe then it closed down ages ago?

I just looked it up and looks like it shut up shop in June… all well and good the food was terrible and saves me a treck into central london.

is there anything dinosaury aside from natural?

although I’m loving the young v and a and the maritime museum- that looks wonderful

second two points are for anyone who might have suggestions:)

https://discover.org.uk/ this is in Stratford so not far from Excel (if that is where you are). My kids are older so not been, but I know some with little ones have enjoyed it.

Another vote for transport museum - best one I've been to for littlies. Also Greenwich park is excellent with a lovely play area including sand and water play area.

Apparantly the walrus was stuffed by someone who had no idea what a walrus was supposed to look like. And it shows.

We got the Uber boat down the Thames which was lovely, and not too expensive.

Also the Toot bus is a great kid friendly open top bus tour of London.

Also, if you're near Covent Garden, The Milk Train does amazing ice-creams!

I’d second the Transport Museum in Covent Garden. The kids can drive some of the vehicles. Also there are city farms all over London and they are free. Great for young kids and they are often allowed to pet animals. Some listed here.

https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/city-farms-in-london

Following for ideas

Given where the Disney exhibit is Greenwich park and the maritime museum are your friends. The museum is free, big, great for kids, good cafe, has two children’s indoor galleries and a giant map to run around on plus a brand new outdoor playground complete with ship and kraken. Plus it is in Greenwich park which has its own fabulous playground. And you can walk around the Cutty Sark, a tea clipper in dry dock next to the river. It is good for kids too but expensive to go in, whereas the maritime museum is free. The Docklands museum is good and also free I think but you can only book their children’s gallery the day before and tickets are hard to get. So Greenwich has more to offer in good or bad weather. And for the taxidermy the Horniman is a great and child centred museum that is chock full of local families all the time. It has some free galleries but without a membership you have to pay extra for the aquarium, special exhibition or butterfly house.

As others have said, transport museum is great and has a good stamp trail as you round. And Covent Garden us probably Christmassy by now. Crystal Palace park has life size stone dinosaurs around its lake if they really want dinos. I also had two transport obsessed boys and if you are around the docklands, as others have said, you can combine the cable car, the river boat and the Dlr in different ways for seeing lots of things.