Christmas in London

[Wafflepup]

I know, I know, it's so early! Sorry! We are planning a weekend in London in early December. DH has been a few times for work, I've been once and it will be daughters first times, they are 8 and 4.

We are coming from Scotland and I kind of want to do uniquely London things, for example I don't think we should do santa at Hamleys... we have a Hamleys in Glasgow for that. Or perhaps I'm wrong, any thoughts?

Any really festive things to do you would recommend?

Actually bus number 14 is slightly quicker/closer!

Winter wonderland might be on - it’s pretty expensive but if you decide before that the kids can choose X rides and eat before you get there, then it’s fun to see all the rides and lights.

We did Winter Wonderland 2 years in a row. Our trick was to take as much cash as we intended to spend and no cards. Don't do Santa there as you can't book and we queued for an hour and a half the first time. The second time DS 9 didn't want to see him because of the queue.

There is always a christmas show at the South Bank Centre - this year is a circus. There is also a Christmas Market just outside.

I like going up the Sky Gardens for a look across London at the lights.

Winter Wonderland is horrible!

We do a theatre trip every year. Not sure what there will be this year, but it's always lovely and my children love it (Sadlers Wells is good for 4 year olds as they do shorter plays). MIne always love Ice Skating too but at 4 your child may not enjoy that too much.

Then I'd just do non-christmassy things - mine love the Science museum more than the Natural History Museum. The lights on Regent Street are good.

Gingerbread City if it's happening this year.
And Denis Severs' house in Spitalfields is delightful at Christmas. Then a wander around the old streets/street art.
A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic is great fun, again if it happens this year. Maybe not for the four-year-old.
Hamleys is hell on earth!

The panto at Hackney Empire is always wonderful.

Avoid Hamleys and Winter Wonderland!

The Royal Albert Hall is lovely at Christmas

John Lewis on Oxford street has a roof terrace. They had little wooden huts with blankets and you can get hot chocolates at the little little cafe.

Harrods was worth a trip to look at the toys a day ooh and aah over massive tv's!.

We went to see Santa on the Cutty Sark.

Wandering round shops looking at lights - carnaby street are often a little quirky.

Last year we were booked to see potted panto - 7 pantos in 70 minutes I think it was.

South bank has lots of food stalls. The cinema there was doing some xmas films last year (that never happened)

Depending on your budget the frozen musical opens this summer - I have for that booked for this Christmas (check age limit though as have a vague feeling it was 6+)!

Christmas at Kew and ice skating at the nhm are highlights for me (I live here).
I also agree about liberty's and just getting a normal bus that goes down Oxford Street (otherwise I'd avoid Oxford Street)

Oh yes carnaby street and the market along the south bank

Bit further out but Hampton Court scrubs up beautifully for Xmas, and there's usually an ice rink there.