Christmas activities in London

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Any recommendations for things to do in London in the lead up to xmas with my 6 year old? So far on my list:

Kew Gardens
Covent Garden to see the lights
South Bank market
NOT Winter Wonderland 😂

Sit up the top deck of a double-decker on a ride down Oxford street and Regent Street to see the lights - catch the 139 outside Selfridges. It will take your right down through Trafalgar Square where you can hop off at the Southampton Street stop for Covent Garden.
Ice skating at Somerset House
The Snowman ballet at Sadler’s Wells
A pantomime
Elf The Musical

Not exactly London, but within easy reach - Harry Potter Studios do a Hogwarts in the Snow theme.

London Zoo often has reindeer/christmas stuff
Skating at Somerset House or NHM are lovely but try TFL boat down the thames, do cable car crossing and skaating at Queens House Greenwich.
Fortnums Parlour for a seasonal special.

The museum of the home put out Christmas decorations in their individual room sets - showing changes over the years!

www.museumofthehome.org.uk/

When Museum of the Home was the Jeffrye Museum they also used to do a carol service event with someone dressed as Samuel Pepys leading . Not sure if it will still be on now they've reopened

I like the bar/restaurant over the ice rink at the Natural History Museum. The view over the ice rink and lights on the big trees is lovely. I read on here that it isn’t happening this year, so I’ll have to check.

The ice cream parlour at Fortnum is great, but definitely book a table ahead of time!!

We usually start at Hamley’s for 10am opening with fake snow over Regent Street. Then walk over to Fortnum for lunch, then catch the number 14 bus from outside to the NHM.

I always to a Christmas trip to Hamleys toy shop. Your 6yr old will love it. Also do a panto too, they do singalong frozen at the prince charles cinema off Leicester Square which is fun too

Just checked NHM website and the ice skating is cancelled for future. They’re turning the grass into a wild meadow type thing. Shame.

This is good, NHM is raising awareness of climate change and they cannot be taken seriously with a commercial partnership with an energy guzzling ice rink in their gardens every year. There are other great venues for a skate in the city

Theatre? There’s The Snowman, Stickman, Smeds and the Smoos, pantos. Little Angel Puppet theatre will have a show too.

Nine Dials is lovely to walk around at Christmas - I prefer it to The Lights.

Hamleys definantly, and Harrods.

Christmas tree in Tralfager square.

if she’s never been to London before, Buckingham palace as she would have seen it on tv.

Not a Christmas book, but I love

Katie in london

Also consider I Spy books.

Watched Paddington last night and that had a lot of London landmarks in it.

Disney on ice is on at the o2! I'm actually excited

The south bank Xmas market was abysmal last year.

There's a Hey Duggee theatre show on at the south bank centre that we booked. I think it's the week before Xmas. Good to tie in if you're heading down there. Mine are 5 but still love hey duggee!

The south bank market was literally 10 stalls last year, was absolutely dreadful.

Hmmm see apart from Kew Gardens all of those things sound lovely if you are in a Richard Curtis movie but the reality is - overpriced busy stalls biting waffles/crepes/piknmix for £7 each. Saying no to £20 worth of crap. Trying to find somewhere to sit.
Even Kew Gardens was super boring for our little ones.
We've always done a theatre trip on Boxing Day. I'd probably book lunch somewhere so you have an end point after walking round.

@Riverlee you added 2 extra dials

@Riverlee There’s also a Christmas one!

Katie's London Christmas amzn.eu/c2gztWi

@pimlicoanna oops, so I did. I guess it’s been affected by inflation!

Seven Dials at Christmas