Planning to take our just 4yo and 2yo DCs to Natural History Museum between xmas and new year. Are We Mad??

[CDMforever]

My 4 yo is obsessed with going to the " dinosaur museum" and think he would love it. Though worrying about 2yo, would it be insanity? We would also have to take a train journey of about 2 hours.

What is worrying you? Both children should love the trip, the train ride alone will prove exciting for them and the museum they will both love. Have fun x

We have taken our DD's since this age, they love it.
What about the Science Museum? We go there at least once a year, DD's now 7 and 5, but have been going since 4 and 2.
Have fun !

No, I don't think it's insanity - I took DS1 to the Natural History Museum when he was 2 and he loved it, although not as much as the Science Museum, which is his and DS2's favourite day out.

The only thing is that it would be really busy there over the Christmas period so I'd really recommend getting there for 10am when it opens, so that you can spend two hours looking round, and then be in one of the restaurants by 12 before they fill up - because you'll be knackered and hungry by then!

(And take a buggy for 2yo in case s/he gets tired with all the walking - I didn't the first time I took DS1 when he was so little and I really regretted it when I had to lug him back to South Ken tube!)

They'll enjoy it, but it will be PACKED (took children the same age at that time a couple of years ago). So bring cattle prods to get through the crowds.

Yes that would be mad.
Go in term time. Make the most of not being restricted to school holidays. Your children will have a much nicer time, especially being able to get on the hands on activities rather than watching a scrum of kids five deep!

We went in the summer holidays and the queues were astronomical and the crush of people inside just crazy. Just to queue up to walk slowly around the huge dinosaur in the entrance hall took about 10 minutes. We had to queue for about 15 minutes to get into the NH museum and the cloakroom had run out of space for buggies for our toddler so we had to spend ages battling through people and finding and then waiting for lifts to take the pram round the museum with us.

Even as a born and bred Londoner i was taken aback by how ludicrously busy it was. They are such fantastic museums in the area it would be so much more fun in term time.

It's a great idea, they will love the train and the museum and be knackered by bedtime! It's win-win!

Just took 3y9m DD and 14m DS yesterday. DD was in raptures, though a bit scared of the 'robot dinosaurs'. DS just wanted to crawl around the floor and climb the stairs! Our train journey was only 40 minutes and there was standing room only, DS was a royal pain throughout!

I would recommend the explorer backpacks that they do (for free) for under 7s. Which include some clues (like fossil claws), an explorer hat, binoculars, magnifying glass, pens & paper. DD felt just like Dora the Explorer. You can choose one dependent on the exhibits you are visiting.

We managed 2 hours in there (including lunch) before our two were begging to get out. We saw the dinosaurs and the mammals bit. They have a skating rink until the 9th Jan, DD was desperate to have a go because they had little push-around penguins for the kiddies to help balance (but we didn't let her cos neither of us wanted to go).

If you want something else to do on the day, then Covent Garden is good for the street performers. We also head to the South Bank becuase there is usually lots going on - gawp at the Eye, street performers, sometimes markets, nice eateries. The cafe at the British Film Theater is good too, lots of comfy chairs and they are pretty relaxed about kids running about (the entrance is tucked away down a side bit though, you wouldn't bump into it)

Have fun!