Short break in London May half term

[fluffyanimal]

Hi, we are spending 3 days based just outside London at the beginning of the May half term. One of those days we want to go to Legoland. For the other two we want to do things in London itself. There will be DH and me, and our two boys DS1 (5) and DS2 (21 months).

On the wish list is Science Museum and/or Natural History Museum, Tower of London.

I would like advice please because I have heard of people trying to get into the museums during half terms or school holidays and not being able to for the queues. If we are up early and there for opening time, do you think we'll be OK?

Also, would like recommendations for shorter activities if we decide we've had enough at one of our priority attractions and have a couple of hours in the afternoon to fill. I saw on another thread about going on a Thames Clipper; any other thoughts?

TIA!

Book an open top bus trip - there are two companies that do these - similar routes and I think both include a river cruise. Considering the ages of your DSs I wouldn't bank on the museums holding their attention for more than a couple of hours. I would do one museum in the morning - get there for opening time and have a picnic in the park for lunch (food in the museums is quite expensive).

Thanks mamalocco. Anyone had problems getting into the free museums in holiday periods?

I took dd to tower of london in summer holidays, we pre booked tickets so no problem getting in, but we did have to queue for things inside. We also did imperial war museum and that was fine too.
Legoland i lways find a nightmare but i guess you know itll be busy thete

When you've had enough of the museums in South Ken walk up to Kensingtonn Gardens and go in the Peter Pan playground - it's free, it has loos and a reasonably priced cafe. If hot take swimming trunks so they can go in the fountains. At that age my kids would probably rather have gone there than anything else.

Lillian, thanks that's a fab tip!
Mosschops, if we do Tower of London we will pre-book, it's the free museums I'm most worried about. Slightly dreading Legoland but DS1 is soooo desperate to go, and some family may join us that day so I'm sure it will be OK.

OP, there's a fabulous pirate's ship and sand moat in Princess Diana Memorial Park in Hyde Park that we always take DD 2.11 to after an hour or so at the Science and Natural History Museums - walk through the park is nice from Albert Memorial or just take a bus/cab. You could easily make a whole day of it. Science Museum also has great children's zone with water and bricks and climbing frames in the basement and V&A has a courtyard with shallow pond that all kids like to splash around in. We always start queuing before the 10am opening and once open the queues seem to go quickly. One of you should run around with the DC whilst the other queues.

We went to museums last May half term and it was a true nightmare, queues round the block at both science and natural history. When as an innocent northerner I asked was something special in particular going on I was told "It's half term innit". We went down again just as a weekend trip and got in no problems and the DC 6yo and 12 yo at the time absolutely loved the NHM. Good luck!

Peter Pan playground and Princess Diana playground referred to above are the same place - and it is fab. Also if going to Tower f London walk across Tower Bridge to south side of river there's some grass there and some fountains and a little stream good to let of some steam as it is pretty built up round there.