Science Museum and Natural History Museum - tips and places to eat?

[TwigletMonster]

We're doing a trip to London next weekend with DD (3.5) and DS (1.3), arriving about 0945 and leaving about 5pm.

General plan is to do a bit of one museum first, get some lunch, head to the other then get some tea or picnic stuff for the train home.

Any general tips on the best bits of both museums for those ages, and any pointers on places to eat? Just keen to avoid being stuck for somewhere to eat when DS is approaching lunchtime!

You can take picnics into both museums and eat in there - in Science Museum, it is on steps outside the kids stuff in the basement, and IIRC we ate a picnic in the cafe in the NH Museum (maybe we bought drinks?) Or eat outside in the grounds if the weather is good.

If you head down exhibition rd, over Cromwell rd there are lots of places to eat round there. I've eaten in a jacket potato type cafe place on the south end of exhibition rd. But there are pasta places on Thurloe pl and Thurloe st.

If you o not google maps, the local restaurants are marked on with their names.

If the weather is good I'd second the grounds of the NH museum. It's a sweet courtyardwith grassand some trees. Whenever I've been there with dd I've wondered if most people aren't aware of it.

Possibly as it's tucked away behind the new Darwin Wing. Tea and cake in the cafe will cost a bomb so avoid if you can.

I felt dd who is three, and I've taken there since 2, had a better time at the NH museum, the animatronic T-Rex is awesome but the lines to get in build up through the day. Top floor the rock / crystal room is great , light, spacious .

Science museum still good , basement for toddler stuff.

You're pretty near Kensington Gardens too if the weathers good.

Thanks everyone. Not sure we'll manage to be organised enough to get a picnic together for both meals - plus there'll be 4 adults and 2 DCs so we'd need to carry quite a lot.

Pasta places sounds good.

Thanks for the side entrance tip - didn't think about queues!

There's some info on the Science Museum website about 'the garden' for under 5's. Any particular bits of the NHM for little ones?

Nhm.

Dinosaurs. The big blue whale is fab. From the main entrance if you head right there is an insect room on the left with live leaf cutting ants which we liked.
Upstairs the earthquake simulation is good.