Cheap things to do in London

[fellcreat]

Hello,

I am bringing my 7 year old boy to London for the weekend and I am skint. Any advice from locals on things to do that don't cost too much. We have the Natural History museum on the list anything else?

Many thanks !

There's a bus you can get that goes past a lot of the major sights - number 11 I think but I could be wrong.

You can check online to see if changing the guard is happening while you're there.

Hamleys - but only cheap if you resist buying.

Museum of Childhood/Science Museum

If you are travelling by train you can download vouchers from this site
www.daysoutguide.co.uk/ for loads of 2 for 1 entries if this is any help.

Try the Princess Diana memoral playground in Kensington Gardens. It's fabulous and is themed around Peter Pan with lots of different zones. Take a spare change of clothes though - my DS always ends up soaking wet and covered in sand!

The Science Museum is always good too with the play area in the basement.

The South Bank is always nice for a wander and you can see lots of the sights as you walk along.

RAF museum is free but not central london, you can get there on tube/bus easily enough though. It is big and we like it for a cheap day out! here
The royal parks are v nice if the weather is OK

list of free museums in london

Science museum and nat hist museum = two top things to do IMO

Yep, Number 11 bus is great. You can get that from anywhere along the Kings Road and it will take you up past Parliament Square, Trafalgar Sq, The Strand, St. Pauls etc.

Science Museum

Covent Garden - lots of street entertainers to see, and also on the South Bank between Westminster and Waterloo Bridges.

Diana Memorial Park in Kensington Gardens, which is just up Queens Gate directly from the Natural History Museum.

There is usually something or other going on around Trafalgar Square, and from there you can wander up to Leicester Square and into Chinatown and Covent Garden.

River boat from Westminster Pier to Greenwich will show you lots too. I'm not sure of the cost, but I don't think it's lots and lots as it's just another commuter way of getting about town, rather than a vastly overpriced tourist trap.

Battersea Park has lots to do and you can get the number 49 pretty much past it from South Ken (although you will have to get off just over Battersea Bridge and walk down Parkgate Road and into the Albert Bridge Road entrance of the park (6 or 7 minute walk).

If you have time take the DLR into the Isle of Dogs and Docklands. The Museum of Docklands is free and in Mudchute Park is a free farm.

www.mudchute.org/

Have a look at www.timeout.com/london to see if there is anything going on at the weekend.

Ooh the DLR is fab
Like a little toy railway
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Oh thanks so much for all the great ideas will try and fit in as much as possible!!!

Is it right that kids are free on the tube with an oyster card?

They need a 5-10, 11-14 or 15/16 one iirc to be free on the tube. Free on the bus though (meant to have photocard/oyster with you, but I've never been asked for it with my 6'1" 15 year old DS...

Are you coming from out of London? And if so, where will you come in to?

Bring a brolly - the forecast is actually ok, but with the odd shower expected. Temp wise it's looking to be around 16/17.

No a 7 year old will not need a ticket on bus or tube if travelling with an adult.
National Maritime Museum in Greenwich is good if your DS is into boats, you can get there on the DLR and travel back by Thames Clipper.

if you are looking for cheapest things to do in London then you can prefer www.londonthisweekend.co.uk/19/post/2013/03/cheap-things-to-do-in-london-are-you-taking-the.html

if you are looking for cheapest things to do in London then you can prefer www.londonthisweekend.co.uk/19/post/2013/03/cheap-things-to-do-in-london-are-you-taking-the.html

Children aged under 11 can travel free on buses and trams at any time. They can also travel free on Tube, DLR and London Overground services at any time as long as they are accompanied by an adult using a valid Visitor Oyster card or ticket. Children aged under 5 travel free on the Emirates Air Line when accompanied by a fare paying adult. Children aged 5 to 15 pay child rate fares on the Emirates Air Line.

A maximum of four children under 11 can travel free with an adult who has a valid Visitor Oyster card or ticket on Tube, DLR and London Overground services.

If you?re using a Visitor Oyster card, you must touch in and touch out as normal but ask a member of staff to let your group through the side gate.

5-10 year olds pay fares on most National Rail services. They can get a 5-10 Oyster photocard to pay as they go at child rate which is cheaper than paying cash.