Central London, and paddling for toddlers and up...

[totallynaive]

I thought it would be good to get ideas as to where to take a toddler in Central London in this heatwave for a quick paddle/water fun outdoors without having to use a proper pool. I was thinking along the lines of the water just being a nice way of entertaining your toddler in between other things.

Apparently there is a great lido at Hyde Park near the Serpentine, but there are also water features (the sort that spurt out of the ground on timers) at Somerset House and outside the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank. The paddling pool at the V & A is closed due to the drought, and perhaps some of the ones I've mentioned are closed for the same reasons.

Any others, anyone?

Princess Diana's Memorial Fountain is also at Hyde Park which is quite good fun for paddling.

Recommend Coram's Fields. With coffee shop!!

The fountain outside the Queen Elizabeth Hall is great fun on a hot day for kids and adults alike. While you are there, nip behind the QE Hall to find a really good food market (FRi to Sun) where you can pick up ready to eat food of every description. Ice cream too since you have a toddler. For more info about this see www.kitchenjourneys.net/markets and click on the market section