Best london museums for 5yo (also best day)

[SunshineofRay]

We live near london (not far from zone 6) and I'm hoping to take ds who's almost 6 in to visit some of the museums,
What museums would you recommend? he's really into dinosaurs and I've heard the natural history musuem has so good displays but also worried about the ques.

We can go pretty much any day over the half term - does anybody know whether they might be a bit quieter on certain days (we could go in on a bank holiday)

Bump

The natural history museum is good but holiday time it can be horrendous. DD really loves the transport museum in Covent garden

Museum of London is pretty gpod. I've taken kids and they enjoyed it. It's also less crowded than the Science Museum and Natural History, which I imagine will be heaving in the holidays.

Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green is fun too but quite small.

Hi

Natural history museum is great for that age but v busy. It's ok if you can get there for opening time at 10 and to be honest by the time it gets packed they will have had enough. Under no circumstances arrive in the afternoon in the school hols ! If they like dinosaurs aim straight there at 10 and you'll be fine.

Science museum also brilliant. The launch pad section is interactive and will keep them busy for hours. If they like planes then go to the top floor flight section, much quieter! Again arrive at opening time. Both of these are close to a park for the afternoon.

Museum of london - good Romans

British museum - good for mummies and has a dehydrated body they can look at too. Mine was vv ghoulish before you ask.

London transport museum you have to pay for but lots of fun and you can clamber on all the old trains and buses. The ticket lasts a year for reentry. Plus it's in Covent Garden so you might be able to do some shopping afterwards ?

Tate modern is lovely - I took DD loads at that age. Pick one or two rooms to look at, let them run round the turbine hall and then walk along the southbank to Waterloo. Lots of activities happening especially at the weekend. If you start at London Bridge you are right next the golden hind too.

Greenwich is also good (not sure where you are coming in to). The maritime museum is free and good fun, lots of interactive stuff to do. The Cutty Sark is fab but v expensive. The park is good to run a round / roll down the hill and has a playground. And the planetarium has fairly cheap star shows.

What sort of things do they like? I can suggest more .......

Thank you so much! We are coming in from Dagenham on the district line. Still quite new to London so don't want to venture too far, there is so much to do though.
I think he will enjoy a lot of the things already mentioned. I know he will love the science museum and he's always loved the animal exhibits in the museum where we used to live.

I would really love to do the open top tout but don't have a very bug budget so looking for free or very cheap things to do

thank you for all the info so far

If you are on a budget you can do your own bus tour fairly easily. Have a play on the tfl website and chose bus as the travel option to get an idea of routes. For example if you got off district line at tower hill (which is a great touristy start!) then get a number 15 to Somerset house, you'll go past St. Paul's and other places on the way. Change on to a no 9 and it will go right through the centre of London to the top of exhibition road in Kensington about 2 mins from the museums. If you sit up top you'll get a great view ! All for the price of one trip on your oyster card.

Also make sure you take packed lunches with you. Both the science museum and not history have picnic areas and the cafes are quite pricey.

Ours loved the transport museum at that age. Lots to do and the ticket lasts a year.

I'd try to aim for Natural History Museum if he's into dinosaurs - mine is and never minded the 40 minutes queuing outside, and another half hour at least indoors... take snacks for the queue, books, Top Trumps... I'd disagree about arriving in the afternoon during the holidays - an hour before closing can be a good time to roll up if you only want to see the dinosaur galleries.

Sorry to jump in, but we are staying near the Excel next week. 2 DC-11 & 8 yr old. We were going to do the cable cars and now I've seen the recommendation that the maritime museum is good. And hopefully have a wander around part of the Shaun the sheep trail.
Do you have any recommendations for decent restaurants around excel/Greenwich/docklands ? Kids eat most things but I would like to take them somewhere a bit nicer than the usual fast food chains that we can get near home.
Years ago we did find a tiny little place somewhere near bethnal green/ museum of childhood area that was fantastic. Iirc it was on a little green, and it looked like a garden shed type thing!

We did Natural History Museum in feb half term. Was very busy so expect not to see everything. Top tips -get there before it opens at 10. Queues seemed better that way than if you arrived later. Queue at the side entrance opposite V & A museum -we were told is usually shorter. You don't walk straight into sight of Dippy the Diplodocas that way, but you do see the real stegosaurs skeleton and the escalator through the earthup to the level about volcanoes and earthquakes. Take a picnic as there is a good picnic area in basement.

And number 1 tip : if it's the school holidays, you are able to book a slot for the dinosaur gallery online in advance. We did so a few days before and were SO glad we had. The queues to get into that gallery were horrendous, and we were able to just walk past them all and flash our booking email at the member of staff at the appointed time. I think that may have been my smuggest moment for many years and put ne very much in DH's good books!

Go to the Horniman museum south London. Nearest stop is Forest Hill on the overground. Lots of really eclectic stuff, mini aquarium and lovely gardens and play area too. If the weather is really nice you can get back on the overground and go to Crystal palace and see the big stone dinosaurs.

I would avoid at all costs the Natural History museum in school holidays

Also, has anyone been to The Crystal ? Is it any good?