London Days Out with three DC

[AliceAnneB]

We have lived in London for a few years and feel like I'm lacking in days out to do with our three (11,8,3). We have done: science museum, natural hx museum, windsor castle, london zoo, Battersea children's zoo, transport museum, shard, aquarium. What am I missing?

We had a lovely day on south bank then jumped on commuter boat to Greenwich. Didn't go into cutty Sark but will next time.

Tower of London, art galleries Tate Britain esp good for younger DC, British museum, War museum, Madame tussauds (gah).

Skygarden is new and free

Museum of London
Cutty Sark
Maritime museum
Museum of Docklands

Running around Southbank, walking over the river and watch the street performers in Covent Garden (cheesy touristy but nice)

Tower of London

There is a podcast from the Museum of London about the Great Fire. It is a walk which brings you to the important areas. Maybe not for a 3 year old though.

British Museum for the older one.

V&A I was astonished how good it is with a child. DD was 5 when we first went, they do little bag pack trails about one particular subject. They do also a pre-school one I think.

Hampton court
Legoland
Geenwich

British museum - Egyptian mummies
London eye
Can't beat South bank
All the parks
Open top bus
Hamleys

There are a couple of good websites and email updates that are worth using if you're short on time. Urban Explorer sends out a weekly update of best things www.urbanexplorer.com and there is another one called Curious Mum. For days out there are loads on www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk and www.lollizoo.com has theatre as well as days out. I find the weekly emails great for finding out about free events or for planning ahead the websites easy to dip in and out of. Less central museums eg Maritime, Horniman, Ragged School and Geffrye all do lovely free workshops for kids. Always makes for a better weekend going somewhere but we don't manage as often as I'd like.....

Check out Londonist.com website, great ideas for kids and adults.

The Olympic Park

River bus Westminster to Greenwich pier then cable car ride...

V&A museum of childhood at Bethnal Green

Coram Fields park (near Great Ormond Street) - a good mix of play equipment for children of all ages.

Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens

Emirates Airline cable car

centre of the cell?? Good free science thing

Just done a lovely day out with DC (8 & 11). Started off with the morning at the British Museum followed by a scrumptious dhosa lunch which DS(11) rhapsodised over . We then traipsed through the Bank of England Museum before climbing up the Monument and finished the afternoon with the Tower Bridge Exhibition. Then, we walked around Soho/Convent Garden slurping a Bubble Tea before supper and the train home.

I have 3 DSs of similar ages and we had a good day catching the water taxi from London Eye after a play in the park there, ferried up to the O2, had lunch then went on the cable car and got on the DLR. Got off at Tower Bridge, had another play in the park. Cheap because we saw attractions but didn't go on/in them and mine are easily pleased!

London Wetlands Centre?

Horniman Museum (nice grounds with some animals)
London Wetland Centre
Hampton Court
Bushy/Richmond Park

Horniman museum, it's ace.

Whoops x post sorry!

Museum of London
Tower if London
Tower Bridge
cutting sark
houses of parliament
Somerset House fountains
bank of England museum

Seriously you haven't scratched the surface yet

"Connect the dots" London. All too often we catch public transport in london and dont really know how it all connects together.

West to east and back
I only know doing it from Victoria so adjust for your location.
Walk from Victoria to Buckingham palace to trafalgar square, bus to St Paul walk to bank. take dlr to Greenwich, boat back from Greenwich to Victoria

Fire of London walk
Do St pauls cathedral. walk to museum of London and do that. walk to bank of England/royal exchange/ go through some of the small alleyways on the way to monument.

North to South walk (trafalgar square to crams field
Start trafalgar square up to Leicester Square through seven dials accoss Tottenham Court Road, up to Bloomsbury to great Ormand street to corams fields back via Covent Garden. Sit and watch the entertainers.

Your 3 year old might struggle (buggy?) But the others should be doable by a 8 and ten year old

The british museum has some great 'backpack tours'. You leave a deposit with the family desk and they give you a backpack full of stuff for exploring a gallery with. My DD(6) did the one on mummification and she loved it. They are on a first come first served basis so it's hit and miss if you are going to get one, but well worth it. If they don't have any then there are free children's tour booklets to be had too.

The Tate (The original not Modern) also has some really great children's tours. Things like looking for different depictions of the moon through the gallery.