Alternative day out for 2 yr old birthday in London if weather is bad.....

[Wheelybug]

DD is 2 tomorrow and we were planning on going to London Zoo as she loves animals (particularly Giraffes and Zebras for some reason). However, weather is looking like it will be pretty rubbish so just wondered if anyone had any bright ideas.

we are in South West London but obviously willing to go into town. Have thought about the aquarium but anywhere else ?

Thanks

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any of the museums?
natural history museums has nice dino display and stuff

Thanks

do you think a (Just !) 2 year old would find it fun ?! I haven't been for years no idea what its like now...

mmm prob not
i have a just turned 2 year old who would def love the aquarium or zoo ( aothough I think the aq is v expensive) she'd prob run around the museums but not 'take anything in' so we could really be anywhere!
so not v helpful really am I?!?!

Natural History is indeed fab but perhaps a bit much for a 2 year old? My (then) 5 and 3 year old dses went last summer and TBH it was all a bit over ds2's head.

How about a trip on a big, red London bus, stop off at the aquarium, and end up with a good trawl round Hamleys?

Hi - happy birthday to dd!! Two already !

We took dd to the museum here last week for the first time & she loved it - loads of room to run around, stuffed animals to see and they were pretty child friendly with a drawing station set up with crayons etc. Turned into a surprisingly good day out.

She'd love the science museum - there's a hands-on bit in the basement called "The Garden" with water play, blocks, toys, and the Pattern Pod on the ground floor with jigsaws, dressing up. It's fab!

LOL - yes, I guess thats what dd would do too (but at least its warm and free ).

quarium is £13.25 . But it is good...

Perhaps we should just brave the zoo if its not raining....

sorry - took me so long to type that reply that I missed the other responses !!

Hello Liath !! Yes 2 not long for you either. Am feeling quite emotional.. sniff sniff... How's bump ?

Will have a look at the science museum - thanks.

Hamleys might work out a bit expensive - I'll want to buy e very toy she looks at (and she already has a pile of pressies awaiting her !!) But thanks.

The basement of the science museum really is great for toddlers and pre-schoolers. My dd loves it.

Bump going mental, feels like a load of washing going on in there.

Can't believe my wee girl will be 2 either, she's such a character now. Hope you have a lovely day .

I would definitely say Science Museum. The Garden is the fave bit for under 2s and you'll probably have to drag them away once they get stuck in to the water are. But even before they get to the Garden I usually get lots of 'wow's or equivalent from the steam engines in the first hall and the rockets in the Space Gallery. You can take your own food or eat at either of the cafes on the ground floor, and they do lovely chocolate brownies! (Warning - the 'snack' area near the Garden is pretty grim, just serves chips and lots of things with vivid artificial colours in my recollection. So I'd go for one of the cafes, personally.)

The aquarium is fun too, but more expensive and there's less to do, actually. Due to the design you're pretty much pushed along a particular route and if the kids don't feel like lingering they will just race along and you finish it in quite a short time. That's what's happened to me several times. Then the places to eat round there are rubbish unless you go back to the South Bank and go to Giraffe, which is very child friendly.

I don't think you can beat the Science Museum, personally.

That didn't quite come out right about the Garden. I meant that once they got to the water area, they would probably want to stay there for ages because they are enjoying it so much. You usually see the kids with their hands in the water sploshing it around and a whole load of parents hanging around wondering whether their child will be there for the next hour or more! don't miss the seats in the other half of the Garden which make noises - my 4 3/4 year old particularly likes the farty one!

LOL at the farty chairs mummypig.... I know a certain 34 year old that would find those funny too (thats DH not me BTW !)

Right have found some 2 for 1 vouchers for aquarium and london zoo so will see what the weather is doing tomorrow and how we feel but will certainly consider the science museum (and if we don't go tomorrow will go very soon - sounds like fun).

Thanks very much everyone.