Suggestions for wet weather outings in London for five and two year old please! Run out of ideas.

[aloha]

Have done Horniman, Discover, Museum of Childhood, Science & nat hist museums, softplay, and just can't think of anywhere to go. Please don't just tell me to take them to the park in wellies and raincoats. They'd probably love it but it's my idea of hell.
Am in SE London, but have car.

Yes, Docklands Museum really good - I went with Dino and all our boys. They loved it. Start on the top floor and work downwards. Some bits far more interesting than others for children, just find the good bits - and there is an excellent children's 'hands on' centre on the ground floor for loading ballast into ships, making a river in a big sand and water pit, etc. The general docklands environment just outside is good too - a pontoon bridge over a dock, fountains outside Cabot Sq if not raining.

Yes, August not good for children's theatre shows - it's sort of the down season.

Anyone want to take a five yaer old to see a 3D film about dinosaurs?
Hi Issy, dry weather opens up possibilities hugely.
Will also look up how to get to Docklands museum.

as an aside - does anyone know if there's a good model train set up that you can visit in London? DS LOVES model trains.

Bits of the dinosaur film were scary - huge dinosaurs coming out of the screen etc - DS was scared but also loved it. It's quite informative in a genuinely paleantological way, too. But I think every day they show 3D general nature films, underwater scenes etc. I might be wrong.

I am a bit afraid of 3d fish

I would like to take them to IMAX - but alas am working - Ds under the care and control of my mother and sundry friends and relations. Sorry!

www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/imax/whatson/

can see Docklands Museum out my window. you could get Jubilee line to Canary Wharf, or DLR to Canary Wharf or (closer) Westferry

I saw a documentary about London Wetlands, and it did look good. No - not a documentary - Cbeebies springwatch...but it did look v outdoor. Lots of walkways over ponds and marshes.

Kew is ok for a showery day - the big greenhouses, the evolution house with the bubbling mud, sheltering in the badger sett, and the excellent children's play area - can't remember what it is called? Bugs and Thugs or something.

I'm not sure if this would be too far but i've taken my two to The discovery centre and to Coral reef (across the road)and they had a great time. Look here

imperial war museum in kennington? loads of Big Machines.

Actually I took DS and DD to Imax to the "Under the Sea" film and DD was PETRIFIED (she is 3 and quite assertive as well).

Anything at the cinema? - the DCs went to Shrek 3 last week which they both enjoyed.

DCs have done Battersea Park Zoo recently (in the rain). Lots of softplay. Kew has an indoor play area by the way. Richmond Theatre and Regents' Park open air theatre.

Wetlands has a very good play area, which would be ok when damp but not in the rain. Actually it does also have an indoors play zone, so quite good for showery/threatening days although not out and out pissing down ones. Reasonable food as well. Astonishingly middle class!

Tate Modern?

My 2 like it. Space to run around outside if the weather's ok. Plenty to see along the river.

Indoors at Hampton Court palace is good - lots of mock-ups of what it would have been like, cooks cooking , dead venison hanging on the backs of doors, an indoor greenhouse with a massive vine, HenryV111's bed, etc, and the gardens and maze if it turns out nice. Also Bushey Park across the road has good deer and an ok playground.

I think Shrek3 may be it. At least I can sit down in the warm and eat popcorn!
I think dd will be OK with it.
Hmm...yes...may hit spot.
Lots of good ideas - thanks everyone.

(I took it as a good opportunity to re-run Shrek 1 and 2 - which we have on dvd - to "get them ready for it": lazy parenting or what?!)

Splendid idea!

Oh, Shrek and popcorn, definitely.

The Kew Bridge Steam Museum is mostly indoors and well worth a visit.

I have been to wetlands and it is great. There is an indoor bit with hands on activities so OK on an iffy day (but not a soaking wet one like today). I like Kew on an iffy day as well, so much to see in the glasshouses and, Climbers & Creepers (the play area) is under cover.

Lookout Discovery Centre (mentioned by dustystar) is a big favourite with DS and my top pick for a rainy day (I'm SW London though and it is only about 1/2 hour away).

Legalalien, I don't know where in London you are, but for a train lover the place is Bekonscot model village, out on the M40.

ooooh...the model village...YES. Next sunny day I'm off to force my children to relive MY childhood!

Haven't heard of that until now. Have just googled and it sounds right up ds's street (and a reasonable price too) Thank you!

Our nanny took ds (8) and dd (6 going on 7) yesterday to Gambado in SW6 on recommendation of a nanny friend of ours. I'd never heard of it - seems to be start of a new chain, poss. Spanish in origin given the name ...

They (all 3) raved about it.

(Nanny friend of hers, not ours, as if that made any difference to anyone not compulsively committed to accuracy.)

I'm going to do Kew Bridge Steam Museum on Bank Holiday Monday - they have the Cornish beam engines in steam, plus the waterworks railway running. Ds has discovered not only that his Cornish heritage links him to some lovely machines but that, gloriously enough, one of the biggest foundries that made them had His Own Name (which is a very specifically rare & of course Cornish one).

So, wave at us if you're there too.