What to do in London for 6 year old DS?

[BrassicMonkey]

DS will be 6 at the end of next week. No money, time, energy or motivation to organise a party or family get-together, but have to do something special for him.

He's never been on a tube before so I think we'll go into London, go to Hamley's, get something to eat (any recommendations for reasonably priced, child-free eating venues?). Need something to do in the afternoon as well - am considering London Aquarium (any reviews on that? Would it be better to forget Hamley's and lunch and just spend the day there, or is there not enough to keep a 6 yr old and 9 year old occupied?).

Any other suggestions also appreciated.

TIA

Thanks Anchovy

How long did you stay in the exhibition for? I'm hoping it will be enough to keep them entertained for 2-3 hours at least. Are there any eating facilities in there? If we're out early enough and have finished lunch, I'll let the girl suggest something to do for the afternoon. Apparantly she is into museums (news to me ) so I'll find out in advance where the nearest ones are and what's in them.

We were only in the exhibition for about an hour, but that was because we had 4 year old DD with us who was less familiar with it and found it all a bit boring. Also DS lurves Star Wars, but has only really seen Return of the Jedi (altho in compensation has watched it a million times!) so some of the other stuff was less interesting to him.

I would think you could do 2 hours easily. Three would probably be stretching it, but a good 2 hours would be fine.

There is a small cafe there, I think. Actually, Google the National Film Theatre - it is about 100 metres away and has a much nicer cafe which is larger and will probably be less crowded (Star Wars one is on the same site as the Aquarium, which is always heaving). Film Theatre is quite cool and I'm sure will have some children orientated bits to it. Could well be free as well!

How busy was the SW thing Anchovy? - do you think it's worth leaving it till the last gasp of holidays? Or is it more fun with masses?

Ds has embraced SW these holidays - after an embarrassing moment in November when a local toddler patiently explained Darth Vader to him, we realised he was not altogether in step with his peer group. So his (just about only) Xmas pres was the entire sequence - & as I type he and dd (7, and an equally eager embracer - "NO! It's NOT safe for Androids! DON'T!!") are watching No.5.

I'm buying DS a cheap, kids digital camera so I'm hoping he'll want to take pics of everything and that will take a bit longer. I think if you say 2 hours easily, DS's dad could probably stretch that to an all day outing (big SW fan ). I think the girl might get sulky though, I don't really know how she'll be with it.

I'll google National Film Theatre so that I've got some options and can decide what to do with the whole day when we get there.

Thanks for the Star Wars idea. I'm hoping DS will love it

LOL Bink - DD is 4 and has spent a lot of time this holiday going round with a Darth Vader hemet (home made by our lovely nanny from a panettone box and a lot of black poster paint) saying in a very deep voice "I AM YOUR FATHER".

I have no concept of things being "more fun with the masses"! But it is a good exhibition - detailed and well set up. It was full of very over excited, pink cheeked 6-9 year old boys and their quite enthusiastic Dads. Jedi's roam the corridors in full dress and character, as does Darth Vader (eek!). You can take photos with them (there is an "official" photo place as well, but not really needed). So taking a digital camera, BM, will be great.

Bink - what order are you watching hte films in? We have been debating this. We are going to do the "original" sequencing - 4,5 and 6 first, then the prequels, I think.

I'm sure your DS will love Star Wars - there are some very entertainingly detailed, geeky, factual books you can get about it (we have a Dorling Kindersley Star Wars book which I got for a quid while manning the book stall at the school Christmas fair which has barely been out of DS's clasp since!)

I'm quite excited about seeing Darth Vader

PMSL at your DD wearing her mask and saying I AM YOUR FATHER. That's a really funny image

wish i'd seen this thread yesterday, son would have loved that star wars thing.

we went to the transport museum which (imo) is worse than is was before the refit!

not enough trains and too many buttons to press.

if you go to hamleys watch for pickpockets, dp caught someone rummaging around in his back pocket!

I've just done an impression of Anchovette for ds & dd - they shrieked, but then told me to go away (as the movie is still going).

We decided to go narratively-chronologically, partly because I wanted to see whether 3 (in particular) would seem clunky in effects terms after the more recently-made ones; & partly because we started watching them in a teeming houseful of cousins, inc. two late-teenage boys, & that was the firm consensus. So we are close to the end of this process.

Entertaining, pink-cheeked, geeky, factual ... how do you know my ds so well?? An uncle gave him the SW Annual 2008, which he has absorbed with alarming exactness.

I mean 4, don't I - where I said 3 below. Sorry.

I'm hoping we don't end up in the BTM if we go to a museum at all. I think DS would proably enjoy it, as would his dad but it doesn't really appeal to me at all.

EX-P has gained some weight over xmas so there's not much chance of anyone getting their hands in his trouser pockets . I'll be extra vigilant though. Thanks

There are places to eat underneath the Royal Festival Hall - Wagamamma noodle bar, Giraffe, Strada (pizza etc) and an Eat (I think). Pizza Express just behind the RFH - all about 200m from the Star Wars exhibition. (come out on to the river and turn R, walk along the river, and you can't miss them).

Its quite interesting what effect the prequels have though if you go for a straightforward narrative chronology, particularly vis a vis audience knowledge.

Leia and Luke find out that they are brother and sister and that DV is their father through a gradual dawning realisation during the 4/5/6 sequence. But presumably we already know that if we watch 1/2/3 first, which must mean there is little suspense in 4/5/6 for us as an audience, which is very different to the way it was actually written. I do understand that they have back-filled it quite cleverly though. (I haven't actually watched any of these, you understand, it just sort of seeps in - all that is required as the mother of a 6 year old boy is to look up from your book and glass of wine from time to time and say "Oh, that Lando Calrissian - what is he like?!) .

Bink, your Ds would also love the Death Star/Darth Vadet transformer as it is very fiddly and has about 35 steps following extremely detailed instructions to go from one to the other. Its a bit like one of those chines puzzles (with obviously less zen-like calm and more flashing lights!)

Thanks Blu - I'll give the DC suggestions and let them decide on the day

I'll google for that transformer Anchovy. It will give DS something to do on the train on the morning.

I'm with the watch the films in the order in which they were released (with a LONG gap between the two trilogies as I don't think DS (4) should be watching Revenge of the Sith any time soon. Bink, I had to read your post a couple of times to get it straight in my head that "5" is Empire Strikes Back!

Not been to aquarium but have been to Hamleys and v disappointed. No better than Toys r Us I felt.

Haven't been to a Toys R Us for 20 years, but frankly for me Hamleys is 8th circle of hell - an obstacle course of franchise sellers (of tat) each needing to shout louder than the next, & a soundtrack (I am convinced they pipe it in to MAKE YOU BUY) of teeth-on-edge pestering & whinging & whining, from every quarter. And crowds.

If there is something you especially want (I braved it for a white beanbag kitten for dd last Christmas) then go - hold your breath, grab, pay and run. Then have a big coffee. Don't do it for fun. (I hope I'm not cutting across someone's well-meant recommendation ...)