Natural History Museum, Wasted on a 3.8 year old?

[NannyTinks89]

Im looking to take my little brother out for a few special days.
First off he has a mega obsession with the Tube.. Undgerground Ernies influence methinks! Also anything to do with Dinosaurs Diggers/Trucks etc..
So I was thinking, jump on the tube to settle one complete obsession, then onto natural history. He is really bright for his age, definitely not G&T but hes super inquisitive and questions constantly, Im just wondering if anyone else has taken a child of a similarage to Natural History, and also any other suggestions as my poor little guy is having a hard time with a new baby brother being born ( 9 weeks old ) and I just want to give him a special day, all about him! ((.. also do you pay for three year olds at Natural History.. even though Little Man passes for around 18mos, super teeny ))
Thanks!

London Transport Museum at C Garden ! he'd love it...
think Nat Hist is voluntary contribution - I'm sure he'd like it very much -you're never too young to see the blue whale

Ooo it sounds fab! My 3.6yo boy would love it - if its the one with the dinosaur collection he will be one excited little boy!

My ds was still in a buggy when he first when to the NHM.

There is plenty for him to see! It's all free except for the temporary exhibitions - and go on a weekday if you can as it can get very busy at the weekend especially if there is a particularly popular exhibition on.

Oh, and take your own food and eat outside. Have fun!

basement of science museum (next door to NHM) is fab for pre-schoolers

(which is also free)

Definitely do the Natural History Museum - he'll love it. My DD at age 3 was so thrilled that at one point she looked a bit like a Beatles fan, helplessly screaming with excitement (she has a few eccentric enthusiasms though, and this was for a stuffed porcupine). She's still obsessed with skeletons now, 6 months on.

Also the Aquarium is great - especially the touch pool where they can stroke the rays.

And the Zoo is just getting better & better, too.

Aww great, may even plod along tomo.
You see I havent been in nearly ten years and couldnt quite remember if it was pre-schooler friendly!

Thanks Guys! Also will definitely check Transport Museum, I feeling more educational things like museums beacuse he loves "Finding out" and asks questions constantly.. and I mean its a constant barrage of "Whats That?" "What Does it do?" "Why does it do that?" etc etc etc..

I second the basement for pre-schoolers! We took ds many years ago and he loved it.
Just a stroll through will find many things to entertain them.

I remember taking DSS when he was about that age, he was fascinated by the dinosaurs. Afterwards we discovered that he thought the 'life-size' model one that moves and roars was real!

Natural History Museum has DINOSAURS. Perfect for a 3 year old. Plus, you get go on the tube, and through that tunnel to reach it. My DS still remembers the first time he say the mega moving T.Rex, and how he was scared. Then he showed his little toy T.Rex to the giant, "so he knew I liked dinosaurs" and then he wasn't scared any more. Bless.

Yeah we went to London Zoo a few weeks back when Mum was in hospital having new baby, and I just found it stupidly over priced, even the food, he loves eating out and as baby came six weeks early we was in a bit of a blind panic and just went on the moment, I ended up paying something ridiculous like £5 for a kiddies lunch box thing in the cafe.. and it was quickly described as "Not as good as 'Donalds" Grh! -

The Aquarim also sounds like his kinda "Thing".

I swear theres so much out there its just being reminded.. Also Maenad, am chuckling away at the thought of youre daughter having histronics at a stuffed porcupine!

I'm glad you started this thread actually, it's reminded me of various things we can do during hte summer hols now that both the dc are old enough.

go to Kew Gardens for the treetop walk, there's Climbers and Creepers too and the fab kiddie sized badger sett. plus all the grass to run around on, ducks,geese,swans,lakes plants,aquariums..children are free too

I took my 2 when they were 5 & 3. I thought they'd love the dinosaurs, but they were wholey unimpressed!! "they're just bones"

They did love the Imperial Air Museum st Duxford, so the transport museum sounds good to me.

Or the Museum of Childhood at Bethnal Green is fab - we stayed for 6 hours and they still didn't want to leave.

I took my son to NHM when he was about that age. They had a new dinosaur exhibit, which we did have to pay to go in. It had moving models not just bones. The kids (we went with two friends and their children) thought it was great and the dinosaurs were real. Not sure if they still have that exhibit there. Make the most of your time in there if you do as once you're out you have to pay to go in again and it's quite 'small'. The rest was a little boring for them, but they liked the hands on stuff.

The best part of the day for the children was the train ride though. We got the train to London and then the underground through London. Kids much prefered the normal train as there was more to see. The underground was dark and not a lot to see plus more jerky so we insisted they stayed sitting the whole time for safety. On the normal train it wasn't so jerky so we didn't mind them changing from one side of the train to the other when there was something more interesting to see.

Gilly

the moving dinos are a bit scary, for little ones

Tom is usually thoroughly unfazed by most things, this is the child who readily picks up the hugest harvest spider etc, and hes very good at the whole "Whats not real cant hurt you.." thing.
Hes been readily travelling on the underground since birth on various trips to the zoo etc and he has even come along to work with me when I was working in Hammersmith Via the tube and he loves it.. (( I have no idea why, I personally would rather travel anyother way than the tube ))but thanks for the heads up anyway Gilly.

Has he been on the DLR? If you sit right at the front he can pretend to drive as there's no driver...

third vote for basement of science museum. Especially the toilet that is cut in half, so you can see what happens when you flush it and it has a pretend poo in. My 3 year old would've stayed there all day flushing and exclaiming about the poo if we'd let him.