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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

interesting things to do in London for a couple of 3 yr old boys?

23 replies

vannah · 14/06/2008 20:58

I will be taking my son and his cousin out every week and want to find some interesting places for them to visit other than:

science museum (done it a lot)
transport museum (bit pricey!)
other museums in kensington (bit of a trek we are in north london)
city farm (done it a lot)

No toddler/playgroups either as we do that during the week.

Any other interesting places to 'visit'? Any cinemas in north london showing kiddie films? Museums in north london?

My brain has really packed up. I used to be a key stage 1 teacher for 15 years and organised trips all the time....

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Thinkstoomuch · 14/06/2008 21:02

Not very 'cultural', but most kids love Harrods toy department.

whatdayisit · 14/06/2008 21:14

Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, free and kept my boys then 3 & 5 happy for 6 hours - they didn't even want to leave then.

Mine love to just go and look at the river. If you head for Tower bridge, you can walk across the road part (free) and they can put a foot each side of the opening - very exciting. Then climb the Monument for a view to rival the London Eye, but much cheaper.

They also loved Trafalgar Square, fountains, lions to climb on and red buses, but perhaps not unsual for you

A ride on the DLR is also popular - they can go up front and "drive"

Sorry if my geography's a bit off, everything in London seems do close together to me.

Orinoco · 14/06/2008 21:31

Message withdrawn

vannah · 14/06/2008 21:34

thankyou both - might do trafalgar sq
harrods lovely suggestion, except my little treasure cannot comprehend the words 'no we are not buying anything today mummy has no money'!

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whatdayisit · 14/06/2008 21:52

Orinoco - we had exactly that too "it's just bones" What did they think - they'd be alive?

persil36 · 14/06/2008 22:06

battersea park is nice, has a very nice playground and an animal section

MingMingtheWonderPet · 14/06/2008 22:06

Hyde Park? St James Park?

Transport museum good and kept kids amused for a good while.

Museum of London good depending on age. DS1 is Yr2 and they are doing the Great Fire of London so it was great for him, (and free!)

Hamleys

harpomarx · 14/06/2008 22:09

definitely do Museum of Childhood, it's brill!

good playground at bottom end of Hampstead Heath (Parliament Hill Fields, I think), great climbing frames etc and paddling pool if weather good. Combine with Marine Ices in Camden/Chalk Farm?

Coram's Fields

British Museum? Might be a bit old for them though there are some ideas here for children.

London Aquarium?

Golder's Hill Park, ok kind of a city zoo - but with wallabies!

AnnieAreYouOkAreYouOkAnnie · 14/06/2008 22:11

London aquarium? Bit pricey though, but if they like fish and sharks and turtles, it's nice. DS (also 3) really enjoyed walking along the Thames looking at the boats, and walking over the bridges.
And any moving stairs...

There's also a great playground in Hyde Park.

We're also in North London, and half the fun was going in on the train and tubes. And moving stairs...

MingMingtheWonderPet · 14/06/2008 22:19

Days out the kids Website

CristinaTheAstonishing · 14/06/2008 22:21

The Princess Diana playground in Hyde Park/Kensignton Gdns is perfect for their age. You can get a picnic or have lunch at the cafe (quite pricey).

Tinkywinks · 14/06/2008 22:41

Willows Farm near High Barnet is loads of fun, lots of stuff to keep them occuppied, admission a bit pricey though as I remember.

Royal Air Force Museum (NW9) is supposed to be really good, been meaning to myself with my 3 year old boy, I've heard great feedback from other mums, and it's free entry.

Brilliant Kids cafe looks quite good, in Kensal Rise (NW10), as well as loads of kids classes, they have a Popcorn club where you can watch a film.

NOT North London but well worth a visit is Discover in Stratford E15, a creative hands on centre, great for little ones.

If you're anywhere near Muswell Hill, you might want to pop into Crocodile Antiques Cafe, it's a little cafe which is part of a shop selling LOADS of nick nacky things they will drive you crazy over - so beware - but every Tuesday in Summer they have a free childrens entertainer in the garden.

Also, what about IKEA! Really cheap food and great kids play area!

If you think you can hack West End, you'll definitley find plenty to keep them occuppied, as already mentioned Trafalgar Square and Hamleys but also Covent Garden with all the street acts which are on all day long.

Let me know if you need any website addresses for above.

BirdyArms · 14/06/2008 22:46

We are also in North London. Agree that Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood is fab. Coram's fields is great on a nice day too.

We like Highgate Woods - good playground and running through the woods is fun. Nice but fairly expensive cafe.

Lauderdale House in Highgate does children's theatre shows every Saturday, though don't think that is cheap either. Can picnic and play in the park afterwards.

Talacre sports centre in Kentish Town has a great one hour gym session where all the adult equipment is lowered to little ones level, I think it's on at the weekend as well as during the week, the times should be on their website. There is soft play and cafe for afterwards.

Haven't been but the Tricycle cinema and theatre in Kilburn both have children's programmes.

DLR is good, if you get a front seat they can pretend to drive it, and you could combine with a trip to the Museum in Docklands (not amazing but worth a look round) or to Greenwich.

Diana Memorial playground in Kensington Gardens is great though can get very very busy on a sunny day

jessiesmummy · 14/06/2008 22:56

Horton farm near epsom is amazing.

BirdyArms · 14/06/2008 23:02

Tinkywinks - Thank you for reminding me about the RAF museum! It's huge and a good option on a rainy day. Agree that IKEA is good too.

Tinkywinks · 14/06/2008 23:05

Apparently RAF museum is a real winner for when the weather's shite!

vannah · 17/06/2008 14:18

thankyou everyone for brill suggestions
going to look up some of these now!

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fiplus4 · 17/06/2008 14:23

Can I just add the Canal Museum, just off the bottom of the Cally behind Kings Cross. Just the right size, plenty of stuff to clamber on/over and a great walk along the canal towpath after with something to feed the ducks with.

ScottishMummy · 17/06/2008 14:36

camley street natural parkjust behind Kings Cross

kentish town city farm fantastic

enjoy

NorksDrift · 17/06/2008 14:53

I think this looks good and you can get there on silverlink metro from north london.

gillybean2 · 17/06/2008 19:13

You could try taking them swimming if you're feeling brave enough for two. Lots of pools so check out your local borough council's webpages.

I can recommend a boat trip on the thames. Just hop on the ferry with an icecream for a few stops.

There's lots on indoor play centers dotted about too. Not been to this one but the webpage looks fun and you'd only have to pay for the children not yourself.

www.eddiecatz.co.uk/edcatz.html

Also St Catherine's dock is fun to explore. Lots of things to climb on as you walk around (big stones and things). There's the fountain with the dolphin near the hotel which overlooks tower bridge, the children love walking around it and depending on where you sit if the wind blows teh water you can get a light shower which causes much excitement. In the dock itself there are some big bright mosaic's on one of the wall which you can spend ages talking about (giant hand prints, lots of colours and shapes to talk about). Then there's all the boats and make up stories about where they've come from or are going too, and they even have some resident ducks to feed. Also has cafes etc around and you can buy a postcard to send grandma too and 'write' on it as an activity.

It's not very far to walk to the Tower of London from the dock and the children will have just as much chasing pigeons and climbing up and down the steps on the large paved area in front of the tower or along the bit that runs beside the river.

If you walk along the river front a bit on the opposite side heading in the direction of the aquarium, parliment etc there's all sorts of things to keep the children busy. I can't remember exactly where but they have one of those 'fountains' where the water shoots out as jets in the pavement and they had that giant map to walk on down there somewhere too for a while, not sure if it still is there. It is a very long way to walk all the way down there for little ones though, so wouldn't use it as a conecting activity, but can be a half day in itself just wandering along.

If you do head down as far as the aquarium there's a really small park close by (on the green bit in front of the london eye). Lots to see around there too, even if you don't go on the eye or in the aquarium. One of the stalls there had a bubble machine going when we went last which was just as exciting as the ride on the eye itself for my son. He was 6 at the time. There also tends to be street entertainers that way, but obviously can not guarantee who or what will be there when you go. big ben is visible across the river, again all kinds of things to talk about and learn.

Hope you have fun whatever you decide to do!
Gilly

gillybean2 · 17/06/2008 19:14

Oh yes, check out Tate Modern too as they sometimes have things going on for little ones, particularly in the hols.
Gilly

vannah · 17/06/2008 21:15

Oh my god, so many suggestions that in fact this thread is going to be so useful for our forthcoming 6 wk summer break as we're not going anywhere and DH is a teacher! how is it that I dont know about ANY of these places??? (except willows farm and a few museums)
Currently sitting here with pen and paper.
Want to thank you all.
mingming - that website is fantastic.
just looked up coram's field...looks good
gillybean boat trip lovely idea, thanks for the detailed descriptions of the areas they'll enjoy so I know what to look out for

tinkywinks thanks for all that and I will definately go along to the crocodile cafe thing as Im only in crouch end..plus birdy I will look up lauderdale house, forgot about their theatre shows...

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