Where to go in London with Toddlers

[Boblina]

Hi not sure if this is the right place to post this but thought I would give it a try. Can anyone recommed places to go with my DD (2 in May). We live in East London. I assume he is too young for museums. We like farms and have been to London Zoo (lovely but a little expensive)and the aquarium. Just trying to think of other things to do with him and other places to go. Thanks hmm

Natural History museum? A 2 yo is bound to impressed by the dinosaurs - and it's free - at least I think it is. London Eye? Boat trip on the Thames. My then v small dd was impressed by Tate Modern.

Hyde park/Kensington Gardens - supposed to be a good playground. And I'm positive there are ducks to feed. Hamleys?

I'm afraid most of my knowledge is south of the river but:

The Science Museum apparently has a brilliant section for real littlies with lots of buttons to press etc. Agree he might be too young for many museums though.

Battersea Park has a brilliant little zoo with monkeys, limas, farmyard animals etc, and a nice play area. And of course it's a nice park to walk in too.

Have heard good things about the Museum of London (one in the Barbican which I have been too and is good), but another has opened somewhere in east London (Bethnal Green??).

Mile End Park is supposed to be fab after the regeneration a few years ago?

There's a sweet little city farm at Vauxhall, very near the station.

Walk along the river on the South Bank is great (keep going east from the London Eye/aquarium past tate modern, gabriels wharf etc).

My ds is 2 at the end of April so I'll be on the lookout for places to go this summer too!

The basement in the Science Museum has a fantastic interactive play area with a wonderful water-play table low enough at one end for a 2yo. We have spent ages in there playing with everything. Spitalfields City Farm is supposed to be very good and the London Acquarium (which is also a bit expensive) is good for toddlers.

On a nice day The Princess Diana Memorial Playground in Hyde Park is fab, its themed around Peter Pan with an enormous wooden pirate ship forming the centrepiece, surrounded by a beach, teepees, a tree house, a sensory trail and lots of play sculptures - take a picnic to save money!

DS was pretty impressed by the science museum - more by the flight gallery and the engines than the interactive bit for toddlers. That was very good, but when we were there it was full of school parties getting in the way of the little ones. But he really likes wandering round museums and just seeing what he likes - toddler led museum tours are quite fun !

My DD will be 2 in May too and she's definitely not too young for museums
We like Museum of Childhood (Bethnal Green), she went to british museum with her nanny the otehr day, and we often go to the Tate - she takes her cheapo buggy with her and just has fun pushing it around the Great Court or Turbine Hall

This summer, we'll probably try out the paddling pool at Hampstead Heath
WAlk along the South Bank is great

Lots of city farms - google. My DS is also really happy running around in and around the Royal Festival Hall which is brilliant on rainy days and has lots and lots of wide staircases your toddler can climb up and down without bothering anyone

boblina - as an east londoner presume you ahve been to museum of childhood in bethnal green? Absolurtely fascinating and always a good outing. WE used to come on the tube fromnorth easet london just to go there.

Really lisalisa? I've not been because I thought my DS who is 2 would be a bit bored. He likes tearing about. Can you do that there?

Lots of space to tear about there. Also lots of toys to play with and craft activities. And, vitrines go to floor so you don;t need to lift DC's up to have a look

I was talking about Museum of Childhood btw

I agree with others - Science museum (though not in school hols!), Princess Diana, Tate Modern..
Museum of Childhood could be combined with a visit to Victoria Park, feed ducks and playground and decent cafe.
Museum of London could be combined with a trip to Barbican - fountains, large indoor spaces, really nice children's library (also a nice playground which is good for toddlers on nearby Golden Lane - not to mention Waitrose next door..).
Spitalfields farm is okay (make sure you get there before 4pm) - could be combined with a trip to Spitalfields, which has lots of pedestrian space, a little garden, child friendly restaurants like Wagamamas and Giraffe, and nice shops.
There is also the Museum in Docklands in Canary Wharf which has an interactive play space, but that is probably better for ages 3-5.

Excellent. All these ideas. Shall give them a go. Keep them coming. Thank you.

In my family a museum is really just an indoor tearing-about place. My DS2 (2 in a fortnight - gah!) just points at animals in pictures, my 4 yo wants to know EVERYTHING!

2 is a great age for museums, as long as you don't expect - as accompanying grownup - to get to look at anything for long!

Oh yeah, Hackney City farm is decent too, with an okay cafe, they do child friendly food. Next door to it is Haggerstone park, which has a decent playground.

Ooh I'm going to give the Museum of Childhood a go. I went ages ago and don't remember it being particularly child-friendly

Thanks - sorry I have become a taker rather than a give on this thread now

Another thing that my cousin used to like to do with his boy is to come into Liverpool Street station and stand on the platforms and watch the trains coming in, and proceed from there on to Spitalfields.
There is also a sandpit and dressing up in the Mus. of Childhood. And an (overpriced) cafe and a shop with pocket money type toys. Does get loud and crowded, so pick your times carefully.

spicemonster - when I went they had a fake beach and old fashioned baeach tuype entertainment as well as dress up clothes and arts and crafts. Cant' get much better for 2 yrs old really . And its a def tear around type of place.

Transport Museum in covent garden - oh. my. god. my kids love it!

It's expensive though. You might be able to get annual membership to your nearest museum, makes it much better value and you can go every time it rains!

The diana memorial park in Kensington Gardens is fantastic - huge pirate ship, sand, water, streams, musical garden, little wooden wendy houses and little boats "floating" in sand. Safe (no adults unaccompanied by children) and FREE. Brilliant.

of course pooka - can't believe I forgot about that! And most importantly you can get a cup of coffee! I find being able to drink a coffee means I'm happy to watch my DS go down a climbing frame countless times without getting itchy

Our fave place is the Royal Festival Hall. It has stairs, wide open space, and usually has a child-friendly exhibition in the Ballroom. Plus it's free. And you can take your own food and drink. And there's a bar.

What more could a parent need?!

MrsMH - I will recognise you by the fact that we will both have toddlers going up and down stairs with a glass of wine in hand

Yeah, DS always has a glass of wine in his hands!

LOL! And I write for a living too. Shocking