Day out in London

[mummynumnum]

Meeting a pregnant friend in London on Fri with her 2yr old and my 3yr old. Any suggestions for a cheap and not too energetic activity. I have never attempted London with child.

bumping this because I am doing London tomorrow with my 4yr old and 1 yr old, and a friend with her 2 kids.

weather supposed to be dire, so we need suggestions of somewhere indoors, pref free, but not the natural history museum :D (not that we don't love it, but been once this week)

anywhere that might not be heaving also a bonus but I guess that's unlikely lol

British Museum?

If you do manage to get an hour of okay weather the Coram Fields city farm is worth a look.

The Science museum is great for littlies.

The hands-on stuff at the Science Museum (downstairs for tinies and upstairs for older ones) is great.

Both Tate galleries have lots of activities for children - at Tate Britain there'a a trolley loaded with paper and crayons.

The V&A has back-packs which you can take around the galleries, looking for exhibits with a theme. And - although the weather probably won't be suitable - there's a paddling pool where you can burn off some energy.

My guess would be that Tate Britain is least likely to be heaving.

The Science Museum was packed when we went a week ago - the Wallace and Gromit exhibition had only just opened (iirc) and the whole museum was busy.

Tate Modern. Lots of strange things for dcs to look at. Lots of benches for you and pregnant friend to sit on. Queues for the loos are awful though.

Ds1, 2.11, loves it.

Combines well with a walk across the Millenium Bridge to look at boats and trains etc if the weather is OK.

Take them on the tube and on a double decker bus or a bendy bus, that seems to be dss favourite part of whatever day out we go on. Mine also loved a boat tour down the Thames when we did that but not particularly cheap.

Tate Modern is good but I think you do need a 1:1 child:parent ratio if you want to look round any of th egalleries, I have really struggled to stop mine touching the installations. The cafe there is great for adults and kids but not cheap.

London zoo has a new children's area where adults can sit down for a rest and there is stuff to see inside but it will be heaving.

Transport Museum is good but again will probably be heaving - they do have a picnic area so take your own sandwiches if you go. it's £10 to get in but free for kids.

Great ideas. Science museum sounds fab!