Staycation (in the correct sense of the word!) in London- can you help me please?

[HelenHywater]

I have a staycation in London wih my 13 and 9 year olds in the next 2 weeks. Lots of activities planned, but a couple of gaps on the plan and I wondered if anyone had any thoughts:

One day we have a morning in the Trainer Exhibition followed by lunch in Gordon Ramsay, but nothing for the afternoon - any ideas about what we could do? An activity would be good

Another day we are going to the exhibition at the 180 Strand followed by a trip up the Sky Garden. Any ideas about what we could after that? Again, an activity would be good.

I've booked a climbing session, a skateboarding lesson too. I would have liked to have found a bmx session but the olympic park is fully booked. I would have to accompany them in Go Ape in Battersea and but am currently injured so can't do that.

They're not particularly sporty kids, but they don't want to spend all day in exhibitions and museums. We live in London so have done all the normal stuff. Thanks!

If you want to try sailing or kayaking, try Westminster Boating Base (Pimlico) - it's a charity, so very cheap for brilliant quality

www.westminsterboatingbase.co.uk

If you do go to Go Ape in Battersea Park, it right next to a crazy golf course, which also has a licensed cafe (mainly pizza)

www.puttinthepark.com/courses/battersea-park/

You can do BMX at Brockwell Park (but they don't have many club bikes)

www.britishcycling.org.uk/club/profile/1899/brixton-bmx-club

And combine with outdoor swimming at the Lido

www.fusion-lifestyle.com/centres/brockwell-lido/

And if you go on a Saturday or a Sunday, there's also a parkrun and a junior parkrun there.

It's spitting distance to Dulwich, which also has a nice park, and a picture gallery

www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk

www.flipout.co.uk/view/flip-out-wandsworth

It's a bit of a pig to get to - either train to Earlsfield and a short walk, or get to Wandsworth Southside (shopping mall, cinema and oodles of places to eat) and walk from there.

Streatham Ice Rink??

www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/lambeth/streatham-ice-and-leisure-centre/streatham-ice-rink

Life size monopoly on Tottenham Court Rd
secretldn.com/monopoly-lifesized-game/
This will either be fun or lead to huge arguments!

Re GoApe, given the ages of your children you can supervise from the ground for the Tree Top Adventure, as I've done a number of times with my grandchildren.

GoApe

The blast speedboat rides on the Thames

I'd second the speedboat rides -went a few days ago with kids and really loved it.
It's a bit pricey, but if you have a blue light card, there's 40%off of Thames Rockets.

Try the mystery tours by Hidden City / there’s Sherlock, Alice In Wonderland and Snow White themed ones…
Very good for seeing hidden parts of London you may not have seen before.

If you are in S London or on the Overground line South Facing festival has great festival gigs in Crystal Palace Park. Thursday is good. It would be an evening rather than day.

All star lanes bowling
What’s in at the BFI IMAX?
Get a train to Brighton
Have you done Hampton Court Palace?
Take bikes and picnic to Richmond Park

YY to treasure trails - they are great.

If your DC are at all competitive, though, then I would recommend maybe printing out 2 copies of the trail and giving them 1 each - that certainly helps in our family to avoid arguments about who is solving the next clue, as they can both have a go at working it out...

We're going to Brighton for the day too.

Also have tickets for Kew Gardens (we've never been...). is that an all day thing or should we plan something else while we're there?

Will do one of the trails definitely - need some cheap or free things now!

When we were students we would pack some food and go for an urban hike using a ‘hidden London’ book. You get to see all the things you don’t even notice when you live here!

Quirky London tourist attractions www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4324449-Quirky-London-tourist-attractions

@nancy75

Is this for next week? Hate to be the bearer of bad news but there are tube strikes next week so you will need to plan around that

Noooo...oh well a lot of walking then and getting lost I reckon.

Just checked and the strikes have been called off. PHEW

The monopoly would be great (well the kids would love it) but 3 tickets cost £149 .

@tigerbear

Try the mystery tours by Hidden City / there’s Sherlock, Alice In Wonderland and Snow White themed ones… Very good for seeing hidden parts of London you may not have seen before.

Have you done one of these? They look really good - would my 9 year old be ok to do it?

Lee is good for a day. You could fit something else in but it has loads of areas to explore, have a sit down while the boys play on the grass.

Kew, not Lee.

Have they ever been on a canal boat? You can ride from Camden/Regents Park to Paddington/Little Venice.

I know it's a bit naff, but I like the Emirates cable car. And driving the DLR train from Bank to Greenwich.

I think the weather is supposed to improve next week.

skiing?

there's an indoor climbing thing in chelsea

crazy golf?

Tube strikes are off but the XR lot are planning lots of ‘events’ from the 23rd. Oy...

@HelenHywater

The monopoly would be great (well the kids would love it) but 3 tickets cost £149 .

I had a look at the price after I posted the link - you could build your own life size monopoly for less money! What a total rip off

Thames clipper from London eye to Greenwich - you don’t need tickets, kids can use their zip cards & you can use contactless /oyster

We’ve only been to Kew once & I remember it as an all day thing, I know I was knackered when I got home!

Harry Potter? Walking tour if studios booked up (but keep trying as more tickets can be released). Hampton Court, Windsor, Eye.