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!

@HelenHywater

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!

All day Do the treetop walk You will walk miles

I've lived in London since 1993. I have a really vague memory of possibly being at Kew once. But it could have been somewhere else. Anyway, we're going! I won't book anything else for that day, to try to keep costs down if nothing else.

Take packedlunch
Ball or badminton set
Then just buy coffee ice cream

Yeah lunch at Kew is £££ & from what I remember not that great.

I think they are doing bike hire around the gardens this year

We're also having a London stay cation. Also recommend the treasure trails. Our favourite so far was Dulwich Park. Followed by a go on the recumbent bikes and the row boats. You could also go to the dulwich picture gallery.

We've also been to the summer splash and swam at the Royal Docks in the temporary lido. There's loads of other activities going on there as well. We got the cable car as well. We got a pizza at the oiler barge bar and spent a happy hour watching the water skiers.

Graffiti session? www.graffikgallery.co.uk/products/family-graffiti-class-2h

[quote HCPcourt]Graffiti session? www.graffikgallery.co.uk/products/family-graffiti-class-2h[/quote]
That looks good.

The splash session ends tomorrow unfortunately, but my children do like the cable car and Greenwich so we could do that. The Thames Clipper also is a good idea (particularly if we do the Graffiti session...).

I've never actually been to Dulwich Park.

I'm running out of days now!

Escape room? Stand up paddle boarding? Train to seaside in Kent or Essex?

Crazy golf - junkyard golf - if you're close. I think they do let under 18s in pre 6pm

Driving range or crazy golf at the O2 and then food inside at any of the restaurants. Also Go Karting in Charlton around the corner. Thames clipper back down the river.

Backyard cinema
Jack the Ripper walk
Banksy street art tour
Camden market
Hire bikes

@HelenHywater I’ve done all of them.
I would say the Cheshire Cat is the most fun.
A lot of the clues are cryptic and a bit tricky, and I guess it depends on whether your 9 year old has done anything like it before, but I def think worth trying.
I would check as to whether children can do all of them, as a few of the rest stops are in pubs (but nice pubs).

my 9 yo is too young for the Go Karting in Bethnal Green unfortunately, and the Junk Yard golf is only open to under 16s Mon-Weds. I'm in Mile End on Friday. (I really should have started planning this sooner).

Similarly (for anyone else who reads this thread) Moo Canoes is only available the following week and my dd is is too young to kayak down the River Thames ! We have done quite a lot of kayaking in London before though, so I'm ok about that.

@tigerbear I think it says children can go into the pubs. It quite appeals to me! I'm torn between that tour and the treasure trails. I think my ds will prefer that.

I've done a Jack the Ripper tour before and it goes into a bit too much detail about prostitution, syphilis, alcoholism and wife beating. Interesting, but not particularly child friendly. Or maybe I just chose an interesting one.

@HelenHywater

I've done a Jack the Ripper tour before and it goes into a bit too much detail about prostitution, syphilis, alcoholism and wife beating. Interesting, but not particularly child friendly. Or maybe I just chose an interesting one.

They're really variable - I had a colleague who used to lead them as his side hustle and used to practice his talk segments on us during breaks

He had various different levels of detail so could change to suit the audience. Others might not be so versatile, and there really isn't much quality control

Highly recommend the Van Gogh Alive experience

vangoghaliveuk.com

Between the bridges pop up festival.. Book the plonk golf..

Udderbelly Festival

I follow museummum on Instagram, she does a lot of fun stuff. instagram.com/museummum

Today she posted about a treasure hunt at St Pancras which looked really fun stpancras.com/news-events/free-to-attend-treasure-hunts-with-sharky-george

And she did a summer long read on things to do in London museummum.com/2021/07/09/summer-holidays-london/

Have fun!

ArcelorMittal Orbit slide at olympic park.

Jack the Ripper or ghost tour.

Wizard afternoon tea at Cutter and Squidge.

Sketch for cool restaurant

think it sounds like you have plenty of good stuff planned. I honestly think that a couple of hours wandering around by the southbank is a great way to spend a an afternoon. Lots of free shows. The wobbly bridge, Tate modern (free entry) , lots of good restaurants - the IMAX by Waterloo also good. Good to get off the tube at London Bridge.. walk through borough market then walk up the river to Waterloo. Or head the opposite way when you get to the river towards tower bridge - the tower bridge museum was also a surprise hit with mine. (It has one of those glass floors in overlooking the river)

Yes to the Olympic park. Plus it's also a nice wide open place to explore and they could both ride Boris bikes around it too (plus Westfield right by for shopping)

I sometimes take my kids to Canary Wharf for a wander. (Mine are 11 and 14) . They have lots of squares, table tennis free, and there are some nice restaurants on the river after your wander here..

www.designmynight.com/london/restaurants/east-london/pizza-pilgrims-west-india-quay

Also great is Coal drop yard (tube to kings cross) .. fountains, restaurants and my DCs favourite- the massive Samsung shop with loads of free interactive stuff.. right on the canal.

Having spent years in London trying to entertain kids I think that some of the best days out have been the just walking about in an interesting place and taking it all in. It's such an exciting and diverse place that I don't think you need to have back to back bookings of activities to just soak up the atmosphere and culture.

Are your boys football fans? You could do the Arsenal tour of the Emirates stadium then the Sobell leisure centre 5 min walk away has a trampoline park and an ice rink.

I completely agree with that @lemonsaretheonlyfruit

Thanks all - really helpful. I agree that sometimes wandering is the best thing to do. We live here though and have done loads of wandering around Kings Cross and the South Bank. My dd does love the fountains in Granary Square still, so we may go there one day.

I didn't know about the golf on the south bank, so will book that. Have left it too late for Go Ape now as it's fully booked! All the dithering. (In my defence I thought my exH had taken them last week).

My eldest is a 13 yo boy, so it's finding something that doesn't make him roll his eyes and that he is happy to do with his 9yo sister. Sometimes he forgets he's a sullen teen and I like it when that happens!