London-mums! one week in London, me dd (11) and ds1 (8) & ds2 (7) suggestions!?

[persephonesnape]

I am going home! and I'm taking my children to London for the first time. I left in 1990, I'm sure there have been just a few changes but I'd appreciate input from London-mums

friday - family stuff. visit mums grave and go to where i used to live ( brixton, east dulwich/peckham)

saturday science or natural history museum or a morning in one and an afternoon in the other.

Sunday - family stuff

monday, ds1s birthday! planning imperial war museum ( he likes conflict...) then off to either the london eye or a river trip, then parliament, downing street trafalgar square (portrait gallery), buck house, cov garden, shaftesbury ave, oxford and regents street (hamleys!) etc

Tuesday hornimans museum. dulwich park.

wednesday, visit kids paternal aunty and go see wicked in the afternoon ( very excited)

thursday...?

friday back home.

any tips, suggestions (preferably free!) pointers, places where i have gone hopelessly wrong would be very much appreciated. I know a lot of it is ultra touristy, but i do want them also to get a sense of where i grew up.

thank you in advance.

The livesey museum on the Old Kent Road is supposed to be very good.

bloody hell, you're gonna be knackered!

given the area i'd say Greenwich. We used to walk under the river then get the DLR back - the kids loved it!

Then there's the maritime museum most of which is free, again a big hit and if they need an extra tiring out climb the hill and do the Observatory as well!

Tower Bridge and the Engine Room museum is pretty cool.

There's also The London Dungeon and another War Museum at London Bridge. Think the dungeon is a bit pricey tho.

Oh and The Aquarium.

But, seriously I'd say Greenwich. The tunnel is free, the DLR is very cheap and going back thru the tunnel if you stand in the front carriage it's like being a roller coaster.... well a little bit! Looking at the Cutty Sark is also free.

And there's the covered market which is fairly well populated on a Friday. Some nice lunch options (sit down or on the hoof) and COFFEE!

hth and have a fabulous time!

You could get the boat back from Greenwich to the London Eye and finish off with a 'flight' on that at dusk?

Took my dd1 to Tate Modern last Sunday. There are big helter-skelter slides/tubes, which you needed a (free) ticket for each slide/person. That was quite fun, but i ended up going down it as dd1(7) was too scared. Made me feel a bit dizzy though.

Also, a visit to Tate Britain where she sat and made a collage of a painting. She enjoyed that and I was really pleased with her art work.

thank you for all responses so far - yes we are going to be knackered. hoping that will account for much sleeping when we get back to my relatives

maritime museum does sound good actually - I don't want to completely museum them out ( I can't remember what the livesey does... i could google..) but London is my undisputed museum capital of the world, so it would be daft to not go.

I think tate modern may bore them a little. I was thinking the portrait gallery on the basis that they may recognise some folk (...) which might make it a little more palatable. and i think the slide installation may be done by the time we get there ( end March btw, I am just over-planning and excited! squeeeal!)

Duck tour? Supposed to be fab.

Bus Tour - get a feel of the place that you miss travelling by tube. Great buildings in the city, St Pauls, Westminster, Trafalgar Square etc.

Blimey, London's great isn't it.

Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens (Diana playground)

Kew Gardens

Hampton Court

take them for a ride on the DLR

The Monument

persephone, where are you coming from?

haven't been to the National Portrait for donkeys years but don't know that i'd take my skids there tbh. mind you, they're not massively culturally encouraged at home etc...

the good thing about Maritime is that there's plenty of hands-on exhibits.

there's also the iMAX at Waterloo and Camden is quite a spectacular place for out of the ordinary shopping!

I know its cold, but the Princess Diana Memorial playground in hyde park - is a huge hit with mine, its more than a normal playground.

Science museum - is a great idea, go to the basement.

the museum of childhood has been getting good reviews since it reopened.

Tower of London is one of my faves - although its not free. Check out Timeout for other events going on.

thanks for timeout link! you forget all these things.

Kbear we will go everywhere by bus as kids are free are they not? i find this amazing and obviously the mark of a superior city!

do i need oyster cards for the kids btw? can i get by for as week without an oyster for me, but just on travelcards etc.

Not sure i could in all good conscience do anything with my children that involves princes Di, although I'm happy to show them buck house and the victoria monument etc. might do the harrods food hall

sorry, forgot, paddlechick we're coming from Glasgow. we expect to be culturally stunned by our visit.

this might be useful

as might this

lol, london'll stun ya one way or another!

the kids travel free on bus or tube but not on the river afaik.

i believe that weekly travel cards are now issued on an oyster but you don't need photo id unless it's a monthly so you will get an oyster. kids only travel free on weekends but got this off the oyster site:

Under-11s go free

Adults with a valid ticket, or using Oyster
to pay as they go can take up to four under-11s for
free on the Tube and Docklands Light Railway during
off-peak hours:

From 0930 Monday to Friday
All day at weekends and on public holidays

Before 0930 on weekdays, all under-11s must
pay the appropriate fare or use their Child Oyster photocard to pay as they go.

HTH

thank youfor the kids love london link imafairy. looks great!

paddlechick. i stand by my initial assumption that my home town is the greatest city in the world on the basis of free transport for children. that's absolutely wonderful!

yeah it's a big plus isn't it? espcially with an adult fare at £2 for cash these days.

mind you, that's if you can get on a bus or one comes! i had to share a cab this morning for lack of a bus - worked out same as a single journey but I'd already spent £9 on a peak hour travel card,

GRUMP!

the fight on the semi-fast train into Waterloo when one woman shoved another was entertaining tho - really brightened my day.

LOL

Oh - and one thing to bear in mind if you're travelling on the buses - if you pay cash, it's £2 per journey, however if you have an Oyster it's only £1.

can i just get an oyster for me when I touch London ground again at Euston, or will i have to send off for one prior to getting there? buggered if i'm paying double for the bus!

will my eleven year old ( tall, annoying, bra-wearing) have to get a child oyster as well and how are they authenticated? birth cert or something?

it's all very confusing (and exciting! )

You can buy an Oyster for yourself when you get to Euston, just ask for one at the ticket office: you have to pay £3 + however much you want to put on the card. Then just top up at tube stations or newsagents that do oyster top ups. I think 11s and unders travel free on tube and buses (definitely buses, not sure about tube) so you shouldn't need to get the kids tickets at all, but someone else will know about this for sure

PS you can get a weekly travel card on your oyster when you buy it - not sure how much that would save you if anything though.

i didnt realise you had to buy your oyster card. i did see a poster saying weeklies will now be given on an oyster tho.

i'd say just ask for a weekly travel card for the zones you want and see what the ticket counter give you.

your 11 year travels free with you, i've never encountered anyone who's questioned my very tall (bra wearing but doesn't need it!) niece but you never know. have you got anything with her d.o.b. just in case you get a jobsworth?

btw, check the oyster site for 2 for 1 offers at various tourist attractions - there might be some savings to be had.