Days out in London for a 3 year old

[vincettenoir]

I live in the suburbs of S London and can easily get to the centre with my dd.

I would like to take her for a few afternoons out in London over the next year before she starts school. We will probably bring the buggy on public transport. Can anyone recommend things that are age appropriate please.

I quite fancy taking her to the museums at S Ken but that is a mish to get to from here.

Zoo
Aquarium
London Eye
And if course museums. We did all those with our DC, from outside London, so 100% manageable.

The museums are fine from S London. The Tube is very exciting for little ones.

Don't try to do too much in one day. One museum is fine.

Have you tried the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill? Not central London, but near the station and it's great for little ones.

The London Transport Museum is good too.

Try the Horniman museum, it's free entry (though I think you have to pay for the Butterfly place). Plenty to do and see for all ages.

Museum of London
London Transport Museum
Thames clipper ride

Mine liked going on the bus, seeing street entertainers and the natural history museum .

London transport museum, Tate Modern, Horniman

Transport museum is great and you get an annual pass so can go as often as you like.

Mudlarks at the museum of London docklands in Canary Wharf is also fab (and free)

There's a city farm in rotherhide which is lovely but I'm not sure if it's reopened to the public yet. It was just doing school visits after covid

A ride on the clipper is great fun.

Oh yeah and Horniman, that's a great little museum.

Oh and there is a really nice little playground in st James park on site of Buckingham palace

Natural History Museum, Science Museum and there's little city farms everywhere which are free. Maybe the Jurassic world exhibition too.

@Seeline, great minds think alike!

OP, if you are driving, you can park on Horniman Drive, or Westwood Park and get into the gardens from there.

I have a 3.5 and 8 year old and live in north london. He's a fab walker but I still take the buggy on days out as he's usually pooped (and whingy) on the way home.

Natural history museum is a big hit
London Aquarium - we went in oct half term last year and he still talks about it
London Eye
Science Museum
Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace for changing of the guard
Tate Gallery
Anything along the South Bank

We take our 3yr old DD to Hamleys, she loves it.

Thanks for the suggestions. Yes, we go to Hornimans all the time and it’s great! Maybe I will brave the S Ken museums. I am very aware that as soon as we start school we can only go to these kind of places on days when they’re very busy.

@MolliciousIntent yes I fancy a trip to Fortnum and Masons to grab some Xmas presents so maybe that will be an opportunity to take her to Hamleys too. I’ll wait for the lights.

Museum of London closes in a few weeks until 2026, so if you want to visit there it needs to be sooner rather than later.

The 'Diana' playground in Kensington gardens was always a hit with our son when little,

There's the maritime museum at Greenwich too but I've not taken children there just teens