London - What can we do for FREE?

[hulahoopsilove]

with our ds age 9 - looking at the Tate Modern so will definately do that but wondering if there is anything else?

Natural History Museum, Science Museum.

British Museum
National Gallery
National Portrait Gallery
Picnic in a park

Definitely recommend the museums.
My DCs like just walking round different areas eg past Buckingham Palace, around St Pauls, The Tower, along the river, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, the Parks.

stroll on the south bank

Grant zoological museum

Coral fields

Coram not coral!

See the deer in Greenwich and Richmond Parks.

Not quite free but very cheap with an Oyster card is a trip on the Emirate airline (cable car over the Thames).

Also not quite free but pretty cheap are the commuter boats (Thames Clippers) that ply the Thames - don't go for the tourist boats.

ooo what are the clippers and where can we go on them?

The Olympic park has opened if you are anywhere near. Epping forest is also great if you are in East London!

Parks - Olympic Park is great, Coram's fields and Hyde PArk/Kensington Gardens are great

Most museums are free for general entrance - Natural History Museum, Science Museum and V&A all great. British Library also free.

Tate Modern, Tate Britain, National Portrait Gallery all good to wander round too.

Wander around central London (Covent Garden/Trafalgar Square/Picadilly) people watching.

Check out Time out London online - will let you know what else is going on.

South bank - the festival hall often has something going on in the ballroom at weekends, and it's free. Check online before you go. In fact there's always something free going on at the south bank.

They have a food market at weekends behind the festival hall, and a garden on top of the Hayward Gallery which you access by going up the yellow painted stairs.

Wahaca on the south bank is great too, it's a restaurant made out of old shipping cargo containers.

And the old standby for my children - the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. Brilliant.

You can go on the clippers from outside Tate Modern down to the O2/Millenium Dome. I had enough cash on my Oyster card to cover it, it's a little cheaper that way.

Check on the Tfl website tfl.gov.uk in order to find out other stops.

There's also a cable car but I've never used it so couldn't tell you where it goes from/to.

Think the clippers sound good will look at that - we only have a day so not that much time and dont want to be dotting here there and everywhere DS will moan!!!!

Think Tate Modern on the clipper will be good but nothing to do at the Dome is there????

walk along the south bank from waterloo to tower bridge

Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood - it's a V&A one now, but very good. Lots of toys to make you feel nostalgic and things the kids can play with as well as activities during holidays and weekends

The Museum of London is also very child friendly and free

Maritime Museum in Greenwich after pretending to drive the DLR. Wander up to the Observatory at the top of the hill though need to pay to go in.

Horniman Museum in Forest Hill/Dulwich. Great gardens and aimed at kids. The music room is great.

Walk from Waterloo along South Bank to Tate Modern and London Bridge. Go up Oxo Tower and admire views.

Walk through Soho and Chinatown to Covent Garden - explore Stamfords map shop and wander around the A to Z of London on the basement floor.

www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/free-london

buy sandwiches in a local tesco/M$S and eat in park rather than sit down cafe

Hunterian Museum, for pickled frogs etc. V near to Sir John Soanes House too.

good free toilets in the festival hall if you are on the South Bank

Astronomy at Greenwich. www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/on-display/astronomy-galleries

Not free but very cheap, The old operating theatre museum St Thomas St, Southwark is very interesting if your DC is not squeamish. One of ours had to wait outside!!

I haven't read the thread yet, because I can't contain my need to say Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology. Fabulous and not well known. It is tiny and doesn't have all the large finds that the British Museum has, but the BM is just up the road so you can do both for free.

Now off to make a list from all the suggestions.