Ideas for London with 9 & 4 year old?

[Shufflebumnessie]

We've booked a couple of nights in London for mid August. We're staying very close to the London Eye. What would you suggest for day 2 please?
Our plan is as follows:
Monday - AM - arrive in to Waterloo, leave bags at hotel, lunch.
PM - British Museum, Hamleys, Disney store, dinner.

Tues - we need ideas. Was thinking maybe a short boat trip or Platform 9 3/4 as DS is a huge Harry Potter fan but not sure. All suggestions welcome.

Wed - check out of hotel.
London Eye and Aquarium (paid for using Tesco Clubcard vouchers)
Train home later afternoon/early evening.

Thanks in advance.

The Diana playground in Kensington Gardens? Or the Olympic park. Or Battersea Park.

Would be nice to do something outside/running around based after shops/museum/aquarium etc.

If I were you I would move some of your Monday PM activities to Tuesday so its less of a rush.
You could also build in some time to mooch along the South Bank at Waterloo (there are often street entertainers and there's a playground).

"The Diana playground in Kensington Gardens? Or the Olympic park. Or Battersea Park."

All of these are quite far apart. Think about how much time you want to spend on the tube/travelling with two kids in tow.

Science museum, walk through Kensington gardens, with a stop at the Diana memorial playground, boating on the Serpentine if you make it that far. Grab a picnic lunch from one of the cafes.

I always suggest this on these threads, but I would get a boat from Waterloo to the Tower, & have a good look around there.

Then I'd cross the river & have lunch at the Anchor, then go to have a look at Borough Market (where they shot bits of Harry Potter), then a look at the Tate Modern, then the boat back.

I love Kensington Gardens and there’s often people hand feeding green parakeets.

Waterloo is quite convenient for visiting Kew gardens.

Kew Gardens also has a great playground, but you do have to book in advance.

'All of these are quite far apart. Think about how much time you want to spend on the tube/travelling with two kids in tow.'

I did mean one or the other, not all three!

Horrible histories boat trip maybe. It leaves from near the Tower of London.

Or a trip into the tower of London.

Or the museum of London.

I live in London with an 8 and 3 yr old. Lots to do but at times hard to do something for both ages. Some that I have done with both and worked well...

Cutty sark in Greenwich is a great day out, you can go by boat and the London observatory is there. Lots of nice places to eat and open parks too. Some nice shops. Not too sure what days the market is open there.

Science museum or Natural history museum then could walk up to Hyde park go through it and up to the princes Diana gardens/ play area. That's alway a big hit with kids.

Tower of London, great right now as less busy with lack of overseas tourists! Could also climb tower bridge if your 4 yr old is up to that.

London transport museum. Probably more geared to your younger one though so would depend on your older one. But it's in Covent Garden where my kids love to go just to watch the street performers. I could hang out there for at least half a day with them and they would be quite happy watching all that's going on.

Theatre tickets, possibly lion king??

Further afield, Battersea park is lovely. It has Battersea zoo, much cheaper than London zoo! Also nice play area and lake where you can hire boats. Just a nice park to hang out for the day.

Kew Gardens, if you fancy it they usually have something on for kids. Also have a great kids play area.

Not sure if it's still there but a few years ago we went to the shrek show that's near the London eye. It was fab!

Some great suggestions on here but from a Battersea local, I really wouldn’t do Battersea park zoo. It’s a really random collection of animals and ancient play equipment that’s much worse than the actually quite good stuff in the free park playground. My friends digger obsessed 2YO quite likes it but even my 4YO finds it boring, I can’t imagine a 9YO enjoying it, it’s really aimed at toddlers.

Open top bus tour. You can get on and off where you like . Ours also included a boat trip from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge.

There's a Paddington Bear exhibition at the British Library this summer, which would be worth a look, esp if you're going to Kings Cross to see the platform.

Get the boat from London City pier to battersea power station, play in the park (it even has a go ape if you need something specific to do) and then you can have lunch/dinner in the park or in the power station restaurants. Take a taxi home (or walk across to Sloane Square and ge the tube home).

Tower Bridge is great for that age group. If you check the website you should be able to see it rise. Get the boat there - the Horrible Histories one looks good.
Walking slowly along the South Bank from Waterloo to Tower Bridge is IME a better way to get play and exercise and see things rather than trekking out to a park in Zone 3. There are lots of things to see and climb, and More London has fountains you can splash in. The Millennium Bridge is a key Harry Potter location.

Thank you all so much for the suggestions, some great ideas that I would not have thought of. I'll have a look at each location and see what would suit us best.

kids will enjoy science museum or natural history museum a whole lot more than the British Museum.
I would go to the Diana Park as well or punting on the lake in hyde park, it's very reasonably priced. Battersea park (the free playground), but the Diana park is better if only time for 1.

@SoTiredNeedHoliday

kids will enjoy science museum or natural history museum a whole lot more than the British Museum. I would go to the Diana Park as well or punting on the lake in hyde park, it's very reasonably priced. Battersea park (the free playground), but the Diana park is better if only time for 1.

Agree with this as my eldest find the British museum boring but love the science museum.

@soTiredNeedHoliday thanks for the ideas.
We've been to the Science museum and Natural history museum before.
DS has asked to go to the British Museum as two of his topics this year were Ancient Greece and Romans and Celts, plus he will be doing Ancient Egypt next year. We certainly won't be spending hours there (although I easily could!).

You might find this thread helpful too: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4304928-does-anybody-know-london-and-can-help-me

I would head up to the Puppet Barge in Little Venice - in my view possibly the most enchanting place on London for kids. it's a barge that has been converted into a tiny theatre where shows are put on using string puppets - about an hour long inc interval where you. It's all reasonably priced, An utter delight.

I can't see if anyone has already mentioned but the British Museum isn't too far from Kings Cross so you could combine the two.

I would recommend the Sky Garden as tickets to the garden are free (book ahead) I think about 35 floors up, you can see the Tower of London/Tower Bridge, St Pauls etc - try to combine with sunset or when Tower Bridge is due to open. Also, a walk through Leadenhall Market is good for Harry Potter fans, see the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.

You used to be able to use Tesco vouchers for Tower of London tickets. We have enjoyed visits there in the past.

British Museum is great for the Egyptian section - the mummies, ginger man and the mummified cats.

The tower is fascinating for kids and adults alike. Have lunch at St Catherine's Dock nearby.

Boating on the Serpentine is lovely, but if time is short, St James Park is much more interesting to walk through than Hyde Park.

My kids always loved the Impressionists at the National Gallery, especially Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Seurat's bathers.

If you are going to the Science and/or Natural History Museums, stop by the courtyard at the V&A for a relaxing icecream and dipping their toes in the fountain.