London in February - ideas/recommendations please :)

[ETsmum]

Thats it really. Me Dh and DS aged 4 1/2 yrs for 2 nights. Thinking the Tower of London, London Zoo/Aquarium and poss the Science museum, depending on weather etc. Almost a dead cert that DS would be scared of the Planatarium though.....opinions/ideas welcome

have you thought about london eye? that is really good fun and right near the aquarium. Also if you're ds is into dinosaurs, the natural history museum.

We went to Kew Gardens last february and had a really lovely time.

Ohh yes, London Eye would go down well I think, thanks poppy. And I hadn't got as far as thinking about it being near the aquarium, so that would work out well. Anything to avoid walking round too much - just know how tired and cranky I am by the end of a day walking round London.

Thanks for the Kew gardens idea mimizan - will have a look now.

I don't know your Ds - but I would hazard that the tower of london may be by parts too gruesome and too grown up for him.

My top tip is South Ken - easily fill your whole holiday if you let it. Natural History Museum is fantastic. Good (indoor) picnic area, which will help to keep costs down. Science museum, as you mention - which includes 'Launchpad' and 'Garden' hands on areas.

If the weather is OK, you can walk in St James' (?) park, feed the swans, and go to the fantastic Princess Diana memorial playground. You'll walk past Albert Hall, and you;re round the corner from Harods, London Eye on the skyline, so you'll be seeing the sights too.

All those museums are free entry - which helps.

I would spend one day at The London Eye and the Aquarium, lunch at Giraffe restaurant. If energy, take the boat (from under the eye) it goes along the river to The Tower of London and back again. Even better is the Duck Tour, which goes from road near to London Eye, its great fun, it tours the sights on road, and then drops into the water, and you travel back in the water. My boys loved it when they were little.

The other day would be Dinosaurs and big animals in Nat History, through to Science Museum. Then maybe Harrods toy department! Lots of places to eat in there.

Bluesky and MerryKIFmas, just wanted to say a big thaks for your ideas too - haven't been ignoring you, honest Will give the Tower of London careful consideration.....from what I remember though he might like the "castleiness" of it......will give thought to whether it would be worth the money.

Indoor picnicing sounds great - Feb and a fussy ds would suit that down to the ground. He is happy with fruit and bread from M&S, so it's good to know where we might be able to eat this! And you can tell I never visited London with ds before.....didn't think there would be any playgrounds as such, so thanks again.

The Duck Tour would be perfect too - we have told him there are busses that can also go in water from a prev hol we went on, but I didn't know they did a tour like this in London.

What sort of things does the Giraffe restaurant do please? And any other food ideas......ds is into plain and simple, we had thought possibly the Rainforest cafe (presuming it's sitill open?) Just not sure what ds would make of the indoor thinderstorm

Hi ETsmum. I found the rainforest cafe really dark and depressing! With an occassional roar.

Giraffe has got a website with menus, www.giraffe.net

kids stuff, and burgers etcv, but healthily done, lots of brown rice, good portions, balloons, crayons, nice staff etc.

At the Tower of London I saw they had a wagamamas, which my two like, for noodles and rice, again a good kids menu.

I have a very fussy son, and he will go to the above 2!

I think the Tower is probably a bit old for him as it's expensive to get in. How about Tower Bridge instead? You can go inside one of the towers and it's quite high up and exciting.

Giraffe have a website so you can look at the menu.

Also second St James Park - the playground is lovely and the pelicans go down well with small children