Looking for London summer hols recommendations

[SaulGoodmanIsTaken]

But there’s a catch! Something that can only be done in London but isn’t a tourist attraction as we have been lucky enough to visit many of these. Museums we know to avoid in holidays (too busy!) and in term time (also too busy!), open to all ideas.

kids are 7 and 9.

thanks!

There's more unusual museums? At that age ish we went to the Wellcome collection museum, remember taking them rowing on the serpentine. Think they were about those ages when we did the cabinet war rooms too. There's always the "all the roads on the monopoly board" option though not the drinking version! (Photograph in front of each street sign, cost is a travel card basically)

Watch the pelicans in St James park be fed - times and location here www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/st-jamess-park/things-to-see-and-do/wildlife/pelicans
Ride the Cloud Cable Car
Do the Morph sculpture trail https://www.morphsadventurelondon.com/art-trail/

The playground in Greenwich Park is great and Greenwich is lovely for a wander around/lunch. The Naval Museum nearby is not as hectic as NHM/Science museum but I prefer walking up to the Royal Observatory (and standing in the GMT line!).

Kids events at the Southbank are usually fun.

There are also four plays aimed at children in Coram Fields this summer - they are included in the Kids Week theatre ticket deal so lots of half price options in July & August. Good playground at Coram Fields and lots of lunch options in the nearby Brunswick Centre.

I am also interested in the Morph trail mentioned above for this year!

It’s not cheap, but the speedboat trips down the Thames are SO much fun. Various companies offer them.

Go somewhere with a London view? Sky Garden is free/cheap but you need to book way ahead.

Go to the Notting Hill Carnival. Sunday is less chaotic than Monday. Go early (midday) and leave before 5pm to avoid the real madness.

If the weather is nice, a picnic in a London park. Hyde Park - pedaloes on the Serpentine. Holland Park, St James, or one of the more wild parklands like Richmond or Hampstead Heath.

There's a fab escape room in a disused tube station in Kentish Town, but might be a bit scary for little ones. Hidden London do some great tours of abandoned tube stations, too.

Crystal Palace Park. Have a walk around the dinosaurs. Go on the peddalos and then do the street art tour of Penge.

Some lovely cafes in the area for lunch too.

I always found the big museums were quieter in the summer holidays than other school hols (especially half term). And the art galleries are usually fine.

Ceremony of the keys at the tower (apply for tickets in advance)
Hamleys
Greenwich esp tge meridian
Ally pally
Walk along the south bank

Hi OP did you come up with anything good, as I have the same question and same aged kids?

We had a diverted itinerary but
Sky garden
tate modern
one new change

in a rainy emergency, BrewDog in Waterloo

Kew Gardens are doing an outdoor theatre version of wind in the willows, which involves moving around the gardens a bit.

Oh yes brewdog is a good idea

Why Brewdog? I thought it was just a pub chain?

• Princess Diana memorial playground
• Greenwich - go up the hill to the observatory, the playground at the Naval museum as mentioned, and the food markets are great
• Around the corner from Waterloo brewdog, there's a big graffiti tunnel which is cool to look at but not a 'destination' in itself
• Battersea Power Station is cool to look at, good lunch options and has a big grass area with games set up
• You can get an Uber boat rather than a river cruise - much cheaper!

I think it has a bowling alley and slides inside but have not been before