Guide to the Best Attractions and Days Out in London for
Children
Finding stuff for the kids to do during school holidays or while on vacation
in London is easy. The sheer size of the city means that, wherever you're staying or living in
London, there's no shortage of things to do (especially as established attractions, galleries and
museums have exhibits, areas and interactive displays all designed for kids).
What's more, over recent years, the Government has agreed to fund the cost of
running London's most important museums, so little ones can (in most places) go for free!! In a
single day, you can therefore visit attractions dedicated to toys, mechanical theatre, transport,
science, nature and performance, while further afield, London has amusement parks, open spaces,
butterfly houses, children's farms and lots, lots more.
Of course, there's also the West End, where theatre shows such as the Lion
King and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang enchant kids of all ages. And afterwards, you can treat your
precious little dears to lunch at a funky eatery (such as the Rainforest Café) where kids
only seem to stop giggling once the food arrives (although not in all cases)!
Below you'll find a selection of our favourite kids attractions in London. All
those mentioned offer good value for money (with most being free), boast a high number interactive
displays/educational activities and also have extra fun stuff for children during the school
holidays!
Battersea Park Children's Zoo
Battersea Park, Battersea, SW11 4NJ, Tel: 020 8871 7540, Website: www.batterseaparkzoo.co.uk,
Open: 10am-dusk daily except Christmas and Boxing Day. Admission: £6.50 adults, £4.95 children,
Family Ticket (2 + 2) £20.50
Easily reached by rail to Battersea Park, the children's zoo gives youngsters
an opportunity to find out about farmyard animals and endangered species, with reptiles, otters,
flamingos and squirrel monkeys all on show (and supervised handling sessions too). In addition,
you'll find pony rides, educational workshops and occasional special events. Well-worth seeking out
and fairly inexpensive too.
Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood
Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9PA, Tel: 020 8983 5200, Website: www.vam.ac.uk, Open: 10am-6pm Mon-Thu, Sat
and Sun, Free admission
A branch of the V & A, the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood boasts the
biggest collection of its kind in the UK, with exhibits of toys, games, childhood objects, dolls'
houses and nursery antiques. Housed in a building which most visitors apparently compare to a train
station, you'll find lots of activities to keep children amused, as well as a huge selection of
teddy bears.
Chessington World of Adventures
Leatherhead Rd, Chessington Surrey, KT9 2NE, Tel: 0870 4447777, Website:
www.chessington.co.uk, For
Ticket Prices and Opening Times, please refer to company's official website
Still with zoo attached, although the loud, exciting and fun-filled theme park
takes centre-stage, Chessington World of Adventures features a number of spectacular rides
including 'Tomb Blaster' and 'The Vampire'. And though most attractions don’t have the same
educational value as other listings here, a new Sea Life centre is a worthy addition to Chessington's
range of facilities.
HMS Belfast
Morgan's Lane, Tooley Street, SE1 2JH, Tel 020 7940 6300, Website: www.hmsbelfast.iwm.org.uk, Open:
10am-6pm daily from 1 Mar to 31 Oct and from 10am-5pm from 1 Nov until the end of Feb. Closed 24-26
Dec and on 1 Jan, Admission: £10.30 adults, Children under 16 Free, £7.20
seniors and students, £6.20 Unemployed (in receipt of benefits), Tube: London Bridge/Tower Hill,
Show Map
Permanently moored near Tower Bridge in the Pool of London, the cruiser HMS
Belfast is an impressive example of a Second World War fighting ship. Weighing in at over 10,500
tonnes, it's also great fun to climb all over! And, although some of the areas open to the public
are accessed via steep stairs, children (particularly boys) love looking at the Belfast's bridge,
engine room and gun turrets.
Imperial War Museum
Lambeth Road, SE1 6HZ, Tel: 020 7416 5320, Website: www.iwm.org.uk, Open daily: 10am-6pm, Free
admission
Okay, so we admit that children playing soldiers isn’t all that
politically correct these days. However, when a museum has exhibits such as a World War II
Spitfire, V2 rocket, lots of tanks, guns, artillery pieces, a WWI trench and 'The Blitz
Experience', it's not only jolly good fun, but highly educational too. For example, part of the
museum is based around a 1940s house and gives a fine picture of how people were living at the time
against a backdrop of war. "How did they survive without Nintendos?" we hear those little voices
cry!
IMAX Theatre
1 Charlie
Chaplin Walk, South Bank, Waterloo, SE1 8XR, Tel:
0870 787 2525, Website: www.bfi.org.uk,
Admission: £8.50 adult, £6.25 concessions, £5 child (aged
4-14), children under 3 free,
Tube: Waterloo,
Show Map
Specially
designed to show IMAX movies on a massive 20 x 26 metre screen, this centrally located
cinema is great family fun. The sheer
quality of the projected images, coupled with fantastic sound, gives the audience a feeling of
being immersed within the film. Indeed, where motion is involved (i.e. aerial sweeps) you can feel
slightly dizzy. And, with the buzz of up to 482 people viewing a
movie at any one time, it's certainly a trip worth taking.
LEGOLAND Windsor
Winkfield Rd, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 4AY, Tel: 0870 5040404, Website:
www.legoland.co.uk, Admission: £35 adults, £26 children/senior
citizens.
Located 20 miles west of London, Windsor can be reached by rail from Waterloo (South West trains
run every 30 mins) or Paddington via Slough (Thames Train services every 25 mins to Slough, 2-3
trains per hour between Slough and Windsor). Once you arrive, take the bus service to the park
(approx 2 miles from the town centre) which operates near to both stations. Special LEGOLAND
tickets are available from most mainland stations which include admission to the attraction, plus
rail and shuttle bus travel.
Although by no means the cheapest option for a family outing, LEGOLAND Windsor
is nonetheless a superb attraction for younger children, especially those familiar with the current
LEGO range. The park itself is set in 150 acres of parkland and contains more than 50 interactive
rides, building workshops and cinematic/live shows. Of course Miniland, which contains detailed
LEGO models of famous landmarks within the British Isles and Europe is the park's principal draw,
although rides such as Pirate Falls, Space Tower and Extreme Team Challenge all provide sound fun
for kids. However, it's educational and imaginative attractions where LEGOLAND gets a firm "thumbs
up". FreeStyle Workshops allow young imaginations to run wild, while Technic Garage (which is
designed for older children) offers insight into the reasons behind mechanical advances such as car
suspensions. Of course, there are plenty of food and rest areas in which to take lunch or, if you
prefer, the cheaper option of a picnic. N.B. LEGOLAND gets extremely busy at weekends and during
school holidays.
London Auditorium (Previously London Planetarium)
Marylebone Road, NW1 5LR, Tel: 0870 400 3000,
Ticket
Information and Secure Online Booking, Tube: Baker Street,
Show Map
Easily recognisable by its large green dome, the London Auditorium (previously the Planetarium) has been helping visitors unlock the
mysteries of the universe for more than forty years. The main focus of the entertainment is a
thirty-minute show (generated by hi-tech projection equipment) that takes visitors on a journey
across the universe, introducing them to a number of cosmic phenomena in the process. In addition,
there are also two exhibition areas with interactive displays.
The Auditorium's first show is at 12.30pm Monday-Friday and then at 40-minute
intervals with the last show beginning at 5pm. Shows start at 10.30am on Sat/Sun. The
Auditorium advises that the show is not suitable for children under the age of five, although there is no bar
to entry if accompanied by an adult.
Note: A visit to the Auditorium cannot be bought separately, but is included in the price of a ticket for the whole
Madame Tussaud's Experience.
London Aquarium
County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7PB, Tel: 020 7967 8000, Website: www.londonaquarium.co.uk, Open: 10am-6pm
daily (last admission 5pm), See Website for Ticket Prices
A supervised touch pool is probably the highlight of any visit here (with very
friendly rays), although the Aquarium's collection also includes more exotic marine life such as
tiger sharks, stonefish, puffas and piranhas. The layout and display of the exhibits ranks
favourably with aquariums in other major cities, while wheelchair access is also available for the
disabled.
London Dungeon
28-34 Tooley Street, SE1 2SZ, Tel: 020 7403 7221,
Ticket
Information and Secure Online Booking, Tube: London Bridge,
Show Map
During school holidays and weekends in particular, the queues along Tooley
Street form early. So unless you've a penchant for queuing, buy a ticket in advance from the
Southwark's Information Tourist Office (Tel: 020 7403 8299) or the Dungeon's own website. It's
great fun for the kids though, particularly as ghoulish surprises greet unsuspecting visitors. With
an already dark interior made more scary by the clever use of special effects and multimedia, it
certainly scares youngsters silly (although most love it). Not suitable for smaller children
though, so if you're unsure contact the Dungeon for further information.
London Transport Museum
Covent Garden Piazza, WC2E 7BB, Tel: 020 7565 7299, Website: www.ltmuseum.co.uk, Open: 10am-6pm Mon-Thu,
Sat, Sun, 19am-6pm Fri (last entry 5.15pm), Admission: £10 adults, £8 senior
citizens, £6 students, Free admission children under 16
Vintage buses, trams and Tube carriages, lots of interactive exhibits and a whole host of things to
ride on, press, climb up and generally have fun with. An educational and fun visit for adults and
children alike, it's a lot better than actually having to use the real network!
London Zoo
Regent's Park, NW1 4RY, Tel: 020 7722 3333,
Ticket
Information and Secure Online Booking,
Show Map
Linked by pathways, tunnels and bridges, young visitors will enjoy seeing
lions, tigers, gorillas, bears and reptiles along with invertebrates in the Web of Life (it's
amazing how much kids love creepy crawlies) Elsewhere, the children's petting zoo provides plenty
of opportunity for youngsters to feed and touch friendly animals, while special events are also
organised on school and bank holidays.
Madame Tussaud's
Marylebone Road, NW1 5LR,
Ticket
Information and Secure Online Booking, Tube: Baker Street,
Show Map
Although we had reservations about including both Madame Tussaud's and the
Planetarium on this page (basically because you're now required to buy an expensive combined
ticket), both attractions are popular with families all year round. Indeed, though largely
inanimate - with the exception of a few jerky automatons - many of the figures are extremely
lifelike. However, there are a few disappointments along the way with JFK, Diana, The Beatles,
Pavarotti and Sean Connery having distinctly iffy doubles. However, as new figures are added
regularly (and others retired, so to speak) the exhibits tend to reflect "who's hot" in the world
of showbiz. Recent additions include Geri Halliwell and Kylie Minogue, so that's something for the
teenage boy fraternity, while other well-known stars from stage and screen are just waiting to be
spotted by the kids. We also strongly advise that you book in advance, rather than face the
inevitable long wait queuing.
Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD, Tel: 020 7942 5000, Website: www.nhm.ac.uk, Open: 10am-5.50pm Mon-Sat,
11am-5.50pm Sun, Free admission
An easy option for keeping the kids happy, displays at the NHM cover everything from the origins of
life to various land-based and marine species. With an earthquake simulator, roaring T Rex (which
really needs to clean its teeth a bit) a creepy crawly gallery, interactive displays and a special
children's centre in the basement, this is a no-brainer for putting on your top five list of "must
visit" attractions.
Royal Airforce Museum
Grahame Park Way, Hendon, NW9 5LL, Tel: 020 8205 2266, Website: www.rafmuseum.org.uk, Open daily 10am to
6pm, Closed 1 Jan, 24-26 Dec, Free admission
With a superb collection of fighting aircraft, budding pilots will enjoy the "hands-on" interactive
displays, together with exhibits covering aero engines, propellers and other bits and bobs. Most
impressive to youngsters however, are the many restored aircraft on display, including the graceful
Sunderland Flying Boat, an Avro Lancaster bomber, the amazing looking Bristol Blenheim and a VTOL
Harrier 'jump jet'.
Elsewhere, there's a new audio-visual presentation, "Our Finest Hour", which
depicts the events of the Battle Of Britain, while separate galleries allow you to learn the basic
principles of flight, as well as getting 'airborne' in a Jet Provost trainer. Recommended,
especially as admission is now free.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL, Tel: 0870 442 0808, Website: www.vam.ac.uk, Open: 10am-5.45pm Tue-Thu, 10am-10pm
Wed, 10am-10pm Last Friday of each month, Free admission
The V & A has come along way from the stoic museum of old, with displays and activities to stir
the imaginations of children all ages. For example, The Activity Cart lets youngsters explore the
museum's collections through drawing and fun activities in different galleries, while Activity
Back-Packs (which are borrowed) let you embark on one of nine adventures including: Murder Mystery,
The Explorer, The Antique Detective and Magic Glasses. So much fun, even we'd like to have a
go!
Fun Places for Kids to Eat in London
Babylon, The Roof Gardens
99 Kensington High Street, W8 5SA, Website: www.roofgardens.com
Kids not only get to enjoy the roof garden, but a tasty menu for just £8 (with dessert)
plus a magician/entertainer to keep them entertained on Sunday lunchtimes (from 12.30-3pm)
Belgo Centraal
50 Earlham Street, Covent Garden, WC2 9HP, www.belgo-restaurants.co.uk
Great comfort food for adults, plus an excellent deal for children (whereby one child eats free per
adult). Nothing too exotic on the menu, but they do get ice cream and a soft drink with their
meal.
Rainforest Café
20-24 Shaftesbury Ave, W1U 7EU, Website: www.therainforestcafe.co.uk
With menu items such as mojo bones, rasta pasta, lamb la bamba and gorilla mist (banana)
cheesecake, it's fair to say the Rainforest Café is very child friendly! Indeed, fab
décor, friendly staff and great food (regardless of whether you're an adult or child) make
it a children's favourite!
Navajo Joe
34 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JD, Website: www.navajojoe.co.uk
Great value Tex/Mex menu for children costing £4.95 for a main course, ice cream and soft
drink. And, it's a trendy Covent Garden eatery too!
Planet Hollywood
13 Coventry Street, Piccadilly, W1D 7DH, Website: www.planethollywoodlondon.com
Okay, so burgers make up a large proportion of what's on offer at Planet Hollywood.
However, the
restaurant has a great atmosphere, waiting staff are really good with kids, and the menu - which
costs £7.95 - offers a choice of burger (or veggie burger), hot dog or pasta, and includes
ice cream and soft drink.
Smollensky's on the Strand
105 Strand, Covent Garden, WC2R 0AA, Website: www.smollenskys.com
Visit with your kids at weekends and you won't be disappointed! As an American themed restaurant,
Smollensky's offers a magician on Saturdays, a clown on Sundays, face painting and a goody
bag for every child upon arrival. Of course, the latter will kept them happy until the
food arrives, at which point they'll tuck into a good quality, well-priced menu, and remain (almost)
silent until the plate is clean!
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