Everyday, London Life

Best Museums and Attractions in London With Play Areas / Soft Play

October 26, 2025

Noah and I love London museums and we especially love the fact that so many museums are accessible for under 5s now with specific activities tailored towards preschoolers. Many London museums and attractions also include a soft play or an indoor play area making them perfect for days out with children. I love the way these spots blend culture and the overall theme of the attraction to make them educational in a way that is easily accessible for small children. Here are the best museums and attractions in London with play areas or soft play.

London Zoo – London’s famous zoo now has a role play area and it’s something really special. It’s a place where your child’s imagination can run wild… Zoo Town is designed as a mini town within London’s famous zoo and tiny visitors can role-play different jobs tied to zoo work and conservation. The attention to detail is just incredible.

We loved the Vet hospital with an actual ultrasound machine, playing barista at the cafe, climbing the construction zone and working the post room and your kids are going to love the zoo poo section.

Location London Zoo, Outer Circle, London NW1 4RY
Age: Intended for 3 – 8s but 2 year old would also love it.
Cost: £1 on top of zoo entry. 45 min duration.

Young V & A – An incredible museum which features interactive galleries, called Design, Imagine and Play all of which feature an extensive collection of objects relating to childhood including over 2000 toys. The museum is a dynamic space with plenty of hands-on exhibits and workshops. We love under 2s space known as the Mini Museum which was a sensory explosion for babies and toddlers with lots to touch, hear and see with everything at eye level for little ones!

Location: Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, E2 9PA. Nearest tube Bethnal Green,
Age: 0 – 14 years
Price: Admission free

Science Museum – London’s famous museum dedicated to all things science also caters so well for littles. The Garden (open Tues – Sunday) is an interactive space where children can discover construction, water, light and sound through play. We love the Pattern Pod for more sensory and interactive fun, we also love the Science afternoon tea.

Location: Exhibition Road, South Kensington
Age: All Ages
Price: Free entry

London Transport Museum – Enjoy the All Aboard play area, suitable for 0 – 7. Fleet of mini vehicles of trains, boats and even a Emirates Air Line cable car. There’s also a Baby DLR for infants including an interactive wall and building blocks. Special events and sessions for under 5s run throughout the year.

Location: Covent Garden
Age: All ages
Cost: Adults £24.50, children, Free

Postal Museum – Do you know that there’s a secret railway under the streets of London? It’s actually how the post used to be delivered and you can ride in the preserved tunnels at the Postal Museum. At this fascinating space – perfect for children and adults – you can learn about the 500 years of history of the Royal Mail. With vintage items such as wartime letters, delivery vehicles and original stamps. One of the highlights is the Mail Rail train which is a ride underneath Mount Pleasant, the hub of the royal mail. The ride includes movies and scenes narrating the history of the post office. Another highlight is SORTED a postal themed soft play area where child can act out the role of the sorting office.

Location: Nr Farringdon
Age: All ages. Sorted is for age 0 – 8
Cost: Adult £18.50, Child £11.

The Musuem of London Docklands is one of my top choices for a family-friendly museum. Based around the story of London as a great port charting history from Roman times until now; the museum is packed with fascinating history but it is also incredibly child-friendly too. Noah loved the Mudlarks soft play, a dedicated gallery for children under 8 while I got to discover fascinating facts about my home city. I love the fact that the museum really embraces learning for toddlers and younger children. As well as the soft play, there are various family trails around the museum for children to interact with such as building, dressing up and sensory experiments. I’m planning to visit for one of their Tots at the Docks sessions at some point.

There’s plenty for older children too! Best of all the museum is free!

Location: West India Quay
Timing: Monday – Sunday 10am – 5pm
Age: All ages. Mudlarks is for age 0 – 8
Cost: FREE Mudlarks is £3.50 for babies and £7 over 10 months

Maritime Musuem – A free museum with one of the world’s largest maritime collection telling stories about sea travel, exploration, trade and navel history. There are hands on interactive galleries with lots of opportunities for role play. The AHOY! Children’s gallery for age 0 – 7 is an immersive soft play space with a maritime theme. There’s also the Cove playground which is free entry.

Location: Greenwich
Age: All ages
Cost: Free entry. Ahoy is free during the week and £5 at weekends and holidays.

The Army Museum – The central museum for the British Army explores the life of a soldier, the role of the army, battles and conflicts and the army in relation to society. There’s plenty of interactive exhibitions and a family trail. Play Base is an immersive soft play for age 0 – 8 with an assault course, cook house, quarter master’s store and more.

Location: Royal Hospital Road Chelsea
Age: All ages
Price: Free. Play Base is £7.

Dulwich Picture Gallery has a gorgeous ArtPlay Pavilion located in the Gallery’s Sculpture garden developed by Hold Art Collective. The Pavilion draws inspiration from classic works in the Dulwich Picture Gallery Collection allowing children to ‘run across Canaletto’s bridges’ or ‘swing among Poussin’s cloud’ with sensory rich activities inspired by sunlight, water, wind and earth. It features sustainable materials and circular windows to connect the light and the garden. Outside children can play on a sculptural slide created by Harold Offeh. The whole experience is a gorgeous combination of art, play and nature.