As a London mum of two boys (aged 6 and 2), I’ve tried and tested many of the best experiences around London. Here’s a comprehensive list of the best things to do in London with kids of all ages. Personally I think London is one of the best cities in the world for kids with iconic landmarks, so many museums (many of which are FREE!) and green spaces – there are just endless family-friendly things to do in London.
My list will help to plan a fun itinerary whether you’re travelling with babies, toddlers, kids or teens!
Iconic London Experiences
Buckingham Palace – Visit the official home of the monarch, highlights are the Grand Staircase, the Ballroom and the Palace Garden. The palace is only open to visitors over the summer months. It is also the backdrop to the Changing of the Guard which happens all year round and is an unmissable London experience and normally happens on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 11:00 and on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday at 15:00 in front of the palace.
Location: Near Victoria Station
Price: £33 adult, £16.50 child
Tower of London – A London icon, a 1,000 year old London fortress and palace plus home to the crown jewels. The Tower runs family-friendly experiences and trails. Oscar and I are both fascinated with history especially Henry VIII and he loved the ‘living’ experience of being at the tower and all the child-friendly interactive exhibitions.
Location: Tower Hill
Price: Adult £35.80, Child £17.90
Tower Bridge – It was only recently that I found out that you could actually step inside and experience panoramic views from the high-level walkways whilst learning about the history of the bridge and see the steam engines that power it. Daring kids can walk across the glass floors plus everyone can enjoy the Tower Bridge Cat trail.
Location: Tower Hill
Price: Adult £12.80, child £6.40
Westminster Abbey is another historical site that Oscar loved (and honestly it took me by surprise that it could be so engaging for a six year old. But he was in awe in finding about the nearly 800 year old abbey, the site for the royal coronations and the burial locations for royals, scientific and historical greats. He loved the child-friendly audio guide the family trial.
St Paul’s Cathedral – The fascinating history alive under the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral will truly inspire children. Kids can enjoy their there and learn through a child-friendly interactive guide. Kids will also love climbing the Whispering Gallery and view the dome from above.
Step out in the Stone Gallery (376 steps high) to see views around London such as the River Thames, Shard, Walkie-Talkie and Millennium Bridge. If you dare, go even further to the Golden Gallery which is 528 steps high! There is a lift but part of the fun is taking the stairs! This isn’t something I’d recommend with very small children due to the number of steps and ‘scary heights.’
If your child is into maritime history lover there are several historic ships in London that your child can climb aboard. The Cutty Sark in Greenwich is a restored tea clipper which allows children to explore life at sea. HMS Belfast is a Second World War ship that brings history to life (note there are ladders to climb so this attraction is not accessible for very young children or people with access needs).
The Golden Hinde is a full-size reconstruction of the famous Elizabethan galleon of Sir Francis Drake – we’ve actually been there for pirate theme parties!
TOP TIP!! It’s worth looking into a pass such as Go City which covers multiple attractions.
The Globe Theatre – Operates guided tours that bring to life Shakepeare’s London. There are also speciality family tours and workshops. I would say my children were a bit too young for this (6 & 2 at the time) but it’s great for older kids.
Best Indoor Attractions
Museums – ‘museum’ can be an off-putting word to some kids but the London museums are really fun, interactive and best all many are free!
TOP TIP!! Bigger and more well known museums such as the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and British Museum are often very busy especially during school holidays. The best time to go is first thing in the morning. The lesser known museums can be hidden gems and are much less busy. It’s worth booking even for free museums.
Young V & A – An incredible museum which features interactive galleries, called Design, Imagine and Play all of which contain an extensive collection of objects relating to childhood including over 2000 toys.
Location: Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, E2 9PA. Nearest tube Bethnal Green.
Price: Free
Science Museum – London’s famous museum dedicated to science also caters well for children. The Garden in the basement (open Tues – Sunday) is an interactive space where children can discover construction, water, light and sound through play. Bring a change of clothes! The Pattern Pod is great for light exploration, sensory and interactive fun. We also love the science themed afternoon tea.
Location: Exhibition Road, South Kensington
Price: Free
Discover Children’s Story Centre – We love visiting the Discover Children’s Story Centre in Stratford. There’s two floors of immersive play space known as the Story Worlds as well as the Story Garden playground. The museum hosts interactive experiences, story telling and singalongs.
Location: Stratford
Price: £10
London Transport Museum – Find out about the origins of London’s transport. Enjoy the All Aboard play area, suitable for 0 – 7 with a fleet of mini vehicles of trains, boats and even a Emirates Air Line cable car. Singing, stories and craft sessions are run for under 5s in term time plus talks, guided tours and shows throughout the year.
Location: Covent Garden
Price: Adults £24.50, children, Free
Natural History Museum – The museum takes you through 4.6 billion years of the planet’s history. Brave kids can get up close and personal with dinosaurs as well as exploring the museums’ gardens.
Location: Cromwell Road, South Kensington
Cost: Free
Postal Museum – The history of the Royal Mail including a mini underground train where you can ride through preserved mail tunnels. Kids will love SORTED a postal themed soft play area where child can act out the role of the sorting office. This is still kind of a hidden gem and doesn’t get too busy.
Location: Nr Farringdon
Price: Adult £18.50, Child £11.
Maritime Musuem – A free museum with one of the world’s largest maritime collection telling stories about sea travel, exploration, trade and navel history. 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
Cost: Free entry. Ahoy is free during the week and £5 at weekends and holidays.
TOP TIP!! Noah and I loved a museum cafe! Most of them do children’s meal deals.
The Musuem of London Docklands – Based around the story of London as a great port charting history from Roman times until now. Noah loved the Mudlarks soft play, a dedicated gallery for children under 8 while I got to discover fascinating facts about my home city. As well as the soft play, there are various family trails around the museum for children to interact with.
Location: West India Quay
Price: FREE. Mudlarks is £3.50 for babies and £7 over 10 months
The Victoria and Albert Museum – a world famous museum dedicated to art, design and fashion with a collection of 2 million objects. Craft and design workshops are run throughout the year.
Location: South Kensington
Price: Free
British Museum – An epic museum dedicated to human history, art and culture. Highlights being Egyptian mummies, Parthenon Sculptures and the Rosetta Stone. Admittedly its pretty serious in tone and there’s no much for very small children but they offer activity backpacks and explorer trails.
Location: Bloomsbury
Price: Free
NOTE: Be aware that while some museums are free, they do charge for exhibitions or extra attractions such as play groups and soft play
Moco Museum – A modern, contemporary, and digital immersive art museum in London featuring iconic artists like Warhol, Haring, Banksy, Basquiat, Kusama, etc. While not strictly for children, the interactive art and displays will inspire them! I suggest combining with Frameless which is nearby.
Location: Marble Arch
Price: Vary, under 4s are free.
Museum of the Home – A sweet museum exploring the history of homes and gardens and how we used to live. There are play areas, family trails and sensory bags. It’s a small museum so worth combining with other nearby attractions.
Location: Hoxton
Price: Free
The Army Museum – The 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 family trails. 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
Price: Free. Play Base is chargeable at £7
The Horniman Museum and Gardens – The Horniman Museum in London is known for its eclectic mix of anthropology, natural history, musical instrument collections and a small aquarium. The surrounding gardens are stunning and there’s a butterfly house, and plenty of space for families to explore. It’s a quirky museum that combines education, culture, and outdoor fun. It’s another good option if you’re looking for something a bit quieter.
Location: Forest Hill
Age: All ages
Cost: Free. Aquarium is chargeable.
Immersive Experiences
Paddington Bear Experience – Step into Paddington’s world with an adventure through London and Peru! We explored interactive sets with live performances, and themed activities inspired by everyone’s favourite bear.
Location: County Hall, Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7PB, nearest tube Waterloo
Opening: Open daily from 10am,
Duration : 70 mins
Age: All ages, under 2s are free
Cost: Adult £34, children £24
Frameless – Immersive art experience where classic masterpieces are brought to life through projections and surround sound. Multi-sensory tots classes every Friday morning.
Location: 6 Marble Arch
Opening: Open daily times vary
Duration : Allow two hours
Cost: £18 or children and £28 for adults
Shrek Adventure London – A walkthrough experience that brings the world of Shrek to life with a series of live fairy tale-themed shows.
Location: Riverside Building, County Hall Westminster Bridge Road
Opening: Open daily times vary
Duration: 60 mins
Age: All ages under 2 are free.
Cost: From £24 for adults £18.50 for children
My two little boys love Peppa Pig and the afternoon tea was the perfect treat for Noah’s 2nd birthday. Most of the afternoon tea buses only allow children from age 5 but the Peppa Bus welcomes toddlers from age 2! The food is actually really good too.
Location: Victoria Embankment / Somerset House
Opening: Daily times vary
Duration: 90 mins
Age: Childen must be over 2.
Cost: Adult £48 Children £43
See this post for my comprehensive guide to child-friendly afternoon teas in London.
If Peppa is not your vibe there are several other Afternoon Tea bus options but check age restrictions.
Twist Museum – A place full of mind bending illusions and immersive artwork
The name “TWIST” stands for “The Way I See Things,” reflecting on the museum’s focus on how our brains interpret the world around us.
There are over 80 exhibits and the museum offers an assortment of sensory experiences that challenge visitors’ perceptions of colour, sound, space, and more.
Location: 248 Oxford St, London W1C 1D
Age: All ages, under 3s are free
Cost: Adult £27.50 children £21
Seven Wonders of the World: An Immersive Exhibition – Did you know you can see all the wonders of the world in one afternoon without leaving London?
Seven Wonders of the World, a immersive exhibition in London features the Seven Ancient and New Wonders of the World.
Many of the wonders are on my own bucket list but I haven’t had a chance to visit (I’ve only been to the Colosseum in Rome) so this experience gave me the chance to find out the history of the wonders, interact with exhibitions (such as build our own pyramids and touch the Hanging Gardens…. ) I learnt some fascinating facts, for example did you know that the hanging gardens of Babylon might not have actually existed, there’s no architectural evidence!
The highlight for me was the VR experience, you genuinely feel like you’re inside the wonders (be warned it’s so realistic it even sparked my fear of heights!) and finally we stepped inside a 360 video featuring all the wonders)
Use my code for 10% discount: WONLON10
Location: 106 Commercial Street, London, E1 6LZ
Duration: 70 mins
Price : From £21. 90 per adult, child £16.90. Under 4 is free.
Galleries
Dulwich Picture Gallery – This South London Gallery features an ArtPlay Pavilion that is perfect for children under 8. There’s a sculptural slide created by Harold Offeh and a soft play inspired by the classic art at the gallery.
Location: Dulwich Picture Gallery College Road, London SE21 7AD
Price: £9 for soft play
Tate and Tate Britain – Both museums run interactive exhibitions and workshops for children which are great ways to get creative and explore art. There’s a boat that runs between the two and personally I think it’s possible to visit both in one day and see the highlights.
Price: Free
National Gallery – The Roden Centre for Creative Learning (Welcome Space) is a dedicated area for families with drop in sessions at the weekend and school holidays.
Location: Trafalgar Square
Price: Free
Portrait Gallery – Runs family trails to help discover the gallery. Little Explorers classes are run for under fives to introduce the gallery to children through stories.
Location: St Martin’s Place, London, WC2H 0HE
Price: Free
Indoor Attractions
SEALIFE Aquarium – London’s biggest aquarium is home to thousands of marine creatures including sharks, rays and penguins. Includes immersive water tunnels and interactive exhibits.
Location: South Bank
Price: From £28
The London Eye – One of London’s most iconic attractions! The world’s largest observation wheel at 135 metres high. It takes about thirty minutes and you can book various other experiences to enjoy including afternoon tea. Skip the queue by buying fast track tickets.
Location: The Southbank
Price: Starting from £29
Sky Garden – A visit to the Sky Garden (it’s free by the way!) is a great way to get a scenic view of London and the greenery and plants make it an even more special experience. We love Darwin’s Brasserie for lunch.
Location: 1, Sky Garden Walk, London EC3M 8AF (inside the Walkie-talkie)
Price: Free
British Library – The UK’s National Library is beautiful and awe-inspiring plus they run regular sessions for kids. Perfect for little bookworms.
Location: Near Kings Cross Station
Price: Free
Check out my post on London’s best child-friendly restaurants.
Madame Tussauds – London’s famous wax museum with 3 floors and 8 immersive zones. Get up close with 150 of the world’s most famous faces!
Location: Baker Street
Price: From £27 per adult
TOP TIP!! If you’re visiting multiple Merlin Attractions (including Shrek’s Adventure, The London Eye, SeaLIFE, Madame Tussauds, Chessington World of Adventures and Legoland) it’s worth buying the Merlin Annual Pass which gives huge savings on Merlin days out.
Best Outdoor Attractions
London Zoo – The Regent’s Park zoo is home to 100s of animals and immersive exhibits such as Penguin Beach and the Land of Lions. We love Zoo Town, the role play area designed as a mini town where tiny visitors can role-play different jobs tied to zoo work and conservation.
Location London Zoo, Outer Circle, London NW1 4RY
Price: £1 on top of zoo entry. 45 min duration.
Battersea Children’s Zoo – Located in Battersea Park, this smaller scale zoo is perfect for little ones who will love meeting the animals and playing in the adventure playgrounds.
Location: Battersea Park
Price: Adult: £15.95 Child (2 to 15 years): £12.95
Vauxhall City Farm – If you have city kids like me, a visit to Vauxhall City Farm is the perfect place to meet pigs, sheep and even alpacas. Children also have the opportunity to feed the animals.
Location: 165 Tyers St, London SE11 5HS
Price: Free
WWT London Wetland Centre – Is a serene nature reserve in Barnes where families can discover restored wetland habitats of birds, butterflies, otters etc. Little ones with love the multi-sensory playground and playing the mud kitchen. They often run family trails and events over the holidays.
Location: Barnes
Price: Adult from £16.29, children over 3 are £11.65
Kew Gardens (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) – London’s most famous botanical garden with over 50,000 plant species. Little ones will love the children’s garden and other family attractions like the treetop walkway and the hive. There’s also a children’s restaurant.
Location: Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AE
Price: Adult from £24, child over 4 form 6
Parks and Playgrounds
Every kids loves a park and playground. The eight Royal Parks include:
Hyde Park – London’s most famous park has huge open spaces, the Serpentine lake for boating and playgrounds. The park is host to Winter Wonderland every year.
Kensington Gardens – A pretty park that’s home to Princess Diana Memorial Playground (temporarily closed)
Green Park – the small near Buckingham Palace. There’s no playground but it’s very quiet and good for picnics.
St James’s Park – London’s oldest park, you can see the palace, play with pelicans and enjoy the adventure playground.
Regent’s Park – Beautiful rose gardens and boating lake. It’s close to London Zoo and home to the open air theatre.
Greenwich Park – Home to deer, the Royal observatory and various playgronuds
Richmond Park – the largest Royal Park. Great for wildlife spotting.
Bushy Park – Home to fountains, waterfalls and a playground
We also suggest:
Battersea Park – A spacious park near Battersea Power Station. Home to Battersea Children’s Zoo, some lovely cafes, Go Ape and a few playgrounds.
Coram’s Fields & Playground – home to a huge outdoor play zone
Hampstead Heath Ponds & Playgrounds – One of London’s Iconic green spaces
Paddington Recreation Ground – West London Park with children’s playground and sport’s facilities.
Chelsea Physic Garden – One of London’s oldest botanical gardens. Discover rare plants, historic collections, and seasonal events in an urban oasis.
Best Theatres
Polka Theatre – A venue dedicated to children with shows for babies up to teens. Productions are often interactive, imaginative and sensory. The theatre also has play spaces.
Location: 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1SB
Little Angel Theatre – famous for puppetry and storytelling. Many of the shows are designed for under 5s. Oscar loved having a meet and greet with the puppets after the show.
Location: 14 Dagmar Passage, London N1 2DN
The Unicorn Theatre – Dedicated to shows for babies, toddlers and children up to teens. Many shows use physical theatre and story telling making them accessible for young children.
Location: London Bridge.
The Southbank Centre – One of London’s creative hubs. The South Bank centre hosts children’s theatre and festivals plus music, dance and story-telling for under 5s. The National Poetry Library also runs toddler sessions.
Location: Nr Embankment
The Lyric Hammersmith’s baby sister, Little Lyric plays home to shows that babies and toddlers will love.
Location: Hammersmith
Royal Albert Hall – Whilst more widely known for large scale extravaganza shows, The RAH also runs a programme for children. You can also do tours plus stop for the hall’s afternoon tea!
Shakespeare’s Globe – A icon in itself you can come here for a guided tour or work shop and immerse yourself in the secrets of Shakespeare’s London or book a performance. The Globe shows more than just Shakespeare so check the programme. The Swan restaurant is great for a bite to eat too.
An absolute treat and London bucket list experience is a visit to a West End show. Most theatres won’t allow children under around 4 years of age and honestly, you wouldn’t want to spend that amount of money on a theatre ticket and have to leave early if child wasn’t engaging with it. We’ve taken Oscar to Lion King and Matilda both of which he loved. On our wish list are Paddington The Musical, Hercules and Wicked.
TOP TIP!! Theatre tickets are extremely expensive nowadays but you can get discounts on Todays TIX, ATG Tickets and See Tickets. Or even try buying the direct from the box office or the TKTS booth in Leicester Square.
Shopping
Shopping in London is unbeatable and you can’t miss a stop at London’s biggest toy shop, Hamley’s which has seven floors toys to buy plus live demonstrations and mini shows. The LEGO store in Leicester Square is absolutely huge, even I love it there and it’s well worth a visit. While you’re in the vicinity, the M & M shop is good fun too!
If you love a shopping centre, avoid Westfield as it’s always crowded, I prefer Battersea Power Station as the building is iconic too. The Chimney Lift is a great viewing point and is preceded with a museum about the area. We also love Macaroni Penguin for soft play, a browse around the Peppa Pig shop and lunch in one of the restaurants. There are usually immersive experiences running too.
Covent Garden and Camden Town are well known for their atmospheric markets and you can easily spend the day there exploring shops, stalls and seeing street entertainers. In Camden you can visit Babylon, home to London’s indoor rollercoaster.
Kids may enjoy a themed walking tour such as Harry Potter, Doctor Who or Sherlock Holmes. But little legs can get very tired and there are plenty of options for tours that don’t involve too much walking for example a hop on, hop off bus tour will tick all the boxes of the top sights. A London cruise on the Thames is also a sedate way to see the city or simply an Uber Thames Clipper which is one of my favourite ways to travel around London.
Days out Around London
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Tour
Tottenham Fans (like my husband) can truly immerse themselves in the world of the game with this behind the scenes tour of the new state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
From the gym and changing rooms to the premium members area, Tunnel Club , it was so fun to see behind the scenes. We saw the Europa League trophy before running down the tunnel and onto the pitch! The stadium is next-level. Built for £1.2 billion, it’s the 3rd largest in England and home to the world’s first retractable pitch. We got to test the media zone, stand in the famous South Stand and we saw the actual ball being used that night!
While I skipped the Dare Skywalk , Mr S climbed to the top of the stadium and got to see the iconic Spurs rooster up close.
Location: Easiest by public transport nearest tube Tottenham Hale or White Hart Lane overground
Opening: Dates and times vary
Age: All ages technically but I would suggest over 5
Cost: There are different types of ticket our Match Day tour is from £50, a VIP tour is £65, the longer Technical Tour is £120. The Dare Skywalk is from £37.40.
Wembley Stadium Tour offers an immersive behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s most iconic sporting and entertainment venues. It’s London’s biggest stadium and is a memorable experience. You don’t need to be a football fan to enjoy it! I had a great time too.
Perfect for kids, LEGOLAND Windsor is packed with colourful rides, easy attractions, and play zones designed for younger children. DUPLO Valley is perfect for very small children with a play ground and soft play zones and splash safari. We actually got the Elizabeth line from Central London into Slough and then a taxi to Legoland.
Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour – I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that I haven’t read any of the Harry Potter books or seen the films so I’m not exactly a fan myself but we were invited along with a group of friends and honestly I was blown away by how amazing it was.
It’s really easy to get to from central London as you can catch a train to Watford Junction from Euston which only take 20 minutes and then there’s a free shuttle right outside the station. Otherwise you can book a package with a coach transfer. It’s really important to book in advance as tickets sell out really quickly. We could only get the 4pm slot but this actually works quite well as you can take as much time as you like and it closes fully at 10pm. The experience is actually a studio exhibition with a walk through of real sets, costumes and props.
You experience actual locations such as the Great Hall, Diagon Alley, the Forbidden forests, platform 9 3/4 etc and there’s great green screen photo opportunities such as broom stick flying. We were there fro 6 hours as it’s really detailed and there’s so much to see! Make sure you get the audio guide as that really enhanced our experience and beware of the shop as prices are high, even a bottle of is pricey.
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