This week I won the jackpot in the blogger’s lottery. Digital Parents and Tots 100 have organized an international blog swap. Bubs on the Move was matched for the swap with Family Travel Times written by Sarah Ebner, a professional journalist and her daughter Jessica aged 12. Jessica’s brother Robert who is 8 sometimes guest posts too. UK based Sarah has written this article, sharing her secrets for enjoying London with kids, just for us. After you read this article don’t forget to hop on over to Family Travel Times to check out more of her great family travel stories.
I’m delighted to be guest-posting for Danielle as part of the Tots 100 and Digital Parents International Blog Swap Day. As a Londoner, born and bred, I thought it would be easy to write Danielle a piece on what you should do in London with kids. I was wrong…
The problem is that there is just too much to do in my beautiful, busy, dirty, spectacular capital city and I just can’t make a definitive list! Instead I’m making an attempt to recommend some great things to in London with kids. It doesn’t make for such a good title, but if (when) you do come to London, these won’t disappoint.
Landmarks:
London is full of history and historical monuments. If you take a walk to Trafalgar Square (you can pop into the National Gallery whilst you’re there and see some marvellous paintings), you’ll soon spot Nelson’s Column, surrounded by fountains, and of course, the famous lions. Kids of all ages will like wandering around here, and attempting to climb up the lions.
That, of course will not take you long, and it’s also free, as is watching the changing of the Guard, which you can see from various locations. The Mall is probably best as the guards march for longest there, and of course, you can also follow this with a visit to Buckingham Palace itself. The Palace needs a good half-day at least, but we’d recommend it, not least because they offer a kids’ audio tour which my son really liked. Book your tickets in advance and marvel at the Queen’s home (and read what my daughter Jessica had to say about it).
The Tower of London is truly spectacular. I walk past it every day on my way to work and never tire of the view. It’s definitely worth adding to your itinerary, and will introduce you to the crown jewels, plus the White Tower, ravens and much, much more. It also offers activity trails and guided tours for children.
Tower of London
If you want an aerial view of London, then you must visit the London Eye or the Shard. One is enough (yes, London is great, but when you’re looking from up high, it doesn’t matter which tourist attraction you’re at) and both are expensive, but the Shard is newer so may win on that count.
However, the Eye is located on the South Bank of the River Thames which is a great place for a lovely walk. You can take the tube to Westminster Station, peek at Big Ben and the House of Commons and then cross the bridge and walk to the Eye. If you want a bit more of a walk, keep going down towards the National Theatre, where you will see stalls and restaurants. Waterloo Bridge is a particularly brilliant spot for an iconic London photograph, while if you keep on walking (you’ll need a rest at some point if you have children with you), you’ll come to the Globe Theatre (a wonderful place to visit, with tours and guides who are really good with kids), Millennium Bridge and Tate Modern.
Attractions:
Your kids may not want to spend their holiday traipsing around historical monuments, so it may be a good idea to mix them up with the kinds of places which have more obvious “child appeal”. My son loves the London Bridge Experience and the London Dungeons, mainly because they are scary (and the Dungeons has some great rides). Both my children also love Ripley’s Believe it Or Not, based in Piccadilly Circus (my daughter wrote a blog post about it here, where you can see all sorts of wacky and wonderful things. Madame Tussauds is another great place for a day out, but can have huge queues. Look online for deals as all these are costly, plus if you buy tickets in advance you can sometimes skip the queues.
On another, slightly more unusual note, we all absolutely loved clueQuest where you are locked in a room and need to solve clues to get out (see our blogpost), and we also greatly enjoyed our visit to the Golden Hinde where we took part in a Tudor fun day. This was fun and educational, which is a pretty good combination – read what Robert had to say about it here.
Robert and Jessica at ClueQuest
Goldenhinde
Green London:
London has some beautiful parks. You can hire a boat at Hyde Park and Regent’s Park, and also catch a show at the Open Air Theatre (summer months only) in Regent’s Park. The Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens, next to Kensington Palace, is absolutely brilliant, and suitable for all ages up to around 12. You can only enter if you have children with you and your kids will love it because it’s so well designed (with a ship, swings, slides and more).
Greenwich, which boasts the Royal Maritime Museum, Observatory and multiple restaurants, is gorgeous and relaxing, though a little bit out of the way to get to (the nicest way is to take a boat from near Embankment and travel down the river).
Museums:
London has some fantastic, interactive and very child-friendly museums, for all ages. Top amongst our picks would have to be the Science Museum which is full of fascinating exhibits and shows. The Natural History Museum contains the famous dinosaurs, while the British Museum has Egyptian mummies. Be warned though that the last two are always very busy and can be a bit chaotic.
If you’re looking for something a little less obvious, Discover, the museum of storytelling in Stratford, East London, is wonderful for small children, while our kids also liked the Bank of England museum. The Museum of London and Museum of London Docklands (which has a “mudlarks” play area for young children) are also real gems and tend not to be as busy as many of the other museums, while the Imperial War Museum is excellent and not just for those interested in tanks and planes!
Well, that’s about it for our whistle-stop London tour. I can’t believe that I haven’t mentioned the Zoo, taking a trip north to the Harry Potter studio tour at Leavesden (magnificent, but you must book in advance) or going out for afternoon tea (could you really come to London and miss this? I don’t think so). We haven’t yet been to the Olympic Park which has recently reopened and offers you the chance to swim in the Aquatics centre and explore the place which made London 2012 so special. Are you tempted by what’s on offer? I hope so.
I have also written a story for Sarah – Exploring the Great Barrier Reef with Kids which is online at her site.
Thanks so much for featuring us! It’s so lovely to hook up. And remember to come and visit London!!
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Great information shared with the users here, i feel delighted with it. Sarah, thanks for sharing your experience and such a informative blog with us..