London with kids – our guide

Ripley's Believe it or Not London

London with kids is always a fun trip. We have been visiting London with kids since ours were babies and travel up every year in every season and just adore it. It is absolutely jam packed with amazing London attractions for kids, fun restaurants to eat in and gorgeous hotels to stay in. We thought it was about time we put together our guide for what kids activities London has to offer, based on all of our many experiences. If you’re looking for activities for Kids London is amazing. We have the best kids days out London has including lots of free things to do in London with kids, all detailed here.You can use the headings below to jump to different sections or read through the whole thing for a big, blast of places to take kids in London inspiration.

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London for children – the best activities:

London with kids - copyright: www.globalmousetravels.com
Boating on the Serpentine – Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens, London

There’s so much to do in London you could spend a year there and not see it all so if you’re looking for where to take kids in London you’ll be spoilt for choice. Check out our 50 things to do in London with kids before they grow up for lots of inspiration. The big hitters of London are the Science Museum and Natural History Museum, both of which are wonderful for all ages and have their fantastic reputation for a reason and are also brilliant free things to do in London with kids. The parks of London are perfect for burning off excess energy, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are some of our favourites and for under 10s you absolutely shouldn’t miss the Princess Diana Memorial Playground which has to be the world’s best playground (more below in our parks and playgrounds section). The Cutty Sark over in Greenwich is an absolutely wonderful trip out and full of interactive fun for all ages. The London branch of Kidzania is a great rainy day option and great if you’re looking for fun for kids in London. Older children and adults will adore Dennis Severs House which is a spell-binding way to learn all about the history of London in a multi-sensory experience. Just out of the city the Warner Bros Studios at Leavesden for the Harry Potter tour is a fantastic trip with something for all ages of Potter fans.

Read more:

A review of Terrible Thames – Horrible Histories London boat trip

A review of HMS Belfast, London

A review of the Dennis Severs House, Spitalfields, London

Visiting Tower Bridge London

A review of The Cutty Sark, London

A review of Hogwarts in the Snow – The making of Harry Potter tour, Warner Brother studios, London

A review of Kidzania, London

A review of The Tower of London

A review of Shrek’s Adventure, London

A review of Ripley’s Believe it or Not, London

Where to stay in London with kids:

A super, summer trip to London’s West End with children - copyright: www.globalmousetravels.com

London can feel like an expensive city to stay in and in many cases it is but there are some budget options. If you’re interested in the luxury experience our favourite hotel is The Haymarket or Flemings. For self catering we also really love Cheval Residences in Knightsbridge for a luxury self-catering option. A really good mid-budget option is the Hilton London Metropole which has some surprisingly well priced family rooms. Budget options include the fantastic Premier Inn at Blackfriars and don’t discount the YHA hostel at St Pancras which has wonderful family rooms with en suite bathrooms (see a full review below).

Read more (all of these reviews are with children):

The top luxury London hotels for families

The best family hotels in London

A review of The Guardsman Hotel, London {Luxury}

A review of 100 Queensgate Hotel London {Luxury}

A review of Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences, London {Luxury / option of Self Catering}

A review of The Dilly, Piccadilly {Luxury}

A review of The Sofitel London St James, Piccadilly {Luxury}

A review of Cheval Three Quays Residences {Luxury self catering}

A review of The Athenaeum, London {Luxury}

A review of Premier Inn, Blackfriars, London {Budget}

A review of The Hilton London Metropole Hotel {Mid range}

A review of Cheval Residences, Knightsbridge, London {Luxury self catering}

A review of the YHA St. Pancras, London {Budget} A review of the Crowne Plaza, Kensington, London {mid range}

A review of The Royal Garden Hotel Kensington, London {Luxury}

A review of Every Hotel, Piccadilly London {Mid range}

A review of Flemings, Mayfair, London {Luxury}

A review of Go Native Apartment, Hyde Park, London {Mid range self catering}

A review of Travelodge, Euston {Budget}

A review of Cheval Harrington Court, South Kensington, London {Luxury self catering}

A review of Rubens at the Palace Hotel, London {Luxury}

A review of St Ermin’s hotel, London {Luxury}

Hotels just outside of London:

A review of Holiday Inn Kingston Upon Thames {Mid range}

London with kids – Where to eat:

Planet Hollywood London - Copyright: www.globalmousetravels.com

Eating out in London is always a pleasure and is full of amazing options. Franco Manca is a brilliant budget option if your kids are in to seriously good pizza and we are also big fans of the Spaghetti House which is always great. For a splash out kids will love the Rainforest Cafe which is more fun rather than quality of food and the Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus is really great fun with huge portions and great quality food.

Read more (all of these reviews are with children):

A review of the Hung Drawn and Quartered pub, London {British}

A review of Honest Burgers, London

A review of Iberica, London with kids {Spanish Tapas}

A review of Franco Manca, Victoria, London {pizza}

A review of The Spaghetti House, Mayfair, London {Italian}

A review of The Spaghetti House High Street Kensington, London {Italian}

A review of Pho Restaurant, London {Vietnamese}

A review of Vapiano, Bankside, London {Italian}

A review of Cafe Pacifico, Covent Garden, London {Mexican}

A review of Umami Restaurant, Kensington, London {Asian}

A review of Itsu, Chelsea, London {Asian}

A review of Planet Hollywood, London {American}

A review of Pho & Bun {Vietnamese}

A review of The Nordic Bakery {Scandinavian cafe}

A review of Rainforest Cafe, London {American}

A review of Indigo, One Aldwich {Theatreland}

A review of The Melt Room {cheese toasties}

Free things to do in London with kids

There are plenty of free things to do in London with kids from many of the great museums (including the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and The Museum of London) to the parks and playgrounds (see below). Lots of the museums also have free activities for kids on at the weekends and holidays so look out for those too. We love wandering in to Harrods, the amazing department store where the toy department is often full of great demonstrations, or to Hamley’s Toy shop, the world’s oldest.

London parks for kids

London parks for kids are particularly good and one that should be top of the list is Kensington Gardens where you will find the Princess Diana Memorial Plaground which is our favourite playground in the world. Full of interactive play items and an amazing pirate ship it’s a safe place for children to play and we love it. In the same park you can go boating on the Serpentine Lake and you will also find the Princess Diana fountains which are great fun in summer. Regent’s Park is a beautiful space to run around and feed the ducks, you can hire paddle boats here and you will also find London Zoo. St James’s Park, flanked by Buckingham Palace has a great playground and is a beautiful green space to explore and Coram’s Fields, has an amazing history and a policy of no adult without a child. When you’re looking at the best parks in London for kids the site of the London 2012 Olympics, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a definite contender with lovely space for kids with adventure playgrounds and fun bridges to cross.

Read more:

A family trip to Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens, London

London shows for kids

A trip to the city is the perfect time to take in some London shows for kids and there’s always so much variety. If you’re visiting in the summer then definitely check out Kids Week where they have some amazing deals on theatre with kids in London and many kid’s go free options. If you’ll be in the City at Christmas then there are some fantastic festive treats on offer at the theatres, see the post below which has all the details of this year’s top ones (and you can’t beat a trip to see The Snowman). If you love kids musicals London doesn’t disappoint and there are some amazing ones on, if you have the chance to see Matilda or Wicked they are particularly amazing. The website London Theatre has details of everything that’s on in London.

Read more:

A super, summer trip to London’s West End with children

The best things to do at Christmas with kids in London

A review of The Snowman at The Peacock Theatre, London

London tours for kids

There’s an open top bus tour that has been especially created with families in mind which is a great way to see London without too much walking. London Duck Tours are another great way to see the city with amphibious vessels which drive along the streets before plunging in to the Thames.

Afternoon Tea with kids

We absolutely love our Afternoon Tea with kids and there’s no better place to do it than London. There are so many great experiences out there, some of which are really fun and unique. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon, especially following days of sightseeing which can be exhausting. Be warned though, Afternoon Tea can be extremely filling so definitely plan on skipping either lunch or dinner if you’re going for one.

Read more:

A review of Alice in Wonderland Afternoon Tea, London

Indoor activities for kids London

When rainy days strike there are plenty of indoor activities for kids in London and rainy day activities in London. Some of our favourites are Kidzania, any of the museums, heading to Afternoon Tea or visiting Madame Tussaud’s. London is particularly geared up for rainy weather so you shouldn’t have a problem finding things to do if it’s feeling a little cold or rainy.

London through the seasons – when to plan a trip to London:

A Christmas weekend in London 2017 - copyright: www.globalmousetravels.com

We adore our trips to London in every season. Winter is perfect for our Christmas trips to see Father Christmas and take in the lights and a show, spring in full of promise for sunny days in the parks, summer in London allows us to enjoy the most beautiful of days and autumn with all the changing colours is the perfect place to embrace the changing of the seasons.

Read more:

The best things to do with kids in London at Christmas

Our Christmas weekend in London

A summer trip to London’s West End

Ice skating in the moat of The Tower of London The best Ice skating London has on offer

London itinerary with kids:

Coming soon.

Top tips for London:

We love the hop on and off bus which gives you a good overview of the city and is a great way to get around. Best of all if you book a London Pass you get free access both to the bus and to a number of London attractions including The Tower of London, Legoland and London Zoo so it’s great value. The London underground is great for easy travel across London (and children aged 10 and under are free). If you are planning to travel across the city extensively then it may be worth taking a baby carrier rather than a pushchair / stroller as there can be lots of steps. If you’re planning a lot of travel across the city then consider picking up an Oyster Card which with one tap will give you access on to the tube (London Underground). It will also allow you on to London buses which are a great way to travel around the city and offers vastly discounted travel. Always look online for deals to attractions, you can nearly always get discounted prices by booking in advance.

London with kids – Extra features:

London - Copyright: www.globalmousetravels.com

We have a few extra features to help you fall in love with London as much as we have.

Read more:

8 locations in London inspired by Paddington Bear

A Royal trip to London

London’s Southbank with kids

Kingston Upon Thames – a Weekend Away With Children

Theme Parks near London for kids

If your children are into theme parks there are some great parks near London.

Read more:

Chessington World of Adventures review

Top tips for visiting Chessington

Chessington Safari Hotel

Day trips from London with kids

There are lots of easy day trips from with kids that all the family will enjoy. Our favourites are to Bath or Bristol in the Southwest, to Stonehenge, Brighton on the south coast or to Oxford.

Read more:

10 things to do in Bath with kids

10 things to do in Bristol with kids

A day out in Oxford with kids

On the hunt of Harry Potter in Oxford

We hope you’ve enjoyed our guide to London with kids and are ready to start your own adventure. Do let us know if you have any questions, if anything in the guide is out of date or just to let us know how you get on with your own trip. Pin this post for later here:

Our guide to London with kids

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