No car. Fun days out in London with young kids? IDEAS??

[dibden]

We have a week off in September and have decided to stay in London. To make it a bit of a holiday I'm pulling together a list of things we could do with the kids (15months and 3years). Also we don't have a car but could hire one for the day if needed.

Here is what I've could think of so far. Would love any suggestion you have. We're hoping to do things we dont normally do on a regular weekend so haven't listed trip to parks or horniman etc.

London Zoo

Aquarium on southbank

Science museum

Transport museum.

Biking in New Forest via train ( kids on back. Picnic. Roaming around the woods etc.

[Ondine]

long time since I've been but this place was good

http://www.discover.org.uk/

Appearing roomss at South Bank Centre are always great and then there's the big space inside to run around in

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/festivals-series/festival-of-love/installations/jeppe-hein%E2%80%99s-appearing-rooms-fountain

[slh2009]

Discover Centre is still good...

Also Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park and Playground in Kensington Gardens

Olympic Park....sand pits and fountains

[dibden]

Discover centre looks great. I hadn't heard of it and they have an Oliver Jeffers expo that we can go to. Its definitely going on the list.

[Pickle]

Discover is brilliant, well worth a visit.

We have a car, but I never use it for days out in the holidays, as it's so easy to jump on a bus and head to fun parts of London.

Covent Garden, for the street performers and Transport Museum (combined with lunch makes a nice full day out without having to travel far)

South Bank - there's always something fun. We loved the "beach" near the Southbank Centre last summer, great fun for the kids, especially little ones. Tate good for a run around in the Turbine Hall and some of the rooms are really interesting for young children. There used to be a kids play area up on (I think) the 3rd floor, it overlooks the turbine hall, you can eat a packed lunch there. Great for a bit of a rest and to get out of the sun if necessary.

Museum of London

The fountains leading from the City Hall area to London Bridge, hours of splashy fun :)

[Sue]

Some of the museums are absolutely rammed with children during the school holidays, making it really hard to see much very easily, particularly if you're small, so if possible wait till the schools are back?

Last year we had to queue for an hour to get into the Natural History Museum - just for the main bit of the museum, not for an exhibition there. Then there was another queue to see the dinosaurs (we didn't).

The grandkids were very patient, but were then five and seven, I can't imagine younger kids would last that long. I was amazed they did.

Also, prebook online for the zoo. You can then walk more or less straight in, without having to queue.

Identify early on the things you particularly want to see, like penguin or tiger feeding, find out where they're happening, and make sure you get there in very good time to get a seat and/or a good view. We took a picnic and ate it while waiting to see the tigers, it was well worth getting there very early as we had an excellent front row pitch (sitting on the floor) right by the glass.

Also, how about a day trip to a sandy beach somewhere within reasonable reach?

ETA: There's also that cable car across the Thames which they might like?

Also Greenwich, the Cutty Sark is good and has interactive things for kids to do, and the nearby foot tunnel under the Thames is great for kids to make noises in etc ...... and Greenwich is easy to get to - bus from Peckham bus station.

If you go to the fountains on the South Bank, which are brilliant, don't forget to take a towel and change of clothes. I did forget :)) :)) :)) had to dry the child who went in them with my jacket :))

[dibden]

Thanks Sue. All good tips there. Didnt even think about feeding times at the zoo. Will look it up ahead of time !!

[ACBP]

Museum of childhood nice. Toys to look at. Lots of interactive things. Rocking horses. Iron filing faces, indoor sandpit, train set with moving trains, duplo table, realistic kitchen and a good caf?!

[Sue]

Many places eg museums and galleries do have special activities for kids in the school holidays, so I guess you'd have to weigh up the overcrowding aspect against that.

When we went to the Cutty Sark they had the "captain" giving a short talk about the ship for children, and they got to sing a sea shanty with him, they loved it. There were also things for kids going on on the bottom deck.

If you're going anywhere by bus, I strongly suggest you print out a map showing where the relevant bus stops are if it's an area you don't know. We had a terrible time finding the bus stop we needed in South Kensington, and the kids started getting a bit fractious as it was right at the end of the day. Also when going to the zoo, we couldn't find the stop (can't remember which tube station we went to).

Oh, and the buses between the zoo and tube stations can get extremely crowded and you might find it's an idea to walk to the previous stop, though this might have been because it was at the zoo closing time and also in the school holidays.

If at all possible, avoid travelling on public transport during the rush hour - it's hellish anyway but with small children it's even more hellish.

Another idea - the driverless train on the Docklands Light Railway. You can get it from Lewisham to Greenwich. Identify where to stand (by letting the first train go, unless you can get the seats you want easily) so that you can get in at the front and the kids can "drive" the train (unfortunately, having bigged this up to the grandkids, the day we went there was for some reason a driver :( so you might want to see if you can find out in advance whether or not there will be one the day you want to go).

ETA: If they like Rastamouse, there's a fab Rastamouse shop in one of the Peckham markets!!!

ETA: They would probably love the butterfly house at the front of the Natural History Museum. Butterflies fluttering around and maybe landing on them. And no queue when we went!

[bawdy-nan]

Train to the seaside: brighton or broadstairs

Mudchute farm

Hampton court

[Sue]

If they're not scared of heights, there's the tree walk in Kew Gardens.

I can't go up it myself though :))

They might like the jungly plants in the hothouses at Kew, also the huge waterlilies?

[curlykaren]

Fountains at Somerset house are wonderful, not far from Covent garden either.

Re: fountains at Southbank centre, always call first to check they are on as it can be unpredictable.

Museum of London is great.

[bawdy-nan]

Great fountains at Kings cross now too

[scareyt]

Definitely museum of London, it's great for those ages and much smaller and less overwhelming/crowded than the big South Kensington museums. Also the Docklands museum has a really nice little soft play area, and a proper restaurant next door / attached for a nice lunch.

Changing of the guard is fun and you get a good view if you watch them do their thing in the barracks instead of outside the palace. There's lots of marching about and music in the courtyard of the barracks before they go across the road and everyone else waits outside the palace to see it there.

I used to have a blog about London days out with a toddler - it's here if you want more tips / ideas. Https://Www.toddlertrips.wordpress.com

[Sue]

scareyt Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Definitely museum of London, it's great for those

> ages and much smaller and less

> overwhelming/crowded than the big South Kensington

> museums.

The old shops etc in the museum of London are great, but I would suggest you move quickly through the first very boring section you come to after the entrance! At least, I found it very boring!!

There's a Paddington Bear section where kids can put on a Paddington hat and jacket and (if you want) you can take a picture of them next to Paddington.

Also - they have a "Victorian School" with a very strict schoolmistress which "pupils" can go to for about 20 - 30 minute sessions, but one little girl was in terrible tears because she didn't understand that the teacher was acting (having joined the session a bit late). Also they do copperplate writing, which your kids would probably be too young for?

The London Museum seems to have special activities for under fives on one day a week, but not sure if that's all year round.

Another suggestion = the pelicans in St James's Park. And I know you're not supposed to feed ducks bread, but feeding the ducks in that park was a big hit when my grandkids were younger. It's very near Buckingham Palace if you're going to brave the crowds round there (another big hit with my smaller one, purely because she said it was "where the princesses live" :( :( :( )

Also - boat on the river?

ETA: London wheel? Very near the aquarium. But crowded and probably expensive (I haven't been on it) and if the kids kick off I guess you are stuck on it!

[enjoy]

And as a treat for you, the parents.

Go and book a slot in the sky garden on top of the walkie talkie building.

The view is stunning, the room (garden) very spacious and lovely to hang out.

It is not for the kids but something you can do easily with them.

Book is advance online.

http://skygarden.london/sky-garden

[dibden]

thanks everyone. Great ideas.

We went to the museum of London a month or two ago and I did feel there wasnt enough things to interact with for the kids compared to other museums.

A few people have suggested various fountains. Do you mean you take the kids in swim clothes and let them run thought it for a bit?

I have found Kew is hard to get to without a car but I'll put it as a backup trip.

Anyone have more feedback on Mudchute farm ? I went to Hackney City farm a few weeks ago as a friend lives near by and it was a huge dissapointment.

[Otta]

Another vote for Discover. Oliver Jeffers Lost & Found exhibition is wonderful.

Went to London Zoo recently. TAKE FOOD AND DRINK WITH YOU!!!! Or remortgage your house.

[Yak]

A day round London by every form of public transport is good fun. Head over to N Greenwich to get the cable car across the river (just swipe in if you have oyster PAYG), hop on the DLR for a bit and then a river bus up the river. Tube / overground / bus can be fitted in to get to and from start and finish.

I take a pair of swimmers and a travel towel if we are likely to encouter fountains. If they are v cold afterwards that is an excellent excuse for hot choc.

Surrey Quays farm is supposed to be good too, as is Battersea Zoo (smaller and much more manageable than London zoo)

[Saffron]

I've been to a children's party at Surry Docks Farm. Yes, it's very nice, but not a massive amount of running around space. Maybe suited better to older children, though the cafe is meant to be excellent.

http://www.surreydocksfarm.org.uk/

I second what others have mentioned regarding prebooking for fast-track entry wherever possible. We've done this for the London Eye, Aquarium, and Zoo in the past. You often only pay a few more ?? than regular tix, and only have to queue in a line of for example 20 people, not 500 people (London Zoo, not kidding, the look on DH's face was priceless! You've never seen such relief as when we bypassed the regular queue for the fast-track entrance!!)

Closer to home, there is Ladywell Fields, which is well worth a visit if you've never been. We live near Hilly Fields (which is also nice with a sandpit and cafe), so this is one of our regular parks. We go there often, and I have yet to tire of it! At one end of the park is a stream where children can wade and paddle. There's also a small playground and a cafe. At the other end is a larger playground with swings, a twisty slide, and a zipwire. There's a skatepark with low ramp suitable to scooters and plenty of space for picnicing. For more substantial food, there's Le Delice Cafe on the corner by the Ladywell Station, which is baby/child friendly with toys and books for your LOs (and much better loos than the park.) P4, 484, and 122 buses from ED area all take you nearby.

Kew Gardens has a great playspace for kids, but I agree it's not the easiest to get to w/o a car. Maybe we could team up for a taxishare sometime? Family Room day out? xx

[simonethebeaver]

The kids play zone at the Maritime Museum in Greenwich is superb. Hours of entertainment there and free entry.

[EmilyPie]

Mudchute city farm is great. Lots of space for the animals. Feels like being in the countryside. Nice cafe too looking out over the horses in their stables.

Coram's fields is great. Bring a picnic, loads of different play areas and a few animals.

The little train in brockwell park on a Sunday, plus all the other attractions of course like lido, water play etc.

Ladywell fields is lovely but not much shade so bring sun tan lotion.

[Sue]

dibden Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Anyone have more feedback on Mudchute farm ? I

> went to Hackney City farm a few weeks ago as a

> friend lives near by and it was a huge

> dissapointment.

One of the issues with city farms is that quite often they have taken the animals elsewhere on the day you visit, so the place is more or less empty of animals.

I would double check what animals are actually going to be on the farm on the day you visit, if possible.

We were quite disappointed with Vauxhall City Farm on the day we went, for that reason.

Re Kew Gardens, it's probably not the first place on the list for small kids, but it's not that hard to get to from ED. 185 to Victoria then District Line, or 37 to Clapham Junction then train, or 185 to Vauxhall then train, or you can probably do it all by bus, 37 to Putney then bus?

All quite long journeys though.

[bawdy-nan]

Huge thumbs up for a sunny day at Coram's fields - take a picnic and you can spend all day there. And it's free.

RE fountains - this used to be my children's almost favourite thing to do - take towels and swimming cossies and plenty of sun cream.

For a full day out we'd take the train to London Bridge and mosey along the river via the market, a look at the pirate ship, maybe popping into Tate Modern (mostly to slide down the concrete in the turbine hall); looking at the river; pop into the RFH to see if there was anything going on; looking at the buskers etc on the southbank then eventually across the bridge to Somerset House fir fountains fun and home via the 176.

[monniemae]

If you do want to go to Kew (and by train via Clapham Junction or Waterloo it's pretty easy) definitely go via train to get the 2for1 ticket deal - in fact we found the national rail 2for1 site a great way to get ideas for london! Check it out here http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/