16 of the best things to do in London with children
Few cities are as child-friendly as London. From interactive museums to soldiers on horseback,Harry Potter filming locations to open-top buses, the capital has plenty to keep young ones enthralled. Throw in age-appropriate restaurants, hotels with plenty of family appeal and a skyline straight from the films and London is an adventure for children of all ages. Here are some of the best things to do in the capital with children, whether they love animals, white-knuckle thrills or simply eating as much cake as possible.
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Hold on tight for an adrenalin-pumping trip down the Thames that's guaranteed to appeal to thrill seekers of all ages. You'll be kitted out in life jackets to board a speedboat by the London Eye before cruising out towards Canary Wharf past the Houses of Parliament, St Paul's Cathedral, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the Shard and Tower of London. An on-board comedian/guide means that bog-standard commentary as you sail is replaced by plenty of quirky stories and funny facts that kids will love. As the river widens, the boat's speed picks up and you'll race out to Docklands at up to 35mph, with the boat twisting and turning like you're escaping the villain in a James Bond film.
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History is way more interesting to kids if it's gory or spooky, so a trip to the Tower of London will fascinate them. This medieval castle and world heritage site was built by William the Conqueror and has served as a royal palace, a prison and the home of the Crown Jewels. Tickets include a tour with a Yeoman Warder — otherwise known as a Beefeater — which run every half an hour from the main entrance. Expect to hear tales of bloody executions, the exotic animals that once lived in the Tower and the ghosts said to haunt it to this day. You'll also see the room where Guy Fawkes was imprisoned, the famous ravens who live at the Tower and the priceless royal jewels watched by armed guards.
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Great views can be hard to sell to kids, but a vista enjoyed from the top of a giant ferris wheel? Now you're talking. Situated on a stretch of the South Bank that also features Shrek's Adventure! and the London Aquarium, the London Eye's rotating pods provide a killer perspective on more stately attractions over the River Thames, including the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Wow your family with this fun fact: 'Big Ben' isn't the name of the structure — known as the Elizabeth Tower since the Queen's diamond jubilee — but of the bell itself.
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The ceremonial handover of the King's Guard is British pomp and ceremony at its best. Children will love seeing the marching soldiers — all wearing their distinctive red tunics and bearskin hats, some on horseback — enacting this centuries-old ritual. Troops gather at St James's Palace and Wellington Barracks before marching along The Mall to the sounds of the military band. Many visitors to London make the mistake of setting up camp outside Buckingham Palace, but a pre-booked small-group tour can offer superior vantage points as well as insightful commentary to help everyone understand what on earth is going on.
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London's theatres are host to a wealth of child-friendly musicals, from literary spin-offs such as Matilda and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to reimagined Disney films including Frozen and The Lion King. The latter has been running for nearly 25 years with good reason; inventive sets and imaginative puppetry and costumes conjure a convincing savannah dreamworld in a corner of Covent Garden. Elton John and Tim Rice's impossibly catchy songs, including the show-stopping opener Circle of Life and the life-affirming Hakuna Matata, mean all-aged audiences invariably leave the Lyceum humming along.
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London was a port long before it became England's capital, and there's no better way for children to learn about its seafaring history than with a visit to one of its vintage ships. Built for the China tea trade, Cutty Sark was state-of-the art when she set out on her maiden voyage in 1870 and still looks chipper today — kids will love exploring the cabins and steering their way through a virtual voyage. It's a 25-minute journey along the river from Tower Pier (serving the Tower of London and Tower Bridge) to Greenwich, and travelling by Thames Clipper is all part of the fun.
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A Rembrandt self-portrait and Van Gogh's Sunflowers are among the highlights of one of the world's greatest collections of paintings, and cherry-picking from its 2,300 works will help visitors of all ages stave off cultural fatigue. A one-hour highlights tour of the National Gallery is the ideal timeframe and a Blue Badge guide will steer visitors through the crowds to study a handful of key pieces in more detail. Top tip: bring paper and pencils so children can sketch their own souvenirs, and make a game of spotting animals in the artworks, from the dog in Jan van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait to George Stubbs' Whistlejacket.
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London is home to many Harry Potter filming locations, from the Ministry of Magic (Great Scotland Yard) to Hogwarts' spiral staircase (St Paul's Cathedral). A walking tour is a great way to engage the attention of older kids who can handle two to three hours on their feet; guides tend to be genuine fans, who know their Mandrakes from their Muggles. The itinerary ends at Platform 9¾ in King's Cross station and from here there are trains out to Watford and the Harry Potter Studio Tour (be sure to book tickets for this several months in advance).
Even the most hardened museum-phobes can't resist mummies, and Bloomsbury is home to the largest collection of Egyptian artefacts outside Cairo. The galleries put flesh on the bones of these ancient relics, presenting clues to the lives of people who died between 3,000 and 1,800 years ago. Check out the hieroglyphics on the Rosetta Stone, perhaps the world's most famous slab of rock, before time-travelling to see Anglo-Saxon treasure unearthed at Sutton Hoo and armour once worn by a Japanese samurai. In need of sustenance before going into battle? There's a family-friendly pizzeria on site.
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Any child who's ever watched a David Attenborough documentary will get a kick out of the Natural History Museum, a bewilderingly comprehensive institution that charts 4.6 billion years of planet Earth. Highlights include a skeleton of a mighty blue whale, an array of stuffed animals and birds, plus interactive exhibits such as the earthquake simulator and dinosaur gallery quiz. Admission to the museum is free, but one of the best ways to keep kids engaged is by booking onto a private tour with an experienced guide. The museum's occasional sleepovers sell out months in advance.
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With central London's greenest fleet of hop-on hop-off buses, Tootbus also offers special kid-focused tours capped at 45 minutes which should wipe out those enquiries of the 'are we nearly there yet?' variety. Routes are packed with big-hitting stops, from historic Westminster Abbey to the neon lights of Piccadilly Circus, the prime minister's residence at Downing Street and the wax museum Madame Tussauds (home to an immersive Star Wars experience). Live commentary from guides helps bring landmarks to life, arming children with fun facts and trivia about the capital.
ZSL London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo and is set within the northern corner of Regent's Park. Its menagerie includes everything from tigers and gorillas to penguins and pygmy hippos, but perhaps most thrilling are the walkthrough attractions, such as Monkey Valley or Butterfly Paradise, where visitors share space with wildlife. Be sure to catch one of the timetabled feeding sessions and talks — witnessing birds in flight over the display lawn is a particular highlight — or book an overnight stay in one of the Zoo lodges in the Land of the Lions habitat, within roaring distance of the resident pride.
Just around the corner from Royal Mail's Mount Pleasant sorting office in Clerkenwell is one of London's best small museums for children. Diverse displays bring to life the storied history of correspondence, including a collection of unread love letters recovered after a maritime disaster and a tall (but apparently true) tale about an escaped lioness. Kids will love learning about the Mail Rail while riding a miniature train through a century-old network of subterranean tunnels, and there's also a postal-themed play space. Here, children aged eight and under can role-play being a postie, having a go at moving the mail through a series of slides and chutes.
Part-sculpture, part-helter-skelter, the ArcelorMittal Orbit is the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park's red steel equivalent to Paris's Eiffel Tower. Bonus: this piece of architecture also contains the world's longest tunnel slide. Kids must be eight years old and at least 1.3m to ride its 178m length; yodelling on the way down is highly recommended. Next, mosey on over to the nearby London Aquatics Centre for an Aqua Splash session: the inflatable obstacle course is ludicrously good fun and sits right alongside the Olympian Tom Daley's diving academy.
zipworld.co.uk
From wizards to dinosaurs, David Hockney to Willy Wonka, London's top hotels have drawn on diverse inspiration to tempt junior guests in for afternoon teas. But this Mayfair establishment requires no introduction: tea at the Ritz is the stuff that stories are made of. From the tinkling piano music to the solicitous attentions of liveried staff, children will enjoy the atmosphere as much as the endless rounds of dainty treats — from cucumber sandwiches to freshly baked scones, via countless jewel-like pastries. The kitchen is happy to accommodate fussy eaters, and everyone gets a box of their favourites to take home.
theritzlondon.com
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For a family day out in London, you can't go wrong in one of its glorious patches of green: eight protected spaces, treasured by locals and visitors. Richmond Park is the biggest, and home to more than 630 red and fallow deer, while Hyde Park is perhaps the most varied, with swimming and boating on the Serpentine, plus the Diana Memorial Playground, where play equipment includes a huge wooden pirate ship. Regent's Park's Open Air Theatre is the place to see outdoor productions every summer, while Primrose Hill is ideal for rolling down (although parents may prefer the view from the top).
royalparks.org.uk
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