Planning a day in London with children in tow? A visit to any of these destinations will keep youngsters entertained, educated or just plain exhausted if you visit them all!
This year has given everyone a chance to hone their family game night skills. Put those skills to the test at the brand new Monopoly: Lifesized. Everything you love about the classic game can now be played on a life-sized board. Travel around the board with your team, and compete in London-themed challenges to win!
Take your very own adventure with the Lost Boys as you wander Kensington Gardens to Diana Memorial Playground and the Peter Pan Statue. Stop by the Peter Pan statue and strike a pose before “following the leader” to Diana Memorial Playground, complete with a huge pirate ship in the centre — imagine you’re taking down Captain Hook and claiming his ship!
The Science Museum is one of the most visited museums in all of Europe. With 15,000 objects and interactive exhibits, there’s so much to see and do, you might even have to come back twice! Youngsters can learn through play, touching a static ball of electricity and trying out other cool experiments.
Is there a better place on Earth for children than Hamleys? Explore seven stories of fun at this famous toy store. The floors are lined with toys, games and other fun gadgets to marvel at. Everyone will leave feeling like a child again.
Shrek! Adventure London is a brilliantly bonkers, interactive and immersive walkthrough experience, where the whole family journey through Far Far Away interacting with various famous characters including Princess Fiona and Donkey. See, hear, touch and smell the adventure by exploring 10 fairytale themed live shows, from a magical 4D flying bus experience to collecting the special ingredients that you will need in order to find Shrek and make it home safely.
Giants of Galápagos — new at ZSL London Zoo this summer — brings visitors face-to-face with the zoo’s three giant tortoises, Polly, Dolly and Priscilla. Step inside their brand-new home, right in the heart of the zoo, to enjoy the balmy climate of the Galápagos Archipelago. Until 31 Aug, visitors are being invited to grab their zoo passport and check-in before embarking on a ‘world tour’ exploring remarkable species and their habitats across the globe. Youngsters will love getting their zoo passport stamped as they enter each zone and grown-ups can satisfy their travel bug by encountering the sights, sounds and smells of some of the world’s most vibrant regions.
Not all is as it seems at the Natural History Museum…Discover where the real world and the wizarding world intertwine at Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature (to 3 Jan 2022). Learn about the ways the natural world has inspired myths, legends and magical creatures for generations. Celebrate real scientists who, like the fictional Newt ScamanderTM, teach us about the extraordinary creatures on Earth and help to protect them.
If your child loves gory stories, Tower Of London is for them. This fortress was a prison from 1100 to 1952, so if walls could talk, these ones would scream! Until 30 Aug, discover the stories of Elizabethan prisoners, merchants and a lost monkey. In a world where the plague of 1563 is dying down and London is opening up, the booming trade of the City and threats to the English Crown are playing out within the Tower’s walls once more. Find out who supports the Queen and whose loyalty might lie with Mary Queen of Scots. Who said history was boring?
Need to burn off some energy? Head to Hyde Park. There’s always something happening here, whether you want to play tennis, swim in the Serpentine, hire rowing or pedal boats, or glide across the lake on a solar-powered SolarShuttle. Join Discovery Day for a day of outdoor family fun. Failing that, the kids can run wild in the 350 acres of green space.
There’s no chance you’ll hear “I’m bored” at The British Museum, as the free family trails encourage counting, hunting, colouring and quizzes – borrow crayons and pads from the family desk. As well as a family-friendly audio guide, kids will enjoy Little Feet: Museum Beach (27 Aug, 11am-2pm), bringing the beach to the museum forecourt. Take a towel, as you’ll get wet! Free activity packs encourage children to dress up as ancient Greeks, identify amulets while blindfolded, and write in hieroglyphs. The sarcophagus and giant monuments in the Egyptian Sculpture gallery never fail to wow visitors, big and small.
The River Thames is London’s liquid lifeline. It was once the great trading route and a symbol of the British Empire and is now the city’s biggest playground. Children will love Horrible Histories’ Terrible Thames – a brand new sightseeing cruise featuring the infamous performing guides, prepare to hear the horrible history of the river with the nasty bits left in! Along Southbank, you’ll also find Sea Life London. Learn a ton about sea creatures and their lives under the waves. From creepy crawlies, charming crocs and curious critters in the Rainforest Adventure zone, to the tropical creatures of the Coral Kingdom, or exploring the world of Jellyfish at Ocean Invaders.
Please like, share and comment below and see if we have anything else to inspire your next visit to London.
