I’M a Travel Editor who also happens to be a London mum of a six-year -old – and while we spend plenty of time travelling the world, one of my favourite places to explore is my home city.
Because London is one of the best cities in the world for families, with stacks of free attractions, great parks, child-friendly restaurants and pubs.
In fact, I have spent whole days out with my son in London at museums, galleries and theatre shows, without spending more than £50.
So if you’re planning a family trip to London, here are some of my favourite places to go with kids in the city.
Free attractions
There are so many free attractions in London that you could fill a week’s worth of activities without spending a penny on tickets.
Of course, three of the biggest are always worth a visit – the British Museum, Natural History Museum and the Science Museum.
I’d say the earliest your child is like to be interested in the British Museum, near Russell Square, is around six years old.
The exhibits are better suited to older children and adults, but they have gone to great lengths to make things interesting to young children too, like museum explorer trail guides and the Gallery backpacks.
Inside the bags are a number of items and activities, including hieroglyphs, toy animals, amulets and even fancy dress.
Be sure not to miss the mummies in the Ancient Egyptian section, hugely popular with anyone aged 6 to 96. Although it does get very busy.
The Science Museum in South Kensington is perfect for kids of all ages, I’ve been taking my child there since he was a one-year-old, as the interactive ‘Garden’ in the basement is perfect for toddlers and pre-schoolers.
There are plenty of excellent free exhibitions around the museum – one of our favourites being the Space section – but the most popular (and deservedly so) is the Wonderlab, an interactive gallery featuring numerous experiments that will fascinate children aged 3-14. Tickets cost from £15 for this area.
The neighbouring Natural History Museum is another one with some excellent paying exhibits, but the dinosaur gallery is free and perfect for kids, as is the creepy crawlies gallery and the Earth Hall.
For more of an arty trip, try the Tate Modern – my son loves the Pop Art and the huge installations in the Turbine Hall.
But his favourite is Tate Draw, where kids can make their own creations on a bank of screens, an activity that kept him busy for over an hour.
Further down the South Bank is the Southbank centre, which offers some of my favourite free activities on weekends and in school holidays.
My son has been to Lego-building, screen printing and even helped to build a Moomin House with real saws, wood and hammers at the venue, all completely free.
It’s worth checking if you need to book in advance though, as tickets for the free events go very fast.
For an event they’re sure to remember forever – I still have a hazy recollection of my first Changing Of The Guard at Buckingham Palace when I was just seven years old, and my son went last year and loved it too.
The ceremony takes place at 11am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and it’s worth getting there early for a good spot.
For something considerably more modern, try the Outernet – the huge multi-screened space on Tottenham Court Road that claims to be the most visited cultural attraction in the UK.
The space shows a series of artist-made short films, some of which invite audience participation, and it’s so entertaining that my son and I are happy to sit there for an hour.
Pubs And Restaurants
Taking a child to a pub or restaurant can strike fear into the heart of any parent – will they sit still? Will they eat? It’s a culinary minefield.
Here are some of my favourite places that welcome children.
Brewdog Waterloo is easily my favourite pub in London for families.
It has an indoor slide, a duckpin bowling alley, scavenger hunts and face painting during school holidays, an ice cream van, ping pong tables and an extensive kids’ menu.
It gets quite busy after 5pm with post-work drinkers, but any time before that and you feel like it’s perfectly acceptable that your kid is doing their 20th lap of the pub to reach the two-storey slide.
Much like Brewdog, Sixes cricket bars have excellent activities for kids – their high-tech batting cages mean children can burn off some serious energy while you sip on a pint
They also have tasty food to suit everyone – my personal favourite is the flaming candy floss pudding in the giant martini glass.
As a Travel Editor who has taken my child to many restaurants over the years, I’ve recently hit upon a surprising winner – ramen.
Introduce a child to chopsticks and noodles in a bowl, and they’ll stay entertained for at least half an hour.
Tonkotsu has a chain of ramen restaurants across London, with both bento boxes for kids and non-spicy ramen bowls.
Particularly adventurous child who doesn’t mind a queue? Try Borough Market on a Monday or Tuesday, when it’s less crowded.
They’ll love the bowls of free bite-sized food the traders leave out to tempt you and the hot stations round the back really do have something for everyone.
You can indulge your love of Thai or Indian, while they chow down on pizza or fish and chips.
Then you can share some of those ludicrous strawberries in chocolate or a giant brownie for afters.
If you’re looking for a fancy restaurant, I can’t speak highly enough of the Rosewood Hotel’s Holborn Dining Room.
They have the most beautiful Rosewood-themed activity books for kids to fill in and the huge bowl of sausage and mash went down a treat, as did the chance to pet the very cute Labradors who stand on duty at the entrance.
Parks
London’s parks are second to none – I’ve never been to a city in the world that has so many, with such a variation.
Perfect if you’re paying a visit to Battersea Power Station, Battersea Park playground is excellent for many reasons.
Firstly, it has a Go Ape next door, so you can easily kill at least four hours in a 100-metre radius.
Secondly, the playground itself is excellent with two different areas for older and younger kids that feature huge slides, trapezes, massive climbing frames and plenty more.
It is particularly great for parents because the park cafe serves beer and pizzas, and you can grab a table with a perfect view of the playground – great for keeping an eye on your kid AND people watching, as I’ve never visited this playground without spotting a celebrity.
One of my favourite parks if you’re in the centre of town is Coram’s Fields, a seven-acre walled playground in the heart of Bloomsbury.
It feels particularly safe in the centre of busy London because they have a rule that ‘no adult can enter without a child.’
If you’re exploring the many attractions the South Bank has to offer, then it’s well worth stopping by the Jubilee Gardens playground, next to the London Eye.
Smaller than the others I’ve mentioned, it’s very well designed and perfect for those kids who need to run off some steam in between organised fun.
A little bit further out, Greenwich Park playground is possibly my favourite in London (while the Princess Diana Memorial Playground is closed for renovations).
It has all the usual suspects, as well as an excellent sand and water play area – so remember to bring some plastic cups and spades.
Plus afterwards, you can walk to the top of the hill in the park, for great views of the capital.
Paid for attractions
OK, there are many that I could have shared here, but these are some of the paid-for attractions that have been the biggest hits with my child from the ages of 3-6.
As every parent knows, attractions with lots of ‘look don’t touch’ rules are a nightmare for those with inquisitive kids which is why HMS Belfast is such a winner (adult tickets £26.35 and kids £13.15).
Built to last at sea in wartime, this Royal Navy ship moored on the Thames near London Bridge is not in the least bothered about curious little hands.
They have audioguides for older kids and activity packs for younger children.
My son spent three hours exploring every level of this battle ship and would easily have stayed for a further three.
Speaking of ships, the Golden Hinde further along the South Bank near the Globe Theatre is another hit.
A seaworthy reconstruction of the ship captained by Francis Drake when he sailed around the world in the 16th century, the attraction has particularly great value activities on during school holidays.
For just £8, my son took part in a 1.5-hour session onboard where they went on a scavenger hunt, learnt how to fire cannons, had a tour of the ship and practised (foam) sword fighting.
When it comes to the pricier attractions, one of our most memorable days out has been a ride on the Thames Rockets – the speedboat tours of the River Thames.
We went on their new 26-seater boat The Rocket Rebel, for a hair-raising trip accompanied by some of London’s best pop and rock music.
Then on the way back, the hilarious tour guide filled us in on some very interesting titbits about the capital as we passed the many famous landmarks.
With adults from £59.95 and kids from £49.95 it’s not cheap, but it is an absolutely brilliant way to sight see the city that guarantees the kids won’t moan about being bored.
Theatre Shows and Culture
This is a tricky one, because if you’re aiming for theatre that young kids will love then shows tend to be limited to school holidays.
But of the big budget ones that I’ve seen which will not disappoint – The Lion King and Starlight Express are perfect for all ages from 6 to 96.
Other than that, take a gamble by signing up to discount ticket websites like Show Film First and The Audience Club several weeks ahead of your visit.
They operate as seatfiller sites and I have found Band A and B tickets for £15 to huge shows on both websites.
Also, check out what the Southbank Centre has on offer. They have so many free cultural events aimed at families, from art to dancing, building and live music.
Plus, in the summertime your kid can play in the Jeppe Hein Appearing Rooms fountains, with views of the Thames.