When I was asked to write this post on the top 5 things to do in London with young children my first reaction was “how on earth will I choose”! There is so much available and much of it is far more accessible and child friendly than you might at first think. Clearly I have completely failed to condense to a top 5, but hopefully the list below will give you some inspiration to try something new.
If you check out my blog http://www.onemummyandherdoublebuggy.com you will find reviews of 50% of these (my aim is to reach 100% by the end of the summer!) as well as top tips on what to see, how to get there, baby change, pushchair access etc.
I have 2 children under the age of 3 (a 2 year old little boy, ‘The Bear’ and a 18 month old little girl, ‘Bollie’) and all of these places I can manage on my own with both the kids and a double buggy.
Top 3 museums
1) Science Museum (reviewed) : for its interactive fun (water play, tower building etc), places to run around and many buttons to press!
2) London Transport Museum : for the chance to clamber on real buses and trains
3) The Horniman Museum : for its eclectic mix of exhibits including a stuffed walrus and lots of hands on activities where kids are encouraged to try on and interact with the displays.
Top 3 Parks & Playgrounds
1) Crystal Palace Park with its huge stone dinosaurs : a huge park with boating lakes, a mini farm and most importantly huge Victorian dinosaurs looming out of bushes
2) Kensington Gardens (and the Diana Memorial Playground) : for its pirate ship, beach and splash park
3) Holland Park : for its Japanese Gardens and Adventure playground
Top 3 animal / fish experiences
1) London Aquarium (reviewed) : for its many sharks, turtles, Nemos, Giant Crabs etc
2) London Zoo (reviewed) : for its tigers, gorillas and chance to walk in the monkey enclosure
3) Natural History Museum (reviewed) : for its thousands of dead, stuffed animals but mostly for its dinosaurs skeletons and huge plastic whale
Top 3 FREE fun places to explore
1) Southbank (reviewed) : for its great view of London’s skyline, fantastic free exhibitions, street food markets, opportunities to scoot in safety and for the beach at low tide
2) Battersea Park (reviewed) : for its adventure playground, mini zoo, fantastic views of the Thames, huge boating lake and mini art gallery
3) Covent Garden : for its street performers, indoor market and the chance to soak up city life in a relatively pedestrianised area.
About the author :
Sarah lives in South-West London with her 2 small children (The Terrorists!) and blogs about things to do and in and around London with young children. Sarah is also a mumtrepreneur with two businesses : 1) Yumbox : a healthy, bento style lunchbox for children and 2) Cheekyelephant : Original, handcrafted, interactive artwork for children.
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