London Day Out With Kids

September 14, 2020

Family-Friendly Musicals

Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, information on booking: www. lyrictheatrelondon. co. uk/shows/the-lion-king/ If you want to take the whole family to a really heart warming musical The Lion King is absolutely amazing. This Broadway’s hit musical “leaves audiences roaring with laughter and tears” (ShowBIZ Global). It is about a young cub named Simba who must prove that he is worthy of being king after his father's death by reuniting his family and preventing a war with his evil uncle Scar.

This musical is very popular with kids because it is exciting and epic, with lots of catchy tunes like ‘Hakuna Matata, My City of London (mycityoflondon.co.uk). There are so many things to do with kids in London, you will find it hard to believe that there is something for everyone. Whether you are planning on visiting the city with your little ones, or you have some free time and you are considering bringing your family, this article will help you find some entertainment options that everyone will enjoy.

The Lion King: There are no doubts that this musical is a must if you’re visiting London with kids. It’s the Disney classic story of Simba, the little lion cub who has to learn from his father, Mufasa, about his role as “king”. The show is very enjoyable and very suitable for children – everyone should see it at least once. Family-friendly musicals can be a great way to introduce your kids to theatre. From sharp drama to mesmerizing music, there is so much to enjoy.

London has a lot of musical options for all ages and preferences, including those with incredible visual effects, narrated dialogue, and singing animals. Many shows in London are running this summer, including some family-orientated shows. We recommend you check the links below to avoid disappointment. The Lion King is playing at Dominion Theatre, Matilda at Cambridge Theatre, and Aladdin is playing at Prince Edward Theatre. I will also outline what the main ways to book London Eye tickets are, and of course give you some advice based on my own experience.

Harry Potter Filming Locations & Studio Tour

There are only a few locations in the world that provide this kind of experience. It is the only place – apart from Universal Orlando (where there is an "Island of Adventures" section) & The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter in Florida – where you can visit locations used in JK Rowlings'film series. In fact, there's even a studio tour where you can see actual sets and scenery from several films and TV shows.

If you’re a big fan of the Harry Potter films, then this is an attraction not to be missed. The home of the Warner Brother Studios is just like a trip back into the magical world of Harry Potter and his friends. From Diagon Alley to Hogwarts Castle, the studios are only a 45-minute train ride from central London. Whenever I have friends or family visiting from another country I like to arrange an itinerary for them regarding London and the most interesting places in London.

One of the best things is to try and get them as close as possible to some of the secret filming locations of Harry Potter movies. When I was in London, I received a lot of tips about places to visit, things to see etc. For me, the most interesting tip was to visit the Harry Potter Studios. I had no idea that they were there and that it is possible for tourists like me to get inside them.

In an effort to truly, genuinely get excited about the upcoming Fantastic Beasts film, I am trying to explore some of the Harry Potter filming locations in London before I lose all my cool by the time the preview release looms on the horizon. A studio tour is a must for Harry Potter fans. They will show you sets of different movies and let you walk around props, models, etc. THIS IS A MUST DO when you are in London with kids.

Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

Going to visit a big city with kids can be overwhelming. I mean, how long can you really stand in front of the Christmas market? And how many museums can you visit in one day? With a hop-on hop-off bus tour, you can keep sightseeing at your own pace and budget. Getting on and off whenever you want means that you will only see the places that interest you, skip the less exciting ones, and appreciate them more while there.

Plus, kids have short attention spans, so it’s nice to be able to get off, go shopping or visit a playground while still having the same ticket that will let you get back on for free if time allows. Every other weekend we would take a family trip to another European capital city. We would do all kinds of fun things, but the main attraction was always the hop-on hop-off bus tour. The main reason we enjoyed this activity so much is that it allowed us to see just about everything we wanted.

I was able to take my time at each stop without feeling any pressure to hurry up or move on to the next place. This was important because I had a toddler in tow. Making quick stops would have been very challenging for me. All the busses are recognizable by the red and yellow color and the stop sign on top. The stops are presented in a list, and all you have to do is follow the map.

When you want to skip a stop, just press the 'next stop'button at the front of the bus, or tell your driver you want to jump off. We skipped quite a few of the stops on our second day because we wanted more time in some specific areas. If you've got kids with you, be aware that there's not always a toilet on these buses (or restrooms nearby). What does the food have to do with a busses you ask? Well, when your kids have had enough of walking (which is bound to happen) or some are tired, or even in need of a potty break, you can hop-off and grab a bite to eat.

Or take advantage of any other attraction. Having planned your route ahead and having selected some good places along the way, this will give you more things to enjoy on your travel. The kids will love it too. If you want to check out Barcelona in Spain, take the Hop-on Hop-Off Bus. Smaller children will love the free bus route between popular sights. And don't forget about the hop-off part! It's a great opportunity to explore on your own have fun! ".

Kid-Friendly Afternoon Tea

The menu at St Ermins offers a wide selection of tea-time treats –both savory and sweet, and in addition to the classic cream tea, we were also offered to choose from an array of sandwiches, scones with fruit or clotted cream as well as cheesy pastries and quiches. The diversity was really impressive, but since I do have one major dietary restriction – no gluten (or very little) – I couldn’t indulge in all bar 1 tiny pastry which did feature said ingredient.

No big deal. My friend Amy opted for a savoury option with smoked salmon and cucumber sandwich. What a treat – quite literally! The hotel had a little trailer with two bee hives on the roof. The bees had just started their season and were very productive so there was lots to see. Kelvin, who showed us around,”knew” every single bee in the hive. He communicated their personality, told us about their life, and even recited all the trees near the hotel that we would recognise if we walked in the nearby park.

Apart from the tasty cakes and pastries, we really liked the idea of having a special menu for children. Our little girl was delighted with the chance to try traditional English treats as well as healthy alternatives. The Strawberry Mousse was a big hit with her, as were the cupcakes and fruit salad. This month, we decided to try something new, and went for a traditional afternoon tea at a luxurious hotel in London. The Regent Hotel hosted us and our children for a kid-friendly treat which we all enjoyed.

This review is based on my family experience at St. Ermins Hotel and Rosary Gardens with my daughters (aged 8 and 4) who visited the facility as guests of The Old Honey Bee Company. I’ve used hop-on hop-off busses with my kids in several cities, but especially when we visited London. We had a great tour guide, and it was easy to pop on at the places we were most interested in seeing along the way.

London Duck Tours

The tour starts with a journey along the River Thames as it ducks beneath bridges and passes landmarks, using the same route that London buses do! Once you arrive at your destination on the river bank, you will board our duck [sic again] for the next leg of your London Duck Tour. The journey then continues through the streets of Central London. Your duck [still no sic] exits a backstreet in Chinatown as you head back towards the river, enabling you to see the sights from behind.

You are in the water and on the road as your driver guides you through some of London's most famous sites including the Houses of Parliament, London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and much more. There is also a chance to view the emblematic sights from indoors when you shoot past Tower Bridge. The tour ends with a splash, driving off into the sunset back to where you set off. The boats are shaped like a ducks (hence the name) and have windows on the side so you can see the sights as you drive through the different attractions.

You will see a lot more than you would if you were just visiting London by coach. With even adults saying it’s a fun way to see London, what more can you ask for?. This is such an amazing adventure, it will be something that your kids will never forget. It's one of the best things to do in London with children and the sights that you can see along the way are just spectacular.

Swans, houses, tower bridges and even St Pauls are all there to be spotted from the waterways. A lot of cool things you will experience on the tour include, going under London Bridge and Tower Bridge, passing through Trafalgar Square, Parliament Square and even driving through Hyde Park.  The tour takes approximately 2 hours but time passes by quickly with all the fun stops along the way. Standard tickets vs Fast Track tickets.  Standard ticket holders enter the London Eye via the standard entrance, which has a long queue.

London Eye

2. London Zoo. London is home to many amazing sights, but if your kids are fans of animals you can’t miss the London Zoo. It’s been around since 1828 and it’s one of the best in Europe! London Zoo has over 85,000 animals from around the world living in Britain's biggest zoo. There are over 650 different species and the zoo has an important conservation work too! Kids will love seeing all the animals. 2.

Brent Cross Shopping Centre. Whether your little one loves shopping or not, this is a great place to spend some time. The shopping centre is really big and has a lot for kids to do in terms of play areas, play shops, and restaurants etc. Brent Cross Shopping Centre also houses an Odeon cinema that is always a good choice for something to do on a rainy day or if you are wanting to watch a movie.

The London Eye is one of the absolute musts in London, with or without kids. The views are amazing, and especially around sunset when the light is really beautiful. Kids will definitely love riding equivalent to an ocean going cruise ship. 2. London Eye. It is one of the absolute musts in London, with or without kids. The views are amazing, and especially around sunset when the light is really beautiful. Kids will definitely love riding Europes tallest Ferris wheel.

The London Eye is one of the absolute musts in London, with or without kids. The views are amazing, and especially around sunset when the light is really beautiful. Kids will definitely love riding Europes tallest Ferris wheel. 2. London Zoo.         The London Zoo is one of the must-dos in London! There are so many animals, and chances to milk some sort of snake or an ant eater! It is quite cheap to get in, and kids will absolutely love it.

London Parks And Playgrounds

This London playground is to our surprise located at the rear of the South Bank Centre, close by the London Eye. The Royal Jubilee Gardens offer a splash-pool for toddlers and young children, and an open grass playing field for bigger kids. The outdoor playground has plenty of toys to play with, including swings, seesaw and a train. There are separate smaller playgrounds for small children.  All in all, this is a very well maintained and beautifully situated park perfect for picnics.

The Jubilee Gardens at the foot of the London Eye are usually very busy on sunny days, however their car-free central area was perfect for our toddler to run around without being too scared. We spent a couple of hours strolling around, eating picnic food (a must in London!) and playing with water jets. There are little tunnels kids can crawl through, swings and slides for them to enjoy, a long bamboo tunnel for practising roller skates or just running through it.

Sadly, Jasper got sick on our last day in London. We were so bummed that a full day of sightseeing was wasted in the hotel with him throwing up and having diarrhea. As he lay on the bed I went online to look up activities for when he felt better. We discovered that Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens had playgrounds. We packed up and headed there instead. While it was still raining (yuck) we did get to play and I got to get a great view of Earl’s Court from above.

For us moms-to-be and then parents, nothing beats a relaxing weekend in the fresh English air! London has many parks to choose ­­— all with playgrounds for children. The Hyde Park offers a tennis court and lots of grassy areas to run around. And when my little one was three months old, we would swing together on the baby swings; something I will remember forever. Kids love playgrounds – and kids in London absolutely love the Jubilee Gardens playground.

Located close to the London Eye, this playground is perfect for families, with a variety of play equipment suitable for children aged 2 – 10 years old. It’s also just a short walk from there to the Natural History Museum which we found suited our son perfectly well. London parks are green oases of escape and activity in the heart of the big city. Clean, safe and free, there is an open space for every park visitor.

Madame Tussauds

I can’t say that I have any interest in famous people with their wax figurines. But my mother-in-law and sister-in-law are both die hard fans of this kind of thing, so they were absolutely delighted to visit Madame Tussauds. My husband’s eyes however fell on the Chamber of Horrors and stayed there. My mother-in-law is rather daring. She wanted to go inside the Chamber, but it was closed for maintenance. We went to the Madame Tussauds in London and we bought tickets for the express pass.

This brought us first place in line at the doors of the museum, and also gave us an express pass to visit all of the different rooms. The boys'favourites were the rooms with all of the wax figures. We saw celebrities like Michael Jackson, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kate Moss, Justin Bieber, and many more. We approached the entrance with the usual ambivalence that a visit to Madame Tussauds always evokes. We are interested in it as a museum and in the figures themselves but we have learned that they are lifelines of tourists in London; we hoped for a reasonably quick entry, an easy queue and the impression that we are not alone to be there.

My son was (in his own opinion) really inquisitive about everything and kept running up to people in line saying things such as "how tall are you?" or "What's your name?". The moment we entered the building he said, "Hey Mummy look at that man, he's not real!"  Yes it was very obvious to me, it was a wax figure of David Beckham. What is cool about Madame Tussauds is that there are celebrities from all different ages on show.

More Ideas For Things To Do In London With Kids

This post was updated on June 20, 2017. Since I live in London with my family and we have a busy life here, we are always thinking about fun things to do during the holidays. When it comes to the question "What to do in London", I am always asked this question by my friends and family, since some of them are traveling to London for the first time and want to see what there is in London for families with kids.

So today I decided to share 12 really great options what you can do in London with your kids. If you want to go deeper into the topic and read more posts on this topic follow these links: 1) 10 Tips for Visiting London with Kids 2) Top 20 free and cheap things to do. When families are planning to make their travel plans, they’re often faced with a dilemma – whether they can incorporate activities for kids into the itinerary.

Sometimes it’s easy to understand why. Kids are very energetic and can be hard work.  But I’m here to tell you that including activities for them is not only possible, but should be mandatory!  In this article, I’ve listed some of the best things to do in London with kids. All you need is a bit of imagination, and extra set of hands. I saved the best for last. I’ve lived in London for a while and I probably know a thing or two about living in the city with kids.

Therefore, I bring to you the best of the best. We’re talking the creme de la creme of kid-friendly places to go to in London. Like anywhere, there will be some places that are more child-friendly than others, but these should be on top of your list if you have kids when visiting London. London has it all and that's perfect if you like kids. All of the most interesting cities in the world are.

because they actually have something for everyone, especially when visiting with the family! If that is what you are looking for then London is your place, whatever the age and interests of your little ones. April, May and part of June are the best months to visit London with kids. The weather is getting warmer and, since the school holidays start at the end of May or in early June, there are fewer tourists, so it’s easier and better for your pocket.

We’ve picked out a selection of top attractions for kids around London, as well as things to do with children in London that are free. Trust me there really are a lot of amazing child-friendly activities in London. You can walk past the old iconic stars and to the young trendy pop stars. Some of these wax models look eerily like the real thing. It's obvious that a lot of time and effort has been spent on recreating these wax figures.

Sea Life London Aquarium

The Sea Life London Aquarium is, as the name says, a huge aquarium that offers you the opportunity to see the marine life of British coasts in 55 impressive tanks. The front desk and ticket booth are located on the County Hall‘s ground floor, where you can also find a gift shop selling souvenirs and other items. Tickets can be quite expensive.  If you want to save on tickets it's better to buy them in advance online, which costs about 50% more than buying in the ticket office or on the date of your visit.

Children price is only £16. 99 for 3D cinema and £10. 50 for 2D cinema, compared to £30 for an adult. Sea Life London Aquarium entrance fee is £27 for adults and £23 for children. There are also several promotions here and there with which you can get in cheaper. If you do visit the aquarium, I would advise you to buy tickets online, because there are usually plenty of tickets available. Sea Life London Aquarium is situated on the South bank of River Thames, just a 5-minute walk from Big Ben.

The Royal Mews

I knew that the Royal Mews were in London, but didn’t know where exactly. I’d read somewhere that it was next to Buckingham Palace and that was it. I asked all over London for information on where to find them, but got different answers. Some people said it was at St. James Park, some said Hyde Park and others even said it was at the Tower of London.  We came close to getting in touch with an employee from Buckingham Palace who suggested we take a date into account and come back later.

She conveniently forgot us when we showed up an hour earlier on the day of our visit. Ok, so maybe there is no good plan B here…. Sooo let me give you the lowdown. You can do a tour of the Royal Mews on your own or book a tour online, which I would highly recommend. You get to see all the historic carriages used by the Royals, and it's much better than being crowded in with 50 other people and just getting one carriage to look at for 30 seconds before it's time to move on.

Plus, you get some knowledge! It's king-sized fun. We went there by tube (the closest stop is Victoria, which is a stop before Green Park). It’s free to enter the Royal Mews and they have a small exhibition that introduces you to people and animals employed in the Royal Mews. I liked it that there was some nice history about all the carriages that have been part of the royal collection, and how they were all used in different occasions.

The Royal Mews, also called the Royal Stables, is the department that looks after the Queen’s horses. It is also in charge of coaches and carriages (the ones used in state occasions) and crowns and royal artifacts. Since 2005, the Royal Mews have been located at Buckingham Palace but prior to this were on a different location. The Royal Mews are situated in the middle of London, on Buckingham Palace Road. The building is open to public every day (except Sunday) from 9am to 4pm.

Toy Stores Of London

There are so many toy shops in London; it's hard to know where to start. The first place to look is Leicester Square, which has everything from Barbie stores to toy Soldiers. If you're travelling with young children, then head to Hamley's in Regent Street (a present from the Grand Duke of York). If all the hustle and bustle in central London is too much for younger ones, try Greenwich Market which has a wonderful collection of toys and games.

The V&A is one of our favorite free things to do in London with kids. If you are travelling with children in London, it’s a great place to go on rainy days and also if you have younger children who are not going to be interested in older stuff! This museum is not only a design museum but also houses the old hospitals and schools as well as exhibitions. If you asked our children what their favorite day in London was, they would tell you The Science Museum and the visit to the M&Ms store (which by the way is on Leicester Square).

It’s impossible not to like a store that has a HUGE pink M&MS store! Our kids just loved all the colors and it is such a fun thing to do for kids. The toy stores of London are more than just a place where you can buy a few things to keep them occupied during your trip. Kids will have so much fun spotting the toys they’ve wished for. Where do Lego and M&Ms get together? Leicester Square of course! Chartered with all things fun, this colourful store is brimming with awards.

Where To Stay In London With Kids

London is a city where business meets culture, all served on a historic platter. It’s the largest commercial hub of Europe and the number one financial center in the world. Most Londoners like to squeeze as much into their day as possible, which makes for a fast paced, exciting city. To give you more bang for your buck, why not bring the family along for the ride? To make it easy on yourself, you might want to stay right in the heart of it all, within walking distance of all major attractions.

There are many hotels in central London where you could stay with your kids easily accommodated. Where to stay in London with Kids?‏  It’s easy to make plans for a vacation with kids, but the fact is that children get bored quickly and can be very demanding. I've worked in many hotels as a Guest Relation Manager for 7 years so I'd like to share my experience with you to help you have the best family vacation while staying in London.

Let me start by telling you what not to do. When travelling with kids it is always a big question of where to stay. While the idea of staying in a fancy hotel close to the London Eye sounds like fun, it’s easy to forget that the kids may get bored quickly and at the end of the day, they just want to go back home and rest in their own bed. If you’re traveling to London with your family and kids, you will need a centrally located hotel within walking distance to the main attractions.

Here are my favorite places to stay in London, both by myself and when I was traveling there with kids. London can be expensive which is why I decided to make a list of where to stay in London with kids based on several factors, including the distance from the main attractions. Here are 8 great London hotels and their best family rooms that will ensure the best experience for your kids.  Come and see what’s on sale today.