Things to Do in London with Kids

more than a year ago

Younger visitors to London might just think they’ve found heaven. The city is a Disneyland for kids, although not actually Disneyland, but there is so much to keep children occupied in this city that it beggars belief. Luckily for adults, almost all of the options appeal to older folk as well.

London Zoo

Almost 700 species of animal make up London Zoo, the oldest scientific zoo on God’s green Earth. Zoos may not be as fashionable as they once were, but the variety of animals at London Zoo is guaranteed to enthral. It isn’t cheap, but it is fascinating. The zoo is located in Regent’s Park, so head to the station of the same name.

Sea Life London Aquarium

Now into its third decade, London’s Sea Life Aquarium went under a major reconstruction at the start of the decade and can now lay confidant claim to being the best of its kind in the country. The Shark Walk is exactly what you imagine, a walkway embellished by the sinister presence of sharks floating above and below, and there are plenty of friendlier beasts around too. The aquarium also specialises in breeding programs.

Harry Potter Tour For Muggles

Expelliarmus! © tour for muggles tours london Facebook

Harry Potter is well and truly among the most famous of Britain’s cinematic exports, and wizard fever remains at large in London. The Tour For Muggles is an extensive tour around the many sights, spots and sounds in the capital that inspired JK Rowling all those years ago. The tour takes two and a half hours and is recommended for Potterites young and old, although a tube ticket for Zone 1 is also required.

HMS Belfast

Once a cruiser ship in the Royal Navy, the HMS Belfast is now permanently moored as a museum on the Thames. It served in World War II, but its modern state is that of a kid-friendly museum chock-full of fascinating historical information about life on the seas. As with many London museums, tickets are discounted online.

London Eye

We’re usually a little wary when it comes to gigantic observation wheels, but there breadth and scope of the London Eye really sets it apart from the rest. The views are deserving of the breathtaking sobriquet, while no expense is spared when it comes to dispensing a wealth of information in a wide variety of languages. Open to the public since the year 2000, this is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the entire country, attracting almost four million wide-eyed visitors annually. Standard tickets start at £27.

Hyde Park

The lungs of London. A monumental stretch of verdant might in the heart of the capital, Hyde Park opened to the public in 1637 and hasn’t looked back since. The park is famous for being the setting of many protests throughout history, although major concerts have replaced rebellions as the main bringer of crowds in the 21st century. Do keep an eye out around Speakers’ Corner though — you never know who you might see on the public soapbox.

clueQuest

London is positively swimming in escape rooms, most of which take some portion of the city’s tumultuous history as the central theme. clueQuest is generally regarded to be the capital’s most entertaining and engaging, with a variety of missions available over two units in the centre of town. These missions are a little more unusual than your simple ‘get out of an old London room’, and we give clueQuest kudos for that.

Madame Tussauds

Wax museums might not be the most popular in the modern age, but Madame Tussauds has enough history in the bank to regain more than enough credibility to justify a visit. The whole thing started as an 18th century travelling show, before blossoming into the most famous collection of wax figures on the planet. If you want a selfie with anyone from David Beckham to Mahatma Gandhi, The Incredible Hulk to Miley Cyrus, this is the (somewhat pricey) place to go.