London for kids

[Meadowgrover]

Bringing our two kids (boy - 7,girl - 5) to London this weekend. Any suggestions for relatively inexpensive (got a shock when I priced west end shows) places to visit.
Thanks.

[jimmyb01]

Well you know London is not cheap, travel by Bus and Tube with a Family Travelcard, kids will be free. All the museums in London are now free so you can visit the History or The Science and many more. The London eye is good fun, you can buy one ticket get one free, pick up a voucher from a Tube Station. Or see www.tfl.gov.uk

[bongerman]

Get a river boat from westminster pier (near london eye) all the way to Greenwich. Do this in the morning and you can get yourself a few hours in Greenwich to see the lovely parks, markets and the Cutty Sark ship before taking the boat back again.

Highly recommended if it's not raining!

[Annie456]

Try to avoid shopping areas - christmas shoppers are going crazy on oxford street already! Definitely consider the Eye as long as they are ok with heights (its a long 30 mins if they're not!) maybe take a walk along the mall to buckingham palace. The tower of London is good and could tie in with a boat trip to greenwich. London Zoo is fantastic and you can buy combined tickets for the zoo, the eye and a boat trip.

Finally, check out this site http://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/kids.htm

[Gnu]

The Science museum kids zone (in the basement) is great for kids - the problem will be getting them out! There are short science based shows during the day too, the bubble one is definitely worth a look.

I'd go very early or late in the afternoon, as it does get very busy.

[Buenchico]

(Posted in 2 parts):

If the weather forecast had been better, I'd have suggested spending some time watching the street entertainers in Covent Garden Piazza but it might be rather too cold. (It's worth keeping this in mind for a future visit though).

It might also be too cold for a river trip but, if you wrap up warmly, this is a great way to see some of the main sites. With young children, I'd suggest the short trip from Tower Pier to Westminster Pier. It only takes about 20 minutes but you see St Pauls, the Monument, the Houses of Parliament and lots, lots more. If you take this trip (or any other river trip) remember to show your Travelcard for one third off.

I see that the Science Museum has already been suggested and I'm happy to endorse that suggestion. For young children, the Launch Pad area, in the basement, has to be the star attrction. It's a fully hands-on experience and can keep youngsters occupied for hours. There are other interactive galleries as well, including The Garden and Pattern Pod. See here for more information:
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/education/families/hands on.asp
Most children also like the space and transport sections.

[Buenchico]

(Er, make that 3 parts!)):

The Science Museum is free but there are some parts which require payment. For example, children usually love the 3D films in the IMAX cinema. For such young children, the best film would probably be 'Santa vs The Snowman'. It's only 35 minutes long but it's terrific fun trying to duck the snowballs which appear to be thrown out of the screen! It's only showing once on Saturday (at 1145) and once on Sunday (at 1300). These films are so popular that it would be wisest to book by phone first: 0870 870 4771 Tickets aren't particularly cheap at �7.50 for adults and �6.00 for children (plus a booking fee) but I'm sure that you'll think that it's well worth it. Full details of all the films being shown can be found here:
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/imax/index.asp


The Natural History Museum is next door to the Science Museum. There's not so much here to interest young children as in the Science Museum but the star exhibit has to be the moving dinosaurs! Just find the dinosaur exhibition and skip most of the exhibits in the gallery. The moving dinosaurs are at the very far end of the room and they always fascinate children. (Entry to the museum, including the Dinosaurs exhibition, is free).

The Victoria & Albert Museum is just across the road from the Science & Natural History Museums. This isn't normally a place which you would think would fascinate children but the museum has won awards for its 'Back-Pack' programme of activities. These are available every Saturday & Sunday. The V&A is much quieter than the other two museums and offers a rather more restful time for tired parents! Entry and back-pack loan are free. See here for details of these activities:
http://www.vam.

[Buenchico]

(Despite being edited, that link seems to work OK, so here's the last part):

There are usually theatre activities, suitable for young children, every weekend in London. (These shows, especially for children, are far cheaper than the West End theatres and the kids will enjoy them just as much). Buy a copy of 'Time Out' for details.

Hoping that some of this helps,

Chris

[Rocketman]

The outdoor entertainers at Covent Garden is well worth visiting with children. No charge just a small donation to each show - they go on all day and mostly have children volunteers to make it a family thing.

[leandrews]

I've just written this on another post, but seeing as you've got kids, this place will be ideal for you.

For a meal try the Rainforest Cafe off Shaftesbury Avenue. Upstairs is the shop selling animal themed toys and activities. Downstairs is the restaurant, which is competely decked out like a Rainforest, with Animatronic animals, and jungle noises. There's a large fish tank with big fish, and a fountain.

The food is reasonably priced, and tasty! it's definitely a place to visit!

[winifred]

There are lots of places where you can get a bargain pre-theatre menu in the Covent Garden area. Brown's in St Martin's Lane is particularly good. Family Travelcards (already mentioned) are very good value and it's a good idea to get some information about interesting bus routes, such as past the Houses of Parliament and up to St Paul's. Try the tourist information centre in Lower Regent Street for a London Planner and other relevant booklets and leaflets. The Museum of London is free and well worth a visit and you could walk across the Millenium Bridge from near there.