Children in London - what to do?!
 

Help! I have to show my 8 and 9 year old neice and nephew around London. What do children this age like to do and see? Thanks!

You HAVE to bring them to the Natural History Museum. It's fantastic!

I'm sure they'd love the London Eye and the Planetarium too.

I have on disc a collection of notes by forum parents on what their children liked here. If you ask me I shall gladly e-mail a copy to you.

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London is wonderful for kids! Mr. Haines has collected all our comments, so his document should be a wealth of information.
Just quickly, though, my kids' favorites are:
riding the London Eye
going through the maze at Hampton Court Palace
paddle-boating on the Serpentine
National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery
The Tower of London
Have a great time!
Annette

I think running and playing in any of the parks would be fun for children, but be sure to take them to the playground in Kennsington Gardens. I believe it's named after Princess Diana and it has a big pirate ship for kids to play on. I remember it being a very popular spot when I was there last summer.

Check out the D-Day 60th Anniversary exhibit at the Imperial War Museum. They have lots of neat things that the kids seemed to love -- large exhibits such as airplanes, tanks, cannons, etc. It was fascinating.

I also agree about London's parks. St. James Park has lots of ducks and squirrels that are quite happy to take food from your hand.

..agree with parks, tower of london and all of the above..also brass rubbings in the "basement" of st martin in the field...trip on thames to greenwich..the observatory and the naval museum..great hands on stuff for kids..there is also lots of "running room" between the observatory and the naval museum..2 day trips the children might enjoy would be windsor and hampton court...one of my children liked the aquarium near the london eye..just be sure the children have input and play it by ear..have something planned but if isnt working out drop it or a real hit drop the next activity! ENJOY...

Whatever you do, the kids will enjoy it more if they know what they are seeing. Find a couple of kids books on the history of London and another on really basic art and architecture. Give them a basic overview of what they are going to visit. It is so cool to hear a kid say, "Hey look! That's cathedral is Gothic!" or "Oh mom, that's that dude Charlemagne!" (Don't tell anyone, but I always pay my boys a few cents for intelligent comments or answers to questions.)

We also taught our kids to navigate the subway, and allowed them to chart our course as we moved around the city.

London Zoo
London Aquarium
Visit to Hamleys
Open top bus tour
River trip
Cutty Sark
HMS Belfast
London Dungeons
Imax (near Waterloo)
Madam Tussards

My 9 year twin boys liked the Tower of London & the London Eye best. Be forwarned, the Tower of London can take much of a day & the Museum of Natural History is huge! We just saw the dinosaur exhibit there, which was great but you need to pick what you want to see at these museums. There's also the Science Museum & British Museum and my daughter loved the Royal Mews(Queen's stables). I would focus on what they don't have at home or what is particularly British. Good luck!

There is a Museum of London that has a grat # of interactive exhibits that the kids would love (the whole museum would be too much for them - but some if it - including the gold Coronation Coach and the Great Fire of London exhibit - they can restart the fire themselves - were sure winners with kids when I was there). Also, they may like the Changing of the Horse Guards - and touring the stables at Buckingham Palace.

Harrods - the toys and children's fashions should amuse them.

Then move on to South Ken - Science Museum and Natural History (as mentioned before), then take them back to the hotel with a babysitter. Go out for a wonderful dinner, maybe some theatre/opera and a nightcap at a wonderful bar such as Claridge's or maybe the superbly refurbished bar at The Ritz.

Frankly, I would skip Harrods unless you have a lot of money to spend.

Many kids tend to have limited patience for museums, but London's Science Museum may be an exception to the rule. This is based on personal experience with my son, who spent an entire day at that site on his last visit to London.

I would second the suggestion to spend a good bit of time at the Tower (but I see the London Dungeon as a tacky, gory, tourist trap). A boat trip on the Thames can be good, perhaps especially the amphibious "Duck" tours. And unless someone suffers fear of heights, the London Eye is a must. I'd pick the mounted guards ceremony at Horse Guards if a changing of the guards event is on your itenerary.

Foul-weather alternatives include the Museum of London, which appeals to many children, and the London Transport Museum. Hamleys is a possibility (albeit a potentially expensive one!)

But, as others have noted, many kids eschew being programmed to go from one tourist sight to another. Above all else, try to be flexible in your planning and in the actual visit itself.

Dave White
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I would second most of the suggestions above. We visited with our daughter (then seven) a few years ago. One of the things she enjoyed the most -- and wanted to do again and again -- was watch the street performers at Covent Garden.

Other 'hits' were a rowboat on the lake in Regent's Park, theater (The Lion King), the London Eye, the Tower, the Transport Museum and the mummies at the British Museum.

We were in London just a couple of weeks ago. My twin 9-year olds (Rebecca and Brian) loved the following: playing at the Princess Diana Memorial Playground (with lunch after at The Orangery), the London Zoo, the London Transport Museum, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Tower of London, ferry to Greenwich, the Royal Observatory and Prime Meridien, and playing on the lions at Trafalgar Square. Loved Hamleys and its Harry Potter exhibit in the stairwell. Laughed until their sides ached at Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged, and also enthralled by Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Brian's favorite restaurant was Pizza Express and Rebecca's was Rules.

I did Paris with kids that age and they loved (a) anything tall that could be climbed up and looked out of, and (b) the playgrounds in the public parks.