London in March with kids
 

We are considering a 10 day trip to London next March with our girls aged 12 and 15. What is the weather like? Is there lots to do with kids in London? Any suggestions?

lots to do in London, especially if you like NY since that what it reminds me of, except with an accent and more history. 10 days is a long time in London though-save your $s as its pretty expensive.

It is odd. All that has come through to me is
Message: lots to do in London, especially if you like NY since that what it reminds me of, except with an accent and more history. 10 days is a long time in London though-save your $s as its pretty expensive.

If the original enquirer is asking what London offers children, I want to say that I keep in disc a collection of notes on places that forum parents have recommended, and can gladly e mail it to you if you ask me.

[email protected]

dmann, We have taken our son to London twice, this year (he's 17) and two years ago and he loves it! The Tower was his favorite. Coming out of the Westminster tube at night and seeing Big Ben as you exit is a sight your kids will never forget. He loved the Abbey, the London Eye and we went into an arcade/bowling alley at County Hall while my husband toured the Dali museum next door.
Your kids will love it. We were just there in March and the weather was windy,rainy and cool, 50 degrees. Just bring a warm coat and gloves and you're okay. He also loved Hampton Court Palace. Have fun.

I always enjoy the record shops, and I'd recommend that to a teenager. I prefer the HMV store on Oxford Street, the one near the Bond Street tube stop. There's also a Virgin over at the Tottenham Court Road tube stop on the same street. There's plenty of theatre and concerts for them to see! http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk
Also, pick up a copy of "Time Out", a weekly arts magazine. You can find one at any newsstand in London, or in the States at Barnes and Noble.

See Ben Haines' list in a more recent thread called "Children in London" Don't underestimate the capacity of even teenaged girls to appreciate history. Do NOT miss the Tower of London. Seeing the steps that Ann Boleyn walked up from the river, the house she spent her last days in, and the very spot where she lost her head is something my daughter still talks about 6 years later. My kids also got a kick out of the Crown Jewels (see them first thing in the AM) and the yeoman Warder's tour. The guy who led our tour had our kids ROTFLOL, and knowing one of the stories he told (about a guy who got beheaded and then had his head stitched back on because someone forgot to paint his portrait before they offed him) earned one of my kids a "no homework pass" back in the States at school. And on that subject, you MUST take them to the British Museum, if only to see the Rosetta Stone. It WILL come up several times in their World History classes and they WILL score brownie points for having seen it. Guaranteed. If they are into fashion at all, take them to the dress exhibit at the V&A. You are fortunate to not have sons to mope around the V&A and whine that you are taking too long looking at " a bunch of stupid dresses". If they've read about either Queen Elizabeth I or Mary, Queen of Scots (I was obsessed with both of them at that age), then seeing where they are both buried in Westminster Abbey will impress them, and lots of other big names in history and literature are there. Don't know if it is still free admission on Wednesday evenings, but if so, that was also the only time photography was allowed, which was a plus, though it will be dark and I'm fairly certain flash was not allowed.
Hampton Court Palace was another favorite spot, especially the Maze. Note: unlike mazes in the US, where the goal seems to be to find one's way from entrance to exit, the object of the Maze at Hampton Court is to find the center. That confused us a bit.
Shopping in Covent Garden was another favorite activity, and whenever I cautioned my 9-year-old on her spending, she countered with "'Mom, this is EUROPE!"

Well, have a good trip. If this is everyone's first trip to Europe, I will impart some advice that served me well. Before we left, I sat my children down (ages 14, 11, and 9) and informed them in no uncertain terms that I had been waiting my entire life to get to Europe, and there were certain sights that I had been reading about and fully intended to see while I was there, things I had been waiting my entire life to see, and that absolutely NO amount of whining was going to deter me from seeing, and they'd be wasting their breath to even TRY. It worked quite well (OK, except for in the dress exhibit at the V&A). But pretty much everytime they found themselves in a place they were not enjoying, they just found a place to sit and quietly waited for Dad and I to see what we came to see and then move on. We did our best to alternate kid-friendly stuff with the "boring" stuff, but your kids are old enough to understand that there are things you NEED to see if you've never been there before. Have a good trip.

It is kind of Annam to mention my list on the correspondence Children in London. The trouble is, I rather think it was the version for children aged about five, and teenagers will find it a bit beneath them. So if you would like to e mail me I can send you the teenager version.

[email protected]

I took my 12-year old to Mamma Mia and she loved it.
Don't know what your girls like to do, but mine always have a great time in London. One of the markets could be nice; try Portobello Road on Saturday.

If they are Harry Potter fans, there are some Potter-related things to see too (do a search on this forum, but platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross comes to mind).

They also like Accessorize; a chain of shops where they have great embroidered bags, jewellery.

My eldest read the Da Vinci Code, and now wants to visit sites in London mentioned in the book; don't know if that would be a good book for your kids to read?

Oops, you're right Ben. I got so wrapped up in reading it and reminiscing, I forgot it was the younger version.

We were in London this summer with our daughter, age 13 (and son, age 7). She enjoyed the British Museum and the Museum of Natural History. We went to the flea market on Portobello Road and she found gifts to take back to her friends. There are also cute boutiques along Portobello Road - her favorite was "Punky Fish." Covent Garden was also a hit with her. We found Platform 9 3/4 at Kings' Cross, but she was somewhat disappointed that just a plaque marks the spot. I would caution, however, that even teenagers need some "down" time to watch the "tely" just like at home.