atw74

I'll be working in London for 6 months next year. My parents are planning on bringing my niece and nephew (both 8) to visit while I'm there. Their plan is a few days in London, Chunnel to Paris for a few days, and then end up back in London for a few days in time to spend Easter with me. They are looking for some ideas of things to do with the kids to make the trip really unforgettable.

For London, we figure the Tower would be great, the changing of the guard or maybe the horse parade, and maybe a day trip to Windsor. Not sure if the British Museum is too old for them.

For Paris, they definitely want to do the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, a limited trip to the Louvre (Winged Victory and the Mona Lisa) and Versailles.

Any recommendations? Any thoughts on good books to read before they go to get the kids excited. I was telling my nephew stories about the Tower today and he seemed really interested.

Therese

London Transport Museum absolutely great for this age group, and enjoyable for their parents as well.

In addition to books as prep you might want to consider movies: Mary Poppins would be a good bet for this age group.

janisj

Some ideas for London:
- Princess Diana playground in Kensington Gardens.
- The zoo after taking a canal boat from Little Venice.
- Natural History Museum -- Dinosaurs and tons of interactive displays geared to kids.
- Problem w/ the changing of the Guard is for kids, the view isn't easy - too many people jammed in too small an area. Horse guards will be easier.
- Double check about the London Transport museum. It is closed for remodeling and I'm not sure when it re-opens. But the web site should have the info.

For Paris: A picnic in the Luxemborg gdns. I personally think 8 yo's would be bored spitless at Versailles. But maybe.

Both cities: River boat rides. Open top, double-decker hop-on-hop-off tour buses.

Lexma90

We took our then-10-year-old son to London and Paris last year.

He really enjoyed the War Museum and the Cabinet War Rooms. The latter might be too old for your two, but they'd probably enjoy the former. He like the Tower of London, especially the story of the Princes in the Tower (which we read up on prior to the trip). We skipped the changing of the guard, due to the crowds. We MADE him go to the British Museum, primarily to see the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles - must-sees in my book. I think he actually liked Westminster and St. Pauls - especially the views from up top. Fish 'n chips were a hit, as was English tea (we didn't go for the full deal at a hotel, but instead had a late lunch that included tea, sandwiches and cakes. We visited the Royal Mews, which my son was very disappointed by, as almost all the cars were somewhere else with the Royal Family.

We took the Eurostar to Paris, which worked well for us logistically. But for my son, who doesn't ride trains much, it was ho-hum after the first 5 minutes.

In Paris, the boat ride (in the evening, to see the city all lit up), the Eiffel Tower, going to the top of the towers of Notre Dame. The Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay were also must-sees by me. Luckily, he loves anything by Vincent Van Gogh. I thought he would like Rodin's sculpture outside, but he hated it! He loved crepes from the stands and croissants and pastries any time.

W9London

More suggestions for London activities: Regent's Park (feed the ducks and swans, rose garden), Museum of Childhood (they should be reopening shortly), the Greenwich royal observatory (where the GMT is set), brass rubbing at St.-Martin- in-the-Fields. British Museum has several self-guided tours for children (which is less crowded and more kids friendly than Louvre, IMO).
If they tend to behave well in restaurants, treat them to Fortnum & Mason restaurants for
Out of central London, Windsor Castle, Heaver castle, Hampton Court Palace all make good day trips. If your niece and nephew are into Harry Potter, there are a few locations where the films were shot (though the best ones are in Gloucester and Oxford).

Also, there are several guidebooks about London geared toward children. They might want to get a copy so that they can get involved in the planning.

Across the ch<b>a</b>nnel, carousels at Sacre Coeur, Jardin du Luxemborg has puppet shows in the afternoons. There is a smallish children's amusement park in or next to Bois de Boulogne (sorry can't recall the name). If going to Eiffel Tower, go there first thing in the morning. Crepe stands--nutella, and ice cream in summer.

kaz11

How about Parc de la Villette

www.villette.com/us/mainprog.htm

playgrounds,fun museums for kids,cinema etc.. and maybe a ride along canal saint martin through the locks to get there.

cassius

I look after two eight year olds who live in London. Some places they have visited for school trips recently that were very popular were St.Pauls, the Museum of London (in the Barbican, v. close to St. pauls) and the Museum of Docklands.
The kids area in the basement of the Science museum is fantastic, loads of hands on science for kids to play with.

For outdoor trips kids tend to find the Docklands Light Railway great fun - the idea of a train without a driver fascinates them - take the train from Bank or Tower Hill to Greenwich then take the boat back up to Westminster.

Corams Fields is a favourite park (Russell Square tube)- it's a families only park with paddling pools, sandpits, farm animals, lots of picnic space and various playgrounds for different ages.

The Little Angel puppet theatre (Islington) is definitely one of my favourite places to take children in London - the puppet shows are so well done and completely engrossing (for the grown ups as well as the kids!!!)

Finally, Time Out guides publish both a magazine and a book called London for Kids, it would be well worth getting hold off one of these if you can.

ben_haines

Here is a note I gathered three years go from comments by parents who wrote to this forum.

Southern Band

At Windsor, Legoland (will re-open on 17 March 2007) river boat ride in summer, and the Castle. For children aged 5 and 8 half a day each was the right length.
http://www.windsor-tourism.co.uk/.
http://www.windsor-gb.co.uk/ Train from Waterloo.
The maze at Hampton Court. http://www.hrp.org.uk/index2.htm. Train from Waterloo
A phone call or e-mail to the Science Museum at South Kensington in London (phone 020 7938 8111: web site http://www.nmsi.ac.uk/welcome.html: address [email protected] ) will get you a list of their activities for bright children, or they may be listed in the monthly &quot;Kid's out in London&quot;
The Natural History Museum, South Kensington. Museum http://www.nhm.ac.uk/,
Visiting London with children or teens, make sure you go to the Victoria &amp; Albert, one of the most beautiful museums I've ever seen in the world. Head for the British History section, where they have &quot;discovery areas&quot; where children can learn by doing, and study areas to learn in depth about artifacts and way of life in the past. Our kids (ages 14, 13, and 10) absolutely loved this experience.
The Princess Diana Memorial Playground--next to Kensington Palace, an elaborate playground, with a pirate ship, totem poles, teepees, sand pits, jungle gyms, etc.
http://www.kidstolondon.com/parks/dianaplayground.html
Princess Diana's gowns on display in Kensington Palace
Round Pond, Bayswater
Squirrels in Hyde Park
Serpentine, the lake near Hyde Park Corner, with boats
Harrod's Toy Department, Knightsbridge tube. http://www.harrods.com/
Your children will love the escalator, with Egyptian theming, and the food hall.
Our kids (ages 14, 13, and 10) absolutely loved this experience. They hated Harrods (not far from the V&amp;A), but enjoyed shopping on Carnaby St., and in Covent Garden, as already mentioned
National Army Museum, Chelsea, Sloane Square and a bus: rather a way to go, so perhaps you should sadly miss it. http://www.harrods.com/
The Imperial War Museum. WWI &amp; II exhibits: you can clamber on tanks and in warplanes, Lambeth North. http://www.iwm.org.uk/
The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, to see the Queen’s state coaches. Victoria
St James Park, Westminster
The Cabinet War Rooms (and hearing Churchill's speeches), Westminster
At Piccadilly: Hard Rock Caf&eacute;, Rock Circus (wax museum of the history of rock &amp; roll), Planet Holywood (for the James Bond room)
Art galleries in London have great skill and experience in letting children enjoy themselves. Web sites well worth a visit are http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/pl...familyfun.htm: the National Gallery on Trafalgar square
http://www.npg.org.uk/live/lecindex.asp: the National Portrait Gallery, just north east of the National Gallery
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/programmes/families.htm: Tate Britain, south of Victoria and west of Westminster
The London Eye (big wheel), Westminster. http://www.british-airways.com/londoneye/ There is a good photo guide for 2 pounds, with labelled photos of the views in each direction. A tiny playground at the base of the wheel was great for my 5-year-old to let off steam after the ride on the wheel.
London Duck tours in a landing craft http://www.londonducktours.co.uk/
London Aquarium, Westminster Bridge. http://www.londonaquarium.co.uk/
The Sherlock Holmes Museum, Charing Cross
St Martin in the Fields for brass rubbing, Charing Cross. http://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/
The London Transport Museum (and the tube simulators) Covent Garden. http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/. It is not big, we spent about an hour there, then had lunch in the cafe, from which you can look down into the museum, if you go up to the upper level. Children are free to enter the museum, adults about 6 pounds. The guide-book has some simple activities and puzzles for younger children, which were useful on the train trip home.
Shopping and watching the buskers in Covent Garden
Thames boat tours from Embankment to Tower. http://www.cockney.co.uk/river.htm#boats
St Bartholomew the Great, Barbican
The Museum of London, St Paul's. A phone call or e-mail would bring you their programme of Family Events, which are varied and active, with any amount of simple talks, role-playing and dressing up. http://www.museumoflondo.org.uk, and 020 7600 3699. Parents have specially mentioned their Blitz display.

The top of St Paul's Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral. http://max.roehampton.ac.uk/link/dswark/cath/index.htm
A good lunch is upstairs at the Market Porter pub in Borough Market. They welcome children. Since pub portions are large you might order for the boys one main dish and two plates - the pub has no objection, and this leaves space for pudding. http://alt.venus.co.uk/vpub/se1area.htm
Below the south side of London Bridge main line station is the Old
Operating Theatre, reasonably exciting. And from there it is five minutes under the station to H M S Belfast, a whole ship to explore. http://www.iwm.org.uk/belfast.htm
To go right up to see London. By lift, free, Guys Tower in Guys Hospital, London Bridge tube. By stairs, and you pay to enter, the Monument or the Dome of St Paul's.
Over the river is the Tower. I think you can buy tickets for it the day before in any tube station. It gets crowded, so you want to arrive at opening time, nine Tuesday to Saturday and ten Sunday and Monday. If there is a queue (line) for the Crown Jewels you can miss them. The time you get to view them is usually short, and there are older and finer crown jewels in Edinburgh, Budapest and Vienna. People on Fodors forum mention the good humour of the well-informed beefeaters. These lead tours but are not &quot;tourist guides&quot;. If the Queen were to sleep in her palace of the Tower they would be responsible for her safety. http://www.tower-of-london.com/index2.html
Tower Bridge. http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/
The Tower Hill Pageant
The Ragged School Museum. You can phone: from time to time they do a re-enactment of a Victorian schoolroom using visiting children as Victorian pupils. The children's reactions are hilarious. It will show them how lucky they are. http://www.raggedschoolmuseum.org.uk/.

Greenwich, by train from Charing Cross or London Bridge. Or by Docklands Light Railway, “which is very convenient from central London. My children like riding in the front car of the driverless Docklands Light Railway to get there”. In winter the boat trip from Embankment or the Tower is cold and long, and it's not too warm in April. In fact, better go on a hot day in summer. At Greenwich: the Cutty Sark, http://uk.search.yahoo.com/search/uk...Bridge&amp;y=y, the National Maritime Museum with hands-on rooms (captain your own sub) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/, the Meridian, and the Observatory, http://www.rog.nmm.ac.uk/

With a bag of nuts bought beforehand feed the squirrels beside the flower gardens in the top end of Greenwich Park. Nearest station is Blackheath, reached from Victoria and from London Bridge.



Northern Band

Portebello Road weekend market, including army equipment and antique guns. Notting Hill Gate tube
The London Zoo, Camden Town. http://www.londonzoo.co.uk/
Canal trips that go past the London Zoo to Camden Lock and back. You need good weather (a parent: “wait 5 minutes and it will come”).
The Camden Market, Camden Town. http://www.camdenlock.net/markets.html
Madame Tussaud's, Baker Street. http://www.madame-tussauds.com/ Popular with many children: I find it expensive and pointless.
The Virgin Records Megastore (open until midnight or thereabout), Oxford Circus. http://virginmega.com/
Shopping in Carnaby Street
Hamley's Toy Shop, Regent Street, Oxford Circus. Five floors of toys: bring your credit card.
London Transport Museum, Covent Garden. http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/
British Museum, Holborn. This has an audiotour tape with colour guide book which my son loved following like a scavenger hunt - we stayed in the Museum for over two hours (a record for him) and he still remembers it as great fun. The best rooms for children this age are not the boring old Greek and Roman rooms, but downstairs the Egyptian mummies and Rosetta Stone and upstairs the Roman British Room and the next door Anglo Saxon room, with gold hordes and a ship burial. (If you read them the bit about Grendel's mother from a translation of &quot;Beowulf&quot; at breakfast the day you go you'll have them in the mood). Not far away are early twentieth century radio sets. http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/.
Another parent writes: The British Museum -- not too long a visit. Mine like the Egyptian rooms in particular.
Good lunches Mondays to Fridays are north of the museum, in the MacMillan Hall of the University's Senate House, and for spicy Asian and Mexican food (if they let you in) the students' refectory of the School of Oriental and African Studies on the north east corner of Russell Square. Or children liked The Spaghetti House, Russell Square. http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/jon/hipparch/hotel.txt
Coram's Fields, Russell Square. A special park and playground, east of Bloomsbury, where Captain Coram, founder of the Childrens' Hospital and of the fields, laid down the rule that adults might be admitted only if accompanied by a child. http://www.ulcc.ac.uk/about/coramsfields.htm
Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood. http://www.kidsnet.co.uk/museums/bethgree.shtml

Things to Miss. For children aged 4 to 10 these are many.

The Victoria and Albert Museum, except that some little girls like the
dresses, and like talking with their mothers about them

Buckingham Palace: a large and dull building. Most of the year you can't
enter, and in high summer it's expensive. If you want a good palace, try St
James Palace, between Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly. But there's no
great point. What you can do is inspect the guardsman. Has he polished his
boots ? Cleveland Row. Tube Green Park
On the other hand: &quot;My son loved Buckingham Palace. Someone was waving a handkerchief from one of the windows of the palace, and he was convinced it must be the Queen&quot;.
The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. The change at Horse Guards
Parade at eleven (Sundays at ten) is easier to see, less crowded, and more
fun. But again, not specially worth while. While we adults thought the Changing of the Guard at Buck Palace was boring, children aged 14, 13 and 10 really liked it.
St Paul's Cathedral. Looks like an overblown Duke's living room, and costs a lot. Even Westminster Abbey is a drag, crowded, hard to see things, and hard to understand unless you've read a lot of English history. If you want to see a church, the most atmospheric is the twelfth century St Barthomolew's the Great, St Paul's tube, and the most open and pleasant is the fourteenth century Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge tube.

Animals for children to pet. If you show this list to your hotel staff they can tell you which is nearest.

The page http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/ has a list of community farms and gardens, copied here, and http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/Documents/London%20Map.pdf has a map that you can print out but must then enlarge. Central and eastern boroughs of London with two such farms are Camden and Tower Hamlets, and with one are Lewisham, Hackney, Newham, Greenwich, and Lambeth. Each city farm has farm animals, used to meeting children and other humans, usually in school groups. I have seen city children enchanted.
City Farms &amp; Community Gardens: City Farms and Community Gardens comprise a very varied collection. Each has their own unique opening times, size, public facilties &amp; services and type and number of animals in their collection. You should check with the individual farms prior to arranging your visit. Some sites are far more developed than others and most are also looking for volunteers.
Brooks Farm Skeltons Lane, Leyton, London, E10
0208 539 4278

Coram's Fields 93 Guildford Street, London, WC1N 1DN
0207 837 6138

Vauxhall City Farm 24 St Oswald's Place, London, SE11 5JE
0207 582 4204

Deen City Farm 39 Windsor Avenue, Merton, London, SW19 2RR
0208 543 5300

Hammersmith Community Gardens Association Hammersmith, 07890 514 050

Hounslow Urban Farm, Faggs Road, Feltham, TW14 0LZ
0208 751 0850

Kentish Town City Farm 1 Cressfield Close, Grafton Road, London, NW5 4BN
0207 916 5421

Freightliners City Farm Sheringham Road, Islington, London, N7 8PF 0207 609 0467

The London Zoo has an area where children handle animals.

Hackney City Farm, 1a Goldsmiths Row, Hackney, London, E2 8QA
0207 729 6381

Thameside Park City Farm 40 Thames Road, Barking, RG11 0HH
0208 594 8449

Stepping Stones Farm Stepney Way, London, E1 3DG
0207 790 8204

Surrey Docks City Farm South Wharf, Rotherhithe Street, Southwark, London SE16 1EY
0207 231 1010

Mansfield Outdoor Centre Manor Road, Lambourne End, Essex, RM4 1NB
0208 500 3047

Newham City Farm King George Avenue, Custom House, London,
E16 3HR
0207 476 1170

Spitalfields Farm, Weaver Street, London, E1 6HJ
0207 247 8762

Ben Haines, London
[email protected]

jgg

You have received a lot of good suggestions. I just want to add a few things. I'm not sure if anyone mentioned Warwick Castle outside of London. We actually did it as part of a full daytrip to Oxford, Stratford-Upon-Avon and Warwick Castle. Warwick was definitely a highlight.

As others have mentioned kids like to climb things at that age and climbing St. Paul's in London and Sacre Coeur in Paris were definitely favorites for my 10 year old son. They may also enjoy riding the escalators at the George Pompidou in Paris.

Definitely take them to the British Museum to see the Egyptian mummy exhibit - they will probably think that is cool. My ten year old son also enjoyed many of the exhibits at the Imperial War Museum.

Your niece may enjoy seeing a fashion show at Au Printemps of Gallerie Lafayette in Paris.

5alive

Lots of great suggestions already. Did someone mention the Tower Bridge? It's right near the Tower of London.

My kids read Harry Potter in first and second grades. I would think they're about ready for it or have seen the movies. If so, I understand there are organized tours. Could be a fun way to sneak in some sites of the city.

About the only suggestion I think they'd fail to appreciate is the Hard Rock Cafe.

Tulips

My 8-year old liked;
The Tower - absolute favorite
Science Museum - there's a hands-on exhibition space in the basement. And I-max movies
British Museum - there's an audio tour specifically for families, about animals, games and mummies. He thought that was great
Cabinet War Rooms; thought he might find it boring, but he didn't. There's a kid's audio tour here too.
Natural History Museum.

kswl

You have many fine suggestions. I would just add that the City of London Museum is geared towards kids that age and presents in a well-ordered fashion and with nicely-constructed models, the history of the city they're touring. There are exhibits interesting to kids (and many at their eye level, unlike some of the other museums) and a video booth where one can watch a short film of the great fire (reproduction, obviously) that is narrated in part by actors reading from actual first-hand accounts of the event. Very nicely done.

atw74

Wow. Thanks everyone for all of the ideas. I'll go through all of this and come back with any questions.

I have to say these forums are just great. I planned a trip to Tanzania earlier this year and found the forum here to be the most helpful place on the internet. Seems to be working out that way again!

atw74

Quick follow up on this. Does anyone have any suggestions for kid-friendly restaurants? They're both good kids, but a lot of the places I've been in London would definitely frown on a visit from them.
thanks again

Tulips

My 8-year old likes places such as Rainforest Cafe, Sticky Fingers, Joe Allen; burger places. He also like Wagamama. Anywhere Italian is usually good as well. When eating out with children, large, noisy place are good too; Quaglino's and Bluebird (on King's Road) are two places my children liked. And they've been to the Wolseley; they do a good Wiener Schnitzel, and a burger too I think. And great desserts.

kswl

There's a good Pizza Express near the Tower of London.

cocofromdijon

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