Ah yeh - a play in London's West End - whether they want to or not and chose something they will love and not some drole Agatha Christie Mousetrap, etc.

Anyway a great experience for anyone coming to London IMO

They are opening theatre production (actually a musical?) of The Wizard of Oz at Southbank Centre this summer.

When i took my son about that age to London he also loved the climb to the top of St Paul's Cathedral - done in three stages - an easy staircase to the rotunda where there is a weird echo where whispers can be heard from the other side, then two more stages with the last one being if i remember correctly some ladders to the very roof where you can circle the top and get a bird's eye view of London.

Kids should love the experience.

Kids may also love the DUKW tours - the military jeep-type vehicles that also plunge into the Thames and become boats. They seem like loads of fun.

Also check out the Imperial War Museum, not far from the London Eye Ferris Wheel as they may have special shows about London during WWII bombardments

not sure what's on but i sat in a re-created Tube bunker as bombs were impacting overhead - re-creating the horror Londoners routinely went thru during the Blitz. Anyway there are often special effect things kids may like - as well as the war relics, etc.

Dont miss Warwick Castle..it has a bit of Disney flavor but my kids loved it!It isnt too far from Birmingham. My kids also loved the Beefeater tour at the Tower of London..for some downtime there is a nice boat ride along the Thames to Greenwich. My son very much enjoyed the Maritime Museum(in Greenwich Palace) there as well as the observatory. There is a wonderful park for a picnic. As noted above Hampton Court is a wonderful place for kids. My sons thought the London Dungeon was "lame".

I took my teen son once to the London Planetarium next to Tussauds and run by them - and though it's similar to Planetariums in many places if your town does not have one near maybe London is a good place - he and I really enjoyed the show there.

Thanks everyone. I am sure enjoying reading these suggestions and mentally placing those on our agenda.

My wife recently discovered that Cirque de Soliel is opening in London around January 2009 and she has been dreaming of taking the kids since see CdS in Vegas a few times.

We are also booked at the Warwick Castle for a special Rotary International event which looks like a fun dinner/jousting/touring event of the entire grounds. I am really looking forward to see what you are talking about with the "Disneyland" comments.

Thanks again and feel free to keep the suggestions coming.

My nephews (then 10 and 12) loved Warwick. The 10year old slipped and fell into the goldfish pond in the rose garden, got absoolutely soaked. We had lunch in the cafeteria there and it was good. The Red Knight was riding about the grounds and was interesting to the boys and me.

I am sure that with Rotary putting on a special program, it will be lots of fun for the kids.

The Docklands Railway or DLR - someone mentioned Greenwich as a nice experience for kids - with the Cutty Sark (currently out of commission i believe) but a neat way to get to Greenwich is to hop the unique and for kids toy-like DLR - starting from either Tower Gateway or Bank this elevated pilotless (in theory but at rush hours it is now manned) that slices thru the fantastic Docklands - the huge redeveloped docks where there are a clutter of futuristic tall buildings straddling the water.

Kids will love the train and try to get the very front seats where your kids will feel like they are driving the train.

your kids might enjoy doing brass rubbings in London
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35136006

Ah what else may kids enjoy?

How bout the Chiselhurst Caves, on the edge of South London - if kids watch Dr Who then i believe parts of it were once filmed here

anyway intriguing network of manmade caves from centuries ago - led by a guide the time i went. Chiselhurst train station is nearby.