Family holidays in London are great because there is lots
for children to do and enjoy.
Travelling around London with children
is easy. Children under 11 can travel for free on
London’s public transport network. Children 11 and over will
need their own travel smartcard called an Oyster
card.
If you have a child in a pram, we
recommend that you stick to the buses as the tube
and train stations usually have a lot of stairs. Taxi cabs
can carry a pram and three adults. They can take the double prams
where one child sits behind the other, but not the double prams where
the children sit side-by-side.
Time Out, London’s weekly
listings magazine, has a special
page for children and a Time
Out Kids guide. The free magazine for parents, Angels
and Urchins, also lists events. You can use them to find out about
theatre, music, exhibitions and events for children.
Sight-seeing can be fun as well
as educational. Adventurous children will be thrilled
by riding down the Thames on a RIB speed boat. Others might prefer
a quirky Duck
Tour which travels through the streets and on the Thames in an
amphibious vehicle. One of the most special ways for children to see
London is by riding
a horse through Hyde Park.
The museums of London are truly
wonderful. Children particularly enjoy the dinosaurs at the Natural
History Museum and the hands-on galleries at the Science
Museum. If your children like history, they will
love the Tower
of London and might even enjoy climbing near-by Tower
Bridge. Animal-loving
children will like visiting the gorillas, lemurs and komodo dragon
at London Zoo.
The South Bank is a great family
day on its own. Begin your day by walking across Westminster Bridge
and admiring the views of Big
Ben and the Houses
of Parliament. Then you can take a ride on the London
Eye before stopping for lunch at the Royal
Festival Hall and maybe catching some free music or dance. You
can even continue along the Thames walkway to Shakespeare’s
Globe Theatre and the Tate
Modern gallery.
If your children need a bit of exercise,
they will love the Princess
Dianna playground in Kensington Gardens or the adventure playground
in Holland Park. If it is sunny and warm, your kids might like boating
on the Serpentine or paddling in the
Lido or the Princess
Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park. If it’s raining, you
might want to try one of the jungle gyms like Bramleys
(near Ladbroke Grove tube station) or Gambado’s
(take the tube to Fulham Broadway and then catch a taxi).
Many restaurants have children’s menus
so finding something for the kids to eat isn’t difficult. If
you need baby food, formula milk and nappies, you
will find them easily in most supermarkets, convenience stores and
Boots
the Chemist stores.
Hamleys,
one of the world’s largest toy stores, is a
must-see for most children. Every imaginable doll, cuddly animal,
board game, craft set, model aeroplane, die-cast car, lego set and
educational toy can be found under their roof.
As much as you enjoy spending time with your children,
sometimes it is good to have a bit of grown up time so you can catch
a show or have dinner by yourselves. Our daughter, Nelly, is available
for babysitting. She is Montesorri-trained and experienced
with children.
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