17 Suggestions for London with Kids

By Nikki Kramer

My family and I moved to London recently, and we’ve had plenty of time to explore the city. I love London — it has so many things to see and do! Here are some of my favorite quintessential London things to do. I hope these suggestions are able to guide you through the city and help you enjoy all that London has to offer!

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Things to Do in London with Kids

1. Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard and a walk through St. James Park. Tours of the inside of the Palace begin this summer.
   
2. Tower of London (home of the Crown Jewels) and a walk across the Tower Bridge. You can take a tour of the inside of the bridge for a fee, but the walk across the bridge is free and awesome!
   
3. London Eye for great views of the city.
   
4. Westminister Palace, Big Ben (be forewarned: the iconic photo will not be taken in this trip as it’s being renovated until 2021) and Westminster Abbey.
   
5. Covent Garden for shops, restaurants, Neal’s Yard, and street performers.
   
6. The department stores Harrods and Fortnum and Mason are key tourist destinations.
   
7. Free Museums! There are so many to choose from: Natural History, Science, Victoria and Albert, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Modern, and Tate Britain, to name a few.
   
8. West End and shows. There are so many shows! There’s also Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
   
9. Hampton Court Palace. Hampton Court Palace was the home of Henry VIII and has beautiful gardens. It also has the Magic Garden and Maze, which is a large play area for children. Make sure to check the website to find out what is happening. The Palace frequently has festivals and educational events running throughout the year. 
   
10. Kew Gardens. Kew Gardens in Richmond is a great family day out. The new Children’s Garden is a brand new and very large (it’s the size of 40 tennis courts) play area for kids. 
    
11. Harry Potter Studio. We haven’t done this yet. We are waiting for the kids to be a little older.
    
12. Kensington Palace, the home of the young royals and Kensington Park. At Kensington Palace, you can view the state apartments, the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, and the gardens. Inside the Orangery restaurant, you can make reservations for a lovely afternoon tea. The Diana Memorial Playground is nearby. It is great for children. My children enjoy the large pirate ship and there is plenty of seating for grownups to sit and watch the children play.
    
13. London Zoo. The London Zoo is one of our favorite family day outings. Our favorite exhibit is In with the Lemurs where you can get up close and next to lemurs.
    
14. London Aquarium. The London Sea Life Aquarium is located on the Southbank of the River Thames, near the London Eye. After visiting, we enjoy eating lunch nearby on one of the many benches across from Parliament of Westminster.
    
15. Windsor Castle in Windsor. It’s a great day trip, just 45 minutes away by train.
    
16. Stonehenge Tours. Stonehenge is another great day trip from London. As a bonus, some of the bus tours include Bath and Windsor. The family and friends we have sent on these trips have really enjoyed themselves. 
    
17. Hamley’s Toy Store. Hamley’s on Regent’s Street is a seven floor toy store that any child or big kid will enjoy visiting!
    
    TIP: Plan to use the London Underground (tube/subway), buses, and the Thames River boats. These will require an Oyster card. The card is £5 and you load it. The weekly cap is £58.60. If you have a contactless card or an Apple Watch you can tap and pay. But make sure the contactless card has no foreign transaction fees!