Activities for young boys visiting London
November 18, 2010 2:45 AM Subscribe
We live in London and have friends with two young boys (aged 6 & 8) visiting for a weekend (4th Dec). Any ideas about fun / interesting / exciting activities we can do? The cheaper the better - and hopefully interesting for adults too.
They have already been on the London Eye, Natural History & Science museum.
Have thought about ice skating at the various temporary rinks that appear around central London
They have already been on the London Eye, Natural History & Science museum.
Have thought about ice skating at the various temporary rinks that appear around central London
The Royal Observatory at Greenwich takes a bit of a hike up the hill, but it has some things that might entertain your kids. Straddling the Greenwich Meridian seems to prove popular, and their new planetarium does have shows suitable for children around their age - see this list. Space Safari is for under-7s and the We Are Astronomers is entertaining across the board. Their exhibits at the observatory are also excellent and there should be something for the children and the adults, and you can dig around their site for other events they're holding that might be suitable for the family and that are on when you're visiting.
Entry is free except to the planetarium.
You can add in the extra fun of a boat ride to/from central London to Greenwich on a Thames Clipper or maybe another service.
posted by edd at 3:49 AM on November 18, 2010
Entry is free except to the planetarium.
You can add in the extra fun of a boat ride to/from central London to Greenwich on a Thames Clipper or maybe another service.
posted by edd at 3:49 AM on November 18, 2010
I was going to say, Royal Observatory. I used to live in Greenwich and it's a good day out. The park is lovely too, with a great view over the river - but make sure you wrap up warm (although this should go without saying for London in December).
What's more, you can check out the National Maritime Museum which is at the bottom of the hill, and also free.
There are plenty of good, family-friendly pubs in Greenwich where the kids can get a bite to eat afterwards and the adults can enjoy a swift pint. Check out the Greenwich Union for their delicious beers brewed just down the road, or take a walk up from the park to leafy Blackheath for similar at Zero Degrees.
posted by Ted Maul at 4:04 AM on November 18, 2010
What's more, you can check out the National Maritime Museum which is at the bottom of the hill, and also free.
There are plenty of good, family-friendly pubs in Greenwich where the kids can get a bite to eat afterwards and the adults can enjoy a swift pint. Check out the Greenwich Union for their delicious beers brewed just down the road, or take a walk up from the park to leafy Blackheath for similar at Zero Degrees.
posted by Ted Maul at 4:04 AM on November 18, 2010
And as an addendum to that, if you're determined to do ice skating at a temporary rink, there's always one at the Royal Naval College right next door.
I miss Greenwich. I might have to take a trip down soon myself.
posted by Ted Maul at 4:06 AM on November 18, 2010
I miss Greenwich. I might have to take a trip down soon myself.
posted by Ted Maul at 4:06 AM on November 18, 2010
And just for the hat-trick, I wouldn't recommend this:
Take a trip around the Olympic building site and take some shots that they can show their friends back home next year when it's fully finished.
I live in Stratford now and there's not much to see. It's a shithole, and by December it'll be a frozen shithole. If you really like, you could take the DLR from Greenwich to Stratford and see it all from the comfort of a heated train.
posted by Ted Maul at 4:13 AM on November 18, 2010
Take a trip around the Olympic building site and take some shots that they can show their friends back home next year when it's fully finished.
I live in Stratford now and there's not much to see. It's a shithole, and by December it'll be a frozen shithole. If you really like, you could take the DLR from Greenwich to Stratford and see it all from the comfort of a heated train.
posted by Ted Maul at 4:13 AM on November 18, 2010
To pay:
I'd recommend the Duck Tour - I took some little ones on it recently and it was good fun. Not at all cheap though. You need to book ahead. The tour leaves from just by the London Eye.
The Enchanted Woodland at Syon Park looks kinda fun too. £2 per kid.
Free:
Coram's Fields is a hidden gem. It's a large, safe, centre of town playpark with a pretty decent café for parents too.
Seconding The Natural History Museum. If only to see the dinosaur skeletons and the scale model of a diplodocus skeleton.
There is a wealth of info on the Time Out site, including a sample itinerary for a cheap [ish] family day out.
For something a bit more educational, perhaps The Dickens Christmas Carol Walking Tour - free for kids under 12 but adults pay £6. Top it off with a trip to a pie and mash shop.
Also, finally: avoid the Rainforest Café like the plague. I've yet to find anyone who rates it better than truly awful.
posted by MuffinMan at 4:23 AM on November 18, 2010
I'd recommend the Duck Tour - I took some little ones on it recently and it was good fun. Not at all cheap though. You need to book ahead. The tour leaves from just by the London Eye.
The Enchanted Woodland at Syon Park looks kinda fun too. £2 per kid.
Free:
Coram's Fields is a hidden gem. It's a large, safe, centre of town playpark with a pretty decent café for parents too.
Seconding The Natural History Museum. If only to see the dinosaur skeletons and the scale model of a diplodocus skeleton.
There is a wealth of info on the Time Out site, including a sample itinerary for a cheap [ish] family day out.
For something a bit more educational, perhaps The Dickens Christmas Carol Walking Tour - free for kids under 12 but adults pay £6. Top it off with a trip to a pie and mash shop.
Also, finally: avoid the Rainforest Café like the plague. I've yet to find anyone who rates it better than truly awful.
posted by MuffinMan at 4:23 AM on November 18, 2010
Take the London high speed catamaran!
Thames Clippers, who run London's commuter boat services, do high-speed catamaran services up and down the Thames. With an Oyster card, an adult return is under a fiver I believe. I'd recommend taking a Clipper from the Savoy pier or Embankment pier out to Greenwich, spending the day doing stuff and then taking the Clipper back.
The boat has an open area at the back where you can stand and watch the city go by. It's very fast, very exciting and it has a bar on board for hot drinks and beers for the adults.
When I lived in London this was the one thing we always with visitors because it was fun, cheap and relatively little-known. Way better than the slow-moving tourist boats and better value too.
posted by Happy Dave at 4:39 AM on November 18, 2010
Thames Clippers, who run London's commuter boat services, do high-speed catamaran services up and down the Thames. With an Oyster card, an adult return is under a fiver I believe. I'd recommend taking a Clipper from the Savoy pier or Embankment pier out to Greenwich, spending the day doing stuff and then taking the Clipper back.
The boat has an open area at the back where you can stand and watch the city go by. It's very fast, very exciting and it has a bar on board for hot drinks and beers for the adults.
When I lived in London this was the one thing we always with visitors because it was fun, cheap and relatively little-known. Way better than the slow-moving tourist boats and better value too.
posted by Happy Dave at 4:39 AM on November 18, 2010
Natural History Museum, Science Museum, V&A museum. All are a few minutes apart. And free entry too!
posted by TrinsicWS at 4:42 AM on November 18, 2010
posted by TrinsicWS at 4:42 AM on November 18, 2010
It is the Christmas season which London does over-the-top.
Londonist recently published a list of Christmas markets and fairs going on.
posted by vacapinta at 4:56 AM on November 18, 2010
Londonist recently published a list of Christmas markets and fairs going on.
posted by vacapinta at 4:56 AM on November 18, 2010
The main hall of the Imperial War Museum has some fairly impressive old tanks, rockets, and airplanes.
Give the third floor a pass, though.
posted by schmod at 5:22 AM on November 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
Give the third floor a pass, though.
posted by schmod at 5:22 AM on November 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
Oh, and the London Transport Museum is extremely kid-friendly. Not free, but also not terribly expensive.
posted by schmod at 5:24 AM on November 18, 2010
posted by schmod at 5:24 AM on November 18, 2010
Take them to the London Dungeon! I went as a kid and thought it was awesome, then went there when I was 22 and STILL thought it was awesome.
posted by darkgroove at 5:35 AM on November 18, 2010
posted by darkgroove at 5:35 AM on November 18, 2010
I'm going to second the Hunterian Museum as the best place ever for kids, and for creepy adults like me and my mother, who really like seeing preserved colons with 240 pounds of impacted fecal matter. It's really cool, and free, and just across the park is Sir John Soane's Museum, which is also an extremely nutty place crammed floor to ceiling with collectibles and also free. It may be slightly less kid-friendly, but if these kids are nerdy at all, they would probably dig it. Also, a tour of the tower can be fun if you can stand the wait in line- lots of good ghost stories and of course, the ravens are awesome. Hope you all have fun!
posted by Polyhymnia at 6:37 AM on November 18, 2010
posted by Polyhymnia at 6:37 AM on November 18, 2010
If you follow all of the leads to Greenwich, they might also appreciate walking through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel underneath the Thames and going to the Mudchute City Farm on the Isle of Dogs...
posted by benzo8 at 7:15 AM on November 18, 2010
posted by benzo8 at 7:15 AM on November 18, 2010
The Museum of London is very kid-friendly, with neat models and recreations.
posted by jb at 8:48 AM on November 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by jb at 8:48 AM on November 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
We took our kids, 8 and 6, to the British Museum this summer. They had a blast!
A little interpretation gives you some value from the Elgin marbles and the Rosetta stone. Treasure trove and the Sutton Hoo stuff is cool, too. The part on Roman Britain was interesting, too - a room full of mosaics and recreations.
If you go to the library branch within the museum, they have kids adventure backpacks. We did the one where you go "exploring" among the mummies. You have to leave a deposit, I think, but the museum is free and I'm pretty sure the backpack was as well. This was age-appropriate for them.
I thought they might be a bit young for the museum, but they were just fine.
We also took them to see War Horse. Grown up, and expensive, but if you give kids room to interpret things at their own level, it was amazing for them. My daughter still raves about it.
posted by sagwalla at 9:06 AM on November 18, 2010
A little interpretation gives you some value from the Elgin marbles and the Rosetta stone. Treasure trove and the Sutton Hoo stuff is cool, too. The part on Roman Britain was interesting, too - a room full of mosaics and recreations.
If you go to the library branch within the museum, they have kids adventure backpacks. We did the one where you go "exploring" among the mummies. You have to leave a deposit, I think, but the museum is free and I'm pretty sure the backpack was as well. This was age-appropriate for them.
I thought they might be a bit young for the museum, but they were just fine.
We also took them to see War Horse. Grown up, and expensive, but if you give kids room to interpret things at their own level, it was amazing for them. My daughter still raves about it.
posted by sagwalla at 9:06 AM on November 18, 2010
Climb Monument. It's a lot of stairs, but I can't imagine young boys wouldn't love it. You can see the whole city from the top, and you get a certificate when you leave to show you've done it.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 2:16 PM on November 18, 2010
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 2:16 PM on November 18, 2010
Transport museum, ride on the front seat of the light rail to Maritime museum, London museum, Pirate park in...sorry, Kensington Garden maybe? Museum of the moving image (or some such name) and the Tate modern. Art, yes, but I loved art museums when I was a boy and the turbine hall is pretty great. Check out what's showing at the Design museum too — sometimes the exhibits are interesting for kids. Check the V&A to see if the "small spaces" exhibit I'd still on...our 4.5 year old loved that — we made a treasure hunt out of finding the things and many of them can be entered. If it's still on, try to go during the week, not weekend.
posted by Dick Paris at 5:52 PM on November 18, 2010
posted by Dick Paris at 5:52 PM on November 18, 2010
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Just walking around and watching people skate is hugely enjoyable for them though especially when they fall flat on their asses! Little boys could spend hours looking at that. (I know it sounds cruel but it's inevitable, some of the pratfalls are funny) and the atmosphere, especially when dark is lovely at any of the rinks.
The Natural History Museum is still a staple, we visit every year sometimes more than once and he never, ever gets bored. At each age he seems to find something new. Same for the Science Museum especially if you can get in there when other kids are in School.
He loves the Huntarian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons at Lincoln's Inn with the skeleton of the Irish Giant, various fetuses in jars, seeing how birds develop in the egg, loads of really cool things.
Visit Hamley's to see the toys and take whatever the bus route is that goes through Oxford Street Regent St when it's dark to see the Christmas lights and the shopfronts.
Pass by the Dorchester and see all the million pound cars parked out front as many of the wealthy people who live nearby only have onstreet parking and when you see the cars you'll realise why they pay the hotel, others actually live at this hotel (if they are interested in cars this is car heaven, he spent 30 minutes taking photographs and all I did was ask the doorman politley if that was OK)
Take a trip around the Olympic building site and take some shots that they can show their friends back home next year when it's fully finished.
Those are a few of the ones that don't cost us too much off the top of my head.
posted by Wilder at 3:05 AM on November 18, 2010