With just a couple of weeks left of maternity leave round two, I’m filled with a last minute urge to batch-cook, ebay shop kid’s clothes for the next five sizes up and somehow make sense of the 95 tabs on my phone where I go to scroll weekend plans.
So here it is - the massive ‘what to do with kids in London’ splurge starting with over 250 saved googlemap pins https://goo.gl/maps/WzKUzbF3wHqZz1aWA because sometimes that’s enough of a reminder of all that London has to offer to get out the door.
Live Music:
London Symphony Orchestra Family Concerts, Old Street
For Crying Out Loud! concert series, Wigmore Hall
The Nest Collective, family ceilidhs and campfire clubs, various locations
The Royal Opera House Family Sundays, Covent Garden
English Folk Dance & Song Society, family ceilidhs and youth programming, Primrose Hill
Far Far Away Concerts, Aurora Orchestra, 0-5 year-olds, King’s Place
City of London Sinfonia Comfortable Classical, relaxed lunchtime concerts, Canada Water Theatre
Bach to Baby, various locations
Big Fish Little Fish Family Raves, various locations
Fox & Firkin The Big Firkin Band, free entry and free drinks for kids, once a month, Lewisham
Orchestra of the Age of the Englightenment TOTS, concerts for 2-5 year-olds
Oren Marshall’s Jazz for Toddlers, various locations weekly around Lewisham
Blackheath Halls, often has family concerts and theatre
Woolwich Works Family Programming
Art:
Dulwich Picture Gallery, Family events
Tate Modern Make Studio
South London Gallery Sunday Spot Play Space
The National Gallery Family Events, Trafalgar Square
Goldsmith’s Centre for Contemporary Art Family Engagement, free public art gallery with cafe, New Cross
Child-friendly Museums:
The Horniman, Forest Hill
Cutty Sark, Family Fun Weekends , Wednesday Toddler Time reduced £5 tickets, Greenwich
Discover Children’s Story Centre, Stratford
Royal Observatory Planetarium, Ted’s Space Show, 3-7 year-olds, Greenwich
The Garden, Ages 3-6 and Wonderlab, Age 7-14, The Science Museum, Kensington
London Museum of Water & Steam, Kew, great engineering-themed outdoor water play area
The Natural History Museum Adventure Babies, Kensington
The Garden Museum, Lambeth
The Brunel Museum Family Events, Rotherhithe
V&A Family Events, Kensington
London Transport Museum, Covent Garden
Migration Museum, Currently has an exhibition with shopping role play area, Lewisham Shopping Centre
Museum of the Home, Hoxton
The British Museum , Bloomsbury
Museums with Play Spaces:
Sorted! The Postal Museum Play Space
Mudlarks Children’s Gallery @ The Museum of London Docklands
Ahoy! Children’s Gallery @ The National Maritime Museum
Soft play:
Sutcliffe Park Soft Play Kidbrooke
Wavelengths Leisure Centre Soft Play Deptford
Under1Roof a Kid’s Urban Oasis Woolwich Arsenal
Big Little Fun Deptford (temporarily closed)
Forum’s Wild Adventures Soft Play, Greenwich
Play Cafes:
Tiny Tigers Canary Wharf
Macaroni Penguin Pontoon Dock
Avocuddle Playroom , Greenwich
Toconoco Kid-friendly Japanese Cafe, Haggerston
Apple Tree Children’s Cafe, Peckham Rye & Herne Hill
Animals:
Horniman Aquarium & Butterfly House, Forest Hill
Sea Life Aquarium, Southbank
Mudhcute Farm, Isle of Dogs
Maryon Wilson Animal Park, Greenwich
Surrey Docks Farm, Rotherhithe
ZSL London Zoo, Regent's Park
Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation, Eynsford
Godstone Farm, Surrey
Theatre:
Half moon Theatre, Limehouse
Unicorn Theatre, London Bridge
Blackheath Halls, often has chimdren’s theatre shows
The Albany, sometimes has children's theatre, Deptford
Woolwich Works family programming, Woolwich
Little Angel Theatre, Islington
Gardens & Nature
Down House, The Home of Charles Darwin
Sky Garden, London’s Highest Public Garden
Great Comp Garden & Tea Room, nr Sevenoaks, Kent
Lullingstone Castle & The World Garden, aka 'the bangy castle'
Frendsbury Gardens, Brockley
Greenwich Park Playground , maritime-themed playground with great sand & water features, deer park nearby
Crystal Palace Park, Victorian dinosaurs, farm, playground, cafe, pedalboats etc.
Beckenham Place Park, playground, cafe, swimming lake
The Red House, Bexleyheath
Danson House & Park, Bexley
Ightham Mote, Sevenoaks
Riverhill Himalayan Gardens & Cafe, Sevenoaks
Devonshire Road Nature Reserve, Forest Hill
National Open Garden Scheme, annual summer charity event, locations across London and beyond
Open Gardens Festival for Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice, annual August fundraising event with gorgeous gardens across SE London including many with climbing frames, tree houses etc.
Swanley Park , playground, pedalboats, watersplash, softplay & other attractions
Wildcat Wilderness Mud Club, 4-10 yr olds, Catford
Hall Place & Gardens, Dartford
Eysnford Castle also nearby: Eynsford village ford for summer paddling, Lullingstone Castle & The World Garden, Lullingstone Country Park, The Mount Vineyard, Lullingstone Roman Villa, Otford Solar System, Castle Farm Lavender, Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation
Lesnes Abbey Woods, Belvedere
Stanhill Farm Pick Your Own, farm shop & cafe, Kent
Meopham Pick Your Own & White Finch Tea Room, Kent
‘Sports’:
Sutcliffe Park Clip n’Climb, Age 4+, Kidbrooke
Lewisham Family Cycling Library, great value trial hire of cycling equipment for families
Kids’ Cycling Sessions, Herne Hill Velodrome
Kids’ Cycling Sessions, Lee Valley Velopark
Charlton Lido, offers Toddler Splash sessions in a shallow heated outdoor pool
The Strand Lido & Leisure Park, Gillingham
PTP Coaching, Stand-up paddling boarding from age 2+, Beckenham Place Park Swimming Lake
Oxygen Freejumping at the O2 & other locations
The Arch climbing wall, Canada Water, have specials sessions for kids with no minimum age
AirThrill inflatable assault course, Age 4+, Catford
Other:
Emirates Airline Cable Car, North Greenwich
Lewisham Toy Library, Lewisham Shopping Centre
