Discover the best family breaks in London
London is one of the most popular places to holiday in the world, and it’s a convenient city to visit for UK residents on holiday. The many attractions here offer a plethora of fun things to do for all kinds of people including young kids. The city has experienced a wealth of international influences throughout the years adding impressive diversity to not only the things to do but the places to eat. Even considering all that, however, London still sports a unique culture and atmosphere that’s not only special on the world’s stage but is special in the UK as well. Check out the best family breaks in London.
Family holidays in London with toddlers
If you have particularly young children, you don’t have to put your holiday on hold. In fact, you’ll find much to do during family holidays in London when you’re travelling with toddlers. These attractions are safe and engaging for young children in a way that speaks to them. A lot of the local toddler-friendly attractions involve animals, but you’ll also find things to do that encourage learning and discovery, which is especially important for young minds.
Battersea Park Children’s Zoo
Just about every zoo is kid-friendly to some extent, but the Battersea Park Children’s Zoo is especially accommodating thanks to their convenient facilities and interactive experiences. When you visit, you’ll have easy access to changing and feeding rooms that are perfect for babies. As for the animals, this park tends to focus on hands-on experiences with feeding times that let your little ones see how these animals are taken care of. Some of the animals here include otters, meerkats and ring-tailed lemurs. Be sure to check the calendar as well to see if any special events are being held here.
Coram’s Fields
In Bloomsbury, you’ll find Coram’s Fields, a children’s park with a section specifically designed for kids under 5 years of age. You’ll find a wide variety of accessible play equipment, such as one of the largest slides in the city and a fun swing. Additionally, you’ll find a zip wire suitable for older kids. To ensure that every child can have fun here, there’s also a wheelchair-friendly play area. If you visit during the spring or the summer, your little ones can enjoy a paddling pool to cool off. Keep in mind that this park is designed to be safe for kids with rules against unaccompanied adults and dogs except for guide dogs.
Discover Children’s Story Centre
The Discover Children’s Story Centre is one of the best destinations in town for families with kids ages 11 and under. This facility is designed to let kids explore their own imaginations with fantastical play areas set up inside the building to look like castles and magical forests. Other designs inside include an airship high in the sky as well as a pirate ship near the beach. Altogether, the attractions here take up 2 floors with plenty of opportunities for every child to find fun and let their imagination run wild.
WWT Wetland Centre
The WWT Wetland Centre is a nature reserve located conveniently in London. Here, you’ll find a variety of wildlife with a particularly impressive selection of bird species that frequent the area. While people of all ages can find fun here, the adventure area is specifically designed for kids ages 3 to 11. It’s accompanied by an interactive discovery centre that comes complete with water games for additional engagement, ensuring that your little ones never get bored. In total, the nature preserve has more than 42 hectares to explore that’s packed full of unforgettable adventures.
London holidays with kids of primary school age
Primary school-age kids are more eager to learn than they might let on, and quite a few attractions help foster that kind of curiosity. When you’re embarking on London holidays with kids in primary school, you’ll find a wide variety of things to do that are fun enough that they won’t even notice the educational benefits. Several museums fit into this category, but there’s much more behind these attractions as well.
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway, or DLR, is a driverless train line that makes it easy to travel throughout east and southeast London. It’s connected to the London tube network and can be accessed via your Visitor Oyster card. What makes this especially appealing for children is that it’s entirely automated. That means kids can sit in the front and pretend to drive it as it meanders along its tracks. Plus, the train can be relatively thrilling with gentle ups and downs similar to a children’s roller coaster.
Foundling Museum
When you and your family visit the Foundling Museum, you can learn all about the first children’s charity and public art gallery in the UK. You’ll find a wide array of artworks on display here showcasing modern masterpieces as well as a historic archive of works showcasing London’s history. Kids will especially enjoy the numerous activities available here like workshops, drawing exercises and more that offer not only fun but also the history of London in a way that’s as educational as it is entertaining.
Horniman Museum
The Horniman Museum is dedicated to showcasing natural wonders and cultures from around the world. The garden area is quite extensive and is expertly maintained with vibrant greenery and relaxing walking paths throughout. Within, you’ll find a wide variety of items on display including an anthropology collection and an array of musical instruments from throughout history. Natural history is also shown here with fossils, insects, minerals, fungi and plants all on display. Be sure to check out their temporary exhibitions as well to see a different culture that’s not typically represented to the same extent within the permanent collection.
Family breaks in London with teens
Travelling to London with older kids opens up a new array of attractions to enjoy. Teens typically like attractions that have some more mature themes like museums about war along with thrilling attractions that get the adrenaline pumping. Additionally, teens are more likely to enjoy shopping than younger kids, so you can peruse a wide variety of fun markets that pop up around town.
Camden Market
Most teens love shopping, and Camden Market is one of the best destinations for shoppers in the city. This market specifically prioritizes quality and diversity in its offerings, giving independent traders and vendors the opportunity to shine. It may have started with just 16 stalls, but it has since grown to be one of the largest markets in the city with more than 1,000 places to shop. The market tends to have a more alternative feel to it, so teens who aren’t interested in conforming to the latest trends may prefer this market, which allows for a greater array of self-expression.
Portobello Market
When you visit the Portobello Market, you’re essentially visiting several different kinds of markets all rolled into one. Food vendors as well as fruit and vegetable vendors operate out of here, but you’ll also find arcades, antiques and bric-a-brac shops. This is also the place to be if your teen is interested in the latest trends and fashion. Keep in mind, however, that while the market is open every day, the same items aren’t always on offer. If you want to visit and enjoy everything at once, visit on a Saturday when all parts of the market are working at once. Otherwise, you might find only a few options. Take Thursdays, for example, when the market is only open for a half-day and doesn’t include most antique and arcade offerings.
Churchill War Rooms
Older kids like teenagers are finally at that age where they can appreciate the history on display within the Churchill War Rooms. Here, you and your family can learn all about the iconic character not only as a political figure but also as a man. Additionally, you’ll be able to tour secret bunkers that were completely bomb-proof and used for War Cabinet members to hide out during air raids. The tour here comes complete with audio guides, and you can even find special events held here depending on when you visit.
Thames Rockets
People have been touring the River Thames for centuries, but Thames Rockets allows you to do the same from a whole new perspective. When you opt for this adventure, you can take to a speed boat as it cruises across the river at high speeds. Not only will you be able to see some of the top sights in the city during your tour, but the ride itself is thrilling and lasts about 50 minutes. The boats here can reach speeds of up to 30 knots thanks to their impressive 880-horsepower engines.
London Walks
Teenagers tend to have longer attention spans than younger children, which makes London Walks a good choice for your London holiday. These tours offer valuable insight into the city and its history while providing entertainment as well. Most of these walks cover the iconic landmarks, but you can embark on a more themed tour with your family if you prefer. They include ghost walks and a tour covering the history of the infamous Jack the Ripper. You may also want to check out the foodie tour offering as well to see some of the best spots for delicious cuisine in this world-class city.
Free attractions for cheap family holidays in London
Taking holidays in London doesn’t have to break the bank. In fact, you’ll find quite a few iconic attractions in town that are free to visit. Some of the most popular attractions and iconic landmarks in town are completely free to access, so you don’t have to factor them into your budget at all. Take a look at the best options for cheap family holidays in London with attractions that are completely free.
Natural History Museum
At the Natural History Museum, you and your family can enjoy a wide variety of offerings covering the vast history of our planet. Exhibits here include massive dinosaur fossils alongside an array of wildlife specimens native to the UK. In fact, more than 4,000 of the species in the UK are just beetles. Aspiring astronauts in your family will enjoy the space exhibit that showcases the nature of the final frontier with insight into space missions, extraterrestrial life and space travel. You can even see gem-filled meteorites on display, some of which are composed of diamond stardust that’s older than our entire solar system.
Ragged School Museum
At the Ragged School Museum, you and your family can enjoy a fascinating insight into what life was like for the poorer kids of the Victorian era. This was the site of the London Ragged School Union. While the school has been closed for more than a century, the building has been remarkably well preserved, allowing you to see what a Victorian classroom would have been like. Kids can especially benefit by comparing the experience here with what they have to deal with every day at school to see just how far most kids in town have come.
British Museum
The British Museum is one of the most legendary museums in the world. Here, you’ll find a wide variety of exhibits showcasing impressive world history. The actual Rosetta Stone is on display here along with Egyptian mummies. Relics from all over the world can be found here including some dating back as far as ancient Greece and Sumer. Be sure to check out their calendar as well to see what temporary exhibits are on display that provide even more insight into various cultures from around the world. Access to it all is completely free.
Top spots to eat during family holidays in London
London is one of the culinary capitals of the world, and you can enjoy it all during your holiday. The diversity available is quite astonishing with many different styles of food you can enjoy. Of course, many of the restaurants in town keep things simple to appeal to those picky eaters you may have in your family. Additionally, London is home to several budget-friendly restaurants, so you can enjoy pristine meals without eating into your budget.
Dishoom King’s Cross
At Dishoom King’s Cross, you’ll find exquisite Indian cuisine with plenty for kids and adults alike to enjoy. Indian food in general is meant to be shared with kids. All you really need to look out for is the degree of spiciness in the items. You’ll also find a convenient menu for children here that offers items in smaller portions with very little spice. Meanwhile, the adults in the family can enjoy a massive variety of Indian dishes including vegan and dairy-intolerant options for those with dietary restrictions.
Tredwells
Tredwells is one of the best destinations if you’re looking for London-inspired food with a global influence. Chef Chantelle Nicholson puts heart into every dish, emphasising the benefit of quality, locally sourced ingredients. When you visit with your little ones, be sure to check out the kids’ menu that’s designed to introduce youngsters to new kinds of flavours and textures they may not have experienced before. A junior menu is available as well with an array of dishes specifically designed for younger palates.