London is such a fun, vibrant place for everyone, and there are some fantastic things you can do when you take your kids to this city! Whether you’re looking for something on the cheaper side or you’re happy to spend a bit more, we’ve got options for everyone. They’re also all really easy to get to, whether you choose parking in central London, the tube or other public transport. So, let’s get into it and help you plan a fun time in London with your family.
Jungle Cave
First up, we have Jungle Cave! This is just around the corner from Leicester Square (where you can pick up all your favourite London souvenirs. and is a super fun rainforest themed restaurant with great comfort food, wonderful greenery and animatronic animals. You’re completely immersed in this great jungle environment. The food is fantastic too, with everything from chicken strips and nachos to burgers, fish, steaks, pasta, salads and desserts. There’s also a kids menu with a choice of drink, lots of options including burgers, pizza, chicken strips, mac and cheese, bolognese and battered fish. You also pick a side and a dessert for £14.90.
It’s a great experience for all the family, plus the food is good and reasonably priced for London. Open from 12pm to 9:30pm, you can fit the experience around your family, but we would recommend booking to avoid disappointment, especially in peak periods like the summer holidays or half term.
KidZania
One of the best activities in London to do with your kids that they will absolutely love is KidZania. It’s an interactive experience for kids where they can play the role of having a range of different adult jobs, earn currency when they’re doing it and then get to spend the currency afterwards! Designed for kids aged 4-14, they can try anything from acting to working in a bank, a fashion studio, hospital, hotel, library, supermarket and so much more!
This isn’t the cheapest experience, but it’s such an incredible one. It’s £19.50 for adult entry, and £35 per child aged 4 to 14 for entry. It’s also a bit more expensive if you turn up on the day, and you can’t guarantee they’ll have a space, so make sure to book your tickets in advance. This gives you access to 4 hours in the safe and secure environment that your children can explore, as well as 50 kidzos, the currency of KidZania. This can be used to buy what they want in the general store, or they can use it to pay for an experience, such as climbing a building or pilot training lessons.
It’s recommended that you plan your visit before you go to make the most of everything there, so have a chat with your children and choose 2-3 activities that you’ll do to make sure you have enough time to do everything, as well as fit a bit of lunch in. You can download a map from the website to help you plan everything out!
Natural History Museum
For a completely free and unforgettable experience, head to the Natural History Museum. Located in Knightsbridge, this is a fantastic museum where your kids can get up close with nature and animals, whilst also learning about the science behind it. From dinosaurs to volcanos and mammals, they will have a great time but also learn, too! Make sure you also go to see the world famous t-rex, a life sized animated dinosaur that is fantastic. It does roar quite loud so this might be better for slightly older children.
Going into the mammals section is also a must, so you can look up and see the extremely impressive model of the whale, along with plenty of other really interesting things for your little ones to enjoy. Once you’ve spent a few hours exploring, there are plenty of restaurants around the area, or enjoy the T.Rex Restaurant in the museum itself for casual family dining.
St James Park
Another free activity that you can do in London with the kids is head to St James park. This is such a beautiful park near to Westminster, that is great even just to have a walk around. However, it’s also full of great wildlife including water birds, owls, pelicans and even bats if you’re lucky. You can also go to see the pelicans being fed everyday at 2:30pm, so head to the bridge to Duck Island near the Horse Guards Parade entrance to the park. To really keep costs down, take a picnic with you to enjoy, or, there are plenty of great cafes and restaurants all around there. You barely have to spend anything and you can make great memories with your family.
Covent Garden
Last but not least, another family friendly activity you can do is head to Covent Garden, a shopping and entertainment hub that is fantastic for all the family! With so many shops, cafes and restaurants, you can completely tailor this to what you want to do. However, one of the highlights is the street performers that are in and around Covent Garden, particularly those in the main square, which are absolutely incredible and world class. They draw big crowds and are always entertaining, so you could explore, then watch some of the acts. There’s also so much around in the area, so you can go a bit further afield as well to make the most of your day. You’re also not far from Buckingham Palace and St James’s Park, so you could tie all of this into one day. This is also a great spot to get your London souvenirs.
Final Thoughts
This is just a very small selection of some of the great things you can do in London, whether you want to save some money in London or you’re planning a more expensive weekend. These activities are spread around the city as well, so you will be able to explore in and around the different activities we’ve introduced to have a fantastic time.
We’d definitely recommend creating a brief itinerary, just to make sure that you can fit everything in, then you can also book tickets to avoid any disappointment when you’re there. In periods like summer holidays, half terms and bank holidays, this is more important than ever. Plus, it’ll be a good activity in itself planning it with your kids! They can pick out some activities they want to do, from some paid ones and then some free, to get a good balance and also to get them excited for the trip.
There are plenty of great cities in the UK, however there is just something special about London that will help you to make incredible memories with your family.
