Things to do in London with kids
The South Kensington museums are built for children, the parks have deer and playgrounds, and the river bus turns getting around into part of the day.
17 picks that fit, best first. The order follows the live forecast and the time of day.
British Museum
Bloomsbury
Two million years of human history under one glass roof, free to enter.
Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Hampstead Heath and Parliament Hill
Hampstead
Wild heathland, swimming ponds and the classic skyline view from Parliament Hill.
Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Natural History Museum
South Kensington
Dinosaurs, the blue whale and a cathedral of a building, free to enter.
Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
South Bank walk
South Bank
The riverside from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge, with the skyline the whole way.
Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Tower of London
Tower Hill
A thousand-year-old fortress with the Crown Jewels and the Yeoman Warder tours.
- Over £25
- In and out
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Greenwich Park and the Meridian
Greenwich
A royal park with the best view in south London, the Observatory and the Cutty Sark below.
Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Park free; Observatory and Cutty Sark ticketed
Primrose Hill and Regent's Park
Primrose Hill
A short climb to the classic skyline view, with the rose gardens and canal below.
Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Richmond Park
Richmond
The biggest royal park, with herds of wild deer and a protected view of St Paul’s.
Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Science Museum
South Kensington
Rockets, steam engines and hands-on galleries; the best wet-day museum for children.
Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Free; Wonderlab and IMAX ticketed
St James's Park and Buckingham Palace
Westminster
Pelicans on the lake, the palace at one end and Horse Guards at the other.
Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Kew Gardens
Richmond
Three hundred acres of botanic garden with Victorian glasshouses and a treetop walkway.
- £10 to £25
- In and out
- A full day
- Good with kids
Thames river bus
The river
The commuter boat that doubles as the cheapest sightseeing cruise in London.
- Under £10
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Tower Bridge
Tower Hill
Walk the glass floor forty metres above the river, then see the Victorian engine rooms.
- £10 to £25
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
- Good with kids
Free to cross; exhibition ticketed
London Museum Docklands
Canary Wharf
The story of the river and the port, in a Georgian sugar warehouse on West India Quay.
Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Hampton Court Palace
East Molesey
Henry VIII's palace on the Thames, with the maze, the kitchens and the gardens.
- Over £25
- In and out
- A full day
- Good with kids
London Eye
South Bank
A slow half-hour loop over Westminster in a glass capsule.
- Over £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
The Postal Museum and Mail Rail
Clerkenwell
Ride the tiny underground railway that carried London’s post for 75 years.
- £10 to £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Good to know
What is there to do in London with children?
The South Kensington museums are built for children, the parks have deer and playgrounds, and the river bus turns getting around into part of the day. This list keeps 17 places that work with kids and moves the indoor ones up when it is raining.
Which of these are free for families?
Look for the "Free" label. Most cities have at least a couple of free museums and a big park on this list, which makes a cheap day out easy to put together.