Taking kids to London - where to go / where to eat?

[JohnStitch]

Im taking my 6 year old daughter to London on Friday and Saturday. This is her first trip there and we want to do all the sights, usual stuff around the West End, London Eye, Tower of London etc. I'm very familiar with London, but never taken kids there so would like to get some other ideas on what we can do. Any hidden gems anyone can offer that would be suitable / fun for a 6 year old?

So far on the potentiallist:

London Eye
Buckingham Palace
Tower of London
Covent Garden
Hamleys
Harrods
Leicester Square / Trafalgar Square / Piccadilly
Maybe the Science / Natural History museums if it rains
Boat on the Thames
London Zoo

Also, Anyone know some great child friendly places to eat? Would rather not end up in any fast food places, plus she's in the fussy eating stage so nothing too exotic...

[don logan]

Forgive me if John Stitch really is your name!

If it isn`t your real name do you do "non stop dancing"?

My suggestion for your trip is Lucky 7 http://www.lucky7london.co.uk/

[NickHKent]

If I was 6 years old I'd love to go to the zoo and Hamleys, museums/places of interest weren't really my thing...

[Mr Kitten]

Take her to the Rain Forest Cafe to eat... she'll love it.

Usual sorts of places to visit: NHM, London Zoo, London Eye, etc...

[kiethton]

Mr Kitten said:

Take her to the Rain Forest Cafe to eat... she'll love it.

This, or Big Easy for better food at lower prices (but not as child friendly).

My suggestion would be HMS Belfast, what kid's don't like navy boats!?

[Zod]

There is nothing special about Leicester Square and Covent Garden is just another shopping area.

The Shard is good for the view, but it is very expensive. Tower Bridge is well worth a visit - you can go up to the galleries.

For food, Canteen is good and child-friendly. There's one on Baker Street and one by the Royal Festival Hall.

[don logan]

Zod said:

There is nothing special about Leicester Square.

I wouldn`t take a 6yr old to Leicester Sq unless I was going to the cinema (and even then I`d rather go to the lounge at Whiteleys) it`s not a nice place unless you are a "lurker" who likes cider or a tourist who doesn`t know that there isn`t anything interesting there!

Go to the Zoo
Go to The Serpentine and hire a boat
Do one of those duck tours or even an open top bus tour
Do a narrow boat tour from little Venice
Go to The London Dungeon
Get an ice cream from http://www.gelupo.com/
Go to The London Aquarium
Go and watch the skateboarders on the South Bank before they are banished
Do what the others have suggested

Don`t go to the big shopping areas

[ClaphamGT3]

Our five and a half year old and her three and a half year old sister love the science museum, the natural history museum and the V&A. They also think that the Royal Academy is pretty cool.

Don't forget things like the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens and a Westminster to Greenwich river taxi. Our girls also love the Royal Mews but check the horses are actually there!

The Aquarium and the London Eye are good but pre-book and then walk over Westminster Bridge to get a great view of the Houses of Parliament.

Another awesome - and free - one that our girls adore is story time at the National Gallery, every Sunday morning at 10.45 and 11.45. You could then walk from there through Trafalgar Square, down the Mall to Buckingham Palace and then through Green Park, where you'll easily find a Pizza Express or Carluccios, both of which are great for lunch for a six year old

[popegregory]

I think I was a little older but had a great time looking round the Belfast.

[miniman]

don logan said:

Do one of those duck tours

[prand]

Mr Kitten said:

Take her to the Rain Forest Cafe to eat... she'll love it.

Usual sorts of places to visit: NHM, London Zoo, London Eye, etc...

Rainforest cafe makes my skin crawl. My kids have loved going to Bodeans (Poland St, one in Tower Hill and other locations now) for many years.

Just doing normal stuff like going on a bus or in a black cab and take in some of the sights is pretty cool with them.

I took my daughter to a morning show of The Tiger That Came to Tea (worth checking what is on) and we spent the rest of the day mooching around the West End, and she loved it.

[ClaphamGT3]

prand said:

Mr Kitten said:

Take her to the Rain Forest Cafe to eat... she'll love it.

Usual sorts of places to visit: NHM, London Zoo, London Eye, etc...

Rainforest cafe makes my skin crawl. My kids have loved going to Bodeans (Poland St, one in Tower Hill and other locations now) for many years.

Just doing normal stuff like going on a bus or in a black cab and take in some of the sights is pretty cool with them.

I took my daughter to a morning show of The Tiger That Came to Tea (worth checking what is on) and we spent the rest of the day mooching around the West End, and she loved it.

The Charlie and Lola stage show is on at the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon - it's a bit far out of the centre but it is great fun

[don logan]

miniman said:

don logan said:

Do one of those duck tours

DON'T do one of those duck tour things! :-)

[Gwagon111]

Places to eat suggestions.

http://www.amorino.com/



http://www.gelatomio.co.uk/

'The Goblet' is simply epic


As far as things to do are concerned, I'd take them on the London eye, the to the new London dungeon (which is very close by). Possibly go and see the tigers at London Zoo.

http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/tiger-t...

[JohnStitch]

Thanks for the suggestions chaps, I'll google those this evening

don logan said:

Forgive me if John Stitch really is your name!

If it isn`t your real name do you do "non stop dancing"?

...and yes, I do non-stop dancing but I'm out of a job :-) lol

Had to change my username and had Derek and Clive on at the time....it was a toss up between that and Ross Mcpharter

[ClaphamGT3]

Another thought re the food. If she's a bit fussy, why not do a picnic in one of the parks?

There's an M&S at Green Park tube station and for what you'd pay for two ordinary meals in an ordinary restaurant, you could have a real feast in the park.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Natural History Museum is a must. Never known a kid not to love it.

DLR train under the Thames, sit right at the front. Get off at Cutty Sark and get the River bus back to C. London.

[don logan]

JohnStitch said:

...and yes, I do non-stop dancing but I'm out of a job :-) lol

Had to change my username and had Derek and Clive on at the time....it was a toss up between that and Ross Mcpharter

AAAHHHHHH TOO FUNNY!!!!!!

No, John Stitch is way better!

Take your daughter for a mooch around Hampstead then as a silent tribute to Peter Cook!

[Mr Kitten]

don logan said:

Get an ice cream from http://www.gelupo.com/

Definitely this. Best ice cream I've had in ages, and I don't really like ice cream that much. Their mint ice cream is just amazing.

[Trtj]

OP you are a brave man. Its crawling at the moment, the whole place is a zoo, so you can start anywhere.

Unless you are down early, I would warn you the queues for Aquarium, M Tussaud's and the Dungeons are hideous at the moment. You will get in but account for an hour queueing on each.

Natural History museum is a must, but again queues can be a problem. Just around the corner from that is the Natural Science museum. In my eyes a better visit, and the queues are always smaller/ non existent some times. Good for grown ups too. If you dont fancy the eye, a trip up the Shard could do it.

This is also very good advice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8345xuBT88