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5 kid-friendly activities in London

Ashley Chalmers

Senior Contributor

Urban adventures can feel daunting for families, but there's no city quite as kid-friendly as London. While your little ones would love to spend their day on a sugar high at M&M's World or practicing their motor skills at the LEGO store in Leicester Square, the rest of the family might not be so keen. These activities truly offer fun for the whole family, and appeal to both locals and visitors alike.

London Transport Museum

There are lots of reasons to love this kiddie favorite, and one might be how truly accessible it is. Located in the heart of Covent Garden, there’s a step-free entrance, and lifts easily located throughout. This is one major buggy battle, sorted! There’s also a soft-play section for toddlers, and a play area for slightly older kids that involves dress-up, touch screens, and space to run, roam, and climb. Nearly every exhibit is please touch, and a small café area offers a reprieve before you head back out into the hustle and bustle of the neighborhood. If you’re local or have a true transport lover on your hands, tickets are valid for re-entry for up to one year of purchase.

The Postal Museum

Hidden down an industrial side-street in Clerkenwell, the Postal Museum feels a bit off the beaten track, which is ideal for visitors eager to explore areas of London that aren’t super central and jam-packed. It’s kid-friendly from the start, with a sweet, small garden area set up for kids to explore or sit and have a snack before heading inside. The main exhibit has plenty of “please touch” aspects, but the real highlight is a ride on the Royal Post mail train, through tunnels once used to send mail all across London. Claustrophobics be warned: the cars once used to move parcels are tiny! After, head to a charming soft-play area, where everyone can practice all they’ve learned, sending packages whizzing around different “neighborhoods” within the space. Like the Transport Museum, tickets are also valid for re-entry for up to one year of purchase.

National Army Museum

Tucked away in Chelsea, this newly renovated spot covers the vast history of the British Armed Forces. The galleries are free to enter and situated over four floors, with plenty of touch screens and costume spots, made for interaction from all ages. The soft play area is extremely well known and encourages visitors to be highly active. Definitely book a spot ahead, and rest assured that there’s a small baby area set within the confines of the space, making it very manageable if you’re with siblings or friends of various ages.

Go Ape at Battersea Park

London’s Royal Parks and playgrounds are pretty epic. Whether you head to Holland Park’s adventure playground or the famed Diana Playground in Hyde Park, little ones have lots of room to roam in the capital city. But one spot that tourists may not know about is Battersea Park, a little oasis just south of the river. The playground itself is sprawling and jam-packed with fun, and for bigger kids up through adults, the attached Go Ape ropes course it the best attraction. With a treetop ropes course, ziplines, and climbing structures, the whole family can get their wiggles out while getting a work-out in.

ZSL London Zoo

At first glance, the London Zoo seems like it must be small. It’s nestled into the northern corner of Regents Park, and it’s hard to envision many exotic animals lounging inside. Then, as you wander past gorillas, lions, and penguins, you’ll realize just how much they actually fit into this beautifully designed space. Future zoologists will especially love the Zookeeper for a Day program, available in a junior version for mini animal lovers. Other behind-the-scenes experiences include opportunities to book ahead and meet the animals, venture behind the tiger enclosure, or sleep in the on-site lodges, situated adjacent to the lion enclosure.

Bonus // Sleepovers at museums

The fun doesn’t have to stop once the sun sets! Beloved favorites, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum, also host special sleepover events for kids 8+. Check out Dino Snores at Natural History, and Astronights at the Science Museum.

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