Family days out in London

Join the Climate Change Protests -it’s her future or the London Museum. 

Museum of childhood, bethnal green is good for younger children. A ride on the Clipper boats from Greenwich into London and back or by the DLR is different.  The boats really shift and is fun for kids.

Ye olde axe in shoreditch

Both the NH Museum and the Science Museum are fantastic, but never go in the school holidays.

DaveMehmet said:

Greenwich is a good day out. There’s a big play area in the park, the indoor market’s open on a Monday, Maritime Museum etc and plenty of decent places to eat.

I second that. Greenwich has to be one of my favourite places. Best view in London from up by the Wolfe statue.

orpingtonRED said:

cafcdave123 said:

both of mine loved London aquarium around that age 

Took my two last weekend, 8yr old and 3yr old. They both really enjoyed it as did I. Penguins, sharks, jellyfish and lots more. Good weather proof option and if it is a nice day you could get the boat along the Thames as mentioned above.
Shrek World is next door if she likes Shrek. Ive not been there but it seemed very popular last week.

The aquarium is great, whatever you do, do not go to Shrek.  Absolutely dismal and my 4 year old cried all the way around as we were chased by witches.  Thanks goodness i ised tesco vouchers rather than £90 odd of my own money.

The Clipper from Woolwich is good. A relatively cheap boat trip. 
Then at the Southbank there's the aquarium.
Then go to and up the Monument.
DLR, front seat, back to SE London from Bank.
Greenwich - Maritime Museum and/or Greenwich Park.
If you want a cheap lunch detour to Govinda's in Soho Square.

@North Lower Neil mate, a day out in London with a 4yr old can be done very easily on the cheap. Get the train into Charing X (most kids love train rides), walk past Trafalgar Square and spend a couple of hours in St James Park. Take a bag of bread and some nuts to feed the ducks, squirrels etc, there’s a good under fives playground down the far end by Buck House, have a picnic, walk over to Buck House to see where the Queen lives, see the soldiers etc. If you want to stretch it then walk up to Hamleys for four floors of a toy shop. 

4 years need quality time and interaction more than anything else. Good luck

MrOneLung said:

Athletico Charlton said:

orpingtonRED said:

cafcdave123 said:

both of mine loved London aquarium around that age 

Took my two last weekend, 8yr old and 3yr old. They both really enjoyed it as did I. Penguins, sharks, jellyfish and lots more. Good weather proof option and if it is a nice day you could get the boat along the Thames as mentioned above.
Shrek World is next door if she likes Shrek. Ive not been there but it seemed very popular last week.

The aquarium is great, whatever you do, do not go to Shrek.  Absolutely dismal and my 4 year old cried all the way around as we were chased by witches.  Thanks goodness i ised tesco vouchers rather than £90 odd of my own money.

Shrek is good. 
Went last year with 7 and 5 year old and they loved it. 

Fair enough, we all see things differently.  

My experience was queuing for an hour for something that lasted a little longer than an hour. Then the 3d bus ride which was great but probably 5mins before you crash and kill a witch meaning that you go into a story where her mates are chasing you for an hour which just scared my 4 year old girl.

amazingly, the first time we saw Shrek was right at the very end when out pops a bloke dressed as Shrek as you are walking out so you can have your picture taken with him and pay them more money to buy it afterwards.

would definitely recommend The Thames Clipper, the Acquarium, Hornimans.  Probably too your but Battersea Park has a good playground, pizza parlour, high ropes, plus loads of space to run in.  Mine also like Mudchute farm

North Lower Neil said:

Cheers for the suggestions everyone.

Hornimans is winning so far I think, not least because they have an enormous rabbit and my daughter is bunny obsessed.

If you've not been before then be prepared for the "weird" factor.

In some places it looks like it's a museum of Victorian taxidermy. Bad Victorian taxidermy. Not quite foxes sitting in deckchairs or playing the banjo, but not too far off it.

Yep, for a city farm it is decent enough and free but there isn’t loads of stuff, wiuld maybe take up 45mins-1hour plus a cafe on site.  There is a riding school which i assume you could maybe book before (never tried).  My kids still enjoy the experience of sitting at the front of the dlr thinking they are driving it en route.

Crystal Palace farm is small but decent and free and could be paired with Hornimans if you have a car, plus there are some dinosaurs to look at in the park, a playground and used to be peddelos.

neither Mudchute or CP farm beat the likes of Godstone farm, Hobbledown (Epsom) or the best in good weather, Drusilla’s (down near the coast) which is excellent - think zoo/fair ground rides/water park/adventure playground.

Athletico Charlton said:

Yep, for a city farm it is decent enough and free but there isn’t loads of stuff, wiuld maybe take up 45mins-1hour plus a cafe on site.  There is a riding school which i assume you could maybe book before (never tried).  My kids still enjoy the experience of sitting at the front of the dlr thinking they are driving it en route.

Crystal Palace farm is small but decent and free and could be paired with Hornimans if you have a car, plus there are some dinosaurs to look at in the park, a playground and used to be peddelos.

neither Mudchute or CP farm beat the likes of Godstone farm, Hobbledown (Epsom) or the best in good weather, Drusilla’s (down near the coast) which is excellent - think zoo/fair ground rides/water park/adventure playground.

I'm in my mid fifties and still love doing that! Let's face there's only two categories of people that don't: Those that ground down by a daily commute to Canary Wharf and those who were completely soulless anyway.

How did it go, Neil? Did you visit the Horniman's? How did it go down?