Top 10 places to take the kids in London – beyond the obvious
Joanna Lovell
Associate EditorMum of two, Joanna Lovell visits London with her kids, aged 14, 13 and 10, and shares her 10 top picks of must-do places to visit
Before any visit to London most parents will Google 'things to do with kids' – and we're all met with the same responses showing the same tourist hotspots.
But what if you've already been to the most obvious places, and want to do something a little bit different?
It can be especially hard for parents of teens who are trickier than toddlers to please.
After an action-packed weekend in the capital with kids, here's our 10 recommendations of places – beyond the obvious – which really should be on your list for your next visit.
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1 Take an exhilarating boat ride with Thames Rocket speedboat tours
Picture the scene: the sun is shining, the wind is in your hair, the music is on full blast, and you are speeding along the River Thames whizzing past all the tourist hot spots, without a care in the world!
We absolutely loved our boat ride with Thames Rocket Speedboat Tours.
Originally London RIB Voyages, Thames Rockets took to the river Thames in 2006 becoming the first ever Thames speed boat tour-operator in London.
We hopped on close to the London Eye and were able to sightsee from the water with a super friendly tour guide, at the same time as experiencing the thrill of the ride.
This is not to be missed and perfect for summer.
Visit the website to book your tickets.
2 Ride on a cable car
I can't actually believe this is public transport!
Run by Transport for London, you can hop on and off the cable cars as easily as a tube.
This is a really unique way to see London during a 15 minute ride on the UK's first and only urban cable car.
The IFS Cloud Cable Car crosses the River Thames between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks, just 5 minutes' walk from The O2 and North Greenwich Underground station.
As you fly 90 metres above the River Thames, you'll enjoy spectacular views of the capital including:
- St Paul's Cathedral
- The Gherkin
- Thames Barrier
- Maritime Greenwich
- Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
A single trip costs £6 for adults and £3 for children.
3 Play Monopoly Lifesized
My children have not stopped talking about Monopoly Lifesized since our visit. They absolutely loved it, and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it too.
Imagine standing in the middle of a 4D Monopoly board, rolling the dice and getting to personally jump from square to square.
Then, when you land on a property, you only get the chance to buy it if you successfully complete the escape room-type challenge, by entering the property through a door off the board.
We felt like we were on a TV show and haven't ever done anything like it before.
It's really well thought out. For example, when you want to buy a house, you have to build it first.
There are four exciting editions of Monopoly Lifesized to choose from when booking: Luxury, City, Classic and Classic Own It All.
If your kids like Monopoly, or like escape-room type challenges, they WILL love this.
4 Dine for free at Hard Rock Cafe
OK, so maybe this world-famous restaurant is an 'obvious' choice for families, but it's worthy of being on your to-do-list because it's something the whole family can enjoy AND we've got a great deal for Netmums readers.
Kids eat free when you show your server this article, until 9 February, 2024.
Why visit? The Hard Rock Cafe offers dining, music, entertainment and culture all under one roof.
The favourites on its menu include the Original Legendary Burger®, Moving Mountains® Burger, One Night In Bangkok Spicy Shrimp, Apple Cobbler and various specialties such as All-American sliders, famous fajitas, classic BBQ pork ribs and much more.
There are 2 Hard Rock Cafes in London alone. We dined at Hard Rock Cafe London Piccadilly Circus, in the heart of the West End, also home to the world’s largest Rock Shop.
Kids Eat Free T&Cs:
Hard Rock Cafe are offering a ‘Kids Eat Free’ deal for Netmums readers.
Simply purchase a main course, and receive a new Messi Kids Meal meal completely free of charge.
The offer is available until Friday, 9 February, between Sunday and Thursday across all five UK Cafes – London, Piccadilly Circus, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
To redeem this offer just show your server this article on arrival, quoting "Netmums Kids Eat Free". (T&Cs apply. The offer is not valid with any other offers.) Book online here.
5 Take the kids gaming at the Science Museum
While the Science Museum offers free entry, there are additional attractions inside with an additional cost which you can pre-book.
We visited Power Up – the home of 160 consoles - which is the perfect place for your gaming-mad kids and ideal for a rainy day.
Once inside you can immerse yourself in a hands-on gaming experience, featuring consoles from the past 50 years.
From Pong to Pacman and Minecraft to Mario, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re a retro games fan, a serious gamer or just want to beat your family at Mario Kart.
Play against friends in multiplayer showdowns, rediscover your childhood favourites and test out some of the latest next-gen virtual reality experiences in this ultimate interactive gaming experience.
We also booked to watch A Beautiful Planet in the museum's IMAX cinema which is a real treat.
The film showed us the lives of the crew onboard the International Space Station, as they captured stunning footage of our magnificent planet.
While it was fabulous to experience the 3D theatre, it was also a really interesting, educational watch.
6 Play football at Toca Social
Toca Social is the world’s first interactive football and dining experience, combining immersive gaming and food and drink.
To play, you will need to book a private box for 30, 60 or 90 minutes. Each box accommodates 12 players.
What our family loved about this was the fact we could all join in, despite the fact one of my sons plays football, and the rest of us don't.
In fact, my 10-year-old daughter would say she hates football, but she got well stuck in to this game, and became quite competitive.
We could all set our player level, so while my son opted for advanced, I stuck on beginner mode.
The whole concept is really good fun, there was a great variety of games to play. Everything is explained by friendly staff on arrival who help you take a selfie and set up your games.
I imagined the 'box' you book to play would be a separate room, but it's much better than that. While you have your own area to play, you're still a part of the main bar.
Each 'box' has its own tables and seating, but also has a bar stool viewing area so you can sit and watch whoever is kicking the ball. It's very well thought out and would be perfect for kids parties.
Eat, drink, score
Personally, I think the Eliminator game was the best – where you get to fire the ball at the headshot of your other family members to kick them out the game! We also enjoyed the tournament feature.
The drinks service to our box was great, but next time we will eat there as the menu looks awesome.
And, if you're not playing football, you can just walk-in to this venue – which is based in the O2 in Greenwich North – to enjoy food and drinks, as well as foosball tables, arcades, selfie booths and more.
7 Take pictures at Selfie Factory
This is the UK's First Instagram™ Inspired Funhouse and is basically a quirky interactive pop-up experience for selfie-taking where you can fill up your camera roll with incredible photos of you and your friends/family, against amazing backdrops.
My 10-year-old daughter could have spent all day in here and was in her element making up dance routines while taking selfies.
Our favourite photo friendly environment was the pink tube which you could step inside and sit in.
We also loved the pink supermarket. There's plenty of props to use and there's also a changing room for those who want to take a change of clothes.
It's something a little bit different and wholesome good fun.
8 Enjoy a fancy dessert at a Creams Cafe
There's almost 40 Creams Cafes in London alone, so wherever your London adventure takes you, the chances are you won't be far from one of these dessert lounges.
Creams Cafes offer the ultimate dessert dining experience, with cool surroundings giving the wow-factor experience.
If you want a waffle, sundae, gelato, crepe, milkshake or pancakes, this is the place for you and your family.
Latest additions to the menu include the Winter Warmers – hot desserts which offer a warm, comforting, and utterly indulgent experience.
The Sticky Toffee Hot Skillet which has a warm, gooey base of sticky toffee pudding and is lovingly drizzled with custard, and crowned with a generous serving of gooey toffee sauce is worth a taste!
This menu is perfect for those frosty days, but if you visit when the weather is warmer, the ice cream sundaes are a must.
My personal favourite was the Millionaires crepe, complete with caramel sauce, milk chocolate sauce, Lotus biscoff biscuit crumb, Speculoos Gelato, milk chocolate blossoms and a signature Creams wafer.
Every portion is more than enough for one person and totally delicious.
The kids will love this treat, especially after a busy day in the capital.
9 Pop in to Bubble Planet
If you’re an Instagram fan, you might have seen your feed filled with pictures of an amazing bubble-themed experience.
With kids and adults jumping into bubbly ball pits, playing in balloon-filled rooms, and sitting in giant bubble chairs while bubbly light projections fill the room.
It’s been a hit in Milan, Brussels and the US and arrived in London in November where it’s running until June 2024.
10 Walk down Abbey Road
The Abbey Road zebra crossing is famous worldwide as the spot captured on The Beatles Abbey Road album cover.
The cover, which shows an image of each of The Beatles crossing Abbey Road, has become one of the most famous album sleeves of all time.
Replicate the 'Fab Four’s' Abbey Road cover picture with your own family, although you will have to dodge the traffic as the road is still in use!
Abbey Road is also home to the most famous recording studios in the capital. You can find the Abbey Road Beatles location in St John’s Wood, in north west London.
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