If you’re looking for things to do to occupy the kids, look no further – we’ve put together a list of the best family activities in London!
Finding new, fun things to do with the kids can be a challenge, especially when they range in ages and preferences.
We’ve put together a list of the best activities to do in London as a family, so you’ll have some options whether your kids like to be active, you’re looking for learning experiences, or just fun immersive activities to get together and enjoy as a family.
Our West End location is now open for family fun! From 12th May, every Sunday before 6pm, Swingers West End is available to book for under 18s (accompanied by an adult) for riveting rounds of crazy golf, slushies and milkshakes, and specially designed activity sheets to keep the kids busy.
Mini golf is a great way to bring the family together for some fun competition, and our West End location is incredibly easy to get to, just one minute away from Oxford Street station.
Find out if you’ve got a secret mini golf pro in your family, or simply just enjoy the kids getting to learn a new skill and enjoy what may otherwise have been a boring Sunday afternoon! With all activities based indoors, you won’t have to worry about the kids getting too hot, cold, wet, or messy!
Across the city, there are a number of galleries and museums that are completely free to visit, making for a rare cheap, fun day out.
The Science Museum provides a number of fun and sensory experiences that develop childrens’ learning. Wonderlab at the Equinor Gallery has a multitude of science-based fun experiences, including exploring the “magic” of magnetics with ferrofluid, learning about friction with the friction slides, getting creative with shapes in the maths zone, and live demonstrations at the chemistry bar. The interactive exhibits are a far flung experience from “boring museums”, and will inspire your kids to learn more about the world around them.
The Natural History Museum is another free spot in the city to visit with the kids and provide an education as well as entertainment. The dinosaur gallery is the perfect spot for dino-lovers to stomp and roar alongside the roaring t. rex model, triceratops skull, and other fossils. You can look at the difference in the teeth of the carnivorous dinosaurs versus the herbivore, and discuss how the fossils from the past have informed scientific research into the creatures living today.
The Young V&A is a museum tailored to the interests, needs, and skills of children up to the age of 14. With plenty of exhibits available at children’s height level, the museum is broken up into three sections; Imagine, Play, and Design. Imagine features relics that your children might recognise – Victorian playhouses, props from the Harry Potter films, original Barbies, and the horse model from the play War Horse. Let young kids loose in Play, interactive play areas aimed at preschoolers. Design gives you an insight into how clothes and costumes have been designed over the years, with an interactive element where you can have a go at your own designs.
Looking for an activity to burn off some of the kids’ energy? For kids who are fearless when it comes to heights, Go Ape is an airborne assault course in the trees, featuring high ropes and ziplines. Better than your average playground, Go Ape teaches kids how to be safe while operating with heights, how to balance, and the sheer joy of hurtling down a zipwire.
With great views of the London skyline, and multiple locations across the city, each providing different experiences, travel won’t be difficult and you’ll be safe in the knowledge the kids will be tired from the day out.
Travel around the world without having to leave London by visiting the London Zoo and exploring nature from across the globe. Get up close and personal by visiting the walk-through habitats and the underwater penguin viewing. Learn about the different animals and their lifestyles and diets by listening to the many zoo keeper talks available around the zoo.
At the SEA LIFE London Aquarium, you and the kids can see sea creatures unlike you’ve ever seen before. Journey to the arctic and visit the penguins at the Polar adventure, or find out more about the sea creatures closer to home at the Rockpool where you can hold starfish and stingray eggs. Discover the different kinds of sharks as they swim just inches beneath your feet on the Shark Walk, and visit your kids’ favourite characters, the clownfish, at the Coral Kingdom.
Bubble Planet is an immersive experience, an eight minute walk away from Wembley Park station. With eleven fun-filled rooms to explore, each with exciting sensory experiences, Bubble Planet is perfect for kids of any age. Dive into the seemingly endless ballpit (a sure step up from the local soft play!), chase koi fish around the interactive LED floor, and step inside a giant bubble.
Dopamine Land in South Kensington is an explosion of colourful experiences that can both excite and relax both you and your family. Work your way across the musical tiles, an exhibit that maps a path using the sound of music, visit the infinity room, an endless expanse of lights and reflections, and visit the bubble bar to enjoy bubble teas (and bubble cocktails for the grown-ups!). After all the excitement, visit the decompression room, a virtual digital forest filled with screens displaying trees, and inhale the refreshing scent of the woods.
Those familiar with Madame Tussauds are likely to know what to expect from a visit, but visiting with kids puts another spin on the trip. “Meet” celebrities and take photos with waxwork models of celebrities including Taylor Swift, Christiano Ronaldo, and the King.
They currently have a Marvel experience showcasing figures including Iron Man, Captain Marvel, and Captain America, as well as a 4D movie wherein you can experience a superhero battle to end all superhero battles – featuring Captain Marvel, Thor, Black Panther, Rocket, Spider-Man, Ant-Man and The Wasp as they battle Loki in a bid to save the world.
Any kids (or adults!) LEGO fans? The Art of the Brick exhibition showcases the best LEGO masterpieces, guaranteed to inspire you to try your hand at recreating the sculptures at home. Discover the 20-foot reproduction of a t. Rex skeleton, Michelangelo’s David, and original artworks, before heading to the play area to build your own. Made from over a million bricks, the Art of the Brick exhibition is a feat in creativity and embracing your inner child. Speaking of which, check out our blog on other activities in the city that’ll encourage you to embrace your inner child!
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