Best Family-Friendly Things To Do In London

The beating lungs of London, Hyde Park is a verdant oasis in the city, sitting in the midst of some of the poshest neighborhoods here — Knightsbridge, Mayfair, and Kensington. Beyond the large areas of greenery that fill up on weekends with people having a picnic, taking in the serenity, or having a game of football (what Americans call soccer), the park has a number of specific places that families shouldn't miss. 

Speaker's Corner, close to Marble Arch, has existed as a sounding board for more than 150 years, where anyone can stand and talk about anything they want, though whether anyone listens is another matter altogether. Either way, it's a fascinating, lively spot, usually populated with interesting (some might say crazy) characters. In the south of the park, the Rose Garden delights visitors during the warmer months, the perfect place to see a true English rose. Memorials dot the grounds of the park, from one commemorating the late Princess Diana, to those that honor people that perished in the Holocaust, and, more recently, the London bombings in July 2005. And if kids in the group need to expel some energy, and running around the park's fields doesn't cut it, there is a large playground on South Carriage Drive, with climbing structures and enclosed metal slides.

London is a great city for walking, even if sometimes the pavements are a little narrow, and in places, the roads are windy and not intuitive to follow. Wandering the streets is a rewarding way to experience the sights of the city, but, if you want to get a more unique view of the lay of the land — a bird's eye vista of the metropolis — a great option is to ride the London Eye.It's the largest cantilevered observation wheel in the world. 

Soaring up to 135 meters (almost 450 feet) in the air, the individual pods set at the end of spokes on a giant wheel are a landmark in themselves, with a location on the south bank of the River Thames, and close to Westminster Bridge, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and Trafalgar Square (you'll be able to see them all, plenty more of the skyline, and the river during the 30-minute rotation). Families get a break via discounted tickets, with individuals paying £28 (about $35) per person, compared with £40/£35 for a normal adult/child fee, with a minimum of one adult and two children required to access the special rate.

It's funny that adults wish they could be kids again, a time when life seems a lot less complicated, and kids just want to be adults. While the former isn't easy to arrange, the latter is a breeze for visitors of KidZania, where children up to the age of 14 can role-play and pretend to take on a career as a pilot, police officer, fashion designer, and more. First opened in Mexico in 1999, KidZania has now spread around the globe, with outlets in countries like Chile, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates. 

The concept here is pretty straightforward — kids enter the facility, designed like a mini-city, and choose what job they would like to try during their visit (there are in excess of 100 choices, so there is something for everyone). Kids play out their job, and interact with other kids, in other careers, helping them to piece together how a real city functions. For adults, the play time represents a chance for them to unwind — they can watch their kids from viewing stations, or retreat to quiet rooms and just decompress.

For London, the river isn't just a defining feature that separates the tribal identities and parts of North and South London, it's also a functioning waterway that craft ply ferrying goods and people — it even supplies the city with drinking water. Many of the city's key buildings line the river, some built before the era of motorized transportation, so the very core of London is intrinsically tied to the river. 

Given this, seeing the city from the River Thames is a smart choice, and City Cruises has a number of options for taking in the riverfront sights. Trips come with fabulous vistas of iconic landmarks, full commentary that provides context on what is passing by, and seating inside by large, glass-paneled windows, or on an open, outdoor deck. One option allows passengers to hop on and off at the operator's four city piers, allowing for on-land exploration along with the riverine voyages. Some cruises also include an afternoon tea, or dinner, or live jazz music.

Few family activities are as evergreen, or popular, as a visit to a zoo or aquarium, and London has both. Sea Life London Aquarium, situated right by the London Eye (makes sense to have it by the river), is split into three zones. The Coral Kingdom is home to the United Kingdom's most comprehensive living coral reef, and a wander around the exhibit promises vibrant colors, not just of the coral but also the lively tangs and clownfish swimming here. Ocean Invaders is an exhibit that feels like another world, with slowly pulsing jellyfish moving around sparingly lit tanks — while in Rainforest Adventure, sea creatures and amphibians dart around tanks and habitats. During a trip to the aquarium, visitors will see sharks, octopi, and penguins. 

London Zoo, at the north end of Regent's Park, has long delighted school children from the capital and beyond. Animals from many continents are here, including monkeys, lions, tigers, gorillas, Komodo dragons, giraffes, lemurs, turtles from the Galapagos, and there is even an area that recreates a British farmyard.

Madame Tussauds is a global brand, with locations in such diverse locales as Bangkok, Beijing, Budapest, San Francisco, and Sydney — its wax figures celebrating personalities famous all over the world, and also in each specific destination. But did you know that the original Madame Tussauds opened in London in 1884, and is still welcoming guests at the same location? Marie Tussaud spent part of her life as an art teacher in the court of Louis XVI — and some years after imprisonment during the time of the French Revolution, she traveled to England to showcase her wax sculptures, setting up a place to display them in central north London in the 1830s. 

Today, droves of onlookers arrive each day to see figures of celebrities like Rihanna, British musicians Stormzy and Dua Lipa, members of the Royal Family, the various actors that have portrayed James Bond, and sporting icons like Usain Bolt. Getting a photo taken alongside these figures is something that the family will never forget.

While rules vary by state in the United States as to when kids are allowed into a bar, in London pubs, kids have no problem getting entry, as long as they are accompanied by an adult. Pubs are a quintessential part of British culture, a place where friends and colleagues meet to catch up, unwind, vent, mingle, watch a sports match, and generally look to take a weight off their weary shoulders — and they are a bellwether of the neighborhood where they reside. They also witness plenty of heavy drinking, mainly in the evenings, so if you plan to take the whole family into a pub, do so before dusk nears, when the crowd can get rowdy. 

There are many pubs all over the city, with one estimate putting the number at more than 3,500, so finding one shouldn't be difficult. For an atmosphere reflective of London's setting, try to locate one by the river, like The Ship, in Wandsworth, on the south bank of the Thames. Here, close to Wandsworth Bridge, patrons can relax on the outdoor seating area, playfully called The Shipyard, and admire river life over a pint (or a soda pop for the kids, though the legal drinking age in the U.K. is 18).

The West End is London's equivalent of New York's Broadway — though London's theatrical productions have a longer history than their American counterparts. Clustered in and around Leicester Square, the theaters offer a range of genres, though (of course) musicals are eternally popular. On any given night, you might be able to see "Frozen," "Wicked," "Mamma Mia!" (this show first launched in the West End in 1999), "The Lion King," "Mousetrap," and "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." 

A trip to the West End to see a show, however, isn't just simply about watching a theatrical production — it's a whole series of experiences anchored by the performance. It's a good idea to wander around the area beforehand, perhaps explore Chinatown, or lively Covent Garden (a former fruit and vegetable market that's now home to hip boutiques, cafes, and restaurants), before grabbing dinner. After the show, stop for an ice cream in Leicester Square, where people come and go at all hours.

On one of those gorgeous days in London where the sky keeps swapping sun and clouds, bringing the city in and out of shadow, nothing beats exploring the city on foot. The River Thames, with pavements and promenades along many sections of it, is dotted with bridges that make it easy to cross back and forth between North and South London. Great walks along the river can be found all over the city, and that is largely thanks to the Thames Path, almost 80 miles of paved walkway from Richmond in the city's southwest to the marshy confines of East London. 

One of the simplest walks that takes in a number of iconic sights, starts near Waterloo Station, and crosses over the pedestrian Golden Jubilee Bridge. On the north side of the river, turn left and into the pretty Whitehall Gardens and Victoria Embankment Gardens, before continuing on to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, and the Palace of Westminster. Walk on past more gardens until Lambeth Bridge, at which point you can cross back over the river and hit the Thames Path, which will eventually take you past the London Dungeon, Sea Life London Aquarium, and the London Eye. Expect to take plenty of photos and create lots of memories for the entire family.