Archives: London for Kids

If you want to see Father Christmas in London this year, you had better pull a finger out because the Harrods Grotto is already fully booked! However, there are still other magical wonderlands that you can visit:

Hamleys Toy Shop

A special Santas Grotto at Hamleys is offering children a breakfast (at 9.30am) or tea (at 3pm)with Santa up until Christmas Eve. However, tickets need to be booked in advance and cost a whopping £35! Nevertheless, it will be an experience they will remember with gingerbread biscuits to decorate and a special goody bag for each child. A maximum of 16 children per breakfast/tea are allowed and all children must be aged 3 or over.

I recently wrote a list for Metrotwin about some of the best upcoming Christmas Carol concerts in London (although it was published under the name of the editor Candice due to a bug!)… anyway, there are several concerts in the capital that you might consider taking your children to:

Carol Singing Around the Courtyards at Hampton Court
This annual singalong of festive songs takes place in the magical palace courtyards and gardens of Hampton Court. Your voices will be accompanied by a silver band. Words booklets will be provided and the event will last for about an hour. As this is an outdoor event remember to wrap up warmly and bring a torch to see the words by! The carol singing will take place from 20th to 23rd December at 6pm daily. Due to popularity, you will need to pre-book tickets. Have fun!

Yes, the winter is upon us and with shorter, colder, wetter days, parents need to know where you can take your kids in the capital. That is why I drew up this list for Metrotwin and I thought I would share it here too:

Climbers & Creepers
An indoor interactive botanical playzone

Eddie Catz, Wimbledon (formerly Tiger’s Eye)
A great place for families on rainy days

Snakes and Ladders
One of the largest indoor playgrounds in London

Tumble in the Jungle
A jungle themed indoor adventure playground

Zoomaround
A great play venue in North London

Source: Rob Inh00d @ flickr

You have planned a trip to the Big Smoke with the kids. There are hundreds of attractions to choose from, so where do you begin? Well, you won’t go far wrong if you start with one of the favourite attractions:

* The Science Museum
* Madame Tussauds
* The London Dungeons
* The Tower of London
* The London Aquarium
* The London Eye
* The Natural History Museum
* Tate Modern
* The Museum of Childhood
* London Zoo

Source: Alex Segre @ Flickr

You are happily travelling around London, enjoying the sights when your child suddenly shouts out that familiar phrase “I need a wee …. now!”. You know you don’t have much time, so how do you go about finding the nearest loo (toilet)?

No matter where you are in London, you will find free conveniences at:
*Coffee shops such as Starbucks
*McDonalds
*Department Stores (you will usually have to go up to the third floor)

You might also find the following loos handy:
*Picadilly Circus Underground Station
*Covent Garden Piazza
*Westminster Underground Station (50p)
*Victoria, Waterloo and other mainline British Rail Stations (20p)

Source: Nenyaki @ flickr

If you have slightly older kids who are fans of the Harry Potter books, then one novel way to explore London is to take the Harry Potter Walk. This walk is guided by a man called Alan who wears a green carnation.

The walk is one of a series given by London Walks. The full title of the walk is the Myths and Legends behind Harry Potter - Wizards, Werewolves & Vampires:

If you have made the exciting decision to take the kids to London but you are looking for a bit of extra information, you will find the following tips useful:

Source: Dimitry B @ flickr

You don’t have to spend money on sightseeing buses. Instead you can choose to take the regular number 15 bus from Tower Hill. The bus will take you all the way from The Tower of London through the City, past St Pauls, past Trafalgar Square and on to Regent St (where Hamleys Toy Shop is) and Oxford St. It’s a double decker and so make sure to get a seat upstairs

If you are coming to London with the kids then you are probably looking for somewhere to stay that is family friendly. You might be looking for somewhere with adjoining rooms or high chairs, or somewhere cheap as chips etc Obviously there are loads of places to choose from, but I thought I would share with you some of the hotels that appear on Little Legends:

The Carlton Tower - Perfect for shopaholics as this luxury hotel is situated within walking distance of both Harrods and Harvey Nichols!

The Big Draw is taking place from 1st to 31st October this year. For those of you who don’t know, it is the national campaign for drawing.

It is inspired by the visionary Victorian artist and writer, John Ruskin. His mission was not to teach people how to draw, but how to see.

To accompany the Big Draw, the National Portrait Gallery is setting up a special event for kids and teens from 1pm to 4pm. Best of all it is FREE! Family visitors and young people will have the opportunity to work with professional artists on an exciting drawing project in the Gallery.