ten great kid-friendly London activities

Tamara Heber-Percy | co-founder of Mr & Mrs Smith Boutique Hotels

Back from a recent trip to NYC, I began to think about what recommendations I'd make to someone in the same position as me – visiting a city thousands of miles from home with an ankle-biter in tow. I hope these tips (all regularly road-tested by me) will help you get as much out of London as I did from New York!

1. Kew Gardens

This vast, gorgeous park is a little way out of the center of London but well worth the trip. If it's raining, they have a fabulous indoor facility called Climbers and Creepers with slides and sandpit, enclosed beehives and a butterfly park.

2. Richmond Park

All kids love feeding the birds – and there are waterfowl aplenty in the beautifully floral Isabella Plantations. 

3. Spitalfields City Farm

A little rustic oasis in the heart of the City, kids will want to check out the goats, sheep, pigs, donkeys, and assortment of small furry critters. Hackney City Farm is also few streets away and has a great little Italian cafe, as well as regular pottery classes for kids.

4. Science Museum

Brilliantly geared to kids, this South Kensington museum has lots of special areas, especially the 'Garden' interactive exhibition in the basement and the IMAX 3D cinema.

5. Natural History Museum

Located in a stunning building and filled with animal magic, the museum's highlights include the famous Diplodocus cast, a creepy-crawly gallery, and fascinating displays of global flora and fauna (don't miss the life-size blue whale).

6. Gambado

Located in Chelsea Harbour, this indoor play center features slides, ball pools, bumper cars, and free internet for the grown-ups.

7. Parks

The Capital has more green space than you'd think (even if it's not all conveniently located in one spot like NYC's Central Park.) Holland Park is the largest green space in Kensington and has peacocks roaming free, a huge koi-carp pond and a playground (with sandbox). Hyde Park is one of the biggest in central London boasts the Princess Diana Memorial Playground, inspired by the story of Peter Pan. The centerpiece is a huge wooden pirate ship, surrounded by tepees and a sensory trail. Ravenscourt Park in Hammersmith is also very good for kids, with three playgrounds, and a big paddling pool and sandpit in summer. South of the river, Battersea Park has a small children's zoo and a lovely little boating lake.

8. V&A Museum of Childhood

A little way out into London's East End in Bethnal Green, the museum is free to enter and full of interactive exhibits, old-fashioned toys (many an adult visitor is reduced to swoons of nostalgia when confronted with the playthings of their youth), and a year-round program of family events.

9. The Electric Cinema

The Notting Hill picture house, one of the UK's oldest, runs a Kids' Club and often has mother-and-baby screenings.

10. Little Angel Theatre

To the north of the city in Islington, this puppet theater produces a magical calendar of marionette shows, tailored to a variety of age ranges.