10 "Must Do" Children Events And Family Outings In London During Vacations

Many children events in London are absolutely free and many can be purchased reasonably cheaply as a family package. A little planning before the vacation begins can help widen the scope of activities for your children.

Here are 10 "must do" children events in London.

1. London has well over 200 museums and galleries and most of them are free. Kids will love The Natural History Museum, The Science Museum and The Victoria and Albert Museum, and they are conveniently located in South Kensington.

The Natural History Museum has well over 67 million items in its collection. Look out for the skeleton and reconstruction of the extinct dodo in the Bird Gallery and in the section devoted to dinosaurs, the giant flesh-eating Tyrannosaurus rex.

The Science Museum is a fascinating place with a kid-friendly environment and plenty of hands-on exhibits which are both entertaining and educational. There are five floors with each floor looking at different aspect of technology and science using displays and interactive information. The Science Museum also has an ancient clock in the Time Measurement Gallery which is still in working order more than 600 years after its construction!

The Victoria and Albert Museum, more affectionately known as the V&A, has a vast collection of decorative and fine arts.

2. Children love to run around in parks and gardens and there are several well known parks in London. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are adjacent to each other and together they cover an area of about 615 acres of flowers, trees and greenery.

The Serpentine is an area of entertainment and recreation, with boats for hire on the Serpentine in summer.

The Princess Diana Memorial Playground is in Kensington Gardens opposite the Queensway underground (Central Line). There are lots of children events and activities in the playground with the Pirate Ship taking centre stage. The children play area is fenced up and is guarded by security personnel.

Regent’s Park is a couple of miles north of Hyde Park. This is also a wonderfully organized park with lots of flowers and greenery. There is an Open Air Theatre in Queen Mary’s Garden, which is very popular in summer. Regent's Park Zoo is also within the park if you fancy giving your children a treat. (It's free with a London Pass.) Bandstand music can be heard at lunchtime during peak summer months.

3. Children events can include sightseeing on a London Pass. For a modest investment the children can enjoy free entry to over 55 sights and tourist attractions in London. These include: The London Zoo, Tower of London, Thames River Cruise, St Paul’s Cathedral, Windsor Castle, Tower Bridge Exhibition, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court Palace and many more attractions.

You simply pay the one off price for the London Pass of your choice (there are 4 durations to choose from) and then you can enter as many of the tourist attractions included on the pass without further payment.

4. For pomp and ceremony, children events should include a visit to Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guards. Buckingham Palace, the home of the Queen, was built in 1703. Look at the flag pole on the top of the Palace. When the Queen is in residence, the Royal Standard Flag is raised. A soldier is responsible for taking it down as soon as the Queen is away.

During summer you can visit its State Apartments (there is a charge) and see the Queen’s large garden and collection of artwork. The Changing of the Guard can be viewed for free at 11.30am every day during summer and alternate days during winter.

5. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are popular London landmarks and is one of the “must do” children events. The Houses of Parliament, also known as the Palace of Westminster, was built in AD 1040 by Edward the Confessor and was the main Royal residence in London until Henry VIII move to Whitehall. It is the largest Gothic Building in the world with over 1,000 rooms and two miles of corridor in it.

Guy Fawkes unsuccessfully attempted to blow up Parliament in 1606 and was tried and sentenced to death in Westminster.

Big Ben, one of London’s most famous landmarks, towers 96 metres high in the sky overlooking Westminster and is open to tours for UK residents who have made arrangements with their MPs. Unfortunately overseas visitors cannot climb the 393 steps to the top.

6.Covent Garden is a fun place not only for shoppers but also for kids. Covent Garden was originally known as Convent Garden where fruits and vegetables for the Monks of Westminster were grown. The houses around Covent Garden were intended for “gentlemen and men of ability” and up until the Great Fire of London in 1666, Covent Garden was the most fashionable London address to live at.

You can find lots of activities in London for children in this area. Street performers like jugglers, acrobats and fire-eaters are here to entertain kids and shoppers. You may even spot a celebrity or two. You can also visit Royal Opera House – home to The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet.

7. This interesting children event, if you can get free tickets, is to go for television and radio shows and be part of the studio audience. Exclusive tickets including Dancing on Ice, The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talents, The BRIT Awards and many more can be obtained by applying early for them. Your kids will love to be a part of the studio audience and this will add to their children events experiences. You can also apply for standing room only tickets.

8. Children events can also include a visit to a city farm and your kids can enjoy a bit of rural life without leaving the city. These city farms are community led and managed projects and they are located all over London. They offer a widespread of activities to encourage kids to be part of a rural experience and learn how to look after animals and plants. Some farms may also have a riding school.

9. You can encourage your children to get involved in wildlife and nature. London has many natural areas bursting with wildlife. Get ideas for bird-watching or lend a hand gardening for wildlife. Take an opportunity to cycle amongst nature. There are lots of activities for your children to do in London Wildweb.

10. There are lots of sporting activities that goes on in London throughout the year and London’s reputation for having some of the most prestigious sports venues in the world has attracted tourists from all over the world.

With a London Pass you can take your kids for free to visit these famous London venues: Chelsea Football Club’s Stamford Bridge, Lord’s Cricket Ground, Twickenham Rugby Ground and Wimbledon Lawn Tennis.

Your kids will have the chance to experience what it feels like to run out of the player’s tunnel onto the pitch and imagine the excitement felt by the players as the crowd greets them with an almighty roar!

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