Traveling to London with kids? Here's an insider guide for what to do and where to go, tested by us and proven to be kid-friendly and cool.
The London Duck Tours
It’s not until friends or family visit that you think to go to some of the more obvious places the Capital has to offer. I love those weekends when I become a tourist in my own home – I’m constantly surprised by how much fun some of our ‘tourist’ attractions are. Over the years we’ve built up a list of some of our favourite things to do with visitors, but since we now have kids (and so do many of our guests) we have a sure-fired winner: the London Duck Tours. A vehicle that not only travels on land but also on water – the splashdown (when you enter the water) is worth the ticket price alone!
The tour takes in some key London highlights (Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and The London Eye) but it’s the tour guides who make it (ours got the whole ‘duck’ quacking when it saw another duck – the kids were in hysterics and couldn’t stop talking about it for days)! It is cheesy but brilliant — but you have to be the sort to throw yourself into these things — not for those who embarrass easily. (more…)
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| Blossom Mother and Child | The Charlotte Street Hotel | Benjamin Pollocks |
Paddington Street Gardens and Playground
The playground in Paddington Street Gardens is one of my favourite in Central London. I love that it’s tucked away off the beaten path in Marylebone, slightly hidden unless you know it’s there. It means that it never usually gets too crowded, and you get the sense that all the kids there are from the neighbourhood. The playground has been recently renovated so all the equipment is new and the grounds are well looked after. In redesigning the playground they did a good job of catering to both babies and bigger kids as they have a variety of toys to play on. Plus, I love when playgrounds are covered in that rubbery flooring — it’s nice for babies to crawl around on, and means safer falling for the older ones. Not to mention… it’s located just off my favourite street in London — Marylebone High Street. So it’s a great spot to take a break/have lunch/let the kids run around whilst visiting the many great shops on the high street. Just turn off Marylebone High Street onto Moxon street and walk to the end (or you can access the gardens from Paddington Street.) For more details, click here.
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| Villandry | The British Museum | Orangery Restaurant |
The Charlotte Street Hotel
My experience with hotels in London is actually quite limited, as we’ve never actually ‘vacationed’ here. But the Charlotte Street Hotel is one hotel we’ve become very familiar with over the years as its located literally next door to my husband’s office. It has become a go-to spot for breakfast/lunch/coffee/tea/drinks, etc., and is where many of our friends and colleagues have stayed when visiting.
The hotel is small but charming, the staff always friendly and the location could not be better — Charlotte Street is lined with one good restaurant after the other, and is located just north of Oxford Street and Soho and within walking distance to many of London’s tourist attractions. (more…)
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| Konditor & Cook | Belgo — for mussels and frites! | Daunt Books |
