London is an amazing city with more to offer than most people can see in a lifetime, let alone a couple of weeks. And because we’re Londoners, this is the real deal if you’re looking for awesome, non-touristy unmissable London activities for kids. I lived in various places in London including Camberwell for many years, both my kids were born there and London remains one of my favourite places in the whole world.

Because I always make it my business to seek out interesting, weird, cultural and fun activities, my list doesn’t look like everyone else’s. I’m not telling you to go to all the well known haunts for tourists. Instead, I’m telling you what we, as locals, like to do in London with our kids.

Activities for Kids in London – Parks and Playgrounds

Obviously this city is extremely green. We can barely walk without falling in to another wonderful park. We have ten playgrounds within walking distance of our house in South London. That’s ten within a distance I expect my five year old to walk and my three year old to scoot without whining at me. One of these is stunning enough that it makes my list of ‘unmissable London activities’.

Top Three Parks for Children in London

🌳 Diana Memorial Playground

This is nicely and centrally located in Hyde Park. In my opinion, this is hands down the best playground in town. The playground itself is entirely wood and is extremely imaginatively designed. It is gated and even has its own security. It also never gets too crowded as they only let in a set number at any time. One of the park’s cafes has a window in to the playground so you can grab an overpriced coffee or ice cream while your little darlings run wild, safe in the knowledge that (probably) the very worst they can do is get soaking wet in the water play area.

🌳 Coram’s Fields

This is an entire seven acre park dedicated only to children. It has various play areas for different age groups. It even has a little farm on site. The coffee is good. Again, this is a gated park and no one is allowed in without a child. My kids consider consider coming here to be a real treat.

🌳 Brockwell Park

This is an enormous park in Herne Hill in South London. The park itself is just beautiful with its rolling hills and stunning views of the city. It boasts a lido (I’ve never been but it is extremely popular in the summer), a huge and really well equipped playground with enough to entertain even the biggest playground aficionado! Down towards the end of the park there is a duck pond and a huge water play area for summer fun. There are two cafes on site, one by the lido and one in the middle of the park, up on the hill. Herne Hill also has some great restaurants and cafes if nothing in the park takes your fancy. In summer a little train runs up and down one side of the park.

Activities for Kids in London – Museums

I assume most people visiting London already know that the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum are a must but what if you’ve already been or you’re just looking for somewhere or something different? How about:

📌 The Horniman Museum

In the opinion of many, not just me, this is South London’s best kept cultural secret. I blinking love this museum. It has everything you and the kids could ever want from a museum:

✅ natural history area with plenty of stuffed animals

✅ skulls

✅ things kids can touch including many musical instruments

✅ aquarium

✅ gardens to enjoy, picnic in or run around, large instruments to enjoy in the gardens

✅ small city farm

✅ fabulous cafe

✅ fabulous temporary, interactive exhibitions

📌 The Young V & A

Recently reopened, this refurbished children’s museums claims that the: “Young V&A will be a ‘doing’ museum – a joyful, buzzing, and optimistic place underpinned by the power of design and creativity.”

Activities for Kids in London – Culture

📌 Pudding Lane and The Monument

We climbed The Monument on a cold, wet winter’s day and it was amazing! The views over London are great and everyone should know about the Fire of London and how it began in Pudding Lane in 1666 before razing much of the city of London to the ground (86% of it apparently). Work began on The monument to this devastating fire in 1661 and was completed in 1677.

The Monument has 313 to climb to the top where you’re rewarded with 360 degree views of the City of London.

📌 HMS Belfast

Looking around HMSBelfast, a warship docked in central London was a lot more fun than I expected. My kids and their cousins just loved exploring the ship, especially when we could lock them in the brig and pretend to leave.

📌 The Unicorn Theatre

The amazing Unicorn Theatre at London Bridge will never, ever disappoint. It is seriously the best kids’ theatre in town. What’s more, just outside is a recently renewed area with lovely restaurants, space for kids to run and amazing views of Tower Bridge and The Tower of London.

📌 Watching the classical buskers in Covent Garden

It’s touristy to be sure but we head to Covent Garden for one reason: our small kids love to watch the classical buskers. Once when our three year old put money in the hat, the ensemble followed her back to where we were sitting and performed a piece just for her. It was incredible and I know she was over the moon.

📌 Take a trip on the Emirates Airline

This is always a winner with the kids. We tend to do a return trip just to hang out and see the views. You can be tied in with a boat trip on the river, a visit to the Millennium Dome, a visit to the excellent Maritime Museum and even the Cutty Sark. See: culture, innit.

📌 Riding, and driving, the DLR (Docklands Light Railway)

Who doesn’t love a driverless train? If you’re lucky, the front seats will be free and you’ll be able to shove the kids in to have a pretend drive, something all local kids love to do. If this doesn’t float your monorail then you could always head over to the Transport Museum in Covent Garden. It’s expensive (17.50 GBP) but you only pay for adults and the ticket lasts all year. It’s pretty hands on and has some good play areas so you can properly exhaust the kids out here.

📌 The good old South Bank

You cannot come to London and not visit the South Bank. Almost without fail there will be something going on down there that needs to be checked out. When we lived in London we’d be there at least once a week, walking, playing (there’s a good playground), seeing exhibitions and more. In summer there are fountains for the kids and outdoor bars for the adults. In winter there is a Christmas market and there are regularly specialty food markets too.

Don’t forget that the Southbank Centre regularly puts on incredible festivals.

📌 Somerset House

If you’re in London in the summer then march your kids straight down to Somerset House to enjoy the fountains in the courtyard. Don’t forget the swimming stuff. While everyone else is up on the South Bank crowding in to their super busy fountains, you’ll be sitting back and feeling smug while your kids basically have Somerset House to themselves.

Best Day Trip from London

⭐️ Stonehenge is, without a doubt, one of the best places to visit for a day trip when you’re in London. My son asked to go for his 5th birthday and he’s still talking about it now (at almost 12). It’s just 2 hours by car and 90 minutes by train.

So that’s my list of favourite places in London. I recently stumbled upon this different list of activities for kids in London that I also really liked.  What do you love best for kids in this incredible city?