Planning a family trip to London just got easier with our list of free things to do in London with kids. There is no doubt that London can be expensive, but you’ll be pleased to know that there are so many free options when it comes to taking the kids out for the day.
If you are visiting London during the winter months, one thing stands out more than the rest – Winter Wonderland! Located in Hyde Park, it’s a magical dreamland, packed with Christmas markets, Santa meet and greets and thrilling rides. And during the summer months you won’t be short of places to take the kids with plenty of attractions in the parks; like plays, shows, music and fares. One thing for sure, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Free Things to do in London with kids
London is a city that is jam packed with family-friendly things to do. Here are some options:
Take a stroll through one of London’s famous parks
It’s easy to think that London is all hustle and bustle and high rises, but there is a surprising number of spacious and beautiful parks in London to escape the crowd. And you’ll find they often have activities for kids. Hyde Park, Green Park and St James’s Park are very popular. You can take a casual stroll and see all the ducks and even feed the squirrels with your hands – so make sure you take some nuts. In Hyde Park you’ll find the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground.
Rent a bicycle
If you have kids over 14, you can borrow a rental bike to explore one of the parks, and even better, it’s free for the first 30 minutes!
Visit the most famous toy store in the UK
A visit to the famous Hamley’s toy store on Regent Street is a must for little ones. The impressive 6-storey toy store is enough to fill anyone’s heart with wonder.
Visit a child friendly museum for FREE
Whoever said museums are boring hasn’t stepped foot into one of London’s iconic museums! London is filled with impressive museums – and so many of them are free. Some of the ones we recommend are:
- Science Museum: Curious children will love the Science Museum, it’s filled with experiments, games and activities – there’s no way they’ll be bored here.
- Natural History Museum: This is a firm favourite thanks to its rooms filled with impressive dinosaur fossils and bones. It’s so easy to get lost in the many rooms here, especially the interactive creepy critter rooms.
- Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood: This museum gives visitors a rare chance to view a wide collection of toys, dating back to 1872. There are so many activities for kids to get involved with – it’s a little bit further away from the centre, but easily reached by public transport or taxi.
Visit an urban farm
Surprisingly even in London, you can find farms – where the whole family can enjoy meeting the sheep, goats and many more cute animals. We recommend Hackney City Farm, which has free entry in zone 2. If you want to visit this farm, we would suggest visiting Broadway Market in Hackney and Regent’s Canal too.
Free workshops in Somerset House
There are free workshops for children ages 6-12 on a Saturday afternoon. Check their website for more information here.
Kew Gardens
Although adults will have to pay to enter the Royal Botanic Gardens in London, all children under 17 can enter Kew Gardens for free. There are so many activities In these impressive gardens and parks, that you’ll be able to spend the whole day here with the family.