Things to do with kids in London at half term

Some ideas of what to do with your kids in London at half term. I have reviewed many of these in the past - so let me know if you want further information. All other ideas welcome!

Younger Children
• London Zoo - Regents Park
• London Aquarium - Recently refurbished. Save it for a rainy day
• The Rainforest Café (Shaftsbury Avenue) - But be prepared for a wait at peak times
• Battersea Park - There is a children’s zoo as well as the pagoda and bicycle hire and nearby is Battersea Cat and Dogs home
• Kensington Gardens - Especially the Peter Pan statue and the Diana Memorial Playground
• Hamleys Toy Shop - Five storeys of toys and a busy cafe
• London Duck Tours - A great drive around the most famous sites of London and then a splash into the water at Vauxhall for a noisy river ride
• Kew Gardens – A great place for picnics. The Badger sett is a favourite for small people as well as the tree walkway and the Creepie Crawlie activity centre
• Buckingham Palace - For the changing of the guard
• The London Wetland Centre - Barnes but well worth a visit for those who enjoy birds and outdoor spaces
• Urban farms – Up close and personal with cute animals all over London including Hackney, Vauxhall, Kentish Town and Hounslow
• Picnics - There are so many great parks. Check out www.royalparks.org.uk and www.cityoflondon.gov.uk for both guides to open spaces and to City gardens

Older children
• Madame Tussards - But book in advance to avoid the lengthy queues. The Spirit of London taxi ride is a must
• The London Eye
• Museums - Science Museum is highly interactive and the new Launchpad promises hours of fun. The dinosaurs at The Natural History Museum are always popular but the simulations and exhibitions in what was the geology bit are also well worth a visit. Then there's fashion and art at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the mummies at The British Museum. There are many other lesser known but interesting places to explore such as The Imperial War Museum, The Horniman Museum and The Foundling Museum
• The Barbican - Check out whether they have any suitable children's productions/exhibitions/activities at www.barbican.org.uk/
• HMS Belfast
• Ripley's Believe it or not Odditorium - Piccadilly Circus's relative newcomer but a favourite with my kids already
• Tate Modern - The kids love the big spaces and it's child friendly – the new exhibit looks fun too. Plus you can easily combine with a walk across the Millennium Bridge here
• The Trocadero - Amusements and rides in Piccadilly. It's dark, noisy and expensive - but the kids love it. There are dodgems and bungee rides too as well as a huge cinema
• The Unicorn Theatre – A beautiful children’s theatre near London Bridge. There's also the Polka Children’s Theatre in Wimbledon and also some of the West End Shows – like Wicked and Mamma Mia – are good for kids
• Trafalgar Square to see the fountains, pigeons and Nelsons Column and then the National Gallery
• Tower of London
• Thames Rib Experience - A fast powerboat ride with historic info on the way. There is also a James Bond version
• Tower Bridge experience - They provide a kids explorer kit
• Clink Prison Museum - London Bridge but gory in parts
. Greenwich - The market, the Maritime Museum, the Observatory, the tunnel and the boats

Teens
• Camden Market - Always a favourite with teens
• Shakespeare’s Globe - for those still fretting about their English exams
• The Museum of London – Including a great exhibition on the Fire of London
• London Transport Museum - Covent Garden – which is also great for street entertainers and teen shopping - specially the area round Neal's Yard which has a huge Superdry
• London Dungeon
• Canary Wharf - Nice waterside walkways and a huge underground shopping experience and don’t underestimate the excitement of a ride on the Docklands Light Railway
• Westfield - Again, another shopping experience for those fashion crazed teens
• South Bank – An unofficial skateboard area, cafes (at Gabriel's Wharf), the British Film Institute, the fabulous Imax cinema and occasional grassy areas which are ideal for frisbees and hanging out
• The O2 - Always offering some interesting concerts (Girls Aloud, Beyonce and Nickelback this week) but with loads of cafes and restaurants and the British Music Experience