fun things to do with kids in london england  - family travel    
  Travel for Kids
England
   
     
    London
Tower Bridge
London has been one of the great cities for millennia. In Roman times, London, Londinium, was the administrative center of Britannia. Down through the ages, despite plague, fires and war, like the ebb and flow of the Thames, London is the continuity of Great Britain. As you travel through London with kids, it's like your own time machine.
Tip: Don't miss our top picks for children's books on London, recommended by the staff of Travel for Kids, see below.
 

The Tower of London

    The City – St. Paul's Cathedral
    Bloomsbury – British Museum
    Covent Garden
    Trafalgar Square
    Southwark – Globe Theater
    Westminster – St. James's Park – Buckingham Palace
    Hyde Park – Kensington Gardens
   

Regent's Park – Sherlock Holmes Museum

Greater London
  Greenwich
    Hampton Court Palace
    Windsor – Windsor Castle, Legoland
  Ride the London Underground – Get a 1, 3 days Travelcards or 7 day Oyster card, and ride the underground all day if you like. It is clean, well-run, and goes everywhere. As the train pulls into a station, you'll hear that announcement, "mind the gap." Adult and child Travelcards and Oyster cards include buses and trams within the zones of central London.
Kids riding the double decker bus London
  Ride the double decker buses – What better way to see London than riding up on the upper deck of a double decker bus! Be sure to get a Travelcard or Oyster card so you don't have to calculate the bus fare and purchase tickets for each ride you take.
    Boat rides on the Thames – The Thames has always been a great way to travel. A boat ride on the Thames isn't just for sightseeing, it's a speedy way to go between the London Eye and Tower of London. Or, with a day pass, you can hop-on and hop-off at sightseeing spots, as much as you like. Click here for more information on the stops and routes on the river.
    Plays – Plan to see a play during your stay in London. To find a list of what's playing, go to Theatre Breaks with Superbreak (you can buy your tickets online.) If you get cheap tickets, bring your binoculars.
      Take in a production by Shakespeare 4 Kidz. This theater group does Shakespeare's plays tailored to kids, Romeo and Juliet (Rocking N' Rolling Romeo), Twelfth Knight, and Midsummer's Night Dream.
   

Fun food

     

Try classic English afternoon teas or "cream teas" wherever you see them in shops. Scones, cakes and pastries are always a kid favorite. For a splurge afternoon tea in a lovely setting, Claridge's Hotel is fun (tea is served 3:00-5:00pm, weekends are often booked up in the summer, but weekdays are available. Call for reservations: 207 409 6307). A good substitute for the fancier afternoon tea at a major hotel is the Georgian Room or the Food Hall at Harrods. Drop into Fortnum & Mason to get elegant, unusual candies and chocolates. And there are always chips (french fries) for snacks.

   

Shopping

     

London is heaven for toys. Two big "musts" for shopping are Harrod’s (whole floor devoted to toys) and Hamleys, another famous toy department store. (Tip: With the London Pass, get a free Hamleys bear, when you spend over £25.00.)

family hotels london
Travel for Kids has so many fun things to do with kids in London, but you'll need a fun place to stay.

Here's our own Travel for Kids hand-picked list of family hotels in London, all styles and price ranges, in neighborhoods that are comfortable for families, and near to places you'll want to explore:

London family hotels
London family apartment rentals
family travel tools

So many things to see and do in London, the Original Tour makes it a snap. Hop on and hop off the double decker buses at any of 80 well-marked stops (such as Big Ben, the London Eye, Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square), with 3 different routes, engaging kids' commentary and activity pack, and a free cruise down the Thames River.

London Hop On Hop Off Bus
Who wants to spend your vacation standing in ticket lines, especially the kids? Purchase tickets in advance and kiss those ticket lines goodby:

Tower of London Tickets

London Eye Tickets
Hampton Court Palace Tickets
Take your own private tour (in a black taxi) around London to visit Harry Potter sites - track 9 and 3/4 at King's Cross Station, Diagon Alley, the Leaky Cauldron, Gringotts Bank and more:
Harry Potter Black Taxi Tour

Make life easy with a London Pass, an all-one-card for the Tower of London, Globe Theatre, St. Paul's Cathedral, Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Castle, and many more, plus free Thames or canal boat cruise, and shopping discounts. 1,2,3, or 6 day passes, which can be combined with a TravelCard for unlimited rides on the underground:

The London Pass
kids books london england
     
London - kids books London  
London
Neil Morris

Illustrated history of London, from Roman times when it was called Londinium, down through the Middle Ages, the Tudors, Victorian London, landmarks such as the bridges over the Thames, and London today, one of the historic cities in the world. (Oversize picture book)

 

     

Imagine if Sherlock Holmes had a younger sister, and here she is, Enola Holmes, a spirited, independent teenager, with a new case in London. Lady Cecily has disappeared – did she elope, was she kidnapped, or was she mesmerized? Enola adopts the perfect disguises to solve the case. (Chapter book)

Enola's mysteries continue in: The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets

 

 
The Case of the Left-Handed Lady - kids books London
     
Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars - kids books London  

Sherlock Holmes couldn't solve his cases without the Baker Street Irregulars, homeless boys in London. What's the connection between a secret chronicle stolen from the royal family and the suspicious deaths of a famous tightrope team? Holmes sends the Irregulars to the circus to investigate. (Chapter book)

 

     

Open the book and out pops a replica of the Globe, William Shakespeare's playhouse. With paper characters and playbooks, stage your own scenes from twelve different Shakespeare plays in the pop-up theatre. Go backstage with the illustrated companion booklet. Captivating, and fun for kids and parents alike. (Activity pack)

 

 
Shakespeare's Globe - kids books England
     
Will's Quill - kids books London  

A country goose, Willoughby Waddle, comes to London, but nearly ends up in the soup pot, until he meets a kindly playwright, William Shakespeare. As As Shakespeare scribbles all night to finish his play, Willoughby turns out to be a very useful goose. Fun for little ones.
(Picture book)

 

     
Assassin (Lady Grace Mysteries #1)
Grace Cavendish

Lady Grace, Maid of Honour to Queen Elizabeth I, has to choose between three unwanted suitors, but in short order, one suitor is found dead by poison, the other is tossed into prison, and the third has disappeared. An ingenious historical mystery that takes you into Elizabethan court life at Whitehall Palace. (Chapter book)

 

 
Assassin (Lady Grace Mysteries) - kids books London
     
A True and Faithful Narrative - kids books London  

Meg Moore's favorite place in all the world is her father's bookshop, at the sign of the Star. Meg not only reads all the books in the shop, but yearns to write herself, and for her father to publish her work. Her chance comes when a dear friend is captured by pirates, and returns with a story to tell. (Chapter book)

 

     
The Ravenmaster's Secret
Elvira Woodruff

1735.Young Forrest Harper lives in the Tower of London, but he's not a prisoner – his father is the Ravenmaster. There's a new prisoner in the Bloody Tower, Maddy, daughter of a Scottish rebel, and her life is in mortal danger. Gripping story and Tower of London legend and lore. (Chapter book)

 

 
The Ravenmaster's Secret - kids books London
     
The Time Thief - kids books London  
The Time Thief
Linda Buckley-Archer

In The Time Travelers, Peter and Kate ended up in 18th century England, but now Kate has returned to the 21st century, unexpectedly accompanied by the villainous Tar Man, while Peter is stranded in the past. The Tar Man cuts quite a scene in contemporary London, wearing a three-cornered hat and black cape, galloping on a horse with the police hot of his trail. A dashing, spirited adventure that crisscrosses London past and present. (Chapter book)

 

     

Before you visit the the house where Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist, here's Dickens' novels, told as stories with lots of lively illustrations that evoke familiar characters and Victorian London. This is a gem. (Picture book)

 

 
Charles Dickens and Friends - kids books England
     
Oliver Twist  
Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens, Les Martin

Adapation of the classic story, Oliver Twist runs away from the orphanage to London. Tired and hungry, he falls into the clutches of the 'artful Dodger,' and the master thief, Fagin. Colorful adventure, set in Victorian times. (Easy reader)

Older kids will also enjoy this illustrated abridged version: Oliver Twist

 

     
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Robert Louis Stevenson, Kate McMullan

Easy-to-read version of the classic scary story, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Kindly Dr. Jekyll is one of the best doctors in London, until he drinks the red liquid, which turns him into the evil Mr. Hyde. (Easy reader)

 

 
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - kids books London
     
Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman? - kids books London  

Montmorency is no ordinary thief in 19th century London. While recovering from injuries in a burglary, Montmorency hatches an ingenious plan for daring robberies, using the sewers of London to escape. By night he roams the underground tunnels in a grubby disguise, to emerge as the polished gentleman Montmorency by day. An exciting London adventure in another century, and a good teen read. (Chapter book)

Don't miss another historical thriller with Montmorency: Montmorency on the Rocks

 

     

For Ted and his sister Kate, their favorite thing to do in London is “fly the Eye,” ride the giant ferris wheel. But when they take their cousin Salim to the London Eye, he disappears without a trace. Ted and Kate follow a trail of clues all over the city to find Salim, before it’s too late. (Chapter book)

 

 
The London Eye Mystery - kids books London
     
Westminster Abby - kids books London  
Westminster Abby
Micol Ostow

Abby Capshaw thinks summer study in London is just what she needs to shake things up – new snacks (chips with vinegar, Guinness, Cadbury's chocolates), new places (flea markets, Whispering Gallery at St. Paul's, nightclubs), and a cute boy named Ian. (Chapter book)

 

     

You can't go to the Paddington train station, ride the escalators in the underground, or eat sticky cream and jam buns, without wondering if, you too, will run into that delightful "bear from Darkest Peru." A perfect book to read aloud. (Chapter book)

And here's all new adventures of this beloved bear in London: Paddington Here and Now

 

 
A Bear Called Paddington - kids books London
     
Dick Whittington and His Cat - kids books London  
Dick Whittington and His Cat
Margaret Hodges, Melisande Potter

Charming retelling of the tale of Dick Whittington, a penniless boy who seeks his fortune in London. Hard-working Dick earns money to buy a tabby cat, the cat in turn, produces riches beyond his wildest dreams, and Dick becomes the Lord Mayor of London. A delightful London legend. (Picture book)

 

     
Royal London
Jacqui Bailey

Discover royalty in London, past and present - from Westminster Abbey, where all the English monarchs have been crowned since 1066, to palaces, and royal sites to see in London, plus a day in the life of the Queen. (Picture book)

 

 
Royal London - kids books London
     
London Sticker Book - kids books London  
London Sticker Book
Rosie Dickins

Fun facts about the sights in London, each with a matching sticker. Over 100 stickers of things to see on the streets, along the river, details of monuments and museums. This is a great way to start exploring London. (Sticker book)

 

     
London Children's Map
Kourtney Harper

Illustrated map of London for kids, with all the fun places to go, plus stickers to put on the map from your visit - where you took a boat ride, went to the theaters, learned about mummies, played in the park and more. (Map)

 

 
     
This is London - kids books London  

Take a trip through London, old and new – the smallest church St. Ethelburga, Piccadilly Circus, Guardsmen in front of Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, tea time at four, Tower of London, the Underground trains, mummies in the British Museum, the Old Curiosity Shop, and more. Whimsical illustrations capture the panorama and fun of London, this is a classic. (Picture book)

 

(More children's books on other London and England pages)