London Activities and Attractions to See with Kids

St. Ermin’s is an elegant hotel in Westminster that boasts a dedicated tea lounge and library that serves traditional afternoon high tea service and a range of savory and sweet treats in a relaxed atmosphere. The Tea Lounge & Library at St. Ermin’s has ornate décor, original rococo plasterwork, and a warm and welcoming ambiance where visitors can enjoy a traditional English afternoon tea, which is served on the hotel’s outdoor terrace in the summer. Inspired by seasonal ingredients, handcrafted bites are made from scratch with produce grown on their rooftop kitchen garden or locally sourced from farmers, such as luxurious sandwiches are crayfish with goat’s cheese with figs or rocket and lemon mayonnaise, freshly baked scones including clotted cream and homemade jam, and decadent treats like black choux with lemon and honey and apple mousse with honey compote. A wide variety of local and imported loose-leaf and bag teas are offered with several milk options, and lemon, and honey. The Tea Lounge & Library at St. Ermin’s is open daily.

Caxton St, Westminster, London SW1H 0QW, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-72-22-78-88

Established in 1845, the Covent Garden Market is a London institution and famous tourist spot that sell a wealth of antiques, handmade crafts, and locally-made goods. Based in a beautiful colonnaded 19th-century Piazza in the heart of downtown London, the market has humble beginnings as a fruit and vegetable market and has grown into one of London’s top attractions. The market is home to a variety of top brand stores such as Tom Ford, Chanel and Mulberry, and fine dining restaurants, chic coffee shops and elegant bars.

The Apple Market, which runs from Tuesday through Sunday boasts a plethora of independent traders selling unique and handcrafted items, handmade jewelery, and hand-painted T-shirts, and on Mondays, the space transforms into an antiques and collectibles market, selling old printing blocks, with classic cameras, and vintage tins and signs. The East Colonnade Market is open daily and sells artworks, handbags, jewelry, handmade soap, and hand-knitted children's clothing.

The Apple Market, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8RF, Phone: +44-0-20-72-40-57-81

For Younger Kids

Based at the University College London in a former Edwardian library, the Grant Zoology Museum is a natural history museum that holds one of the oldest natural history collections in the UK. Established in 1928 by Robert Edmond Grant as a zoological teaching institution, the museum is home to 67,000 specimens, including bones, fossils, and other remains of extinct creatures like Dodo skeletons, the zebra-like quagga that lived in South Africa, and a jar of moles. One of the main attractions at the museum is the Micrarium, a booth lined with illuminated microscope slides showing a variety of zoological specimens, and visitors can explore the distant evolutionary with modern technology such as iPads and smartphones.

Rockefeller Building, 21 University St, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 6DE, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-31-08-90-00

Hamleys is a world-renowned toy store and paradise for adults and children alike. One of the oldest and largest toy stores in the world, the British multinational toy retailer was founded by William Hamley in 1760 as ‘Noah’s Ark’ and grew into one of the city's prominent tourist attractions. Boasting over seven floors, the flagship store has more than 50,000 lines of toys on sale, ranging from action figures and cuddly toys to dolls, puzzles, LEGO, and stuffed toys, including a four-foot-high mountable stuffed pony. Hamleys also features a Harry Potter-themed Department of Magic where children can find golden snitches, wands, and chocolate frogs. The chain has 25 outlets around the United Kingdom and more than 90 franchises worldwide.

188-196, Regent Street, London, W1B 5BT, Phone: 087-17-04-19-77

LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort is a theme park dedicated to one of the world's favorite toys and offers young children and their families the ultimate LEGO® adventure. The 150-acre park is designed and built with more than 55 million Lego bricks and features a variety of attractions, live shows, and a fully LEGO themed hotel. Popular attractions in the park include the Lego City Driving School where kids can drive whizzy electric cars; the Jolly Rocker pirate ship; the Castaway Camp adventure playground; Miniland London with miniature landmarks like Big Ben; and the watery voyage rides of the Pirate Falls Treasure Chest and Vikings' River Splash. Legoland is open during the summer months and has play tables full of the ever-popular bricks to keep kids occupied while standing in the queue.

Winkfield Road, Windsor Park, Windsor, SL4 4AY, Phone: +44-0-37-12-22-20-01

London Duck Tours offers a selection of entertaining and informative land-based tours in distinctive yellow vehicles that were initially used in the Second World War and have been completely overhauled and refurbished. Three fun-packed sightseeing and themed tours visit some of London’s most popular tourist attractions and world-renowned sights and include the Classic Sightseeing Tour, the City Tour, and the historical D-Day Duck Tour, which are led by friendly, knowledgeable guides who provide action-packed live commentary and share exciting facts about the city. All private-hire tours leave from Belvedere Road in Waterloo, and tours can be customized for special occasions and celebrations.

55 York Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 7NJ, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-79-28-31-32

For Teens and Tweens

Located along London's South Bank, the London Dungeon is a popular tourist attraction that delves into the capital’s most horrible history at the city's notorious dungeons. The macabre attraction recreates tales of murder, torture, foul deeds, and gory historical events that happened in the dungeons in gallows-humor style using a mixture of live actors, innovative special effects, and exhilarating rides. Complete with genuine foul smells and real-life rats, the 90-minute tour explores the grim daily lives of people living in London in the Victorian age and visitors can sail downriver to the Tower of London as a ‘traitor’ in the days of Henry VIII, and learn the real story behind the ill-fated Gunpowder Plot by Guy Fawkes.

Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 7PB, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-76-54-08-09

One of London’s most famous tourist attractions and skyline icons, the The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel located on the South Bank of the River Thames. Also known as the Millennium Wheel or the Coca-Cola London Eye, the London Eye stands at 443 feet high with a diameter of 394 feet and offers the second-highest public viewing point in London after the observation deck on the 72nd floor of The Shard.

Located in the London Borough of Lambeth, the London Eye is set at the western end of the Jubilee Gardens between the Hungerford and Westminster Bridges and operates daily from 11:00 am.

Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7PB