Free things to do in London with kids

What is it? Following a £13m refurbishment, the former V&A Museum of Childhood reopened its doors in 2023. The slickly laid out museum plays host to a collection of historic toys, childhood equipment and costumes, plus temporary exhibits.

Why go? The beautifully designed building heaves with thoughtfully laid out displays of centuries of toys and childhood objects, there are state-of-the-art interactive displays galore, plus a banging cafe. There are pay-for temporary exhibitions, but the museum is great without them.

What is it? One of the world’s great scientific insitutions, the Victorian Natural History Museum brings together millions of years of life on our planet in a series of exhibits that range from bleeding edge modern to charmingly antiquated. And it’s free! Amazing!

Why go? It’s a must for all nature lovers, but certainly the biggest draw is the dinosaurs and a collection intimately entwined with the history of paleontology as a science. The much-loved but slightly tired dinosaur room will be one of the beneficiaries of a huge upcoming revamp to the NHM, and you can already enjoy the prehistoric gardens, which opened in 2024.

What is it? Founded way back in 1857, this icon of London museums is all about big galleries filled with big things: planes, spaceships, locomotives and more, plus galleries dedicated to communications, clocks and more.

Why go? Gawping at the huge vehicles, spacecraft and engines of yore is a lot of it, but there’s also a great free sensory play space called the Garden. If you have a bit of cash to spare, the permanent Power Up exhibition is excellent value for money – 60 years of computer games that you can play all day once you’re in.

What is it? This south east London park sadly no longer has the actual Crystal Palace in it: that burned down in 1936. However, it still plays home to one very eccentric accompaniment: the world’s first ever dinosaur sculptures, first unveiled in 1854.

Why go? Even if you’re parent to the only children in London who aren’t into dinosaurs, the huge, charmingly anatomically inaccurate Victorian beasts are a remarkable sight to behold – there’s really nothing like them anywhere.

Time Out tip: the small but fun Crystal Palace Farm Park is located right next to the bottom end of the dinosaur area and constitutes a cute half an hour or so extension to your park experience.

What is it? A staple of primary school trips, London Transport Museum’s fascinating working store contains around 370,000 items. Museum highlights include vintage station signs, tube maps, clocks, posters, train carriages, buses, taxis and, if you look carefully, the crumpled remains of an ill-fated spiral escalator. 

Why go? Kids inevitably dig the impressive vintage vehicles and there’s an absolutely banging softplay. The museum does charge adults for entry, but kids go free.

What is it? The Tate Modern is one of London - and the world’s - most iconic art galleries. As well as having an international collection of modern and contemporary artworks that few can beat, it's a historic piece of architecture worth visiting in its own right.

Why go? Kids of any age will enjoy tearing around the garagantuan Turbine Hall, where the free temporary exhibitions are often of a scale and boldness of vision that goes down well with youngsters. Upstairs and the dynamic, iconoclastic permanent collections of modern art ought to fire imaginations – it’s a great first art gallery to visit.

What is it? This quirky free museum in south-east London has plenty of fascinating exhibits to gaze at and (in some cases) grapple with, most famously the iconic overstuffed walrus in its Natural History Gallery (closed until 2025).

Why go? It’s a great morning or afternoon out with kids. You’ll have to pay for the aquarium, butterfly house and temporary exhibits, but there’s loads to do on the museum grounds (including a mini farm) and a superb playground across the way in the Horniman Triangle.

What is it? The Museum of the London Docklands is a free museum dedicated to 400 years of London’s most colourful spot of waterfront, from skullduggerous past to shiny present. The obvious highlight for little ones is Mudlarks, a dedicated interactive gallery for small children

Why go? Mudlarks is neat but any child with a taste for the lurid should get a kick out of the main galleries, the huge model of the old London Bridge and a walk-through recreation of the docklands in Victorian times. Hear the noises, smell the scents and peer into the shadowy alleyways. Gaze through the window of the chandler’s shop and see inside an old East End boozer.

What is it? A copy of every publication produced in the UK and Ireland is sent to The British Library, where some of the most famous written and printed items in the world are displayed. Clearly it is among the top ten worst places in London for kids to run around screaming at the top of their lungs. But it does host some excellent free family events.

Why go? Its regular family workshops have some serious resources behind them. But also don’t forget to check out YOUR local library, kids!

What is it? Just next to the regal Kensington Palace, this play area has a Peter Pan theme and a wooden pirate ship as its centrepiece. It's specially designed to suit children of all physical abilities and the playground includes a beach, sculptures, teepees for make-believe games, and even a sensory trail. It’s free to enjoy, but be aware that at busy times there might be a queue to get in.

Why go? Well how many other playgrounds in London get one in/one out queues? It’s about as fancy as play areas get and on a nice day will properly pep up a little one who may have been dragged into west London against their will.

What is it? Hyde Park is so big and so central London-y that you can overlook the fact that it’s a really good and fun place to take kids.

Why go? Like most parks there’s a decent playground and a lot of space to tear around in. Where we start getting into USP territory is the glorious free Serpentine Gallery: even kids who don’t care for looking around inside will be wowed by the outside sculptures. If you’re in the market for paying a bit of money then don’t miss the lido (in summer), boating, and at Christmas the gaudy blowout that is Winter Wonderland. 

What is it? The colossal Richmond Park is the largest of the Royal Parks by some measure, occupying some 2,500 acres of grassland, ancient woodland and wide open space. One of its main attractions are the hundreds of red and fallow deer that roam free across it, presumably much happier without having to listen out for the 'View halloo!' of one of Henry VIII's hunting parties. 

Why go? It’s well worth the tube trip out west to gawp at the deer alone, but truth be told it is hard to really explain quite how big Richmond Park is and how much there is to do. Within the park's bounds are the Palladian splendour of White Lodge and Pembroke Lodge, childhood home to philosopher Bertrand Russell and now a café. From the park's highest point, there are unobstructed views of St Paul's Cathedral, over 12 miles in the distance. 

What is it? Over two acres of wilderness just north of St Pancras, Camley Street Natural Park is like a corner of countryside in Zone 1. Created from an old coal yard and sitting alongside the Regent’s Canal, it’s a wonderful space for seeking out birds and butterflies, croaking amphibians and even bats, then reporting back on your wildlife sightings, which helps the work of the reserve.

Why go? It’s a wonderful stopping off point if you’ve had to drag the kids into town for prosaic reasons – thay can have a run around, gawp at some nature and something from the cafe to decompress from whatever ghastly train station based chore you’ve dragging them into town for.

What is it? This park has ponds, play areas, a café and a wonderful small zoo of enclosures which offer a quick fix of wildlife. Head here to hear the laughing kookaburras, spot a ring-tailed coati in the bushes and watch the ring-tailed lemurs up to their gymnastic tricks in the branches.

Why go? Like a smaller but even cheaper (it’s free) version of Battersea Park Children’s Zoo, Golder’s Hill Park Zoo is especially good with little ones who don’t have the stamina to make a pricey visit to ZSL worthwhile just yet.

What is it? Providing a cornucopia of facilities to delight its young patrons, the Bloomsbury-located Coram’s Fields is one of the most child-friendly open spaces in central London.

Why go? The children's park on this beautiful walled garden site is simply the best for miles around. There's an enormous sandpit and all sorts of toddler climbing frames, see saws and swings on the east side. There’s also a petting zoo and an adventure playground for the older kids with a zip wire, tunnel slide and lots of climbing equipment made out of natural materials.

What is it? Like a crowd-pleasing superhero, it’s Southbank Centre to the rescue when you need something to do in London and you’re out of ideas. An astounding programme of cultural events – from visual art and music to literature workshops and performance – views over the Thames, and slap bang in the centre of London - no wonder it’s so many people’s trump card.

Why go? There are free exhibitions and a general sense of buzz year-round, and plenty of children’s events in its extensive free programme. During February’s Discover Children’s Festival you could put a whole day of free events together.

What is it? Highgate Wood is a 28 hectare patch of ancient woodland in north London.

Why go? It’s great for an evocative stroll, especially when teh bluebells are flowering in the spring. It’s alos blessed with an excellent and well-equipped playground, complete with sandpits, climbing equipment of various levels of difficulty and a zip wire that gets very busy at peak times. Great thought has gone into providing fun and challenges for the various age groups, and there’s a separate area for the under-fives to call their own. 

What is it? Potter lovers, this one’s for you. JK Rowling’s beloved wizard famously takes the train to Hogwarts from a fictional King’s Cross platform. Pose for a photo with a recreation of his trunk-stacked trolley that’s positioned under a ‘Platform 9 ¾’ sign. Or swap stories with the assembled hordes of fellow fans.

Why go? It’s much, much cheaper and much, much, much more more in actual London than The Making of Harry Potter and while it’s obviously fairly basic, the jolly queue and proffered costumes give it a certain something, and the nearby shop is worth a browse even if you’re not buyong.

What is it? Time was that King’s Cross and St Pancras were surrounded by soot-covered warehouses, all gradually falling out of use and being turned into ad hoc nightclubs. Now, though, the vast piazza spaces look positively Continental, with Granary Square’s rows of pop-up fountains and Lewis Cubitt Park offering great, architecturally designed spaces to run around.

Why go? If you’ve had to trundle up to Kings Cross or St Pancras with kids – especially on a hot day – then the fountains are a blessed free distraction. Even in winter, it’s worth taking a towel – kids can’t resist running through the spouting water jets that rise up from the ground. And while you’re here, seek out Handyside Gardens, a pocket park nearby with a charming play area especially for children.

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