London may be a costly city to reside in, but there are many places to visit for free. If you're travelling with kids, however, those headline historical sites and culture-packed galleries aren't likely to hold their attention for long. Fortunately, London has some spots which are ideal for little people. Here is a help guide to the best free things to do in London that children will like.
Pop along to a proper playground
London hosts plenty of incredible open spaces, and many of these have some sort of playground, but there are a handful of stand-out superstars that provide kids a fantastic experience and are totally free to enter. Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens is really a spectacular playzone. It features a giant pirate ship to climb on, water fountains, tunnels and teepees to hide in, wooden instruments to play, and sand to obtain mucky in. Coram's Fields near Bloomsbury continues to be offering a free playspace for children since 1936. Here you'll find an adventure playground, sandpits, sports courts and a small city farm. The kid-centric thing is taken so far at both of these playgrounds that unaccompanied teens and adults should expect to be averted in the gates.
See the wildlife in the parks and gardens
St James's Park is really a beautiful space having a picturesque lake full of ducks, geese as well as pelicans. Young travellers with a love for horses, meanwhile, possess a great chance of spotting regal-looking ponies as well as their riders trotting around Hyde Park. Inside a fenced-off part of Greenwich Park known as The Wilderness, you may be lucky to spot some deer, while over at Richmond Park these horned critters roam freely round the 2500-acre green space. Remember: they are wildlife and you should keep the distance from them.
Explore museums that kids will love
London is incredibly fortunate to welcome people to its museums and galleries totally free. Almost every venue hosts special attractions for kids, but there are a couple of stand-out locations that truly place the focus on educating and entertaining kids. The Science Museum has numerous free exhibitions that will capture imaginations. Within the Exploring Space exhibit, you will get close up to the Soyuz, the area module that brought astronauts back in the Space Station in 2022, as well as in the Flight gallery, you are able to track the intriguing history of aviation. For hardly any kids, go to the Garden (suitable for ages 3 to 6) in the basement, that has water play, cranes, blocks and many hands-on sensory displays.
The Natural History Museum is definitely an old favourite because of its massive assortment of skeletons and specimens, but dino-loving children may wish to head straight to the very impressive Dinosaur Gallery. Walk through informative displays on different species explaining once they lived and just what it was that might have killed them off, moving toward satisfy the animatronic tyrannosaurus rex (quote: this can be terrifying for young kids).
Many other London museums make a special effort to engage kids. The British Museum includes a child-friendly object trail of 12 historical objects that are likely to attract just a little one's curious nature, along with free art materials and a gallery backpack (lb10 deposit required) filled with themed tasks and challenges. The Museum of Docklands has Mudlarks Gallery, and also the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich has Ahoy! These interactive spaces are really well-liked by toddlers and kids as much as round the age of 8, providing them with an opportunity to role play, grab, pull, lift, push, and engage with exhibits on themes included in each museum. The galleries are free to visit, but you'll need to book a timed slot online to make sure entry.
Be entertained by ceremonies, parades and festivals
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the queen, and you'll be in a position to know if she's home because the flagpole is going to be flying the square yellow, blue and red Royal Standard. The changing from the guard ceremony takes place nearly every trip to 11am (10am every sunday). It's free, and tends to be massively well-liked by tourists, consider getting there at least 45 mins early to grab a good viewpoint. You'll hear a complete military band, and should begin to see the Old Guard, New Guard and Household Cavalry parade by.
The New Year's Day Parade on 1 January each year is made up of an eclectic mix of community floats, vehicles, performances and marching bands that walk/drive/cheerlead their way from Piccadilly to Parliament Square. It's warm and friendly, a little silly, and a great deal of fun – it could be the perfect quirky start to your year.
The annual Notting Hill Carnival aims to celebrate cultural diversity and Caribbean heritage within the world's largest street carnivals. It falls on the Sunday and bank holiday Monday at the end of August each year, and Sunday is designated as Family Day. Local children parade with dances, performances, and impressive costumes. Crowds are often reduced on Family Day, however, you should still expect so that it is exceedingly busy.
Free photo ops for Harry Potter fans
If your folks are comprised of wannabe wizards and witches having a penchant for Harry Potter, then you will be wanting to visit platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross station. Fans of the books and movies find themselves joining long queues here for that perfect shot. After that, stroll towards the nearby St Pancras International Station, which features as King's Cross in the films of The Philosopher's Stone and The Chamber of Secrets.
Get close up using the creatures at the city farms
With the exception of Coram's Fields, city farms are located away from centre of London. These are charitable organisations, offering kids an opportunity to gain farm skills and interact with animals. Some have horse-riding facilities, and many include an chance to stroke the animals. To the southwest, there's Deen City Farm in Colliers Wood, and Vauxhall City Farm very close to Vauxhall station. In southeast London, there's Crystal Palace Park Farm and Mudchute. Hackney City Farm would be to the northeast; Kentish Town towards the north from the city and Spitalfields City Farm in the east.
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