London with kids on a budget
As any born-and-bred Londoner will tell you, the capital is simply the best place in the world to grow up. Packed with fabulous museums, interactive shows and a healthy scattering of charming petting zoos, the city has plenty to keep families entertained. In a city known for its penchant for the exclusive, many of the most engaging tot-friendly attractions are purse-friendly and open to all. Here are five of the best.
Free, fun and family-friendly activities in London
National Maritime Museum
Park Row, SE10 9NFUnder-sevens love the free ‘Ahoy’ gallery, stoking boilers, fixing boats and steering an ice-breaker.
Mudchute Park and Farm
Pier Street, Isle of Dogs, E14 3HPEntry’s free at this urban farm, whose residents run from rabbits to alpacas.
The South Bank
SE1Great for families, from the buskers and splashy fountains to the singing lift at the Royal Festival Hall.
The slice of local life: Columbia Road Flower Market
Columbia Road, E2 7RGOn Sundays, Columbia Road is transformed into an open-air flower market, and buckets of blooms line the narrow street. It feels like a slice of the old East End, as stallholders shout out cut-price deals and banter with passing shoppers. The side-streets are full of bijou boutiques, cafés and old-school pubs, while buskers keep the crowds entertained (and occasionally get them dancing).
Hamleys
188-196 Regent St, Soho, London W1B 5BTStation Oxford Circus. Ouvert du lundi au vendredi de 10h00 à 21h00, le samedi de 9h30 à 21h00 et le dimanche de 12h00 à 18h00.
Image credits: © Belinda Lawley; © Belinda Lawley; © National Maritime Museum; © Mudchute Park & Farm; © Belinda Lawley; © Sam Harris; © Angelina Dimitrova