London with kids | Top 15 kid-friendly attractions in London

Whether your kid has started falling in love with the Harry Potter series or is already head over heels in love with the books and the movies, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour will be the perfect spot for them. You and your kids will be swept off into all things wizarding world. Walk through bewitching sets of the great hall, Dumbledore’s office, the cobble stoned Diagon Alley and Platform 9 ¾. Observe an array of props like Hagrid’s motorcycle and Harry’s Nimbus 2000 and the costumes adorned by the famous trio. Learn Hogwarts’ best kept secrets including special effects and animatronics trivia. Furthermore, before re-enter your muggle life, collect some Harry Potter memorabilia from the train theme souvenir shop.

With 14 interactive areas and over 300 stunning wax figures that range from notable celebrities from the field of movies, sports, music, fashion, politics, history, fiction to the British royal family themselves, Madame Tussauds London have much to offer for you and your little ones. The slightly older kids, especially the social media savvies will definitely have a gala, as they get a picture clicked with their favorite pop-culture icon. While the younger one’s might not recognize the lot, they will get their moment upon spotting Shrek, exploring the jungle with King Kong, riding with E.T. on his cycle, fighting crimes with the Marvel Super Heroes and a space adventure with Star Wars universe.

History is not just glorious, it has its moment of gruesome cruelty and the London Dungeon let’s you explore the capital’s 1000 year-old horrid history in an adrenalin pumping manner. The 90-minute immersive tour takes aid from special sound and light effects, expertly created sets, creepy props, live actors and thrilling rides to reiterate the grim parts of London’s history. Costumes actors breathes life into stories such as King Henry VIII’s execution of his wife and the Gunpowder Plot among others. Definitely not advisable for weak hearted, but if your child is into such creepy, gory stuff than a London Dungeon tour is a great way for them to have some fun, all the while taking some history lessons.

Aquariums are a good way of letting your children explore, absorb and admire the beauty and magic of the underwater ecosystem. Thus visiting one of Europe's largest collections of global marine life on your trip to London with kids, is a must. The three-floor, state-of-the-art aquarium has 17 themed zones that range from an ocean tunnel that features sharks swimming overhead to an antarctic zone that features Gentoo Penguins in their natural habitats. Other notable show stoppers include zebra sharks, seahorses, monster catfish, clown fish and octopus. Strewn with over interesting exhibits and interactive activities like feeding the stingrays and diving displays, the London’s Sea Life Aquarium keeps your kids intrigued and engaged all through the tour.

Officially opened in 1894, the iconic Tower Bridge still works and opens and closes around 850 times a year. Though matching your timing with that event is quite difficult, you can always visit the Tower Bridge Exhibition to explore the landmark closely. The exhibition entails in-depth history of the bridges’ construction and its evolvement through the years. Interestingly, the steam-driven machinery that used to raise the bridge for its first hundred years also stands tall here as a grand example of Victorian engineering. In addition, to perking your child's’ interest in the when and how’s of the marvel, the 42 metres high and 11-metre long glass upper walkway, privies them with some breathtaking views of London and the Thames river.

Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel and kids is an obvious match, what it lacks in speed (as per kids perspective), it makes up with the magnificent panoramic views of London and Thames. Built in the year 2000, the London Eye quickly evolved as a notable icon for the city, so much so, that it is quite hard to imagine london’s skyline without it. Equipped with 32 oval-shaped pods, big enough to seat 25 passengers, without hindering a single one’s view, the wheel takes about 30 minutes for a ride. Your journey starts with an interactive 4D movie, that will instantly hook your kid and inform them what will follow, ensuring that you and them make the most of the view.

A trip to London is incomplete without viewing a west end show, the sentiment also applies when you are travelling to London with kids. Notably, in addition to entertainment a good piece of theatre will open up your child’s heart and brain for the art of storytelling, reading and much more. A variety of plays, musicals and pantomimes are hosted across London including The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre, Aladdin at the Prince Edward Theatre and Wicked the musical at apollo victoria. If you have a teenager, than you can opt for shows like School of Rock at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, Matilda the musical at the cambridge theatre or Mamma Mia! at the Novello Theatre among others.

English literature can be daunting for many, especially the words written by William Shakespeare.Understanding his story, his contentions and his writing style can become quite difficult to comprehend for today’s generation. Visiting the birthplace of these stories and experiencing the stories behind these stories, could give them a new perspective. So, if your child is being introduced to reading and comprehending works of notable writers, a visit to the globe theatre could really help. Though the current Shakespeare Globe Theatre is a replica of the original, it still maintains the style and essence of the original. You can either attend a performance or just take a tour and visit the exhibition based on the life and work of Shakespeare.

London boasts a strong sporting community, with multiple state-of-the-art stadiums and notable players and teams across various genres. Depending upon the sport your kids are interested in, you can take them for an exclusive stadium tour. For instance if they are an Arsenal fan, than book a Emirates Stadium Tour. Home of the Arsenal Football Club the audio-guided tour will not just give them a glimpse of the field but allow the to explore the team’s glorious past through the Arsenal Museum. Similarly, a Wimbledon Stadium tour, will entail an entry to the largest tennis museum in the world, the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, a mecca for every tennis enthusiast.

Looking from a kid’s perspective, the British Museum is one of the world’s best museum. Along with boasting artifacts from Ancient Greece to Asian civilizations, the museum also includes fun children’s audio tours. These audio guides takes the kids on a treasure hunt through whichever gallery the children choose. Undoubtedly the Ancient Egypt section with the mummies and the Rosetta Stone is one of the most popular section with the kids. During the weekends and on school holiday, various activity trails and activity backpacks are available, in order to make learning and exploring history more fun for children. In addition, visiting the world’s most kid-friendly museum is absolutely free and the gift shop offers some unique memorabilia for them.

There something about the pomp and pageantry of the Changing of the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace that excites the adult visitors also. The ceremony, also known as the Guard Mounting, marks the exchange of duty between the Old Guard and the New guard. Dressed in the traditional red tunics and bearskin hats, the Queen's Guard make for a vision, from their disciplined, synchronised moments to the accompanying notes by the band all are precisely perfect. Most children that observe the ceremony are often mesmerized by the actions taking place. Make sure you explain the importance and the legacy of this ceremony to your kids beforehand and they will then pay extra attention to each and every moment.

A boat ride is like an adventurous trip for most kids, they enjoy being on a different mode of transport, the water mesmerizes them and so does the various sites of London. Exploring the most notable landmarks of the city, could be a lot of walk, which would get the kids extremely tired and cranky towards the end of it. However, a Thames river cruise might be a great solution to all such woes, especially for the parents who wants to make the most of their tour of London with kids. Starting from the Westminster pier you’ll pass by some prominent landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.

From the mysteries of Stonehenge to the haphazardly beauty of Oxford, London gives some great options for one day trip. Stonehenge is a relic of the prehistoric world that is older that the Great Pyramids, however no one knows the answer to it how such heavy stones were brought and fixed there or what was their initial purpose. While this mystery is still unsolved, the stonehenge’s exhibition centre has some notable answers from the neolithic era. As for Oxford, it may be famous for being home to two great universities, But there’s much more to the place than just that. It packed with gems from the Oxford Castle to The Covered Market, from Oxford University Museum of Natural History to Modern Art Oxford.

Whether you are a 3 year old or 60 year old, everyone loves the very affable green monster, we all call Shrek. Board the magical flying 4D bus to step into Shrek’s world of Far Far Away. Visit Cinderella in Shrek’s swamp, keep an eye out for the adorable Puss in Boots and the gingerbread man, rescue the poor pinocchio from the wheel of torture and join the Muffin Man to cook up a magical spell. To further enchant the kids, 12 laugh-out-loud fairytale themed live shows are organised that amalgamates captivating storytelling, special effects and a flawless performance by the live actors. The DreamWorks animation ensures that your kids feel these stories from all 5 senses.

One of the few places in the world, where adults are only allowed, when accompanied by a child aged 1-14 years. A global phenomenon, KidZania is one of a kind educational and entertainment zone that let’s children become (portray) what they aspire to be. KidZania has over 60 unique and exciting professions including a pilot, a firefighter, an actor and a surgeon. Your child explores through these professions via real-life role-play adventures. The kids are given 50 kidzos upon entry to spend, save and invest as per their will in the city, without the supervision or interference of their parents. Activities have been specially designed to empower kids with essential life skills such as teamwork, independence and even financial literacy.