For all ages
Things to do with kids in London, from babies upwards
Most "things to do with kids" lists mean the same six attractions and a soft play. This one starts younger and goes wider — theatre written for babies under two, signing sessions for toddlers, museums designed to be handled rather than looked at.
Sorted so you can find something for a rainy Tuesday with a one-year-old or a whole Saturday with a nine-year-old, with the free options marked.
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Step inside a children's Story WorldDiscover Children's Story Centre is built around storytelling rather than display cases: indoor Story Worlds to climb through, play spaces, changing exhibitions and a garden. Aimed at roughly 0–11, so it works for a toddler and an older sibling on the same trip.Stratford E15·FamilyTake your baby to a theatre show made for 0–2sPolka makes work specifically for babies and very young children — built around how a baby actually experiences sound, movement and performance, rather than a children's show with the volume turned down. Check the programme for current early-years dates.Wimbledon SW19·Family
Watch puppetry inside a specialist puppet theatreLittle Angel is one of the few theatres in the country devoted to puppetry. As well as shows, they run family workshops where you make and handle puppets yourself — worth checking both listings before you book.Islington N1·Family
Try Rhyme & Sign with your toddlerSongs, rhymes and signing together in an early-years room at Polka Theatre — communication practice disguised as a singalong. For babies and toddlers with a parent or carer.Wimbledon SW19·Family
Take your baby to a sensory classStructured baby-development sessions using light, music, texture, movement and song, for babies from birth to around 13 months. Classes run at venues across London — use the site's finder for your nearest.Citywide·Family
Go behind the scenes of Wallace & GromitYoung V&A's Inside Aardman exhibition, with Wallace & Gromit and the rest of the Aardman cast, running through 2026. The museum itself is free; check whether this exhibition charges before you set off.Bethnal Green E2·FamilyGo wildlife gardening with the kidsLondon Wildlife Trust's Centre for Wildlife Gardening runs family sessions on wildlife, plants and growing — a small, hands-on site rather than a big nature reserve, which suits younger children.East Dulwich SE22·Family
Join a children's acting clubPolka's Act 2 Club introduces children to acting through improvisation, character work, role play and storytelling. Runs as a weekly club across the 2026–27 season rather than a one-off workshop.Wimbledon SW19·Group-friendly
Punting / pedaloCheap, classic summer dateHyde Park / Regent's·Pairs/small
Sensory-friendly cinema screeningAutism-friendly screenings; lights up, sound downCitywide·Any (solo to group)
Ridley Road Market (Dalston)Historic Afro-Caribbean street market - plantain, yam, scotch bonnet, fabrics & spices. Free to browse.Dalston E8·Any (solo to group)
Watch pizza dough fly through the airThin, crisp Roman-style pizza and theatrical dough-spinning between the tables. Silly on purpose, and better with a group than on a first date.Knightsbridge SW1·Group-friendly
Lee Valley Caravan Park, Dobbs WeirTents, caravans & cabins in Herts countryside, under 50 min from London by train. Wheelchair-accessible cabins; staff support for reduced mobility. Near RSPB Rye Meads.Hoddesdon EN11·Group-friendly
Golf – pitch & putt / par-3Cheap intro golf; Trent Park near youVarious parks·Solo-friendly
Dunstable Downs & WhipsnadeTrain to Luton/Leagrave then taxi/bus; NT visitor centre at Dunstable Downs. Kite-flying chalk hills. Some accessible paths - verify. Free (parking charged).Beds (~40 min train + taxi, near Luton)·FamilyCake decorating / pipingFree BBC Good Food decorating guides; cheap piping-tip set to startAt home·Solo-friendly
Saturday supplementary school / youth clubCommunity Saturday schools & youth clubs supporting Black children's learning & heritage; ask your local council.Boroughwide·Group-friendly
Spend a day at LEGOLAND WindsorA full day out of London for younger children, with rides scaled to them rather than to teenagers. Book ahead — gate prices are the worst way to do it.Windsor·Family
Animal feeding / keeper experienceBook keeper-for-a-day & feeding experiences. ZSL London Zoo is in Regent's Park NW1; ZSL Whipsnade is at Dunstable LU6.Regent's Park NW1·Family
Book swap / Little Free LibraryFree street book-swap boxes; take one, leave oneBoroughwide·Any (solo to group)
Southend-on-Sea (longest pier)Direct train Fenchurch St to Southend Central (~51 min) or Liverpool St. 7 miles of coast, amusements, the world's longest pleasure pier. Promenade accessible.Essex (~50-60 min)·Family
Hackney City FarmFree farm animals + cafeHackney E2·Family
Questions people ask
- What can you do in London with a baby?
- More than you'd think. Polka Theatre makes shows specifically for 0–2 year olds, Baby Sensory runs development classes from birth, and Young V&A's play gallery is built around texture and colour for the very young.
- What are the best free things to do with children in London?
- Young V&A is free to enter, as are the wildlife gardening sessions in East Dulwich and most of the city farms and park playgrounds. Museums are the reliable rainy-day answer.
- Where can you take kids in London when it rains?
- Discover Children's Story Centre in Stratford is entirely indoors and built for climbing through, Little Angel Theatre in Islington runs puppetry shows and workshops, and Young V&A is free.
- What is there for older children rather than toddlers?
- Acting clubs, stadium tours at the Emirates and Tottenham, karting, skateparks and the day trips out to LEGOLAND, Thorpe Park and Dreamland in Margate.
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