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·Family
Borough Market grazing wanderFree to wander London's most famous food market (Mon-Sat; full market Wed-Sat, fewer traders early week). Go early to beat crowds. London Bridge tube.London Bridge SE1·Any (solo to group)Take 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
Browse crafts and street food under one roofA covered market in Greenwich town centre mixing street-food stalls with crafts and antiques.Greenwich SE10 9HZTry 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
Eat Italian in a former paper factoryA large indoor Italian-led food market in a former paper factory near Elephant & Castle.Elephant and Castle SE1 6DR
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
Queue for fresh pasta under a tennerA tiny counter doing short menus of fresh pasta, most plates under a tenner.Borough SE1 1TQEat sourdough pizza for the price of a sandwichSourdough Neapolitan pizzerias, cheap, with branches across most London neighbourhoods.citywide various
RAF / de Havilland Aircraft MuseumVolunteer-run aviation museum north of LondonLondon Colney AL2·Family
Book a Deaf children's holiday playschemeSchool-holiday activities built around Deaf children's communication and access needs, 10am–4pm, for ages 6–16. North and south London sites. Suggested donation £2.Citywide·Family
Black History Bus Tour3-hr coach tour of London's landmarks told from an African/Caribbean perspective; book via Eventbrite. Departs from Windrush Square, Brixton SW2; the exact meeting point is confirmed on booking.Brixton SW2·Group-friendlyAfrican / Caribbean church serviceVibrant Black-majority church services & gospel music; visitors generally welcome. Find a local church.Citywide·Group-friendly
BMX / pump trackFree pump tracks; BMX coaching tooLee Valley + parks·Solo-friendly
Mudlarking foreshore tour (Thames Explorer Trust)Guided foreshore session - no permit needed because you don't keep finds. Family-friendly. Foreshore steps - not step-free. ~2 hrs.Thames foreshore·Group-friendly
Ceilidh / barn danceNo skill needed - a caller walks you through every dance. Regular ceilidhs at halls citywide (e.g. Cecil Sharp House). ~£10-15. Great group night.Various halls·Group-friendlyBlack Cultural ArchivesThe UK's only national heritage centre on African & Caribbean history in Britain. Exhibitions, archive, bookshop & events; some exhibits free, some ~£3-5. At 1 Windrush Square, Brixton SW2.Brixton SW2·Any (solo to group)
Soft play / clip-and-climb (rainy kids)Burn off energy when it's pouring. Single fixed centre on Michael Road SW6 despite the 'Chelsea' name — not citywide.Fulham SW6·Family
Brighton beach & seafrontDirect train Victoria/London Bridge/Blackfriars to Brighton (~1 hr). Pebble beach, pier, lanes, swimming. Promenade is step-free; shingle is not.Sussex (~1 hr)·Any (solo to group)
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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