The thought of sightseeing with toddlers can be so scary it can often make you change your mind and give up before you’ve even started but recently I had my young family over from Italy and, of course, mum and dad wanted to visit London.
The children are of an age that they can’t be left with family members they don’t know and so we only had one option, to take them with us. Sophie aged 2 and Evan 4 in January, my grandchildren.
I wanted the day out to be fun and for that to happen I needed to make sure certain areas were covered, as when the kids are happy everyone is happy but heavens forbid if they are angry, it can totally ruin your day.
The idea was to spend the entire day in London, from breakfast through to dinner. We had a visit to Madame Tussauds planned (be warned you cannot take your pushchair in.) We had a trip on the London Eye, (your pushchair must be folded down and placed under the benches) and a tour on The Original Bus Tour on schedule (they have a hold for pushchairs) but the most important thing to consider when sightseeing with small children is food and luckily there are restaurants all over town.
If you are planning on visiting the world famous Madame Tussauds allow at least one and a half hours to get around it. There are lots of wax figures of celebrities and historical figures and in this day and age everyone wants to get a selfie with their favourites. Evan was delighted to get his photo with his hero Lewis Hamilton and I finally got a selfie with Dalai Lama.
You cannot take your pushchair in but can store it free of charge in a designated room close to the entrance. Be warned there are lots of stairs so younger children will most likely need carrying around.
Before exiting Madame Tussauds you are directed to the theatre to watch a film. Not any old film but an Avengers adventure. It is loud and 4D. I thought it was utterly brilliant, in fact we all did apart from poor Sophie who didn’t like the noise or the dark.
By the end of our Madame Tussauds tour the children were hungry so we caught a taxi over to Trafalgar Square for a Garfunkles meal where we found something for everyone on the menu and topped up our energy batteries.
A short tour of London on the top of a double decker on a sunny day is, in my opinion, the best way to see London town and learn something new. Our guide was so knowledgable and kept us amused the whole hour. The children loved being at the top of the bus and even if they didn’t really know what they were looking at they loved the experience.
The London Eye offers spectacular views all over London and we were so luck to have such a gorgeous day as the light was perfect for our trip. You are asked to fold your pushchair up and place underneath the benches for safety reasons and the entire trip takes about half an hour.
Tips for visiting London with toddlers and small children
- Keep water in your bag.
- Take along snacks like individual boxes of raisins.
- Dress the children in layers so you can take off or add as required.
- Take a pushchair, it’s easy to use on the Tube and buses have holds for them.
- Seek out restaurants like Garfunkles that have excellent children’s menus.
- Search for entry tickets online before the day as there are often great bargains to be had.
About Marianne Weekes
BLOGS AT: Mari's World; TWITTER: @maris_world. Mother of four and nana to three, Marianne Weekes has spent half her life in the UK and the other half in Italy. Blogging since Jan 2010, she finds it hard to drag herself away from her laptop and writes about food, travel and lifestyle. Always on the lookout for the next thing which takes her down many surprising lanes.
Nell Heshram
Wednesday 4th of November 2015
I still haven't taken my two to Madame Tussauds, or on the London Eye. You're right, there are soooo many things to do in London - it's difficult to know where to start!
Marianne Weekes
Friday 6th of November 2015
I love the expression, Tired of London, tired of life. It's so true as I don't think I will ever have done 'everything' there is to do. There is so much happening!
Babes about Town
Wednesday 4th of November 2015
Great post Mari, how cute is your grandson? London seems to have a ridiculous amount of activities for kids, I never run out of ideas of what to post about and frequently can't keep up! Really enjoyed the London Eye a few years back, would be nice to go again. Madame Tussauds I've held off on as the boys were both so terrified of figures, statues and the like as toddlers... maybe they're grown enough now to handle a little waxwork ;-)
Good tips on getting out and about too, I would love to add a few apps that I find helpful around town -- I did write about that ages ago, might be time to update! Thanks for sharing your experience x
Marianne Weekes
Friday 6th of November 2015
Hi Uju, You are the expert on London and children, I'd love to hear about the apps you find useful. The grandson is a cutie isn't he, I'd forgotten what a handful young boys - cheeky ones, can be but he LOVED London and the bus was his favourite part, oh and 'meeting' lewis Hamilton.
virginie
Tuesday 27th of October 2015
Thanks Marianne for these great tips! I join you about being on the top of a double decker on a sunny day: it's a great and cheap way to see London town :) I took my children (merely older) for a week-end break in London and they enjoyed it a lot. You can read about it here: http://travel-with-my-kids.com/portfolio/london-with-kids/
Marianne Weekes
Friday 6th of November 2015
Thanks for sharing Virginie