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Find your fun in London this summer

Raise your fun factor this summer with our guide to the best events and activities in town – and how to kick the good times up a notch
Time Out in association with Crocs
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Summer is full of opportunities for adventure – waterways to explore, trails to discover and gorgeous parks to plant yourself in for sunny afternoons (okay, that last one isn’t so adventurous, but we’re totally there). And we love all of that good stuff. This year, though, we want something more, and so Time Out is teaming up with Crocs to say no to standard summers. First, we’re helping you find your fun with dozens of great activities right near you; then, we’re telling you how to take that fun to the next level. Try these great fun-stuffed activities below and use the hashtag #FindYourFun to show the world your summer of good times.

Get medieval on London

The Tower of London was established by William the Conqueror after he seized the throne in 1066, to subdue the unruly Londoners. The White Tower in the centre of the fortification remains from that time, and the thick walls still stand from the centuries of royal habitation afterwards. Queens were imprisoned and beheaded here, kings stashed their jewels here, and for a long time there was even a polar bear in residence that used to go swimming in the Thames. An unmissable highlight. (Tower Hill, EC3N 4AB, www.hrp.org.uk).

Make it more fun Put the kids in comfortable Kids’ Karin Clogs and make a full day of your visit. Start with the free Yeoman Warder’s Tour, which sets off form the main gate. The 50-minute tour takes you around the Tower grounds, with lots of gory – and funny – stories as you go. Make sure you hop along to see the ravens in their posh new cages, too. Shop Now.

Look down on London

One of London’s most famous sights, loved by visitors and city dwellers alike, has to be Tower Bridge. If you’re feeling daring enough, you can walk up to the very top of one of its twin towers and cross to the other side across a glass-floored viewing gallery. Cars and buses crossing the bridge look like ants down below – and the walkway is covered, so rain won’t stop the fun. (Tower Bridge Rd, SE1 2UP, www.towerbridge.org.uk).

Make it more fun Near the south end of the bridge, next to the GLA building you’ll find More London, a pedestrianised area which includes an outdoor theatre space. Time your visit for one of the free summer movies or plays – there are afternoon shows aimed at families. Take a picnic and catch up on some alfresco culture in your Sienna Flats. Shop Now.

Take a culture break from your shopping

Just two blocks behind busy Oxford Street you’ll find the Wallace Collection. Originally a grand family mansion on Manchester Square, this beautiful building is now a free art gallery. Along with the paintings there are amazing collections of weapons and armour, furniture, decorative art and stunningly colourful ceramics. There’s a Peyton and Byrne café-restaurant in the airy glass-roofed courtyard, and upstairs let the kids see how long it takes to come face to face with the museum’s most famous artwork, Frans Hals’ ‘The Laughing Cavalier’. (Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1U 3BN,

Make it more fun In school holidays and on the first Sunday of every month, there are great art and craft sessions, but whenever you visit you can pick up free trail packs, play an interactive adventure game – and try on real armour in the Conservation Gallery! We reckon it would look pretty smart with a pair of Kids' Swiftwater Clogs on. Shop Now.

Strike a pose

When was the last time you visited Madame Tussauds? Well, it’s changed! In fact, it changes all the time, thanks to the all-star cast of wax models throughout the galleries. However, it’s more than just a long parade of famous faces for you to take a selfie next to. There’s an interactive big-screen ‘Angry Birds’ game, a themed ride in a black London cab, and a fashion catwalk where you can stride out and pose for the cameras. Mwah, mwah! (Marylebone Rd, NW1 5LR, www.madametussauds.co.uk).

Make it more fun This summer, a new interactive Sherlock Holmes exhibit will take up residence here, but until then, the major highlight worth making extra time for is the ‘Star Wars’ gallery. The kids will want to see Luke Skywalker and Yoda, but we suspect the grown-ups would rather take the weight off their Yukon Mesa Clog and sit alongside Han Solo in the bar, or man the controls alongside an incredibly accurate life-sized model of Chewbacca. Shop Now.

Take London’s fastest, highest slide

If you haven’t seen the awesome Olympic Park from on high yet, you just have to book tickets to visit the towering Anish Kapoor artwork, the ArcelorMittal Orbit. The extraordinary 114.5m twisting steel sculpture has amazing views from the indoor viewing platform near the top, and changing forms and spaces within the structure that are revealed as you move up and down it. A mind-boggling experience. (3 Thornton St, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20 2AD, arcelormittalorbit.com).

Make it more fun This summer, the incredible new slide opens. Even children can give this enclosed tube slide a go, speeding at 5m per second from the top of the tower and whizzing around the structure 12 times on the way down. Not one for the timid, but adventurers in their Kids’ Swiftwater Clogs are welcome! Shop Now.

Cycle like a pro

After the London 2012 Games, the amazing facilities at Stratford were transformed into sports venues that could still be used for professional events, but are also places for all us normal Londoners to enjoy. Keen cyclists young and old can use the track and road courses around Lee Valley Velopark – check the website for bookable sessions. (Abercrombie Rd, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, E20 3AB, www.visitleevalley.org.uk).

Make it more fun If you have younger kids, it’s worth taking the bikes for a scoot around the wide avenues of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, for free, any day of the week. The park has lots for families, including climbing walls, interactive music rooms, a family café and the brilliant Tumbling Bay play area in the north of the park. Expect a long and busy day trip, so keep comfortable in your Swiftwater Clogs. Shop Now.

Explore the weird and wonderful

The Horniman Museum in south-east London is one of the best-loved local attractions we have. That’s because it’s a fascinating mix of museum and living gallery, with dinosaur exhibits, a strange collection of art and artefacts, old musical instruments and lots more weird and wonderful stuff. Every weekend and in the school holidays, the place buzzes with wonderful activities for kids. (100 London Rd, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ, www.horniman.ac.uk).

Make it more fun Don’t miss the aquarium. Find out about the creatures of the deep blue sea and get to see them close up, without the crowds of the city’s vast aquarium by the London Eye. Indoors and out, it can get messy with all the activities on offer, so wear your versatile Swiftwater Clogs. Shop Now.

Play pirates in Zone 1

Kensington Gardens has charmed children for generations. In fact, this is where JM Barrie met the young family who inspired the Peter Pan novels. Fitting, then, that the Princess Diana Memorial Playground has as its centrepiece a beautifully crafted pirate-ship climbing frame that you can play in, on and around. There are lots of other creative playthings here too. A joy. (Near Black Lion Gate, Broad Walk, Kensington Gardens, W2 2UH, www.royalparks.org.uk).

Make it more fun While you’re here, make the most of a day in one of London’s loveliest green spaces by strolling over to the Serpentine Gallery. Throughout the summer the pop-up gallery the Serpentine Pavilion will be open. An annual summer tradition, each year a different artist, architect or designer creates a usually pretty weird and wonderful looking art installation on the lawn of the main gallery facing the lake. Always fun for kids and adults alike. So step into your stylish Leigh Graphic Wedges and take a stroll there. Shop Now.

Hang out at the beach

Okay, in London we’re a fair few miles from proper seaside, but we do have sandy ‘beaches’ in our city. Yes, really. There’s Beach East at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and no doubt more will pop up, as they do every summer, in unlikely places like the Roundhouse in Camden in recent years. But there are also real beaches along the Thames. In fact, the sandy foreshore at Coin Street has recently been officially named Ernie’s Beach. Head down there yourselves, Ernie won’t mind. (Coin St, SE1, coinstreet.org).

Make it more fun Make it more fun Keep the seaside vibe going with a little alfresco sport. How about ping pong? Call it table tennis, or even whiff-whaff, if you prefer, but there are tables you can use for free dotted all over London, thanks to Ping (pingengland.co.uk). There are two spots on the South Bank – one near the Southbank Centre and one by the Oxo Tower. Keep yourself nippy on your feet in your Yukon Mesa Clogs. Shop Now.

Reach for the skies

There are lots of things to do at The O2. Inside, as well as two major concert venues, there are restaurants, attractions and a bowling alley. But what about outside? You can clamber over the roof of this huge dome as well as go in it. It’s quite a height, but you are safely clipped to a fence all the way up and down, and at the top you get a chance to take photos. However, prepare yourselves for the descent – the path seems to disappear right in front of you! (Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX, www.theo2.co.uk).

Make it more fun If you’re not feeling too wobbly afterwards, why not go further? Close to the entrance of The O2, you’ll find the south terminal of the Emirates Air Line – TfL’s cable car over the Thames. The views are great, there’s no queueing and the price is great value (£3.50, £1.70 children with Oyster/contactless). All that adventurousness deserves a pair of trusty shoes – the versatile Swiftwater Clogs fit the bill. Shop Now.

Image: RMG

Play sailors

Greenwich is a great family day out. If you like stargazing, there’s the Royal Observatory, if you like adventure there’s the National Maritime Museum, and if you have hard-to-please teens, just take them round Greenwich Market. But our favourite is the Cutty Sark, the magnificent Victorian tea clipper that was recently transformed into an exciting museum space. Time your visit to include a costumed storytelling session – they’re included in the entry price and always bring history to life for little ones. (King William Walk, SE10 9HT, www.rmg.co.uk/cutty-sark).

Make it more fun Take to the waves yourselves. Don your Karin Floral Clogs and head down to Greenwich Pier (a minute’s walk from the Cutty Sark) to make your journey home. The regular Thames Clipper boat service runs like a bus on the river, stopping at several central London piers, so you can make your onward journey by water and see the sights from the boat. Shop now. Shop Now.

Become farmers

London has several excellent city farms, enabling children to get close up and hands on with the animals that keep our food cycle going. And of course to simply enjoy saying ‘Moo’, ‘Quack’, ‘Oink’ and ‘Baa’ to the creatures they see along the way. Spitalfields City Farm is one of the most central and it’s charming to visit. It also has regular fun events, like the annual Oxford and Cambridge Goat Race. And it’s free. (Buxton St, E1 5AR, www.spitalfieldscityfarm.org).

Make it more fun The farm welcomes visitors daily and also encourages volunteering. Every Saturday is Family Volunteering day, when can join the other families who are mucking in together, so you all get some exercise and the chance to look after the animals and feel part of this amazing set-up. You’ll want to wash off your footwear afterwards though, and if summer’s too hot for wellies, your Swiftwater Clogs will be perfect. Shop. Shop Now.

Enter a robot world

Novelty Automation is a curious and fun place to go when you want to take a break from the norm. Ingenious little home-made machines and automated figures do silly things as if they’re end-of-the-pier amusements from 60 years ago. Quirky and great fun. (1a Princeton St, WC1R 4AX, novelty-automation.com).

Make it more fun Holborn really does seem to be a curious place. It’s home to the Hunterian Museum, too – a place with all kinds of animal and human specimens that have been collected and stored with the aim of educating scientists and the public. Slip on your explorer shoes – Sloane Platform Flips perhaps – and seek out the weirdly wonderful, including children’s workshops exploring medical subjects like ‘snot’ and ‘sick’. Yeugh! Shop Now.

Have a quacking time

At the London Wetland Centre, a big, beautiful waterside space only ten minutes from Hammersmith, you feel as if you’re well and truly in the countryside. This fabulous nature reserve offers a chance to walk around lakes and ponds, observing nature at close hand, from kingfishers to marsh frogs. There are lots of inspiring activities to engage young children in the wildlife around them, and the paths are all flat and accessible. (Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, SW13 9WT, www.wwt.org.uk).

Make it more fun The Explore zone of the London Wetland Centre is a wonderful adventure playground, a habitat that allows kids to express their own natural behaviour – to play! There are zipwires, a climbing wall and giant water vole tunnels to take on. Put them in their waterproof Kids’ Karin Clogs and let them play – and perhaps pack a towel, too. Shop Now.

Refuse to grow up

The V&A Museum of Childhood was created in the 1800s to archive and celebrate the magical experience of being a child, and it still thrills today. Yes, a lot of the priceless old toys are in glass cases, but this lovely museum still buzzes with noisy activity and hands-on action. There are daily creative activities, and the current ‘Bagpuss’ exhibition will have lots of parents in nostalgic reverie. (Cambridge Heath Rd, E2 9PA, www.vam.ac.uk/moc).

Make it more fun The galleries cover many different periods, styles of play and childhood lifestyles, but our favourite is on the first floor and is especially lovely for smaller children – a great sandpit. Kick off your Sloane Platform Flips and join them in the sand for a delightful sandcastle making session. Shop Now.

Discover more fun activities

See a blockbuster-sized blockbuster

With a screen almost as high as five double deckers, the BFI IMAX on the South Bank offers the tallest, widest, most mindbending cinema experience in the UK. Perfect for watching stunning 3D films and favourite action movies. (1 Charlie Chaplin Walk, SE1 8XR. www.bfi.org.uk).

Make it more fun Five minutes from BFI IMAX, Shrek’s Adventure! London is a madcap trail to find Shrek, the Gingerbread Man and chums. Make sure your little one stay on their toes in a pair of reliable Kids’ CrocsLight Fire Dragon Clogs. (County Hall, Westminster Bridge Rd, SE1 7PB, www.shreksadventure.com). Shop now.


Climb aboard a good time

If you’ve got a kid who can’t resist shouting ‘Bus!’ and ‘Train!’ every time they see something moving, the joyfully noisy, hands-on London Transport Museum is a must-visit, and it’s free for kids. Aside from the fascinating displays, films and artworks there are tube-driver simulators, dressing-up and story sessions – and best of all, a chance to play on real trains and buses. (Covent Garden Piazza, WC2E 7BB, www.ltmuseum.co.uk).

Make it more fun At the museum’s All Aboard play area (babies to eight) little ones can play at running their own river boat service, operating a cable car across the Thames and repairing a kid-sized tube train. They’ll be busy for hours, so keep them comfortable in their Kids’ CrocsLight Fire Dragon Clogs. Shop now.


© NHM

Walk among natural wonders

The Natural History Museum (Cromwell Rd, SW7 5BD, www.nhm.ac.uk) is one of the busiest museums in the world, and for good reason. It’s free to visit and full of incredible exhibits, with something for any curious little mind. Explore the Otherworlds exhibition all about the solar system, with photography by Michael Benson and music by Brian Eno, get face to face with dinosaurs, and for a small charge, walk through a forest of fluttering wings in the Sensational Butterflies display on the East Lawn.

Make it more fun If you have a pint-sized palaeontologist in your family, treat them to a Dino Snores sleepover. Kids aged seven to 11 get a chance to explore the museum after dark, take part in activities, then bed down for the night in one of the galleries. Children must be accompanied by an adult, so pack your sleeping bag and wear your Karin Floral Clogs, so you can slip them on easily if your little darling has to get up for the loo in the night! Shop now.

Speed down the slides

East London’s Victoria Park (Victoria Park Rd, E3 5SN, www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/victoriapark) is a vast green space with room for all ages. It’s a great spot to kick a football around or whizz around in the playground, you can say quack to the ducks in the lake, and bring a towel with you in case the kids want to take a turn in the splash pool (open May to September).

Make it more fun Victoria Park has dedicated play areas for different ages, so big kids can dash around and be themselves, and little ones can clamber and scoot at their own pace. One of our favourite spots is the giant slides. Free to all, they’re perfect for kids who love to dash about in their Kids’ Karin Clogs and feel the wind in their hair. Shop now.

Say ‘Aye, aye, captain’ to playtime

Free to visit and open daily, the National Maritime Museum is an absolute gem, whether you have ten minutes to swing by on a day out around Greenwich, or you have hours to browse the artefacts, models, galleries and hands-on activities. Show the kids the uniform Nelson actually died in at the Battle of Trafalgar – you can still see the blood stains. Eurgh! (Romney Rd, SE10 9NF, www.rmg.co.uk).

Make it more fun The Ahoy! gallery on the ground floor of the museum is a space where smaller children can explore, learn and play. There are hands-on activities including a big model of a ship where they can play on deck or see what life was like down below, games where they fire cannon or play air hockey with icebergs, and a full-size fishmonger’s shop. Get busy with them, in versatile Yukon Mesa Flips. Shop now.

Walk among kings

Hampton Court Palace is famous as one of Henry VIII’s magnificent homes, but generations of kings and queens lived here after him, too. As well as the Tudor kitchens and the Great Hall where Henry and his courtiers dined and partied, you can see how Georgian royalty lived, where George I had his drinking chocolate made, and run about in the famous maze (East Molesey, KT8 9AU, www.hrp.org.uk).

Make it more fun Just opened this spring, the Magic Garden is a massive adventure playground in the palace grounds, located where Henry VIII used to host his jousting games. With this as the theme, it has colourful towers to run up, climb up and lounge in, and a huge red dragon to clamber over. There’s a sand and water area too, so expect to get messy in your waterproof Swiftwater Clogs. Shop now.

Play ‘Let’s pretend’ on a huge scale

Since opening last summer, Kidzania learning and play centre at Westfield London has proved a huge hit. In a vast hall, Kidzania recreates a world of child-sized reality so that children can imagine they’re airline pilots, bankers, fire fighters and over 60 other real-life characters – and test their skills to find out what they really should do when they grow up! (Westfield London, Ariel Way, W12 7GA, london.kidzania.com).

Make it more fun For restless little ones who like to dash about when they’ve done with imaginative play, The Little Gym at Westfield runs sessions for babies and children up to 12. With a play area and a team of experienced trainers, there’s plenty of space here for your kids to kick off their Kids’ CrocsLight Fire Dragon Clogs and give gymnastics a try. Shop now.

Scale the heights

Climbing walls aren’t just for grown-ups. Clip ’n’ Climb Chelsea is a colourful climbing centre that adds the fun of an adventure playground across its 22 separate challenges. Put your commando skills to the test in the Jungle Gym and scale new heights on the Skyscraper, then see how you do on the Speed Climbing challenge. Training is given and no experience is needed. (19 Michael Rd, SW6 2ER, clipnclimbchelsea.co.uk).

Make it more fun There a café here, so you can sit back in your Leigh Graphic Wedge sandals and watch the kids run off steam, or join the children and take on the Leap of Faith Challenge – if you dare. Shop now.


Have a rrroarrring time at the park

South London’s vast Crystal Palace Park isn’t just a wonder for locals, it’s well worth a trip across town. There’s a big children’s play area, a café, a maze and a children’s farm to visit if you want to say hello to the animals. (Thicket Rd, SE19 2GA, www.bromley.gov.uk).

Make it more fun Whatever you do, don’t miss the dinosaurs. Placed around the lake at the bottom of the park in Victorian times, when palaeontology was in its earliest days, is a series of huge model dinosaurs. Keen young dino hunters will spot that they’re not as accurate as models today, but the little-uns still love to run about in their Kids' Swiftwater Clogs, seeking out the fabulous ‘monsters’. Shop now.

Get pitchside with the Blues

Are you a home where the Chelsea score affects how grumpy or happy everyone is come 5pm on a Saturday? Then you should take the tour of the Chelsea FC Stadium and Museum. The one-hour guided tour goes behind the scenes at one of the Premiership’s biggest teams, with a chance to see the dressing rooms, the press room, the tunnel and the dugouts. (Stamford Bridge, SW6 1HS, www.chelseafc.com).

Make it more fun On special dates through the year (during the school holidays), the two massive cuddly lion mascots – Stamford and Bridget – lead a treasure hunt around the stadium, turning the usual tour into a trail with clues and hidden chocolatey booty to find. Put your little fans in Kids’ Karin Clogs and set them on a wild footie chase. Shop now.

Miss the train – have fun instead

Just behind King’s Cross station, what used to be an industrial wasteland is now a wonderful central London oasis for relaxation and play. Lewis Cubitt Park, surrounded by trees, is a lush green lawn, close to the Global Generation Skip Garden and King’s Cross Pond Club, complete with brilliant, brightly coloured soft play blocks. (Handyside St, N1C 4UZ, www.kingscross.co.uk).

Make it more fun Take a towel (or a change of clothes) and end the day with a splashing time, running in and out of the fountains that rise and fall unexpectedly at Granary Square close by. Wear some waterproof Swiftwater Clogs on your feet so you can run about with confidence. Shop now.


Nurture the next David Attenborough

Just a few hundred metres from some of central London’s busiest main roads, Camley Street Natural Park is a fabulously calm, green world to share with your little ones. With ponds and bushes, trees and grasses, it’s a lovely canalside nature reserve just behind St Pancras station. Meet the friendly and knowledgeable volunteers and go in search of butterflies, birds and amphibians. (12 Camley St, N1C 4PW, www.wildlondon.org.uk).

Make it more fun  Don’t just peer into the water, get on it! Take the bus or walk a short way up to Camden Lock and take a Regent’s Canal cruise past London Zoo to Little Venice and back on the London Waterbus. There’s no booking required, you just pay your fare on board – perfect for a spontaneous summer’s day treat in your Yukon Mesa Clogs. (Dingwall’s Dock, off Chalk Farm Rd, NW1 8AF). Shop now.

Let the little dears hang out with the deer

In south-west London, Richmond Park is one of the most beautiful wide open spaces in the capital. Every corner offers a different kind of day out. Take a wander to King Henry’s Mound to see the secret view all the way to the dome of St Paul’s. Have an ice cream on the terrace of Pembroke Lodge. Go for a trek down to the Pen Ponds or hire bikes from the rental hut close to Roehampton Gate. Or just gaze at the herds of red and fallow deer. (Richmond, Surrey, www.royalparks.org.uk).

Make it more fun In the centre of the park is the walled garden called Isabella Plantation. All year round there is something to see, with riots of colour in spring and summer, and the rich scent of woodland in autumn and winter. Follow the leafy path to its centre and play dare on the stepping stones at Thomson’s Pond. Waterproof Swiftwater Clogs are highly recommended if you don’t trust your balance. Shop now.

Get down on the farm in WC1

Coram’s Fields, close to Russell Square, is child’s play. Literally. It’s a park that adults are not allowed into unless they’re accompanied by a child. With two play areas so little ones can swing and slide without crashing into the older kids, it’s a great space to visit, even in summer, when the huge old trees offer lots of shade. At the city farm there are goats, chickens, rabbits and birds to meet, too. (93 Guilford St, WC1N 1DN, www.coramsfields.org).

Make it more fun  Take a bucket and spade and get building in the sandpit, and make sure you’re well prepared for lots of watery fun in the paddling pool. Wear your Karin Floral Clogs so you can kick them off and join your kids for a cooling dip. Shop now.


See London as the Romans did

Whether your kids are doing a Fire of London project or they just have a fascination for life in Roman times, the Museum of London spans centuries of history in the capital, with wonderful displays and artefacts dating all the way back to Londinium. Nine galleries move through the ages and bring us right up to date, there are lots of events to join to get hands-on with history – and it’s all free. (150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN, www.museumoflondon.org.uk).

Make it more fun  A couple of minutes’ walk away, you’ll find the Guildhall Art Gallery. It looks like it’s part of the City offices here, but inside the artworks are beautiful and fascinating. Even more exciting, in the basement are the excavated remains of London’s Roman amphitheatre, with a light display recreating what the 7,000-seat wooden structure would have looked like. There’s lots to explore and it’s all free, so stay a while and stay comfortable in your Isabella sandals. Shop now.

Sail off on the Serpentine

Londoners for generations have enjoyed messing about in boats on Hyde Park’s wonderful lake, why not join them? Feeling energetic? Hire a rowing or pedalo for half an hour. Fancy a cruise? Take the wonderful Solarshuttle – a solar-powered waterbus that glides you across the water. (Boat House, Hyde Park, W2 2UH, 020 7262 1330, royalparks.org.uk).

Make it more fun On the south side of the lake you’ll find the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, which opened on 6th July, 2004. On a hot day, with streams running down its gentle slopes, it makes a cooling setting for a picnic. Perch on the side and dip your toes and feel that calming flow of water over your tootsies. All you need to do is just slip off your Sloane Platform Flips and enjoy. Shop now.

Fly away on the magic carpet

The National Gallery isn’t just for grown-ups. Get them to stand and gaze at Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ and the vibrant colours and details will fire the imagination of even the youngest visitors. On Sunday mornings there are Magic Carpet storytelling sessions for ages two to five, and resource for kids of all ages to get creative themselves. And it’s all free. (Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN, 020 7747 2885, www.nationalgallery.org.uk).

Make it more fun Let your budding artists run off steam in Trafalgar Square afterwards – or perhaps get dancing. From May 20 to September 10, Big Dance 2016 includes lots of free dance events in Trafalgar Square to watch and join in with. Confident in their comfortable Kids' Karin Clogs, watch your little darlings make some groovy moves. Shop now.

Inspire a pint-sized scientist

The Science Museum is a lovely family day out. From an ancient mummified cat to planes and space rockets, the galleries are full of amazing real objects that tell us great stories of imagination and invention. (Exhibition Rd, SW7 2DD, 0870 870 4868, www.sciencemuseum.org.uk).

Make it more fun Did you know that the hands-on interactive galleries in the Science Museum are specially developed for different ages? For under-fives, head to The Garden – a chance to explore water, sound and construction through play. It can get wet, so a pair of Kids' Swiftwater Clogs are just right for messy fun. Who knows, you might just end with a new age Einstein on your hands. Shop now.

Photograph: Museum of London

Step into Sailortown

The Museum of London Docklands is a modern museum set in an old sugar warehouse. It’s free to visit, so drop in for as long as you like. Stare at the huge model of old London Bridge and step back in time as you walk through Sailortown – a recreation of the dark, stinky alleyways by the Thames where sailors from all over the world stopped and traded 200 years ago. (Hertsmere Rd, West India Quay, E14 4AL, 020 7001 9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk).

Make it more fun There’s plenty to amuse small children around the museum, but it’s worth making time to visit the Mudlarks children’s gallery on the ground floor – a lively space with soft play and activities for ages up to eight. For days like this, when the kids keep you on your toes, the easy Isabella Sandal is the ideal choice. Shop now.

Have a roaring time with the lions

Every spring there’s a new addition at ZSL London Zoo, a new landscape specially created  to improve your view of the animals, without disturbing the creatures at rest and play. Along with Gorilla Kingdom, Tiger Territory and Penguin Beach, there’s now the brilliant Land of the Lions, where you can get closer than ever to the kings of the wild. (Outer Circle, Regent’s Park, NW1 4RY, www.zsl.org).

Make it more fun So much to see, so little time, but apart from feeding time with the otters (noon) another must-do is ‘In with the Lemurs’ – a walk-through enclosure where the ring-tailed lemurs leap and run around you. Kit your nippers out in Kids' Swiftwater Clogs so their feet are nice and cosy and you’ll be able to get up close to your new furry friends. Shop now.

Sit down for a cycle

One of south-east London’s most heavenly green spaces has to be Dulwich Park, with its huge children’s playground, outdoor table tennis area and boating lake. If you’ve got older kids with you (11-plus), send them off to give the outdoor exercise equipment a go while you sneak off for an excellent cake in the café. (College Rd, SE21 7BQ, www.dulwichparkfriends.org.uk).

Make it more fun Why not hire a bike and take it for a spin round the park? London Recumbents has a base here, and it’s open daily, with lots of weirdly wonderful bikes for hire, including tandems, side-by-side bikes and banana bikes than you cycle with your legs in front of you. Slip on your Sienna Flats and join the fun. Shop now.

Hang out by the riverside

If you can resist the ice cream stalls, the family restaurants and the rides around Hungerford bridge, you can have a fabulous day out without spending a penny along the South Bank. There’s always something going on here, especially at weekends and in the school holidays, thanks to the free events and exhibitions in and around the Southbank Centre. For under-fives try Rug Rhymes on Fridays. (Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XX, www.southbankcentre.co.uk).

Make it more fun The interactive fountains on the Royal Festival Hall terrace were originally a short-term art installation called Appearing Rooms, but now they’re a permanent highlight of the summer season at the Southbank Centre. Pack a couple of towels and sit out in the sun while the kids run in and out of the fountains, which spring up and drop down again. Go on, why not slip off your Yukon Mesa Clogs and join them? Shop now.

Take your princes and princesses to a Palace

Clamber up and down the wide slopes of Alexandra Palace park, test your swing at the Pitch and Putt, go wildlife spotting by the deer enclosure, take a spin on the ice rink or book a tree climbing session – there are so many days out in one place here. (Alexandra Palace Way, N22 7AY, www.alexandrapalace.com).

Make it more fun If your kids long for the day when they can get behind the wheel of a car, there's the handy option to go out on the boating lake in a pedalo shaped like a VW Beetle, which will be a great treat for them. However, if you fancy something more graceful, why not choose a pedalo swan and you can glide smoothly over the water on the lake in your Karin Floral Clogs. Shop now.

Get back to nature

In spring and summer Kew Gardens comes into its own. There are flowers and greenhouses for gardeners to admire and plenty of wide open spaces and specially designed trails for little ones. If you have a head for heights, take the treetop walk. For little ones tagging along who have an icky sense of humour, seek out the world’s stinkiest plant. You’ll find it in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, TW9 3AB, www.kew.org).

Make it more fun Whatever the weather, the drop-in zone called Climbers and Creepers is a beautifully created indoor play area. Watch your kids become insects as they clamber in and out of the huge wooden, plant-shaped climbing frames. Pick Kids' Karin Crocs for a long day walking among the flowerbeds and enjoying all the wonderful floral attractions. Shop now.

See London, ride a Duck

Duck Tour minibuses are easy to spot around central London – these former WWII amphibious landing craft are now painted yellow and refurbished to take passengers on a tour of London’s famous sights. Set off from the London Eye to Westminster, to Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly, past Buckingham Palace, and finish your tour with a splash – driving into the Thames to cruise back on the water. (55 York Rd, SE1 7NJ, www.londonducktours.co.uk).

Make it more fun When you step off your Duck Tour, enjoy a comfortable stroll in your Swiftwater Clogs over the river to St James’s Park, for a different kind of birdspotting. Believe it or not but there are spaces in London where you can catch flocks of birds being fed, just like you might see in the zoo. Every day (2.30-3pm) the wonderful, big-mouthed pelicans here are fed fresh fish close to Duck Island Cottage. Shop now.

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