101 things to do in London with kids: babies and toddlers

Not all children’s entertainment has to be corny and colourful, as Bach to Baby proves. Trained musicians perform child-friendly classical concerts in spaces all over London. Toddlers are free to get and up move about and babies are content to sit on laps as the classical music floats around them. 

£15, free for children

Ages 0-4

For very small children, it’s the doing, not the looking that amuses and inspires. As a result, this busy museum’s hands-on galleries win the day. The Garden is a free play zone where young ’uns can don aprons and mess about with water and boats, jump around exploring light and shadows and discover the science of sound through all kinds of fun activities.

Free, booking required

Ages 3-6

This theatre will thrill tiny ones with its whimsical, creative puppet shows tailored to specifically to under threes. Many of them take inspiration from picture books, like 'Wow! Said the Owl,' offering creative reimaginings of stories they'll already know and love, while others are complete one offs.

£14, £12 child or baby.

Ages two and above

The NMM’s gallery especially for babies and young children is all about fun. Ahoy! features many different play zones including a beach and a ship’s deck, plus a game firing cannons and another that’s a bit like air hockey. The fish shop is ace: rows of pretend fish, cash tills and shopping baskets. There’s also the All Hands exploration gallery for ages 6-12.

Free during termtime. £3.50 during weekends and school holidays, booking advisable.

Ages 0-7

London’s dedicated Children’s Story Centre is a colourful gallery inspired by kids’ books, with special exhibitions and events linked to favourite authors and illustrators. Children can play inside and outside, exploring a secret cave, sliding down a magic tower and dressing up. There are places to hide in, treasure to seek and the chance to fire young imaginations to create their own stories.

£9, £3 one-year-olds, free under-ones

All ages

This family-friendly disco crew references the rave culture of the early ’90s, but happily its events around London and at festivals are thoroughly wholesome affairs. Suitable for babies and children of all ages, Big Fish Little Fish daytime gigs give parents a chance to enjoy good music in a setting that the whole family can enjoy, complete with activities like synthesizer workshops and hula-hoop demonstrations. Check the website for upcoming dates.

Prices vary

All ages

Located next to Kensington Palace, this play area has a ‘Peter Pan’ theme and a fabulous wooden pirate ship as its centrepiece. Specially designed to suit children of all physical abilities, the playground includes a beach, sculptures, teepees for make-believe games and a sensory trail. It’s free to enjoy, but at busy times there might be a queue to get in.

Free

Under-13s

Covent Garden’s LTM is a joyful place and its All Aboard play area for babies and under-sevens takes the hands-on experience even further. Wannabe bus drivers can get behind the wheel of a real bus, repair a mini tube train, or sail on the Thames Nipper, a recreation of the Thames Clipper riverboat service. There’s even a make-believe busker spot.

Free with entry (£24, £23 concs, free under-18s, with unlimited re-entry for a year)

Ages 0-7

Not far from Crystal Palace Overground station is the famous park. Once upon a time, this lush green space down south was a cultural haven for Victorians. Sports, music and art all happened here, and when people weren’t doing one of them, they were most likely marvelling a the full-scale model dinosaurs, which have been here since 1854. Thanks to a restoration project in 2002, the dinos are still going strong, even if a little out of date scientifically. Elsewhere in the park you’ll also find a farm and a maze.

Free

All ages

Just stepping into south west London's freshly-renovated Polka Theatre is an adventure in itself, with its brightly coloured decor, train-themed cafe play den and sensory garden. But if your interests stretch to seeing a show, you'll find plenty of tot-friendly offerings here that are tailored to under-threes.

£14, £12 concs.

All ages

Time was that King’s Cross and St Pancras were surrounded by grimy warehouses, all gradually falling into disuse and being turned into adhoc nightclubs. Now, though, the vast piazza spaces look positively Continental, with Granary Square’s rows of pop-up fountains and Lewis Cubitt Park offering great, architecturally designed spaces to run around. Even in winter, it’s worth taking a towel – kids can’t resist running through the spouting water jets that rise up from the ground. And while you’re here, seek out Handyside Gardens, a pocket park nearby with a charming play area especially for children.

Free

All ages

There’s many a natural wonder to be enjoyed at Kew, from the magnificent treetop walk with a bird’s-eye view over the park to the not-so-sweet, rare flowering titan arum plant (no, seriously, hold your nose). But if you have younger visitors in tow, head to the huge Children’s Garden. The size of 40 tennis courts, it’s packed with hidden play areas themed around earth, air, sun and water – all the things plants need to grow. 

Free with Kew entrance ticket £19, £18 concs, £5 child, under-fives free, booking essential

Ages 2-12

The freshly reopened and renamed Young V&A is home to one of the world’s finest collections of children’s toys, doll’s houses, games and costumes. The colourful exhibits are bound to thrill little ones, and the museum has lots of hand-on stuff dotted about the many cases of historic artefacts.

Free

All ages

See new releases without antagonising either your baby or your fellow cinemagoers at Everyman's special screenings. Every Tuesday or Thursday at 10.30am you'll find movies shown with the volume turned down, dim lighting, plus a hot drink and a slice of cake thrown in with the cost of your ticket. Bag one of the squashy leather sofas for maximum comfort.

£11.35, £8.85 child.

Babies