For an awesome day out with the family, London is simply full of fun activities to entertain all ages and now is the time to make the most of the city’s outdoor spaces while the sun still shines! And of course, even if it’s a little gloomy out, there’s plenty of places to go and things to do with kids for half-term holidays… from wildlife, to theatre and believe it or not, museums. Get quacking feeding some ducks in St. James’ Park, take a treetop walk at the golden Kew Gardens or go back to the dinosaur years at the Natural History Museum. Whatever you choose, you and your family will not only have a great time, but you’ll learn something new too. Here’s what we recommend:
1. London Zoo
Get your tickets, get your map and get ready for the wildlife experience of London. Wander through the Land of the Lions, visit Penguin Beach and explore the Aquarium alongside so much more, London Zoo has it all! Kids under 3 years-old go totally free and it’s a guaranteed jam-packed day out, with all kinds of exciting events occurring throughout the day, every day. Watch the early birds catch their breakfast or take a journey through the zoo’s mini-Madagascar and learn more about the life of a lemur. For a real special and a little spooky experience with half term coming up soon, book your family a ticket for Boo at the Zoo between the 22nd and 30th October. A range of Halloween-themed activities will be going on at the London Zoo, including animal shows, crafts and pumpkin carving…just be careful when walking through the eerie spider exhibits and the Bat Forest, scary!
2. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
The Olympics may not be for another four years, but the spirit is still being kept alive at the famous park in Stratford. After holding the London games in 2012, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is still going strong and is a great place to spend the day with family. The Park is ideal for all ages and interests, but for the kids in particular, you must pay a visit to the very unique Tumbling Bay playground. North of the Park, Tumbling Bay is a kid’s heaven with sand pits, rock pools, swings and even a climbing wall to enjoy while you kick back and relax with some freshly cooked snacks from the café and let the little ones wear themselves out! During your day, be sure to take a wander around and see the incredible sites that were once hosting the greatest sports athletes in the world, they really are fascinating and great for your kids to learn about.
3. Natural History Museum
This one simply goes without saying. It’s the perfect day out that’s SO much fun for everyone and you’re guaranteed to walk out the doors knowing so much more about Earth’s interesting past. Come face-to-face with the terrifying, yet terrific T-Rex in the world famous Dinosaur gallery and learn the truth behind what really happened to the pre-historic creatures. Gaze upon the most beautiful butterflies you’ve ever seen and get involved with games interacting with extinct animals, you’ll all be exhausted by the end of the day! Have you ever wondered what the world looks like through the eyes of nature? Well, whether it’s one eye or a dozen eyes, the brainy scientists at the museum have studied the visual systems of animals and can show you how human sight differs to a dog, a spider and even a snail (that really needs to go to Specsavers). And don’t forget that on the 27th October, the amazing ice rink opens up to the public, so book your tickets early and work on your technique ready to glide around and around the beautiful setting.
4. The London Eye
Again another obvious choice, but if you haven’t seen London from heights you’ll never forget, it’s time to get your tickets! It’s a cool activity for children and adults and is open every single day, ready to wow you all!
5. London Dungeon
The ultimate Halloween experience awaits here at the ever-creepy London Dungeon, one of the must-see’s in the capital. Now with 19 shows, 2 rides and 1000 years of history, this is the attraction that just keeps getting better and better. If you dare, take the 90-minute journey back in time and discover some of London’s real historic legends and stories that still give us the chills today through an array of themed experiences. Take the Tyrant boat ride and learn about Henry VIII or uncover the scheming plan that Guy Fawkes was so close to accomplishing. There’s something in the air as you shuffle through the plague-infested houses of London and be quick to escape the Great Fire before it catches up on you! Of course, this scary adventure isn’t for the faint-hearted, especially when one of the many live actors is hiding in a dark corner waiting to jump out at you. Halloween is set to be a sell-out with the new ‘Witch Hunter’ event where you could be a suspect of witchcraft and risk being captured!
Where will you take your family this half-term?
