Note: a revised, updated and some would say improved version of this list is now available as an e-book! Click here to buy it!
Well, this is quite a moment. In case you hadn’t realised, this is my 100th post. Most blogs I’ve started have stalled around post#11, so this is quite an achievement. Thanks to everyone who’s come along for the ride so far. Last time I checked, you were from 85 different countries and 6 different continents, which means there must be someone out there that I don’t know reading this stuff. It’s just a co-incidence that the only people who ever comment are friends of mine.
So, how to celebrate? Well, I do love a list. People often ask me (well, they often ask Google. Same thing) “What can you do with a toddler in London?” To them I answer – I can think of 100 things. And here they are. Some are tenuous, some are repetitive, some are just filler. One is The Bends. But I hope you enjoy them anyway and if you do any of them, think of me. And be smug at how your toddler is so much better behaved than mine.
1) Play chess with peacocks in Holland Park
2) Build with giant lego blocks at the Science Museum
3) Splash in the Diana Memorial Fountain
4) Play in a play train, while waving to the real trains in Peddlars Park
5) Watch tree surgeons at work at St James Churchyard
6) Climb through a real aeroplane at the Imperial War Museum
7) Take a wander over Clapham Common
8) Tunnel with the meerkats at Battersea Park Children’s Zoo
9) Paddle next to a train line in Ruskin Park
10) Fly a kite on Hampstead Heath
11) Go down the aerial runway at Coram’s Fields
12) Have an al fresco swim at Oasis Leisure Centre
13) Stroke the Shetland ponies at Vauxhall City Farm
14) Feel like Austin Powers at Battersea Park 1 o’clock club
15) Climb on tree trunks in Walthamstow
16) Eat sandwiches while you sing at That Place On The Corner
17) Spot rare ducks at the London Wetland Centre
18) Eat home-grown food at Lambeth Palace
19) Lose your toddler at Brixton Tough Play
20) Complete the assault course at Pasley Park
21) Take in a lunchtime concert at the Royal Festival Hall
22) Enjoy a cupcake in Crystal Palace
23) Drink coffee while they play at Latchmere Leisure Centre
24) Go for a ride on the wizard train (aka the DLR)
25) Let them loose on the play floor at Beanies, Croydon
26) Dress up at the William Morris Gallery
27) Play with sand and water in Herne Hill
28) Dive into the ball pool at Peckham Pulse
29) Go down a big yellow slide in New Cross
30) Visit the piranhas at Foyles
32) Chase the pigeons in Soho Square
33) Watch the trains at Kings Cross
34) Meet an Octonaut at Westfield
35) Run through tunnels of water at Myatt’s Fields
36) Revisit your childhood in Bethnal Green
37) Visit the floating market at Mile End
38) Pretend to be a pirate at Archbishops Park
39) Drink pink milk in Vauxhall
40) Visit the world-famous Mick Darnalds
41) Admire the view at Greenwich Park
42) Put on a puppet show at the Discover Centre
43) Build an archway in Launchpad….and let your toddler knock it down
44) Buy a coffee from Magic Coffee Man
45) Feed the ducks at St James’ Park
46) Watch the boats on the South Bank
47) Get your free balloon and have a nice meal at Giraffe
48) See the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum
49) See the slightly less accurate dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park
50) Wave your metal chicken around at Nandos
51) Share rizlas with the hipster dads of Hackney
52) Make your own pizza at Pizza Express
53) Pretend you’re in Spain when you’re actually in Pimlico
54) Get spooked out by the Pleasure Gardens at the Museum of London
55) Eat gyozas with cherry sauce at Wagamama
56) Visit an art-deco lido and have a smoothie at Brockwell Park
57) See the model village at Vauxhall Park
58) Look at the horsies at the National Army Museum
59) Play in a huge sandpit at Regents Park
60) Chill with Rastamouse in Brixton
61) Watch a kids film at the Ritzy
62) See the jellyfish at the Horniman Museum
63) Have a car chase at London Film Museum
64) Play in a sandpit village at Victoria Park
65) Discover the stuffed walrus of Forest Hill
66) Make a pearly king and see the taxidermed bear at the Cuming Museum
67) Drive the play bus at Kennington Park
68) Drive a real bus at London Transport Museum
69) Get on an even real-er bus and see the sights (we recommend the 159)
70) The Bends. I mean, go to Jelly Babies at Camberwell swimming pool.
71) Try on vintage fireman outfits at the Fire Brigade Museum
72) Sit on wooden animals in the Toddler Enclosure
73) Avoid the living statues on the South Bank
74) Visit the poetry library at the Royal Festival Hall
75) Discover what “Mexican street food” is at Wahaca
76) Ride on the toddler carousel at Winter Wonderland
78) Dance in the Pattern Pod at the Science Museum
79) Discuss “where babies come from” in front of the Walthamstow Tapestry
80) Slide down the elephant water slide at the Latchmere Leisure Centre
81) Wander through Soho back alleys
82) Get a train. From anywhere to anywhere. They aren’t fussy.
83) Fight schoolchildren in the indoor sandpit at the Museum of Childhood
84) Eat ice cream, limited only by your gag reflex at the Ben and Jerry’s festival
85) Whizz down the big-boy-slide of death
86) Walk over the Green Bridge
87) Rock out at the LolliBop Festival
89) See what’s on at the Southbank Centre
90) Explore the Italian Gardens in Kensington Gardens
91) Play and sing along at the Stow Festival
92) Plan military manoevures at Kids’ Zone
93) Clamber over a giant pirate ship at the Diana Memorial Playground
94) Fire jets of water into the air at Lloyd Park
95) Find some toilets you’ve never been to before
96) Hunt for deer and scramble down hills at Richmond Park
97) Actually find some deer in Greenwich Park
99) Check out the new playground at Brockwell Park
100) Find somewhere I haven’t blogged about and send me a guest post. There will be yet more prizes.
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What a great list! I remember going to see the deer at Greenwich park and being so ticked off at the tiny glimpse we got!
Glad you liked it! 🙂
Fantastic list! I will definitely be sharing this one….just a shame I don’t have toddlers anymore, although big kids can do these things too! Happy New Year 🙂
Technically I don’t have a toddler either but shhhh….don’t tell anyone 😉
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I’m so grateful to have stumbled across your blog! Have bookmarked for those days when I’m feeling adventurous but lacking inspiration 🙂 thank you so much!
Side note- my son is also called Reuben. It’s not a name we come across often!
Glad it’s helpful 🙂 Good naming skills Btw!
Gambados in Chelsea is really good. It’s a huge bal put with several floors and fab baby area and bumper cars…yes bumper cars. Quite pricey though but worth it for the kids
*ball pit
Hello,
This blog-post is all about the fun and entertinement activities,events etc.Its really too much enjoyable.Very nice post.Thank you so much..
Spitalfields or newham farm!
I haven’t actually been to those yet…shocking as I am an EastEnder now. Must rectify that!
Snakes and Ladders in Brentford! Soft play for under 2s, and a separate one for older kids. They’ve just renovated and now have a model village. It’s a bit pricey but with the outdoor play area being built, it’s very worth it. My 16m old loves it, as do the older kids.
Sounds great! I will have to check it out 🙂
Deen City Farm – near Wimbledon. Is free (although great to donate) and got a variety of animals to see.
1. Cable Car
2. There is a city farm in Newham and one near by the waterfront near Rotherite
3. Golders Green park had some sort of Zoo
4. Ice Skating at Alexandra Palace or Lee Valley Ice Rink (they gave toddlers some sort of zimmer frame to use on the Ice Rink)
5. In the summer, there is one of those water fountains from the ground at Thames Barrier Park (not too far from Cable Car)
6. Watch the planes from London City Airport (before 12ish on Saturday or After 12ish on Sunday)
7. M&M store in Leicester Square
8. Watch the Squirrels in St. James Park (they are not scared of people!).
Playing in fountains in summer at southbank.
Brilliant list.
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