7 Free Child-friendly things to do in London

Introduction – 7 Free Child-friendly things to do in London

With the cost-of-living crisis and a looming recession, more and more parents are looking for cost-effective, child-friendly activities to do.

As part of National Organising Week – Getting Organised to Save Money. I have compiled seven free child-friendly things to do in London to keep kids and grown-ups entertained. Who doesn’t have an inner child within them?

1. Visit a museum

With the colder weather approaching, why not visit one of the many museums and learn a thing or two about history or art?

The National Museums, aka the big ones, offer free entry to their permanent displays. (You will have to pay for temporary exhibitions and one-off events such as talks).

Further, many local authority museums are also free and provide a fun way of learning more about your area. You can even save on travel costs by walking there.

There are over 150 museums, but choosing one can be daunting. Below are some of my favourites:

Bruce Castle

Horniman Museum

Imperial War Museum

National Portrait Gallery

Science Museum

2. Attend a free workshop at a museum or library

The second of my free and child-friendly things to do in London is Museums. Museums and libraries are lovely places to visit in and of themselves as they aid with learning and personal development, but many also offer free educational workshops and talks.

The British Museum currently hosts an Egyptian-themed family photo workshop, and the Blackfen Community Library hosts a regular workshop to help children learn to read.

3. Visit a playground or a skatepark

Thirdly, playgrounds and skateparks are dotted all over the city, but not all are created equal. If you are tired of your local facilities, check out the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens, where you can climb a wooden pirate ship. Alternatively, you could take part in activities at Homerton Grove Adventure Playground.

Victoria Park in east London hosts a great skate park called Raemers Skatepark that sits next to a delightful Café and a small lake. The most famous one is Southbank Skate Space, which forms part of the Southbank Centre and overlooks the Thames. Impressive to watch people do tricks on their skateboards, even if you are a wimp like me and won’t go near one.

4. Go to one of the many Parks

London is a very green city with many large and small parks to visit.

If you or your little ones like dinosaurs, a trip to Crystal Palace Park is a must. The park has life-sized Dinosaur sculptures that have been in the park since 1852.

Want a view of London from up high? Take a trip to Hampstead Heath and track up to Parliament Hill. The views from up there a fascinating and you could play I, spy.

If geography and timekeeping are your things, visit Greenwich Park and stand on the Meridian Line. While you must pay to see the Royal Observatory, just below it is a section of the Meridian Line that you can visit for free. If you come at night, you can see a laser that beams into the horizon along where the meridian line is.

5. Pet an animal at one of the City Farms

There are City Farms in various boroughs of London where children can get up close to the animals, pet a sheep or goat and learn a thing or two about them.

Hackney City Farm also has a lovely little garden that provides an oasis from the hectic city, a Café serving organic food, a shop and a workshop space.

Brooks Farm is part of Capel Manor College, which teaches courses in agriculture, animal management, horticulture, floristry, wildlife, environmental conservation and many others. Brooks Farm is in Walthamstow, but Capel Manor College has six campuses in various parts of London for you to visit and stroke an animal or two.

If you are into horses, a visit to Mudchute Park and Farm is a must. Here children and adults can take horse riding lessons or watch the horses from a distance.

Richmond Park in West London, while not a farm, hosts a large deer enclosure that is worth a visit.

6. Visit fascinating buildings

Tip 6 of 7 Free Child-friendly things to do in London is to visit one of the many fascinating buildings in London. London has a whole host of fascinating architecture that one can admire from the outside as well as looking what the inside has to offer.

Visit one of the most famous Brutalist buildings in London, the Barbican, opened by the late Queen in 1982 as a gift to the nation. The Barbican hosts a theatre, exhibition space, cafes, and a giant greenhouse known as the conservatory. Here visitors can view tropical plants from all over the world.

Another brutalist building is the Royal Festival Hall on the Southbank, which houses a concert hall, restaurants, the National Poetry Library, and the famous singing elevator. If you ride in it, it will play the scales up and down.

Stroll around Covent Garden, the famous indoor market and watch one of the many performers play classical music. Or watch someone juggle up balls high in the air.

Are you feeling touristy? Why not go to Buckingham Palace and watch Changing the Guard every other day from 11? It is a 45-minute ceremony where guards hand over duty. For exact times and more info, follow this link.

Book lovers should visit the Grade I listed British Library, where they can admire the building by architects Sir Colin St. John Wilson (1922–2007) and MJ Long (1939–2018) or sit on a bench shaped like a book.

7. Explore London’s rich transport history

Interested in transport, I can warmly recommend a trip to the London Transport Museum, free for anyone under 17. Adults need to pay £21 but get an annual pass. The museum tells London’s fascinating transport history and lets you climb on old buses or drive a tube train in a simulator.

Don’t want to go to a museum, why not ride on an old Route master and be transported to a bygone era? Route 15 travels every 20 minutes between Tower Hill and Trafalgar Square.

Although the Docklands Light Railway, DLR for short, began its service in 1987, 35 years later, it still appeals to riders young and old. The DLR is a driverless metro system that allows you to sit in the front seat and pretend to be the driver.

Conclusion – 7 Free Child-friendly things to do in London

I am sure there are more free and affordable activities in London, but the above should get you started. Tried any of them? Let me know what your favourite is.

To get more helpful tips and tricks on how to save money, check out the APDO website or my blog