What to do in London with a toddler - 22 fun ideas your little one will love

Visiting London with a preschooler? The city is bursting with amazing activities and things to do that your toddler will absolutely love. We start your London family adventure with a look at the world-class 'blockbuster' children's attractions - the famous museums and popular animal encounters that are essential experiences and guaranteed to capture a child's imagination. But if you've already done these, you'll love our list of 18 fabulous, lesser-known gems: unique interactive play zones and parks, specialised museums, immersive art spaces, farms, and mini-zoos. These are the places designed specifically with tiny travellers in mind! Get ready to explore the very best of London with your toddler!

The London toddler blockbusters: the top (and most popular) things to do with a toddler in London:

These attractions are famous for a reason, offering amazing experiences that are essential to include on your London itinerary and guaranteed toddler hits. While they are popular and may require advance booking, their capacity to inspire little ones and keep them engaged makes them incredibly worthwhile destinations.

Natural History Museum:

If your toddler loves dinosaurs, don't miss the Natural History Museum in South Kensington with its famous Dinosaur Gallery and thrilling (and potentially scary for the really wee ones!) life size animatronic T-Rex. Head to the Earth Hall where you can take an escalator up through the centre of a planet, past one of the most complete stegosaurus skeletons in Europe (older siblings will enjoy the earthquake simulator) and explore the animal kingdom in the Mammals Gallery. Even a brief visit to the magnificent Hintze Hall, dominated by the huge blue whale skeleton, is enough to inspire wonder and create lasting memories for a small child!

The NHM is probably one of the most popular attractions in London, and so while you can risk a walk up visit, the museum recommends booking a free timed ticket in advance. If you're prefer a quieter visit, aim for the time slots at the start and end of the day.

Science Museum:

Right next door to the NHM, the Science Museum brilliantly combines education with play. A key highlight for toddlers is the Garden, a fantastic interactive play area specifically designed for ages 3-6 with 4 exciting interactive areas: construction, water, light and sound. Little space fans will also enjoy the museum’s impressive exhibits of rockets and spacecraft. For a sweet treat, head up to the Shake Bar on level 3 where you can design your own ice cream tub! Book free general admission tickets to the Science museum online.

ZSL London Zoo:

London's world famous zoo in Regent's Park offers a huge range of animals, from tigers and penguins to gorillas. Toddler animal lovers will love the dedicated Animal Adventure play area, perfectly designed for younger children to safely explore, with a ship shaped climbing frame named after Darwin's HMS Beagle, slides and a summer splash zone. Little ones can see meerkats, porcupines, pigs, alpacas, llamas and goats while they play and will marvel at hundreds of beautiful butterflies in the zoo's caterpillar shaped tropical butterfly house.

This October 18th, London Zoo's historic reptile house (famous for that snake scene in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) will reopen as ZooTown, an incredible new immersive play area for 3-8 year olds. Youngsters can step into the action-packed world of the zoo, taking on roles as zookeepers, vets, scientists, and conservationists with role-play, costumes, and fun activities across purpose-built sets like the Field Camp, Zoo Kitchen and Vet's Hospital.

SEA LIFE London Aquarium:

This popular attraction on the South Bank is a vibrant, colourful indoor world, perfect for toddlers due to its focus on bright displays and movement. Highlights include the walkthrough shark tunnel, the absolutely massive ocean tank with resident turtles and the penguin exhibit. The aquarium is totally buggy accessible but can get extremely busy, so we'd recommend arriving as soon as it opens.

18 amazing, less well known London activities for toddlers

If you've already done the big hitters, here are 18 more ideas for things to do in London that your toddler will absolutely love, from soft play and museum play zones to immersive art, city farms and gorgeous parks:

1. Young V&A (Bethnal Green):

Formerly the Museum of Childhood, this museum has been completely redesigned with children aged 0-14 in mind. It's an excellent destination for introducing art, design, and sensory exploration. The space offers fantastic free, multi-sensory and hands-on exhibits perfect for toddlers to explore texture, movement, and creative play, with beautifully designed, climbable structures throughout the galleries.

2. Discover Children's Story Centre (Stratford):

London's only dedicated children's museum, this venue is heaven for imaginative play and storytelling, featuring an interactive Story World and Story Garden where children are encouraged to create their own adventures, climb, and role-play in immersive environments based on children's literature. Booking is essential and you can also add on extras such as storytelling sessions especially designed for 0-3 years olds, with sensory objects and songs.

3. Coram's Fields (Bloomsbury):

This seven-acre park and playground walking distance from Kings Cross is unique as it is exclusively for children and their accompanying adults - no adults are allowed without a child - making it a secure, child-focused haven in central London. It features a fantastic playground, a City Farm, a paddling pool (seasonal), sand pits and a wildlife garden with ponds, beehives, a log pile, wormery and compost area.

4. Kew Gardens - Children's Garden (Richmond):

Set within the famous, vast Royal Botanic Gardens in Richmond, the Children's Garden is a massive, play area that is an adventure in itself. Designed for ages 2-12, the space is divided into zones based on the four elements plants need to grow - Earth, Air, Water, and Sun - offering an immersive nature play experience. A key highlight is the 4m high canopy walk wrapped around a 200-year-old oak!

N.B. No pre booking required but you will need a Kew Gardens entry ticket to access the play area. Under 4s go free.

5. The London Transport Museum & 'All Aboard' Playzone (Covent Garden):

This museum is a paradise for vehicle-mad children, focusing on the history of London's tubes, buses, and trains. The highlight for little explorers is the "All Aboard" Playzone where toddlers can get hands-on with a fleet of mini vehicles, try on uniforms and sit in the driver's seat of a real bus! Entry to the museum is £25.00 for adults, which includes unlimited daytime entry to the Museum for a whole year. but kids go free. You will need to book a timed slot in advance of your visit.

6. London Museum of Water & Steam (Brentford):

A great day out in warmer months, this is a highly interactive, family-focused museum on the site of the former Kew Bridge Waterworks - the highlight for toddlers is the seasonal outdoor Splash Zone with fantastic hands-on water play, featuring pumps, dams and wheels. Indoor areas allow them to marvel at the giant, impressive steam engines and play with building blocks, a workbench and play kitchen.

7. Battersea Park Children's Zoo (Battersea):

Unlike the larger London Zoo, this is a compact and manageable zoo south of the river, specifically designed for younger children. It features farm animals, smaller exotic species like meerkats, monkeys, lemurs and armadillos and the playground is truly a destination in itself with a real-life helicopter, a fire engine and a tractor that kids can climb all over, a wooden fort, slides, swings and a huge sensory sandpit perfect for digging and building.

8. The Postal Museum's 'Sorted!' Play Area (Clerkenwell):

This lovely play space at the Postal Museum focuses on role-playing and hands-on activities where toddlers can play with miniature mail sorting counters, "ride" in tiny post vehicles, and dress up. N.B. that a separate ticket is required for the play area (£4.50 per child ticket,

£2.50 per accompanying adult, under 1s free), but you can visit Sorted without buying museum entry. It's also walking distance from Coram's Fields, so a good combination for a full day out.

9. Mudlarks Gallery at Museum of London Docklands (West India Quay):

A dedicated, interactive soft-play and discovery zone specifically for under-8s. This fun play area is themed around the docks and features water play, climbing structures and sensory activities. Tickets for 1 Adult and 1 Child (10 months +) is £7.50, the rest of the museum is free.

10. National Maritime Museum 'AHOY!' Children's Gallery (Greenwich):

Head to Greenwich for this excellent, nautical-themed soft play and interactive area. The AHOY! Children's Gallery is designed specifically for under 7s, giving your toddler the chance to climb aboard a pretend ship, load cargo, and dress up as part of a maritime adventure. It's a fun, indoor activity that's easily combined with a visit to Greenwich Park. Free weekdays during term time, £5 weekends, school and bank holidays. Booking in advance is recommended even on free days to guarantee entry.

11. Frameless Immersive Art Gallery (Marble Arch):

Located at one end of Oxford Street, this gallery offers a vast, multi-sensory experience where classic masterpieces are projected across the walls and floor. You'll be surrounded by art and music as the paintings swirl off of the walls, enveloping you in the landscapes. From Canaletto to Dali, Rembrandt to Van Gogh, it's absolutely fabulous! Jamie visited at 6 months old and 16 months old and loved it both times.

12. The Crystal Palace Dinosaurs (Crystal Palace):

For an epic outdoor "dinosaur hunt," head to Crystal Palace Park in South East London. Here you'll find colossal, comedically inaccurate Victorian-era dinosaur statues scattered around the park's lake and landscape. The dinosaurs are free to view and offer a unique photo opportunity and a perfect open space for running and exploring a slice of quirky London history.

13. NHM Urban Nature Project Gardens (South Kensington):

A welcome, calming, outdoor break from the main Natural History Museum crowds. The newly redesigned gardens are part of the Urban Nature Project and feature a Nature Discovery Garden for gentle, hands-on exploration. They are also home to "Fern," a 22-metre-long bronze cast of a *Diplodocus* skeleton, set in a beautifully recreated Jurassic landscape in South Kensington.

Image provided by the trustees of the Natural History Museum

14. City Farms (e.g. Hackney, Mudchute, or Surrey Docks City Farm):

These small, free urban farms are a wonderful, low-stress alternative to the London Zoo. Located in various spots across the city, toddlers love the chance to get up close to goats, pigs, chickens, and other farm animals in a relaxed, community-focused setting. They make for a perfect, easy morning or afternoon activity.

15. Thames Clipper (Uber Boat by Thames Clippers):

More than just a sightseeing vessel, the Thames Clipper is an efficient mode of public transport that doubles as an exciting, non-touristy activity. Toddlers love the speed and the chance to see the famous sights of the river from the water without the slow pace or crowds of a traditional tourist boat. You can use your standard transport payment methods (Oyster/Contactless) to board.

16. The glass walkways at Tower Bridge (Tower Bridge):

For a big 'wow' moment, take your toddler to the high-level walkways of Tower Bridge. Spanning the Bridge's iconic two towers, the walkways' glass floor allows you to stand 42 metres above the River Thames, giving little ones a mesmerising view of boats, buses and black cabs moving directly beneath their feet. The ticket also grants access to the historic Victorian Engine Rooms.

N.B. Booking a timed ticket in advance is absolutely crucial - there are two queues, one for pre-booked slots and one for general walk ups (including London Pass holders) and if the bridge is very busy, those with timed tickets will get priority and those without could be in for a long wait.

17. Barbican Conservatory (Barbican):

This is a spectacular indoor escape, especially on a cool or rainy day. The tranquil, exotic indoor jungle is housed within the brutalist architecture of the Barbican Centre (free, requires advance booking). It's a wonderful, sensory experience, allowing your toddler to explore a rainforest environment with giant plants, trees, and fish in a calm, unique atmosphere in the Barbican Centre.

18. The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain (Hyde Park):

Brilliant for summer, this shallow, oval-shaped water feature is a hugely popular (and free) place for kids to play during the warmer months. Children will love paddling and following the loop of flowing water. It's a refreshing spot after a walk through the park.