Chinatown, Leicester Square & movie magic

Sensory overload, West End-style. Start at the two big Leicester Square anchors: the four-storey M&M'S London, with its life-size photo-op characters, and the LEGO Store, home to a giant brick-built Big Ben and London Underground display. Then head through the Chinatown gate off Wardour Street for lanterns, bakery windows piled with bun art, bubble tea, bubble waffles, taiyaki soft-serve, and the area's cheap buffet-style Chinese restaurants for a low-stress lunch. On the way, we love to visit the West End Arts Library (westminster.gov.uk/arts-library), a short walk from Leicester Square tucked between the square and the National Gallery on the site of Isaac Newton's former home: it's free to enter and has a cute kids' corner packed with hundreds of brand-new artist-related books and a little sofa to curl up and read (open Mon–Fri 10am–8pm, Sat 10am–5pm, closed Sundays).

If there's appetite for more walking, Trafalgar Square is five minutes south with lions to climb, fountains, and street performers, the National Portrait Gallery just off it offers free entry with family trails and activity sheets, and Covent Garden with the London Transport Museum is 10–15 minutes away and a big hit for kids who love trains and buses. Wrap up the day with a film at one of Leicester Square's cinemas, or check the TKTS booth in Leicester Square for same-day discounted family show tickets. This stretch is always heaving with tourists, so brace for crowd navigation, especially around M&M'S World and the LEGO Store on weekends and school holidays.