ExCeL London
As massive as a city within a city, ExCeL London in the Royal Docks hosts everything from pop-culture juggernauts like MCM Comic Con and MegaCon to interactive immersive family experiences and the festive London International Horse Show.
Because the central venue boulevard stretches for nearly a kilometre, taking kids to an event here can feel like a mini-marathon. Navigating it with minimal fuss takes a little extra know-how.
Seek Out the Secret Family Room: If you have toddlers or babies in tow, head to Level 0 near Hall S9. This dedicated Family Room has comfortable chairs for feeding, a microwave for baby food, bottle warmers, changing mats, and a private sink/toilet away from the main crowds.
Turn Travel Into an Attraction: Skip the crowded Tube ride home and head to the Royal Victoria side to ride the IFS Cloud Cable Car across the Thames to the O2. Exhibitor and visitor ticket holders often get discounted cable car fares, making it a budget-friendly air-adventure!
- DLR vs. Elizabeth Line Station Trick: Don't automatically get off at Custom House! Check your event's exact hall location beforehand. If your show is in the West Halls, use Custom House. If it’s in the East Halls or ICC, stay on to Prince Regent station—it will save you a long trek with tired legs.
Times change seasonally — always check before you set off.
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Serpentine Lido Playground & Hyde Park Boating
A gated wooden playground right beside the Serpentine with climbing frames, swings and ducks to feed. Take a ride on the boats too: there is a small pond with child-only boats, a larger one for family boating, and solar-powered Solarshuttle pedalos crossing the lake. Kit tip: pack a [puddle suit](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=kids+puddle+suit) and a [wet bag](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=wet+bag+for+swimming) — both earn their place on a splashy day out. More ideas in our [family kit list](https://kidsfun.london/guides/what-to-pack-family-day-out-london).
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Pottery Café
If you need a quiet, creative sanctuary, The Pottery Café is pure magic. It has sites in Fulham and Battersea, and is one of London's first pottery-painting studios, definitely designed with families in mind. You pick your plain ceramic piece, from mugs and plates to money boxes and animal figurines, and start painting. The glazes get fired in the studio's on-site kilns, ready for pickup a week or so later. We recommend booking a morning slot on a weekday or early weekend if you can, as the studios get louder and busier as the days go on. If you're bringing a baby, opt for a foot-print mug or plate; the staff are seasoned pros at helping you stamp squirmy baby feet onto ceramics without fuss. Aprons are provided, and stencils, sponge stamps, and easy-squeeze bottles make it effortless for toddlers to produce something that actually looks good in your kitchen. Studio fee is £6.50 per painter (covers paints, glazing, and firing) plus the cost of your chosen ceramic item (ranging from £12 up to £35+).
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Paddington Afternoon Tea Bus Tour
Climb aboard a restored vintage red double-decker bus for the ultimate marmalade-filled sightseeing adventure. Operated by Brigit's Bakery, this tour is tailor-made for young Paddington fans and families celebrating a special occasion. Each table comes equipped with built-in screens showing custom animations where Paddington and Mrs. Bird guide you through London's landmarks, keeping little ones completely enthralled between treats. The afternoon tea menu is genuinely delicious - featuring turkey and ham sandwiches, freshly baked scones with clotted cream, and themed cakes (including miniature marmalade sandwiches, of course!). Look out for: Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, Nelson's Column and St Paul's Cathedral. Our take: ideal birthday present (as not cheap!) - but the tea food quality was really high, the tour is fun, and the kids loved it.
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QUEENS: Skate, Dine, Bowl
This massive indoor entertainment hub features an ice-skating rink, curling on ice, retro ten-pin bowling lanes, arcade games, and a pizza restaurant - it's a one-stop rainy-day centre where kids can skate on ice, bowl a strike, and eat slices under one roof, but we haven't visited yet so send us your opinions!
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Apple Town Soft Play
We like this bright, well-run indoor soft play, with multi-storey play, slides and a toddler zone. A decent rainy-day escape valve when the walls start closing in! Under-5s get the most out of it, but there's enough climbing, jumping and slides to keep older kids going too. There's lots of parent seating with easy supervision, and VR plus trampolines too. Insider tip: book the first session of the day; it's calmer, cleaner and you'll actually get a table with a plug socket and a coffee.
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Better Walthamstow Leisure Centre
Better Walthamstow Leisure Centre is an affordable soft play and swimming pool with family swim sessions - handy on rainy weekends; the prices are lower than private activity centres. Check the Better website for the family swim timetable before you go, as general-lane swimming is not always ideal with young children. Pair it with a walk around nearby Walthamstow Wetlands for a full day out.
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