All places in this area
29 places in this part of town
Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery (And Mini Makers for tots)
Inside the Pitzhanger, the historic countryside retreat of architect Sir John Soane which is set within Walpole Park in Ealing, the main musem has contemporary art exhibitions, free digital family trails, hands-on building block stations, and access to Walpole Park's playground. On Fridays, under 5s will love the Mini Makers dedicated early years sessions, led by experienced artist practitioners, there's messy play, circus play and music and rhyme sessions. Pack a spare change of clothes - the messy play sessions mean business, and make a day of it with Walpole Park and its expansive green lawns, walled garden, and playground area.
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Bubble Planet
We enjoyed a good two hours here - wander through a colourful world of bubbles, glowing rooms, giant inflatables and a lot of photo oppos, plus games to play and - of course - merch to buy. Bubble Planet is an upbeat indoor experience for families who like interactive spaces, silly surprises and a little theatrical spectacle. Teens might enjoy the selfie element. Under 2s are free!
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The Ampersand Jurassic Afternoon Tea
Dino-obsessed kids will lose their minds over this delicious afternoon tea. Cakes emerge from a dry-ice 'volcano', and kids are given paintbrushes to 'excavate' chocolate fossils hidden in biscuit crumb soil. Brilliantly interactive and ridiculously fun - tasty, too.
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Biscuiteers
Biscuiteers is a fun rainy-day treat for children who like making things almost as much as eating them. It's not cheap, but ours loved the biscuit icing session, where provided equipment is such good quality that you can't fail but to make a lovely-looking biscuit! Adults can settle in with a hot drink and let everyone decorate edible works of art to take home. Book ahead, and leave a little room in the day for browsing the beautifully decorated shop afterwards.
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The Splash House (UV Paint Battles)
A glorious permission to get utterly messy - there are splash houses around the UK, and London's is in Brentford. Guests gear up in full protective ponchos and goggles before stepping into a dark, UV-lit room filled with glowing fluorescent paints. Armed with brushes, squeeze bottles and paint-filled sponges, kids (and parents) throw, splash and battle each other to create neon canvas masterpieces (and end up glowing head-to-toe themselves). It's a private experience, so your group gets exclusive use of its own room — perfect for family days out, birthdays and group celebrations. No art skills are needed: just turn up, have fun and let the paint fly. Every session includes all materials, protective aprons, music and a finished canvas for each person to take home, and sessions run from age 4 upwards with every child accompanied by a participating adult. Sessions are limited and it's pre-booking only, so check the website for current dates before you go.
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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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Finnegan's World
Set inside a converted former bank on West Ealing Broadway, this lovely, independent soft play café is designed for babies, toddlers, and young children. The venue focuses on imaginative play with miniature shop setups, soft climbing ramps, and sensory toys - it’s far more than the usual blocks and slides. Parents can sit back with decent coffee and a slice of cake while keeping a direct line of sight on their kids.
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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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Hounslow Urban Farm
One of London's largest community farms, with pigs, sheep, owls, alpacas and indoor cuddle sessions with reptiles and rabbits.
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Clip 'n Climb Chelsea
Indoor climbing centre offering 22 action-packed challenges and the colourful themed climbing walls that all ClipnClimbs have, plus vertical drop slides, and challenge towers. Uses auto-belay systems so kids can safely clip themselves in and climb without parents needing technical rope skills. Arrive 15 minutes before your slot for the safety briefing so you don't lose precious climbing time. Don't forget flat-soled trainers.
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Power Up at the Science Museum
Dive into decades of gaming history at Power Up, the Science Museum's hands-on gaming experience. With more than 160 classic and modern consoles to play, from retro arcade favourites to the latest releases, it's a brilliant way for parents to share the games they grew up with and for kids to show off their skills.
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Dinosaur Escape Adventure Golf
An outdoor 18-hole crazy golf course featuring life-sized, roaring, moving animatronic dinosaurs and water hazards. Putting golf balls through dinosaur legs and past moving T-Rexes brings an extra element to mini-golf.. the kids really enjoyed it. There's a dinosaur soft play on site too so you can make a day of it, though the costs all add up! Costs from £4-£12 (kids/adults)
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Absurd City
Step into a wonderfully weird world designed by the creators of Wake The Tiger! This brand-new immersive art maze takes families on an imaginative journey through secret passageways, surreal rooms and interactive art installations. Every corner hides something to poke, press or crawl through, so kids get to be explorers rather than spectators. Having had an early sneak peek, we can confirm this is a must-add for your London itinerary — especially if you're exploring with hard-to-impress older kids and teens. Being inside Westfield London makes it an easy rainy-day plan: no long walks in the drizzle, plenty of loos and lunch options on the doorstep, and Shepherd's Bush station just across the road.
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National Army Museum (Play Base)
A high-quality indoor soft-play centre with an army assault course, mess-hall kitchen and command vehicle, plus lots of role play. The rest of the museum is free and has plenty for older kids.
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Barking Sportshouse Multi-Zone Activity Area
If you're looking for high-octane indoor fun that easily accommodates older kids and pre-teens, this brand-new Multi-Zone space is a game-changer. Think giant bounce zones, inflatables, obstacle courses, extreme slides, climbing set-ups and Battle Baskets! It's the ultimate soft-play upgrade, designed specifically for active kids who've outgrown standard play frames — but still want somewhere to bounce, climb and run themselves ragged. Siblings of different ages can play side by side, which makes it a winner for mixed-age families. Run by Better, it's far more affordable than most central London activity centres, and there's parking on site. The sports hall also covers badminton, basketball and pickleball, while there's also a Clip 'N' Climb wall.
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Hobbledown Heath
No child can fail to fall in love Hobbledown - one of the biggest indoor and outdoor adventure parks in London, it's built around a whimsical world of mystical creatures and outdoor play villages. Outside, kids can climb high wooden towers, balance across sky bridges, jump on inflatable pillows, participate in massive marble runs, dig in sand pits, and visit capybaras, goats, and meerkats in the animal enclosures. Inside, the huge Great Barn features multi-level soft play, climbing structures, and indoor dining. There are animal and bird shows and talks, but you'll have to haul the kids away from the playgrounds first. It is a big, open site with plenty of walking - we like bringing a buggy to schlep the lunch / snacks/ waters around.
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Ruislip Lido Railway and Beach
Britain's longest miniature railway runs through ancient woodland around a huge lake with a sandy inland beach. Sandcastles and paddling aplenty, plus a pirate ship play area, outdoor gym, woodland walks and cafes.
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Whitechapel Gallery
A touchstone modern art gallery in East London running free family creative workshops and dynamic art exhibitions. Provides free entry, brilliant family activity packs, and hands-on art-making sessions led by professional contemporary artists.
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Fulham Palace
The historic former home of the Bishops of London, featuring a house museum, walled botanic gardens, and a café. Kids can enjoy free hands-on museum rooms, giant ancient trees to climb, and mud-kitchen fun in the 13 acre garden, plus there's a and new play area near the main lawn! Free staff-run events for kids (like crafts, music and story-time) take place throughout the year and special workshops run during school holidays. The botanic garden is the ideal spot for picnics.
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Kew Gardens
World-famous botanical gardens that make a lovely outdoors day, with a huge dedicated Children's Garden packed with giant wooden trampolines, water play and canopy walkways.
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BaySixty6 Skate Park
Undercover skate park under the Westway offering beginner Saturday morning sessions, lessons, and a free skate club.
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V&A Museum (South Kensington)
Not an obviously child-friendly museum, but a stunning collection of art, jewellery, performance and fashion, with giant statues, digital family backpacks and hands-on activity trails.
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Paddington Rec Adventure Playground
One of our favourite playgrounds in London - hidden slides, pastel townhouses, separate spaces for different ages. Large green to run around on too, and a decent cafe.
See details★ 4.6
Toca Social interactive football
An interactive, high-tech football entertainment and decent food, featuring private playing boxes and digital target games.
See details★ 4.8
Holland Park
Two fantastic playgrounds - including a huge adventure one with sand and water - a Japanese garden, peacocks, cafes - a great day out. Can combine with Design Museum.
See details★ 4.7
Diana Memorial Playground
huge, gated adventure play space in Kensington Gardens featuring a massive wooden pirate ship, teepees, and sensory trails. There's sand, water and a musical trail. Ice cream cafe and it's based in the huge Kensington Gardens with lots of areas to explore - could combine with Holland Park for a full on playground day. The Diana Memorial Playground reopened in Summer 2026 after a revamp. Aim to arrive when it opens at 10 AM, as capacity is capped and queues form quickly on sunny afternoons.
See details★ 4.7
Verulamium Park (St Albans)
Spanning over 100 acres of parkland set around historic Roman ruins, this destination park boasts a huge playground, splash park, mini-golf course and a lake teeming with waterfowl. It is an exceptional day trip for families with young children and history buffs alike - it has Roman bath ruins inside the park, but you can also walk across it to the Verulanium museum, to St Albans' town centre with shops, cafes and the St Albans museum itself, with lots of kids' activities and dress-up (all free). Insider tip: order waffles from the famous The Waffle House located right at the edge of the park. Mine's a banofee special.
See details★ 4.1
Forty Hall & Myddelton House Gardens
Located short distances apart in Enfield, these two historic estates include expansive gardens for kids to explore, farm animals, fishing lakes, heritage exhibits, and charming tea rooms. They are ideal for cross-generational family outings - older garden lovers after a gentle afternoon stroll can be lapped by rock-climbing kids - but check opening times online before heading over, and combine both estates into a full day out.
See details★ 4.4
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace delivers a surprisingly family-friendly slice of royal history, blending opulent grand halls with engaging, kid-centric storytelling. Step into the Victoria: A Royal Childhood exhibition to see the exact rooms where young Queen Victoria grew up, complete with her childhood dollhouse, personal scrapbooks, and interactive displays that instantly hook young imaginations. The King’s and Queen’s State Apartments feature palace staff and activity trails that turn grand portraits and gilded ceilings into scavenger hunts for hidden symbols and royal secrets. Before heading inside, pick up a family quest booklet at the front desk to keep little ones hunting for riddles as you move room to room. Planning ahead makes a big difference when visiting with kids, especially on busier days. Pre-booking timed tickets online saves money and avoids long queues at the main gate. Prams are not permitted inside the historic state apartments, so bring a baby carrier for toddlers and make use of the free pram park located near the entrance. After taking in the palace and strolling around the stunning Sunken Garden, walk just a few minutes north into Kensington Gardens to reach the famous Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground. Featuring a massive wooden pirate ship set in a sandy beach, sensory play trails, and a water play zone, it is the ultimate spot for kids to burn off extra energy while parents relax with a takeaway coffee from the nearby café.
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