27 places on the list
Top 10: our best of the bunch
Ranked by our own favourites first, then by how families rate them on Google.
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Olympic Park StratfordParks & gardens · East · All agesFree★ 4.5 - 2
Walthamstow wetlandsParks & gardens · North · All agesFree★ 4.6 - 3
Holland ParkParks & gardens · West · Under 13Free★ 4.7 - 4
Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace and St James’s ParkParks & gardens · Central · All agesFree★ 4.7 - 5
Sky GardenParks & gardens · Central · All agesFree★ 4.6 - 6
Golders Hill Park & Hill Garden PergolaParks & gardens · North · Under 13Free★ 4.7 - 7
Paddington Rec Adventure PlaygroundParks & gardens · West · Under 13Free★ 4.6 - 8
Parkland WalkParks & gardens · North · All agesFree★ 4.6 - 9
Woodberry WetlandsParks & gardens · North · All agesFree★ 4.6 - 10
Capel Manor GardensParks & gardens · East · Under 13£5-£15★ 4.6
Everything on this list
Go Ape Battersea Park
Tucked into the lush tree canopy of historic Battersea Park, this high-ropes site delivers serious thrills right in central London. It features higher platforms and longer crossings than most other Go Ape locations, giving you incredible views of the Thames and surrounding skyline. Adventurers can navigate double-freefall tarzan swings, high-wire crossings, and zip lines. You can easily turn your visit into a full day out by pairing it with a walk through Battersea Park, a visit to the nearby children's zoo, or food at Battersea Power Station - see separate listing.
See detailsGo Ape Alexandra Palace
Finnegan's World Website: finnegansworld.co.uk Nearest Tube: West Ealing (Elizabeth Line) / Ealing Broadway (Central, District, Elizabeth Lines) Location: 41 Broadway, West Ealing, London (W13 9DD) Price: £8 per child, £1.50 per accompanying adult. Open weekends only (10am to 5pm). Blurb: 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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Regent's Park
This sweeping Royal Park is packed with formal rose gardens, boating lakes, and excellent playgrounds. Our favourite itinerary is to start at the Marylebone Gate Entrance and hit the Gloucester Gate Playground first (featuring a v long zip wire, massive climbing frames, and inclusive water-play features). Then head south toward the Boating Lake to rent a pedal boat or rowing boat if you fancy, stop for coffee and sourdough pastries or ice cream at the Boating Lake Café, take a short detour across York Bridge Road to find the Community Wildlife Garden, featuring a peaceful pond, natural balance logs, and wild meadow planting, then finish up at the Hanover Gate Playground to conquer the huge wooden treehouse structure and giant sandpits.
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Hampstead Heath & Parliament Hill Playground
Wild, sprawling countryside right in North London, with swimming ponds for adults and older teens, kite-flying hills and a vast playground with a paddling pool.
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Richmond Park & Isabella Plantation
London's largest Royal Park, famous for wild red and fallow deer, ancient woodland and the streams inside the Isabella Plantation. Plenty of pockets to explore, and easy to combine with Richmond town centre for food or shopping.
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Battersea Park Playground, Park and Power Station
Massive green park featuring adventure playgrounds, a boating lake, a pagoda, and lots of wide-open space for kids to scoot, play football or burn off energy. Do the park first, then head to the power station for lunch at the Arcade marketplace or a kid-friendly restaurant like Where the Pancakes Are, then browse the Lego store, Peppa Pig shop and Bounce. The children's zoo tucked inside the park is the ultimate anti-London-Zoo for younger kids: small scale, with meerkats, lemurs, otters and monkeys, plus a play area packed with vintage fire engines, tractors, life-sized wooden boats and sandpits.
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Southwark Park & Boating Lake
A classic Victorian park with a duck pond, a summer splash pad, a decent adventure playground and wide paths for scooters and bikes.
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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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London Fields Lido
A heated 50m outdoor pool in the middle of a Hackney park, open all year round — steam rising off the water in winter is half the fun. Family sessions, a paddling-friendly shallow end and the park and playground right outside.
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Morden Hall Park (National Trust)
A tranquil National Trust estate with boardwalks over the River Wandle, natural play areas, wooden footbridges and historic watermills.
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Victoria Park & Splash Pool
Vicky Park to locals: two massive adventure playgrounds, a skate park, a boating lake and a brilliant summer water splash park, with fairs and entertainment on regularly.
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Barbican Conservatory
Visit the (free) garden, check out the library and its amazing kids' section, stroll the Barbican's architecture
See details★ 4.5Olympic Park Stratford
Visit Tumbling Bay playground, enjoy the vast network of family-friendly cycling routes, and splash in the water fountains
See details★ 4.5Paddington 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★ 4.6Holland 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
Camley Street Nature Reserve
Former coal drop for Kings Cross railway has been transformed into this urban garden, a rich habitat for birds, butterflies, amphibians and plant life, with children's trails, weekend activity drop-ins and a small but lovely cafe.
See details★ 4.6
Kings Cross day out
This redeveloped area is mostly traffic-free, so great for scooting and wandering around the wide areas, fountains, small parks and shops. Pop-up (paid for) events include petanque and curling, our kids always enjoy gaming at the Samsung store in Coal Drops Yard, there are food markets, the Everyman cinema, you can stroll to Camley Street Nature Park, walk along the canal and get snapped with the Harry Potter sign at Kings Cross station. Visit the floating bookshop on the canal, cool off at the Cubbitt Sq fountains and check out the small Handyside playground and birdcafe swing outside KX station for a quick energy release.
See details★ 4.6Parkland Walk
The longest linear nature reserve in London - which follows the former railway line connecting Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace that opened in 1873 -is a fab flat 5km adventure for kids. Bring the bikes for a cycle/walk combo - it's no good for scooters though as too bumpy. Let the kids hunt for the hidden sculptures (like the famous Spriggan figure near the Highgate tunnels), spot wildlife, and jump on the old, overgrown platforms.
See details★ 4.6Walthamstow wetlands
You won't feel like you're on the doorstep of central London in the fresh air and beautiful scenery of Walthamstow wetlands. Take a leisurely stroll, or follow the designated cycling route; there's a bevy of wildlife to spot... and a great cafe to bribe unwilling kids with cakes and ice creams. Mini beast hunts, forest school sessions and storytelling run frequently too - some charges apply.
See details★ 4.6Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace and St James’s Park
Stroll through these iconic central London parks - featuring Serpentine lake views, expansive grounds, and historic statues - while joining the crowds at Buckingham Palace to show the kids the guards and splendour. Head to St James's Park near Duck Island around 2:30pm to catch the daily pelican feeding time, and visit its playground and cafes for a break.
See details★ 4.7Sky Garden
A large, indoor landscaped garden high above the city offering incredible panoramic views and plenty of open space to walk around. It is completely free - but you must book your time slot well in advance.
See details★ 4.6
Broomfield Park
There's a large adventure playground here alongside a conservatory, a model boating pond, and a lake. It makes for a nice afternoon out - especially if you stop by the nearby Baskervilles Tea Shop for delicious babyccinos and cakes.
See details★ 4.2
Gobions Wood
This 36-acre ancient woodland nature reserve is the perfect walk and picnic spot - it has carpetings of bluebells in spring, and 500 species of fungi to spot in autumn - but for kids, the best part are the logs to balance on, large lake with ducks and tadpoles, a playground area near the car park, and a large field perfect for picnicking and games. The trails are flat, and buggy-accessible. Park at the North Mymms Parish Council car park (off Jonas Way) for direct access to both the children’s play area and the woodland trail entrance.
See details★ 4.6Woodberry Wetlands
This regenerated urban nature reserve offers smooth, buggy- and scooter-friendly boardwalks surrounded by wildlife, reedbeds, and play areas. It’s ideal for families with young children, birdwatchers, and anyone looking for a fresh, scenic walk. Park near Bethune Road or Lordship Road, bring scooters for the kids to zip along the paths, and don't forget to visit the historic Coal House Café for great coffee and sourdough lunches.
See details★ 4.6Capel Manor Gardens
This is a university for horticulture - which is brilliantly open for families to explore with loads of activities too. It features over 30 themed gardens - including a children's garden, maze, fairy garden, and Japanese garden - along with a small farm and reptile collection (the snake always surprises me), kitchen garden, and acres and acres to explore. It’s a wonderful, good value outdoorsy day out - pack a picnic to enjoy on the grounds, or expect simple school lunch-style fare in the canteen. Check out their calendar for seasonal children's events like Easter egg hunts, and summer festivals, there's always a good kids' treasure hunt trail too.
See details★ 4.6
Finchley Nurseries
More than just a standard plant nursery, this friendly local garden centre has an aquarium section with fish, a small outdoor play area for children, and a lovely on-site cafe with homemade cakes and toasties. During the summer months, there's a pick-your-own flowers field to cut a bouquet to bring home. Free parking.
See details★ 4.7Golders Hill Park & Hill Garden Pergola
Adjoining Hampstead Heath, Golders Hill boasts a free animal zoo area including deer, birds, and a butterfly house; there's a duck pond, ornamental gardens, a large playground, bandstand and a huge amount of space to run around. Take a sharp left upon entering from North End Road to discover the grand, secluded Hill Garden and Pergola, a stunning ruined terrace popular for photos. The cafe is decent with excellent gelato.
See details★ 4.7