Free family things to do in London

Free museums that kids actually love

All national museums in London are free, but a few are genuinely brilliant for children:

• Natural History Museum (South Kensington) — dinosaurs, the Wildlife Garden, and a dedicated Investigate lab for under-14s. Parent heads-up: go before 11am on weekends to skip the queue.
• Science Museum — the Wonderlab charges, but the ground-floor galleries and the Pattern Pod (under-8s) are free and often quieter.
• V&A Museum of Childhood (Young V&A, Bethnal Green) — reopened in 2023 and now unbeatable for under-10s. Interactive, sensory-considered, buggy-friendly.
• Horniman Museum (Forest Hill) — free museum, free aquarium (small charge), 16 acres of gardens with animal walk. A perfect all-day option.
• Museum of London Docklands — Mudlarks gallery for under-8s is a hidden gem; usually calm even on rainy Saturdays.

Parks and playgrounds worth the trek

• Diana Memorial Playground (Kensington Gardens) — the wooden pirate ship, tepees and sensory trail justify the crowds. Under-12s only.
• Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (Stratford) — Tumbling Bay playground, water play in summer, huge open space for scooters.
• Coram's Fields (Bloomsbury) — the seven-acre park where adults can only enter with a child. City farm, paddling pool, sandpit.
• Hampstead Heath (Parliament Hill playground) — good playground, kite hill, and the free swimming ponds if the kids are older.

City farms (all free, all brilliant)

• Hackney City Farm — pigs, goats, a good café; small but perfect for toddlers.
• Mudchute Park & Farm (Isle of Dogs) — the largest city farm in Europe, with llamas and Canary Wharf as the backdrop.
• Spitalfields City Farm — tiny but lovely, and easy to combine with Brick Lane.
• Vauxhall City Farm — pony rides on weekends (small donation), donkeys, ducks.

Hidden gems

• Discover Children's Story Centre (Stratford) — free outdoor Story Garden with water features; ticketed indoor storytrails but the garden alone is worth the trip.
• The Hive at Kew (free with Kew entry — but Kew is free for under-4s) — the treetop walkway alone is a proper adventure for small kids.
• The Line sculpture walk (Stratford → Greenwich) — free outdoor art trail along the Lea; great for kids on scooters.
• Woolwich Ferry — free river crossing, works as a "boat trip" for under-6s who won't know the difference.
• Postman's Park (City of London) — the Victorian memorial to everyday heroes; unexpectedly gripping for readers aged 7+.

Free rainy-day fallbacks

• Barbican Conservatory — free, only open some Sundays; tropical plants and koi, and it's indoors.
• National Gallery / Tate Modern / Tate Britain — all free, all run family trails you can pick up at the door.
• Wellcome Collection (Euston) — free, calm, and the Reading Room is oddly kid-friendly.

Parent tips that save the day

• Under-11s travel free on the Tube, DLR and Overground with an accompanying adult — plan routes accordingly.
• Most national museums accept £3–5 suggested donations, not compulsory entry fees.
• Bring a change of clothes for anything involving fountains or paddling pools. You will need it.
• Bag Saturday-morning slots (9–11am) at the big museums to skip 90% of the crowd.