Taking grandson to London for a few days

Hello Magsie. I have been making regular trips to London for the past couple of years and recommend the following two places to visit. St Bartholomew-the Great dates from 1123. Scenes from Four Weddings and a Funeral ,Shakepeare in Love filmed there. Very atmospheric. The Alexander Fleming museum including the lab where Fleming discovered penecillian is next to Paddington Station.I think both are ok for 10 yr old grandson.

Hi Magsie. if you type in Kid's London there is a site with family friendly accommodation which looks promising.

London is expensive but there is lots of free stuff. The science museum is fantastic,and the cafe there is good. But I would say get there when it opens as it is , as all attractions are, rammed.The National Gallery in the holidays usually has a programme for kids, and it has a fabulous restaurant/cafe/bar above the Sainsbury Wing-very grandparent friendly with delicious cakes good food, and wine! It is child friendly too! A walk along the south bank past the national theatre is always good in the summer. They do kid friendly things all around that area. There are lots of places to eat, such as Giraffe, but I would reccommend Canteen behind I think, the National Theatre. HMS Belfast is free for kids.
Not free but worth doing , is the Duck Tour, for the last bit it goes in the water in front The Houses of Parliament. Kids love going round the Covent Garden area, there is always lots going on there. I don,t know how much it is anymore, but I used to take young visitors on one of the open top buses, they take you all over central London and you can get on and off when you want. The London parks are lovely, and in Kensington Gardens, or it might be just in Hyde park, there is the Princess Diana Memorial adventure playground. Near there you can refresh yourelf with tea coffee and cakes in the Orangery, which is beautiful.

hello[shocked]hello

Sorry Magsie have at last got hang of smileys and inadvertently added them to this. Ignore

Do they have anything Harry Potter'ish at Kings Cross Station?

If he is into dinosaurs - the Natural History Museum, what football team does he support - as you can do tours of the grounds.

For eating there are so many choices - my young visitors enjoyed Planet Hollywood in Leicester Square or the Rainforest Cafe,

Also worth doing is the London Eye,

crimson, yes they do! There is platform nine and three quarters that you can visit. It's got a trolley halfway through it - like this golondon.about.com/od/londonpictures/ig/Less-seen-Sights/Platform-9-3-4.htm
although, unlike in the book, staff might actually know where to point you to get to it.
at my geeky harry potter trivia!

London is a wonderful playground for children. I've been taking my grand-daughter on jaunts from her home in south London on my weekly childcare day since she was 18 months. There are great touristy places such as the Tower (especially if you go on a day when the cannons go off). They are expensive but check out cheap prices & season tickets etc on their websites. I've found the staff at the Royal Palaces particularly child friendly and the food at their cafes is really superb & not badly priced for London. But beware of the Enchanted Palace exhibition at Kensigton Palace - it's dark & spooky & not what I imagined. You can't go wrong with free museums on Exhibition Road & the big parks, Hyde Park (Diana fountain & playground) & lovely St James Park which has a lovely sandpit and play area (for under 5s) & kids loos with Buck Pal as the backdrop. Then you can make a trip of the various forms of transport with a look at the LT museum in Covent Gdn - bus (I use my bus pass), taxi, tube, ferry & the DLR to Canary Wharf and an excellent child friendly museum. The DLR is great as they are driverless and you can sit at the front & pretend to be the driver. I love just wandering round the back streets and coming across the little museums such as the Foundling Museum, the Welcome Institute (lots of innards & skeletons) - all with good cafes, and the small parks, playgrounds & fountains. Somerset House is great for getting wet in the fountains. Coram Fields in Bloomsbury has a paddling pool, paly areas for different ages, & animals - entry only with a child. The South Bank is a vibrant place - not sure if the Beach is still there - & kids like walking over the wobbly Bridge and climbing the dome of St Pauls (big churches aren't free of course). Further out there's the Imperial War Museum and lovely parks like Kew (not free), Bushey & Richmond (stags rutting in Oct) and Hampton Court (gardens free, maze cheap, palace more expensive. My grand-daughter always asks to see the soldiers at 'her' Buckingham Palace and you can march with them back down the Mall if you don't get close to the Palace. Also visit the Guards museum and one in Horseguards parade. The main problem for Grandmas with younger kids in buggies is negotiating station steps etc (lifts often broken) and big gaps between trains and platforms. I've managed, though I keep meaning to write to Boris about the problems & it must be a nightmare travelling around London in a wheelchair.
I usually do best when I plan a few things then let other things happen, always being prepared to change things according to the mood, weather and transport delays. Lots of museums & galleries in London have special areas and events for children, especially in holiday times.

I agree with Gadabout Gran. stay away from Enchanted Palace, it is a ripoff and only put on to entice families whilst work is being done on the main palace. London is a great place for kids of all ages, and walking is part of the fun.

Thank you grans! I have lots to go on there.