Kids
When the weather is nice, pack a picnic and take the kids to Aldenham Country Park in Hertfordshire. The 175-acre (71-hectare) woodland has playgrounds, a toddler area, and a small livestock farm, but the highlight of the park is Winnie the Pooh's "100 Aker Wood," complete with all the homes of Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Christopher Robin, and of course, Winnie the Pooh. Admission to the entire park is free (there is a small parking fee, but the park is accessible via public transit).
The free Bromley Museum has temporary and permanent exhibits showcasing area history. Learn about Bromley-born author H.G. Wells and archaeologist Sir John Lubbock, the first Lord Avebury. Kids won't want to miss the "Your Place!" exhibit (the museum's most popular), which has activities, books, games, and clothes from the 1950s to today.
Near the British Museum and Russell Square Underground station, family-friendly Coram's Fields has picnic areas, a wading pool, sports fields, a pet's corner (with ducks, sheep, and goats), and many organized activities for kids. Admission is free, and no adult can enter the park without a child (ensuring that the park really is a place for families).
The Cuming Museum celebrates culture and history through a variety of artifacts from around the world (a Hawaiian feather cape from Captain Cook's explorations, an Egyptian mummy mask from 400-300 B.C.), collected in the 18th and 19th centuries by the Cuming family. The museum first opened in 1906, and has three galleries (with plenty of hands-on activities for kids), all of which have free admission.
Attached to Hampstead Heath is Golders Hill Park, a free park with lots to offer. Enjoy lunch at the park's café or pack a picnic. Adults can bring tennis rackets and have a match on the courts, but the kids will enjoy the small animal enclosure, with wallabies, flamingos, goats, and deer.
Near Queen Elizabeth Hospital is a free haven for parents with animal-loving children. Hackney City Farm has larger farm animals like calves, sheep, goats, donkeys, and pigs, but also small animals like rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, ducks, and chickens. The farm's Frizzante café was voted Best Family Restaurant in 2004 by Time Out London.
Kids under 16 get in free (with paying adult) to the Kew Bridge Steam Museum, which houses the world's largest collection of steam engines and chronicles London's water usage over the past 200 years. Take the kids for a ride on the Waterworks Railway (Sundays, March-November), and don't miss the chance to hunt for wildlife with a radio-controlled sewer robot and scope for treasure like a sewer "tosher" (scavenger).
Developed to promote creativity and learning of cultures, the London International Gallery of Children's Art is a must-see for travelers with children. The gallery highlights children's work from around the world, and even has workshops and courses for kids to make their own art. The gallery is free, and is open Tuesday-Thursday (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.), and Friday-Sunday (noon to 6 p.m.).
Just outside London is Spitalfields City Farm, a free community farm where kids can enjoy petting a donkey, sheep, goats, and a pony. The farm's volunteers provide educational activities for kids, and teach them where milk and eggs come from, as well as how to take care of the animals.
