Diana Memorial Playground (Kensington Gardens)
Thanks to the lovely warm weather this week, we set off on our first outdoor trip of the year – to Kensington Gardens and the Diana Memorial Playground. The free playground, open to under 12s, is located in the North West corner of Kensington Gardens close to the Orme Square and Black Lion Gates, and only a short walk from Kensington Palace.
Read MoreVauxhall City Farm
Vauxhall City Farm has been on our “to do” list for a while and today we finally made it. What did we discover? This small but perfectly formed city farm, which was built on unused land by local residents more than 35 years ago, has lots to offer visitors young and old.
Read MoreAmazon Adventure: Vicious Fishes and Other Riches
I’ve written before about how fond my family is of the Horniman Museum, its beautiful, tranquil gardens and aquarium. Being our local museum, we probably head there once or twice a week; and now there’s another reason to visit – the new child-friendly Amazon Adventure exhibition which is open until November.
Read MoreStepney City Farm
Babydaytripper likes nothing better than a city farm and so this week we set off to explore the one in Stepney, East London. We found Stepney City farm nestling between urban buildings and a Crossrail construction site, close to the historic St Dunstan’s church, home of the famous “bells of Stepney” in the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons.
Read MoreSurrey Docks Farm revisited
This week we took a return trip to Surrey Docks Farm, one of babydaytripper’s first ever day trip destinations, and I was reminded of just how fantastic it is for little children.
Read MoreDiscover Children’s Story Centre, Stratford
The Olympic and Paralympic athletes and crowds may have left the area, but there are still reasons to head to Stratford for a family friendly day out. Such as the Discover Children’s Story Centre…
Read MoreBDT goes large: National Railway Museum, York
Babydaytripper has gone large this week with a review of the National Railway Museum in York, instead of the usual London-based day out. Normal service will resume next week. In the meantime, and given we’ve been out and about a bit further afield over the summer, here’s the first of our new series of reviews of baby friendly destinations outside the big smoke…
Read MoreMudchute Park & Farm
The spotlight has been on East London for the past two weeks, with more visitors exploring the area than ever before. To fill the gaping hole left by the end of the Olympic Games, and before the crowds arrive for the Paralympics, this week’s post is a review of Mudchute Park & Farm on the Isle of Dogs, London’s largest city farm…
Read MoreSummer in London: 10 budget family activities
It’s the start of the school holidays and Olympic mania is about to descend on London. What activities do you have planned for the summer? We’ve compiled our top ten list of budget activities for all the family…
Read MoreEmirates Air Line
Have you been on the Emirates Air Line yet? The cable car is the latest way to cross the Thames, spanning the river from Royal Docks to Greenwich Peninsula. Open just in time for the Olympic Games, we went along to give it a try before the flood of athletes, officials and tourists starts to arrive…
Read MoreFreightliners Farm
A recent trip to Islington for lunch with some friends afforded the perfect opportunity for a visit to Freightliners Farm. As it happens, I used to live about 200 metres from this farm many, many years ago, but back then my leisure-time priorities were different and I never made it through the gate. Now, with the little man in tow, it just didn’t seem fair to pass by without having a look.
Read MoreCoram’s Fields
This week we spent a sunny afternoon at Coram’s Fields. Located in the heart of Bloomsbury, Coram’s Fields is a park and playground reserved exclusively for under 16s – in fact, adults are not allowed into the park at all unless accompanied by a child. The park is named after shipwright, sailor and philanthropist, Captain Thomas Coram, who created the Foundling Hospital for abandoned children in the eighteenth century following a long campaign to obtain the necessary Royal Charter (see our review of the Foundling Museum). The Foundling Hospital stood on the site of the present day park until the building was demolished in the 1920s – the land was saved thanks to fundraising and charitable donations so that it could be preserved for the use of children living in or visiting London.
Read MoreHackney City Farm
Pigs, goats, donkeys and sheep, just a few yards from Hackney Road? Yes, that’s right. This week we went to visit the popular Hackney City Farm.
Read MoreGreen Park and St James’s Park
At last! Summer is here (even if it may have departed again by the time I publish this post) and so what could be better than a picnic in the park? Before Jubilee fever grips the country this weekend, we decided to explore two of central London’s most famous Royal open spaces: Green Park and neighbouring St James’s Park.
Read MoreBattersea Park and Battersea Park Children’s Zoo
If you read this blog regularly you will know that we generally try to review destinations that are free or have low cost admission. This week, however, our trip coincided with a special occasion and so we decided to splash out on a visit to the (really quite reasonably priced, all things considered) Battersea Park Children’s Zoo.
Read MoreDulwich – Picture Gallery and Park
We were hoping for a bit of fresh air this week, but the incessant rain meant another museum-based babydaytrip. Nevermind, there are more museums and galleries in London than you can shake a stick at and this week it’s another good one, Dulwich Picture Gallery. The rain cleared whilst we were inside the Gallery, so we headed across the road for a stroll in Dulwich Park once we were done – bonus!
Read MoreHorniman Museum and Gardens
I have to declare an interest in the subject of this week’s post: the Horniman is my local museum and my son and I have spent many a happy hour there. Behind its attractive Arts and Crafts exterior, this quirky South London museum houses the eclectic collections of the tea merchant and philanthropist, Frederick John Horniman. With 16 acres of gardens, an aquarium, and its famous, stuffed Victorian Walrus (yes, really), the Horniman Museum is a great, family-friendly destination.
Read MoreSpitalfields City Farm
Mention Brick Lane and you might be thinking about curries, trendy boutiques, vibrant nightlife or the famous 24-hour bagel shop. Or at least I do, but maybe that’s a sign of a misspent youth. When I’m in the area these days, I’m less likely to be found checking out a new bar, and more likely to be taking a short detour down a side street to the Spitalfields City Farm…
Read MoreCrystal Palace Park
After our successful trip to Greenwich Park a couple of weeks ago, this week we set off to explore another of London’s fantastic, green spaces: Crystal Palace Park. Although the Crystal Palace that gave the area its name is long gone, the Park retains a number of quirky attractions that make it worth a visit.
Read MoreGreenwich Park and National Maritime Museum
If you live in London, the chances are that you have been to Greenwich at some point. One of the capital’s prettiest and most historic areas, with its bustling market, quirky boutiques and riverside location – it’s an appealing, if touristy, place to hang out. But unlike many areas of London, Greenwich’s charm only increases once you have children, with its fantastic park and Royal Museums offering all you could need for a family day out. The Borough was bestowed with Royal status this year to mark the Queen’s Jubilee and Greenwich Park will host the Olympic equestrian events this Summer, making 2012 the perfect opportunity to discover (or rediscover) Greenwich’s charms. There’s too much to do in one day, so this time our babydaytrip took in Greenwich Park and the National Maritime Museum.
Read More
