London Archives - A Baby on Board blog

The Beano: The Art Of Breaking The Rules Exhibition: Everything You Need To Know

Gillian — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 12:11:13 +0000

We Loved The Beano: The Art Of Breaking The Rules At Somerset House Here’s Everything You Need To Know About The New Beano Art Exhibition In London If you loved iconic comic The Beano, have a child who loves The Beano or just want something fun to do, then you should head on over to new art exhibition The Beano: The Art Of Breaking Rules at Somerset House . Who used to read The Beano as a child? I’d sneak my brother’s copy until I was allowed my own, which obviously he loved. Ahem. My favourite Beano characters were Gnipper the baby dog (does anyone remember when Gnasher went missing and then came back with him?) And Minnie The Minx, of course. My children now read the more modern version too, and find it just as funny as I did all those years ago. The Beano: The Art Of Breaking The Rules – What Is It? The Beano: The Art Of Breaking The Rules is an exhibition in celebration of the art of The Beano, and a exhibition of art that’s inspired by it and in the spirit of rule breaking. There’s a lot to look at! It’s laid out brilliantly, in a child-friendly colourful Beano Town set over a couple of floors. IT even has its own art gallery and record store. As well as a lot of fun and fascinating art, there’s an interactive catapult game (expect queues) colouring at the end and you can make and take home your own protest placard. What Did We Think Of The Beano: The Art Of Breaking The Rules? We all loved it! It’s probably better suited for slightly older kids who’ve read The Beano and recognise the characters. It’s also great for adults as there’s so much nostalgia and fascinating ~stuff~ (I’d like to go back child-free for a proper look). The art is brilliant. It prompted a lot of ‘what is art?’ type of discussions among us (Me: ‘what do YOU think?’ :-)) Do I Need To Book Tickets To The Beano Exhibition? How Much Does It Cost? If you want to see the exhibition, you need to pre-book tickets and a time slot for the day. It costs from around £12.50 per ticket, kids under six are free. You can book via the Somerset House website here. When Is The Beano Exhibition On Until? The Beano: The Art Of Breaking The Rules is on till the 6th March 2022. Where Is The Beano: The Art Of Breaking The Rules? It is at Somerset House in central London at the Strand, WC2R 1LA. Make sure you go in via the Somerset House terrace entrance, which is just off Waterloo Bridge. We didn’t, went in the main entrance then spent a long while wondering up and down stairs and randomly around everywhere getting helplessly lost. What Else Is There For Families To Do In London? Other places we love in London include: The London Transport Museum The Florence Nightingale Museum The Tate Modern and The Natural History Museum Further out there’s the Horniman Museum and the Biggin Hill Museum. PS here’s how to get a baby on board badge and how to get a Zip Card.

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Draw On The Floor At Mega Please Draw Freely, The Tate Modern

Gillian — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 21:25:42 +0000

If You’re Searching For More Summer Holiday Activities, We Loved Mega Please Draw Freely If you fancy getting down with your kids and drawing all over the floor of one of the UK’s most famous art galleries, head over to the Tate Modern in London to take part in Mega Please Draw Freely. But what is it, and do you need to book a ticket? Here’s everything you need to know about this new, free art event that’s a lot of fun for children AND parents. What Is Mega Please Draw Freely At The Tate Modern? Mega Please Draw Freely is an interactive art exhibition that’s turned the Turbine Hall floor into a giant drawing pad. It’s been covered with a vinyl surface, and everyone is encouraged to draw, write and doodle whatever you like all over it with giant crayons. There are also daily interactive art sessions at 11am and 2pm that take place in this fun, forest-like space. It’s the idea of artist Ei Awarkawa, who was inspired by the Gutai group of Japanese artists who wanted to change the world through art and play. It is part of Tate Play series of free, creative activities for families. And it’s especially good for every parent who’s ever discovered doodles on their walls or furniture (me). How Does It Work? Once you’re inside the Tate (you need to book first, see below) everyone is given their own bag of big crayons. You’re then free to pick a spot and can draw / write / doodle all over the floor, over and among everyone else’s drawings, writings and doodles. And that’s it, really! Don’t go in your best clothes as you are likely to get crayon all over you (but mainly on your children). And someone will probably try to draw on you with the big crayons. Mainly, your children. As it’s the Tate there is also a cafe area nearby, as well as baby change facilities and a gift shop. How Much Does It Cost And Do We Need To Book A Ticket? Tickets are free, but you need to book a timed slot for the collection route in advance online (this also includes the Tate Modern galleries). More info here. Although a booked time means you have to plan your visit, it does means numbers are kept low. When we went everyone was very spaced out, and wearing masks . Lots of tickets are available, we booked the morning we went. When Is It On Until? It’s on until 29th August. So What Did We Think Of Mega Please Draw Freely At Tate Modern? It’s a lot of fun…for everyone! Parents included. I noticed a lot of parents were really getting into it. Me included, obviously. There’s something really liberating about letting loose with the big crayons. And hopefully they won’t try this at home. Where Is It And When Is It Open? It’s taking place at the Tate Modern, which is open Monday to Sunday 10.00–18.00. The Tate Modern is at Bankside, London SE1 9TG. Where Else Would We Recommend To Take Kids In London? Here are a few more of our favourite places to take kids in London:

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Five great ways to waste time this summer

Gillian — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 08:28:56 +0000

Need more ideas for great ways to waste time this summer…? I can’t believe there’s only about two weeks left; how’s it all going? Despite the predictably terrible weather I have loved us all being around, especially with the joys of with no structure or school runs. Although it is quite tiring being a referee and snack fetcher and constant Barbie hairdresser…and repeat… As everyone was just exhausted at the end of term – me included! – our default summer mode has been to do as little as humanly possible (when I had both children at home we had several fail-safe favourite wastes of time and they still serve us well now, especially the park and the shop). But we have had some more exciting things thrown into the mix. So if you’re running out of new ideas to fill the time, here’s some activity inspiration if you need it, with a few things we’ve done and some new things we’ve been sent. So why not… Take a trip to the moon – One for all the south-east Londoners, did you know your child can train to be astronaut this summer? Taking place at The Glades in Bromley is an interactive space exhibition where children learn about space life as an astronaut, even getting to dress up in space suits and helmets to try out a moon walk. Once they’ve completed the ‘training’ – which takes an hour, so you can easily nip off to Zara – they even get a certificate. It’s all free, you just need to book online here (it’s suitable for 5+ so not one for the younger ones, although there’s are space-themed displays anyone can look at). We went for lunch after at the newish Bromley restaurant terrace, which has the uber child-friendly Giraffe, Wagamama and Byron, among others, as well as close proximity to another park. Go to the library – Nothing gives me a big dose of nostalgia like the library, my childhood spiritual home. So I’m totally emotional about E taking part in the summer reading challenge for the first time this year (it has an ‘Animal Agent’ theme where they read six books to get stickers to solve a mystery). It’s a great place to look for children’s activities; there’s also a whole load of library brilliance going on in ours this summer, from readings to Lego craft sessions. So we’ve spent a lot of time there so far. But the best thing of all? It’s all free. We love the library, make sure you love your library – or it will be turned into a gym or a wine bar *angry face* Go somewhere new – We are as guilty as anyone of only going to the same places, especially in London. In a bit to inspire us we were sent the new book Family London by Jimi Famurewa, which is a guide to fun days out in and around the city for children and families. It’s split into sections – parks, museums, eating and so on – and has so many brilliant suggestions for non-terrible touristy things and off-the-beaten-track suggestions everyone will actually all enjoy doing (the book looks and feels great, too – we love the photos). It’s aimed at people who know and love London as much as people who’ve never visited. As well as lots of our favourites (Horniman Museum, Science Museum and so on) there’s lot of places we’ve not yet been and have added to our list. This has actually been a useful book in more ways than one as it’s kept both children occupied for a long time while reading it and deciding where they want to go next. Try something new – Inspired by the Family London book, I asked E what new thing she wanted to do and her answer was to go to a pottery cafe, which is one of the suggestions she loved reading about. The nearest one to us is Fired Up in Petts Wood (although I’m sure there are lots around). If you’ve ever seen the episode of Topsy and Tim where they go to a pottery cafe I’m sure you’ll know the concept – you buy from a selection of plain pottery items and then paint them as you wish. It’s then fired in the kiln and you pick it up a week later. Both my children loved this, although one’s painting was slightly neater than the splodge-happy other. Watch a film at the cinema – Screen time, but in a different environment out of the house! What’s not to love? After a disastrous trip to see Beauty and The Beast recently I’d been scared off the cinema, which is silly as both my children love it with the right film – and cinemas always seem to have holiday films on. Last week we were invited to a sneak preview of the new Thomas The Tank Engine film, Journey Beyond Sodor. (Thomas wants to venture far but goes a bit too far and gets into some predictable peril. There’s lots of messages about teamwork and some catchy songs). It’s a good option for all TTTE fans, and their older siblings and one of the great ways to waste time this summer. We were sent the Family London book and voucher for lunch at The Glades…Here’s some more things to do in London…how to spend 24 hours in London, the Natural History Museum and our favourite London parks

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How to spend 24 hours in London with children

Gillian — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 04:30:07 +0000

There are a million different ways you could spend 24 hours in London with children, from art galleries to rides and tourist attractions and shops and parks and…you get the picture. We spent 24 hours there over the Mother’s Day weekend so here’s what we got up to. Pre-children, our time would probably have been spent a) finding out where our friends were drinking and b) meeting them for most of the day, via Topshop Oxford Circus. I jest, but one of the many ways London changes as a parent is that obviously the focus switches from entertaining you, often with alcohol, to entertaining them. There’s loads to do but it can be difficult to know what will suit very young children and adults too. Despite living in London (well, greater London at the moment) and spending a lot of time there we’ve never stayed overnight in as a family. We were offered a night in a hotel and had a cinema trip to go to so thought it would be fun to combine everything, have a staycation and do a lot of fun stuff. Here’s how we spent 24 hours in London with children: Where we stayed with children in London: We stayed in the Citadines Trafalgar Square which is on Northumberland Avenue street, just off Trafalgar Square and behind Charing Cross station. The Citadines Trafalgar Square is an aparthotel, meaning all the rooms are actually mini apartments with kitchens as well as the usual hotel room set-up. There are three different types of suite, from a studio to a two bed, but ours slept four people with a double bedroom and two single sofa beds in the main living area. I’d never thought of staying in an apartment with children but it makes so much more sense than a normal hotel room, especially when you’re in London or on a city break. Why? There’s a kitchen, in a hotel room – I know! – which means you can prepare food and drinks whenever you want, store snacks and milk in the fridge and don’t have to worry about finding somewhere to eat that will suit everyone and serve food at the right time. Included in our apartment kitchen was a fridge, hob, sink, microwave and even a dishwasher, plus it came stocked with everything you might need, from tea towels to cutlery and even dishwasher tablets. There’s no washing machine but there is a hotel laundry room. The fact that there are separate rooms means the children can go to bed at their normal time and you can go to bed at your normal time without having to be really silent or sneak around trying not to wake them. And you can watch TV in the other room without having to worry about it being quiet. These are the sofa beds, and two children pretending to be asleep… One of the best things about the hotel is the location, which was BRILLIANT. It was just off Trafalgar Square behind Embankment and Charing Cross Stations. Just by the bridge so you can walk over to the London Eye, Southbank and Tate or down to the Houses of Parliament. It’s right near the river and really near Soho and Covent Garden. It’s a perfect location for seeing lots, and for dropping stuff off or going back for naps and snacks. Here’re how we spent our 24 hours in London: First, we headed over to the Picturehouse Central cinema which is just off Piccadilly (it’s actually opposite where I used to work, which will clearly mean nothing unless you know where that is). Picturehouse cinemas are lovely anyway, and this one was the loveliest – the cafe / bar looked brilliant too if you’re in the area. We went to see the premiere of Peppa Pig: My First Cinema Experience, which is a film-length set of new episodes woven together with live action sections presented by an uber-enthusiastic kids’ TV presenter. Aptly for our trip the first episode was about Peppa’s trip to London, where Miss Rabbit takes the playgroup on a day trip and they end up being driven round by the Queen (honestly, you have to see it). Both children absolutely loved the film and I actually did too – there were a lot more jokes for parents as well as cameos from people like David Mitchell. There was also the novelty factor of not having seen these episodes a million times already. Despite it being slightly on the long side, it could have done with being two Peppas shorter as most of the younger portion of the theatre had the fidgets by the end, I think it’s a pretty safe bet to take younger children to. There were also craft and entertainment activities in the cinema beforehand and a brilliant goodie bag that kept both children entertained in our hotel after. After the screening we walked over to China Town to have a look around. The weather was unseasonably sunny so we did a lot of walking (hi, landmarks). The carousel by the London Eye is back, so after checking into our hotel we nipped over the bridge for a ride and then wandered along the river and into the Southbank Centre (which is a great, relatively safe space for little legs to run around). I’ve never seen the appeal of the big Leicester Square stores that always have queues outside (the M&M one remains a complete mystery). But the mini Lego fan in our family had walked past the new Lego Store recently and really wanted to go in. On the way to our hotel we walked past and there was no queue, so we popped in. And it was pretty good, I have to admit… There are giant Lego London structures including a giant tube train you can sit in, and a Lego Big Ben the toddler lurched towards which made the security guard run over, looking terrified. What we ate: I would love to be one of those […]

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Dining with dinosaurs at The Natural History Museum

Gillian — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 04:55:36 +0000

You can’t really argue that the Natural History Museum is one of the best London museums for children and adults (although it’s on a long list with our other favourites including The Science Museum, The Horniman Museum…oh and *way* too many to list). I loved the Natural History Museum when I was younger and my children love it too; there’s dinosaurs and now a whole herd of childhood nostalgia. Although the museum’s most famous resident is currently off on tour there are still dinos-aplenty and all the other usual exhibitions, as well as E’s favourite, the earthquake simulator. There’s also the brand new T Rex Grill, the dinosaur themed restaurant in the museum, which we headed over to try out a few weeks ago. It’s been given a prehistoric twist with dino decorations and a new menu from Benugo. Adults mains are around £10 – £15 so it’s not the cheapest lunch, although you are in central London and a major tourist location. And the children’s menu has an £8 meal deal, which is on a par with Pizza Express. The food is also really good (I had the giant T Rex burger and everyone else had, predictably, pizza). The puddings are also great; the ice cream even comes with chocolate dinosaurs and dinosaur eggs (although the grown-ups had the chocolate lava cake). One of the many ways London changes when you’re a parent is that it becomes less about places to entertain you – mostly involving alcohol – and more about keeping your children occupied. The best places are those that do both. And somewhere like the T Rex Grill and the Natural History Museum, where you can get good food in the process, is a massive bonus (P.S. – there’s also a wine list). Thanks to the T Rex Grill for inviting us to try out the menu. More London posts…our favourite London parks, how to use public transport in London with a pram and how to get a baby on board badge

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Five things from the weekend

Gillian — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 04:55:37 +0000

Things have been mildly quiet around here lately (no real reason why, just mainly the post-half-term-catch-up and general life-stuff-stuff). So here’s a mini update of five things we’ve been getting up to lately: One: Mainly wearing hats it seems (F’s is way better!) and laughing into the middle distance, I can’t remember why. We had lovely visitors this weekend so spent Saturday on the Southbank and going on the London Eye, somewhere neither of the girls had been on and I’d not been on in years and years. We spent a lot of time in the playground right by it, which they’ve always been too small for before but really loved it. Two: It’s World Book Day this week, which seems to take on a new and more loaded meaning when you start school, doesn’t it? Although we seem to have been dealt a get-out-of-jail-free card and actually don’t have to dress up at school (but are at nursery and I’m not sure which one of us is looking forward to that more.Two words; Worst Witch). I’m pretty excited to be over on Junior talking about 20 modern classic children’s books for WBD, which include a list of all the children’s books I love, with everything from our old favourite the Pantone Colours book to the one that makes me cry every time. Three: With somewhat apt timing, following this post on the going rate for the tooth fairy we said bye to tooth number three at the weekend *I’m not ready for this!* *waaa, etc*. Pretty lucky we didn’t set the going rate too high in the end. Four: We also took part in our first Window Wanderland this weekend, which is the loveliest idea – where you and your neighbours decorate their windows and it creates a winter walking trail around your local area. I remember seeing the Bristol one last year which looked fab. There’s a couple of photos on my Instagram of our favourite windows (although there were so many!) We went for a space theme in the end. Five: And finally…Things I’ve been reading: this all about Teen Vogue (which wrote about here and here). Things you might have missed – Miffy memories in honour of Dick Bruna and also on Beyonce and the right way to be pregnant.

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Festival of Love, The Southbank

Gillian — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 22:00:12 +0000

This weekend had a bit of a heart-shaped-theme – we went to a wedding party, but met up beforehand with friends on The Southbank where the Festival of Love is taking place (very apt!). If you’re looking for some summer holiday activities for children in London then you should head down… I have a lot of love – pun intended – for The Southbank, not least because it’s easy for us to get to and there’s always something interesting going on. It’s one of those places that whenever we go, we always think we should visit more (not least because…see previous sentence). We had street food (or street ice lollies for some of us) then wandered around: And then headed to meet up at the best thing of all, the Brazilian-themed beach that’s currently in residence by the bank of the river. A giant sandpit next to some pop-up bars? Perfect combo, everyone was happy. It’s worth going to for the sandpit alone which both the girls loved and spent ages playing in (although there was the suncream and sand combo…plus both of them picking up half the beach in their hair). And here’s a token blurry-but-happy lift selfie on the way to our wedding party, along with half of the sand in our hair (of course). Here’s to lovely weekends, and love. Have you been to The Southbank? More info on what’s going on over the summer is here. If you’re looking for some summer holiday ideas for London, then check out my guide to the best London parks, ideas for toddler activities in London, things to do in London when you’re two, London Zoo, The Science Museum and the Horniman Museum. Phew. And if you’re not quite at that stage yet, then here’s how to get a Baby on Board badge and tips to get around London’s public transport with a pram. And on that link-tastic note, I’m off to drink a giant pint of cold squash before one of my too-hot children wakes up.

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London with toddlers: 10 of the best things for toddlers to do in London

Gillian — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 21:43:30 +0000

London with toddlers…what are the best things for toddlers to do in London? Here’s a list of our top ten things to do with toddlers in London – these are all things we love and have liked in London at the baby, toddler and pre-schooler stage. There are many ways that London changes when you’re a parent, not least how you spend your time (goodbye leisurely shopping sprees and long weekends spent drinking) but these are some of our favourite, kid-friendly, mainly free, ideas for when we venture out with our two in tow. Make sure you also read my tips on how to use London’s public transport with a pram, and if you’re not at the children stage just yet, here’s how to get a baby on board badge. And if you have any firm favourites I’ve missed off, leave a comment and let me know. London with toddlers: Here are the best things for toddlers to do in London: Museums: There are SO many museums in London and lots of them are great, like all the big ones – the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, The Transport Museum – and of course the Horniman Museum if you’re further south. Public transport: Sounds like strange one to recommend as it can often be a nightmare, especially when you have a pram and it’s busy (which is, lets face it, at all times). But London it’s a city that includes trams, a cable car, buses, trains, a monorail, boats and a train that goes under the ground. Which is the most fun when you’re small. E loves nothing more than sitting on the top deck of any bus, pretending to drive it. Or going down to Ikea Croydon on the tram, the joys. Here’s how to get around on London’s public transport with a pram. You can also plan an accessible journey with TFL. Animals: London Zoo, with newly added lions at the moment. There’s a surprising amount of city farms – we used to live in Crystal Palace really close to Crystal Palace Park Farm. There’s also an aquarium at the Horniman that includes the much-Instagrammed glow-in-the-dark jellyfish. Art galleries: In terms of the best things for toddlers to do in London, the Tate Modern is still our favourite (despite this incident). There’s lots of space to run around, great things to look at and decent eating options for everyone. Parks: Here are the best south east London parks – but there’s so many good green spaces. Play parks: We’ve still not visited any of the big parks like Comram Fields or The Princess Diana Playground – both are on the list. But at the moment we spend a lot of time in local ones including Crystal Palace Park, the Bromley ‘sandpit park’ but mostly our local local little park. I don’t think you can go far wrong with any of them at this very young age. Touristy sites: We mainly avoid these like the plague, but have taken a couple of detours via Buckingham Palace, because it’s where the Queen lives, and that’s kind of a big deal when you’re four. Walks: Go along the Southbank (with a trip into the Royal Festival Hall). Covent Garden is good, but parts of it are a nightmare with a pram due to the cobbles. Walking down Carnaby Street when the Christmas lights are on can be lovely. Eating: I’d love to say my children are complete foodies who love nothing more than going to the latest London pop-up restaurants, but that would be a) a lie and b) expensive. So Pizza Express aka ‘the pizza cafe’ or Giraffe are still the favourites, and they are everywhere. Or any cafe, or going to M&S for a park picnic. Drinking: One for the adults! It’s hard to find good pubs with play areas and beer gardens in London – let me know if you know any! But there’sThe Paxton in Gypsy Hill (with beach huts and a play area in the garden) and The Florence in Herne Hill. Things we wouldn’t recommend: Anywhere uber touristy like Madam Tussards. Museums on Saturdays or during school holidays. Hamleys right before Christmas (or at most times). Actually, this could be a whole other list… If you loved this post on the best things for toddlers to do in London read more posts…if toddlers did London fashion week and the politics of Paw Patrol

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12 ways London changes when you’re a parent

Gillian — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 05:06:42 +0000

12 Ways London Changes When You’re A Parent… What are the ways London changes when you’re a parent? ‘Great news!’ I thought this week when I read that the Night Tube might actually be happening soon. And then I realised, it’s been years pre-children since we’ve lived on a tube line and the rare times I venture out in the evening it’s on the bus, to somewhere local, and I’m tucked up in bed before 12 (10.30). Oh. Here’s 12 other ways London changes once you’re a parent: Baby on Board? You’re still green around the gills on the morning commute, but this time the only person in the carriage who didn’t go out for ‘just the one’ Thursday night drinks with your colleagues Guest lists? Now it’s all about nursery place waiting lists. Who knew you should have put your child’s name down ten years before you even started thinking about thinking about children? And it costs how much a month? Thanks for nothing, London You make the inevitable retreat from central central to zone 4 or 5. Or even *whispers* beyond that. It’s like a slow walk of shame you hope your twenty-something self won’t see (you swore it would never happen…) Previously you picked living locations based on pubs, bars and rolling-out-of-bed proximity to transport links. Now it’s all about sensible things like space, green places, schools and the closeness to Waitrose The newest pop-up restaurants and avent garde city supper club scene means nothing to you, but you’re all about Pizza Express and Giraffe. Wine AND crayons? Everyone’s happy. Bring it on All those glorious acres of London’s green spaces used to be a convenient location for your Sunday paper pre-pub picnic, or summer weekend Prosecco fest. Now? Finding the play park and trying not to freeze while you secretly check Facebook in your pocket Clapham Junction, once the hungover harbinger of doom that work was very close, is now a glorious joy with its wide platforms and lift access to every level Before? You knew the tube map like the back of your hand and could locate shortcuts and secret places all over the city. Now, you’ve a bone fide catchment area bore who can recite the distance for all of the 800 schools within coughing distance of your house (‘I know, 0.004 miles! Ridiculous!’) All these amazing tourist attractions, events, and places of interest..that you never went to because they’re two too many stops away on the tube and you were always hungover. Now? You still don’t go because the pram on the tube is a faff and they’re too full of children (although looking at everything through the eyes of your own child, it is kind of cool that there are some jewels in a tower, a big old bridge and the Queen of England lives in a massive castle right in the middle of it all) People now actually speak to you in the the street and on public transport…if only to dole out unwanted parenting advice and generally unhelpful comments. Come back, no eye contact and deathly silence, all is forgiven You get really nostalgic for things like the top deck of the bus, the ground floor of Topshop Oxford Circus and standing outside pubs in the road in the summer Tired of London, tired of life? Nope, just really, really tired. More London posts…how to get a baby on board badge, things we love(d) about Crystal Palace and some places we like – London Zoo, The Horniman Museum, Crystal Palace Farm and The Science Museum (and things they don’t tell you in NCT classes, but TOTALLY should) Make sure you follow me over on Instagram

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Review: London Zoo with toddlers

Gillian — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 22:08:44 +0000

London Zoo With Toddlers – What’s It Like? We take a trip to review London Zoo with toddlers – how suitable is it for babies and small children? One of the great things about living in London with toddlers and children is all the amazing things for them to do. And in typical living-in-London style, if they’re slightly far away we don’t often venture to actually do them. This is why it took a Christmas present from my parents to get us to visit London Zoo with toddlers (Christmas was ten months ago, it’s taken us that long. Can we still blame the baby bubble?). We Take a Trip To London Zoo So London Zoo with toddlers, what’s it like? What’s The Best Age For Children to Visit London Zoo? 1At very nearly one, Florence was (obviously) a bit too young to really appreciate it fully, but absolutely loved the penguins. At nearly-four, Eliza loved most of it, and wanted to go again the next day. What’s The Best Time To Visit London Zoo? It probably pays to go out of season and avoid the peak summer / holiday times. We went on a Saturday though, it didn’t seem that busy. Also, if you* buy tickets online it’ll save you having to queue to buy them. (* your mum buys them for you for Christmas. What a great idea for a present – mums, eh?) What Is There To See? The last time I went to the zoo was years and years ago, with my friend, as a sort of distraction pre-drinking (I’m pretty sure we went to the pub after). That time we saw Ian Brown in the monkey enclosure, brilliantly enough. No perfectly fitting celeb spots this time, but as well as all the animals,, there’s a pretty decent playground in there too. 4) Elephant pregnancies are *this* long? Top Tips For Visiting London Zoo With Toddlers If your child decides she really, really more than anything wants her face painted, then it’s probably best to get it done there and then instead of hoping she’ll forget about it and then have to trek back twenty minutes later, when there’s a queue. It was one of the highlights of her day though (as well as giraffes. And the zebras. Oh, and the flamingos). More London for toddlers…things to do in Crystal Palace, how to get a Baby on Board badge tips for getting around London on public transport with a baby and Crystal Palace Park Farm

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