Visit London’s Family-Friendly Museums and Galleries

After hours of cultural immersion, why not point out the places you visited from the London Eye?

By AMY HERITAGE

London is home to a phenomenal amount of galleries and museums, many of which are free to enter – making them a brilliant idea for a thrifty day out. They are also often family-friendly, offering lots of activities for children. Here are a few tips, so you can make the best of your cultural experience:

Limit your visits 

Some of London’s more famous attractions, like the Natural History Museum and the British Museum, hold a phenomenal amount of artifacts. The sheer size and magnitude of these museums can be incredibly daunting, especially if you have young children in tow. Instead of wandering around the museum aimlessly, pushing through massive crowds, until your kids are tired and cranky – research the attraction first. What is it that you really want to see? The whale skeleton? The real-life mummies? Then, put a time limit on how long you intend to stay in the museum. That way you can get the kids involved in planning the trip, they can look forward to seeing the exhibitions, and they will leave before they become tired and bored. If you can’t cram everything you want to see in an hour, just come back another day – that’s the beauty of things being free!

Take a tour

Art galleries often aren’t very exciting for children – there is only so long they can spend walking around looking at pictures. Instead, try to engage them in the gallery – many of London’s galleries run activities for children on a regular basis. Every Sunday the National Gallery runs a ‘magic carpet story telling’ event for under 5’s, where the story behind a painting will be brought to life by lively gallery guides. Even the Tate Modern, which is associated with the cutting-edge of modern art, has an ‘under 5’s zone’ for children to play in a ‘creative environment’ that is inspired by the various themes of Cubist artworks. Check on the website of a gallery to see what’s on, or ring the education officer – every museum and gallery will have one. There is also a UK website, called ‘Kids in Museums’ dedicated to making attractions more family-friendly.

Try something different

Sometimes it can be rewarding to stray from the path and check-out some of London’s less famous attractions. The lesser known museums are often smaller and less busy, so they can be much less stressful. The Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green is entirely dedicated to childhood-related objects and artifacts – so you are guaranteed to find something here for any age. Similarly, the Cartoon Museum has a great focus on both adults and children. A visit to Pollocks Toy Museum however, might not be as thrifty as you had first imagined – the shop is so good you might have to buy something!

Top Thrifty Tip: Food near attractions is hugely expensive, especially if it’s aimed at families. You will save lots if you bring your own food.

Amy Heritage writes about family holidays for thriftyholidays.co.uk.