Pack as Light as Possible
The easiest way to have a successful trip with young children is to bring as little as possible. There's nothing worse than carrying heavy bags around the city - especially if you have children like ours that enjoy a carry themselves now and then. One trick to travelling light is to get each child to select one item that they want to bring as entertainment. This could be a specific toy, a book, or even a puzzle - it's best to avoid bringing their extra special toy just in case it gets lost in the city. A pad of paper and a pencil case full of pens can keep everyone entertained and are relatively easy to carry too.
If your children are slightly older why not get them to bring and carry their own backpack for the trip. This way they can be responsible for their own items and things such as snacks and a drink, and you're not left carrying everything! A pram is always good for carrying items, but I would advice to only bring one if you 100% need one. A baby carrier and backpack is much easier for navigating around London, especially if you're wanting to use the Tube.
Plan your Travel in Advance
Before you leave for a trip, it's always a good idea to map out the best route between everywhere you're visiting in London. This will not only help you plan your travel and better understand how long it will take to get from one place to another. But by planning travel in advance, you can usually save money on any tickets that you need too. Make sure to always allow extra time to account for delays, or children becoming tired and not being able to move as quickly as you think. London is a big place and takes a lot of walking.
Go at your Children's Pace
It's tempting to schedule all the museums and attractions, but that can result in super tired (and therefore grumpy) children. Instead, let them pick their pace and stick to it. They'll love exploring the city at their own pace, and you'll better understand what they like. Plus, you might find that the more free time you have, the more adventures you can create instead of sticking to a strict schedule!
A great idea it to get each child to pick one thing they definitely want to see or do during the visit, and then plan your day around these plans. It is best to still do this ahead of time though just incase you need to prebook tickets, as I know certain attractions such as the Science Museum, Aquarium, and The London Eye definitely require you to prebook before you visit.
Book a Child-Friendly Hotel
London has a plethora of hotels for every kind of traveller, but make sure you check out the hotel and it's facilities carefully to be confident you are staying in a child-friendly hotel. Ideally you want to find a hotel that is close to your location, for example there is plenty of family-friendly accommodation near Shepherds Bush, which would be perfect for a day shopping at the Westfield Centre. Family friendly hotels usually have more rooms that fit larger family groups, and other bonuses such as child-friendly menus and even evening entertainment sometimes.
Enjoy the City for Free
It can be easy to think of a visit to London and assume you need to book the top tourist attractions. But when you're on a day out with children we all know how expensive things can get (and very quickly too!). You really don't have to spend much on a visit to the city though, as there are so many things to see and do that are completely free!
There are so many museums that you can enjoy for free - just make sure to check ahead about pre-booking like I mentioned above. London has numerous parks and green areas where children would love to run around and explore such as Kensington Gardens which has the Diana Memorial playground. Don't forget there's the fab shops such as Hamley's (the biggest toy store), The Lego Store and The Disney Store that little ones would enjoy looking around too, and Covent Garden always has plenty of free fun to enjoy throughout the year too.
What top tips would you add to my list?
This is a collaborative post.