Seven of most exciting new things to do with children in London this summer

Times

4 days ago

The British capital is a lot of things: historic, sure, but also expensive and busy. It's also full of parks, free museums and some of the world's best tourist attractions, all things that appeal to younger visitors and their parents looking for entertainment during the long summer holiday.
London is a patchwork of villages with their own charming individual flavour — from Dulwich to Dollis Hill, Walthamstow to Wandsworth and Barking to Bayswater — and thanks to a world-beating public transport system, it's easy to zip around them all. Throw in a welcoming spirit and you've got the best city in the world for families. As long as you stand on the right on the Tube escalators, of course.
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Kids and adults alike can practise their swing at this pop-up flower-power themed mini golf course right by the O2. Unusually for London, there's no booking required (£3, until August 31; greenwichpeninsula.co.uk). There's plenty going on at the Greenwich Peninsula this summer: wander along the Tide, an elevated riverside walkway full of public art, including the brightly coloured ribbons and flags from designer Kitty Joseph; and catch free theatre shows at the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival (until Sept 6; festival.org). Kids will love a ride on the IFS cable car, which zips across the river from North Greenwich to the Excel Centre and back again (one way from £4 for children and £7 for adults; tfl.gov.uk).
It might seem like madness to take your children to a computer game-themed activity when you're doing all you can to get them off screens, but they will love you for it. At least in this version of Minecraft they'll be standing up, jumping and running between a series of rooms. They can play a supersized version the game, across interactive floors to stomp on and collect diamonds, then, at the end — their favourite part — throw snowballs (real balls this time) at moving digital enemies (children £26, adults £31, until September 28; minecraftexperience.com). It's attached to Corner Corner, a cool food hall that's home to Cafe Sireli, which serves Armenian-eastern Mediterranean dishes, and has outdoor seating overlooking the waterside benches and gardens of Surrey Quays (mains from £8; cornercorner.com).
The Southbank is a brilliant place for children. There are eye-popping river views from the waterfront promenade, splash pads for hot days and — deep breath — the London Eye. Plus, the superb Southbank Centre always has a reliable rotation of activities for young children, usually every few months. This year they include Replay, a playground made from recycled waste materials, with wooden tunnels, slides and a ball pit (from £8, until August 24; southbankcentre.com). There are also plenty of crowd-pleasing restaurants with great kids' menus and alfresco tables overlooking the Thames.
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Londoners groan about the cliché of open-top bus tours, but this one from Tootbus is specially designed for little ones with short attention spans. The Tootbus London Kids' Tour is a condensed version, taking just 45 minutes to zip around big-hitters including the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament and Piccadilly Circus. Grab a seat up top for the best views. On board, children are fed fun facts, given activity books with games and puzzles along the way, and can join in with quizzes (£24; tootbus.com)
The Baddies is another smash hit from the Gruffalo author and illustrator duo Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The playful stage show features magical characters including a witch, a ghost and a troll, and runs at Cadogan Hall, a small theatre off Sloane Square in Chelsea, until August 24 (from £19.50; cadoganhall.com). Scoff some Baddies goodies at a themed afternoon tea afterwards at the nearby Rubens at the Palace hotel, a 15-minute walk from the theatre (children from £45, adults from £70; rubenshotel.com).
Standing for The Way I See Things, Twist is a den of bafflement featuring optical illusions and immersive science that is better value than its Oxford Street location might suggest. Room after room is filled with mind-warping exhibits that mess with perception and perspective. Stick your head in a mirrored revolving tube to see your face reflected a zillion times, stand inside a kaleidoscope and enter a faux café with warped proportions. Weeks themed around topics such as science and music run through the summer, offering extra workshops (children £21, adults £28; twistmuseum.com)
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What kid doesn't love dinosaurs? This show, at entertainment space Neon in the shadow of reinvigorated Battersea Power Station, takes families on an immersive journey to Isla Nubar, the home of Jurassic World. On a wander through the world they'll spot giant animatronic brachiosauruses, velociraptors and even a giant T. rex (children from £20, adults from £26; jurassicworldexperience.com). The power station is also worth a wander, either by the riverside or via its colourful wooden playground (batterseapowerstation.co.uk).
How are you entertaining your kids in the capital this summer? Let us know in the comments