Here’s something to keep in mind when planning a trip with family; throw in something for everyone. Oh, this is not just general goodwill coming to the fore from my side; rather, I have a weary feeling that we’ll never hear the end of it if anything on the itinerary turns into a yawn-a-minute spot. Furthermore, as the previously young generation-turned responsible adults, we had to look out for teen friendly places for up-and-coming little ones in the family. This way we can all avoid awkward instances where the slightly more conservative family member pries his eyes away from the display, turns to us and says “My word. And you thought it was a good idea to bring the kids here?”.
So, far from the usual madness and bustling spots, what places can the whole family visit in London?
Before I dive into the finer details of this trip, here’s a quick planning tip. It involves a cunning plan, checking up the official websites and extensive use of Google Maps; this was a useful way of organizing travel events when family members are located in different parts of the world. Hence, if, like us, you have family members who are coming from different parts of the world to converge on that one relative in London, this can be an especially handy way of co-ordinating the event. This helped fend off the usual array of queries – “How far is one place from the other”, “Are they open on a Saturday” and “Can we just do John and Jill’s thing all in one day?”. What helped significantly was the creation of a personal map on Google Maps. And so, to this map, we added the various location ideas everyone was playing around with. Now, all we had to do was send the link of the map to all members of the family and plan it all from there onwards.
There was one other site we looked into when planning our way around London. This was the Transport for London website which had a useful little journey planner setup. This way we could find out what transport vehicle would whisk us away to the correct destination.
And now, on to the list of family friendly places.
Do note that we picked a lot of off-beat spots since most of us were not too eager to get caught in a crowd of people thronging through the popular spots.
1. The Charles Dickens Museum in London.
How can you go wrong with Dickens? This is one of those events that will appeal to both children and adults. The older family members will probably remember Dickens from their childhood and thus might be curious to find out a little bit more about him. Unfortunately, as I constantly discover from my cousins, his stories are probably a bit outdated for the current young ones. However, classics never grow old and it has the three key words ideal for family travel – informative and child-friendly.
Here’s a little bit of information about the place. Apparently this museum used to be Dickens’s home and now houses a number of material relevant to the famed writer’s life. What’s the ultimate appeal of this place? Firstly, it is a fantastic little treasure trove of information for a Dickens fan. Secondly, there are some interesting planned events in the museum, most of which are readings from some of his works. Thirdly, they also offer guided walks which pertain to either Dickens’s life or specific works like Oliver Twist.
Address:
48 Doughty Street
London WC1N 2LX
2. Sherlock Holmes Museum
It is not so strange to say that this is one location all family members tend to agree upon. Blame it on the love for Doyle novels or even years of watching Poirot, but thankfully this was a spot that caught everyone’s fancy. And, what’s more, the style and setting suits all ages, thus making it the perfect place for everyone.
This little museum is dedicated to the fictional detective from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous novels. What can you expect to see? Just to name a few attractions ... Sherlock’s famous study as well as his beloved paraphernalia (do the words Persian slippers ring a bell?) and Dr Watson’s room with material relating to some of the most famous cases. There’s plenty more in this museum and it promises to be a fascinating place indeed.
Address (there’s something surreal about typing this out):
The Sherlock Holmes Museum
221b Baker St. London NW1 6XE
3. Dan Dare and the Birth of Hi-Tech Britain
Science and technology sights also appeal to most of the family. In my case, whilst I had an ulterior motive and wanted to see the Astronomy section, I was also glad to find a UK-orientated spot that was great viewing fun for the little ones.
This exhibition lasts up to the last week of October 2009. The aim of this interesting event is highlighting the various technologies and innovations that developed UK. I believe there is also a focus on exploring the individual developments that contributed to technological advancements which, as they imply, can be hard to imagine in this day and age of glottalization and internet connectivity.
Address:
Second Floor
Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD
4. Royal artillery Museum
Admittedly this might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Strangely, the Royal Artillery Museum was another spot that appealed to most family members, be it for its cultural value, its uniquely British appeal or just a boyish love for anything artillery related. Do note that, given its location, this was one of those places that would end up as a day trip.
I can understand how this place would cater to everyone. Other than the usual rigmarole of gunnery that appealed to younger teens, there are plenty of historical artifacts to pique your interest. There’s the fascinating link between Arsenal and the armaments as well as the number of artifacts relating to significant world events like the war with South Africa in late 19th Century. And for the young ones, check out the paintball range within the premises. By the way, given the museum’s varied artifacts and events, I guess it’s no surprise that the place offers to host children’s parties. And so parties boast rock climbing, face painting and of course paintball!
Address:
Royal Artillery Museum
Royal Arsenal
London, SE18 6ST, United Kingdom
Topic: Travel with kids |
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Tags: family, London
About the author
Ami K. Goemans is a freelance writer and webdeveloper who is based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. She moved to Rotterdam from South Africa after living there for 5 years. In addition to visiting little eateries, she loves exploring book stores, museums and computer game stores.
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