The Perfect Sunny Day in Central London with Kids Under 10 🇬🇧🧸
Planning a day out in London with little ones? Here’s how to make it magical, memorable, and meltdown-free – all in one perfect itinerary for kids under 10! Had a plan to do things outside but it ended up being a rainy day? This happens quite often in London, but don’t let it ruin your trip to one of the greatest cities and steal our how to spend a rainy day in London itinerary.
A map of the first half of the day showing where and how far the walk is
🕗 8:00 AM – Breakfast at Regency Café
Start your day with a hearty, classic English breakfast at the art deco-style Regency Café (yes, the one featured in movies!). It’s loud enough to mask kid noises and quick on service – a win-win for families. If this is too far from your hotel you can just google what is a traditional English breakfast near is and find something that is closest or have breakfast in your hotel if that is easiest!
🇬🇧 9:00 AM - Visit Big Ben and Westminster Abbey
Walk to Big Ben and take pictures on the Westminster Bridge (the earlier the better for crowd reasons) OR steal our favorite place to get pictures in front of Big Ben. Then walk over to Westminster Abbey as you make your way to Buckingham palace. This is all very close and an easy walk. The palace is only a 8-10 minute walk from Westminster Abbey.
💂♂️ 11:00 AM – Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace
Next: Make your way to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guards. Only about a 15 minute walk from Big Ben, but the crowds will start to form no matter the day of the week (changing of the guards march only happens (Mon-Wed-Fri-Sun). So be prepared depending on the day it can get very crowded. You don’t need to be in front of the Palace so see them. You can stand a little farther away near the entrance to St. James and you will see then march by and still have a great view or walk a little farther down the mall and you will have a better view.
🛝 12:00 PM – Picnic at Hyde Park (near a playground)
Venture over to Hyde Park to have a picnic. The playground with water is about 2 miles away so if that is too far to walk you can grab a taxi or put it in your google maps to see how to take public transport. Pick up sandwiches and snacks from Pret or M&S and let the kids run wild at the Diana Memorial Playground – inspired by Peter Pan – with a giant pirate ship, teepees, and sensory trails. It’s fully enclosed and has café facilities nearby for grown-up coffee or beverage needs. Also, only a short 5-8 min walk away is the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain. On a hot day in the city this is our go to place for the kids to play. It is not a swimming pool (to be clear) but the water is cold and its big enough that if it’s busy you are not on top of lot of people and you can sit and relax while they play.
🛶 2:30 PM – Pedal or Rowboat on the Serpentine
On a nice day, one of our favorite things to do is rent a pedal or rowboat for a short cruise on the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park. This is actually right across the lake from the fountain! Life jackets are available, and kids love the novelty of being on the water with grown-ups doing the paddling, although my kids fought over who would peddle so I enjoyed the ride.
BREAK/NAP
Map of the second half of your day and how far/how much walking
🍦 3:30 PM – Ice Cream at Chin Chin Labs (Soho)
Reward your crew with nitro ice cream from Chin Chin Labs – where science meets sweets. Watch their eyes light up as clouds of liquid nitrogen create the coolest treat in town. (If you have small children use this time for a nap or some down time or grab an ice cream in any of the park stands as most of them serve various forms of ice cream that is convenient).
🧸 4:30 PM – Toy Heaven at Hamleys
No London trip with kids is complete without a visit to Hamleys on Regent Street – the world’s oldest toy store. The in-store demos and multi-floor madness make it feel like Disneyland for toys. Pro Tip: Set a budget or time limit for your kids, this way it is not as overwhelming for you or them as there is SO MUCH to see here.
🍝 6:00 PM – Dinner at Pizza Pilgrims or any of these restaurants in Kingly Court.
located right near Carnaby street and less than a 5 minute walk from Hamleys, end the day at any of these amazing indoor and outdoor restaurants in this courtyard. We did not make reservations but it was a week night. Most of these are sit down but pretty quick service so reservation are not needed. We LOVED Pizza Pilgrims but some other options include:
-Club Mexicana
-Dirty Bones
-Goldies
& sooo many more!
🌙 8:00 PM – Walk around Oxford/Regent Streets
If your kids are not ready for bed yet, walk around Oxford and Regent streets and visit some shops before heading back to your hotel. There are hundreds of shops within a mile including Zara, H&M, Lululemon, Primark, JD Sports, and of course souvenir stores.
