On first look London can appear far from child friendly, but really there are so many exciting things to do, many of which are free. Numerous sites exist on the net that offer great suggestions for fun with the family including LondonNet, Kids Love London, London Treasures and About, but the following information provides a broad summary.

MUSEUMS

The Science Museum on Exhibition Road in South Kensington is open seven days a week and has free entry. As well as special exhibitions, permanent subjects include Space, Medicine and Biology and the Environment. There are daily special events including drama performances, museum tours, and a fantastic IMAX 3D Cinema which shows educational and fun films although at a cost.

The Natural History Museum is an old favourite with its ornate central hall complete with diplodocus skeleton. Located on Cromwell Road, entry is free although guest exhibitions such as the bicentenary of Darwin's birth will require the purchase of tickets. Subject matters include mammals, dinosaurs and volcanoes. Over Christmas there is also a fantastic winter wonderland skating rink.

The V&A is located a short distance from the Natural History Museum on Cromwell Road, and runs great weekend and holiday events for families. You can sign-up online for a family events newsletter which will keep you up to date with anything interesting going on.

For a more comprehensive list of museums in the capital visit our Museums page or Wikipedia.

LONDON ZOO

Located in the north end of Regent's Park, London Zoo is the most famous in the world. Entry is free for under 3's but beyond that taking a whole family can add up. Pricey as it may be there is more than enough to occupy young and old for a whole day, and if there is still energy to spare you can explore the gardens and lakes of Regent's Park. Adjacent to the canal, take a walk along the towpath to Camden or Little Venice or alternatively hop on one of the canal boats travelling between the two. For more information on boat trips visit the canal museum.

MILLENNIUM WHEEL

The London Eye is free to under 5's and children up to the age of 15 travel for half price - £7.75. The flight lasts 30 minutes and affords fantastic views of the Thames and the surrounding bridges and buildings. The wheel continues at a slow, constant speed, so although stepping on and off at motion it is a simple procedure even with small children in tow. For more information visit the London Eye website.

THE LONDON AQUARIUM

The London Aquarium holds one of the largest displays of aquatic life in Europe, and regularly holds special events for families with children. Located on the South Bank just up from London Eye, Under 3's go for free, whilst children up to the age of 17 pay a reduced entry fee. For more information visit the London Aquarium website.

THE CIRCUS

Set in a Victorian power station in Hoxton, Circus Space provides youth programmes such as Tiny Tops - a class designed to teach the under 8's about balance and hand eye coordination through the fun of the circus.

OUTDOOR LONDON

Throughout the capital outdoor spaces are in abundance. From the Royal Parks of Regent's, Hyde, Greenwich and Richmond Parks; to the reservoirs of Manor House and paddling pools and adventure parks on Hampstead Heath. There are also great city farms, which although are free to visit always welcome donations for their upkeep.

CERAMICS CAFES

Great for rainy days, there are a number of ceramic cafes across London, where kids can paint crockery whilst mum and dad drink coffee and eat cakes. Needless to say there are many creative parents who are building crockery collections under the guise of keeping their kids occupied. Such cafes include All Fired Up in Dulwich or the Pottery Cafe in Fulham.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

The queues can be massive but such attractions as Madame Tussauds, London Dungeons and The Tower of London can be excellent Saturday afternoon trips.

HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES

This is a charity that looks after the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Banqueting House, Kensington Palace and Kew Palace. For more information on what they have to offer for children and families visit the Historic Royal Palaces websites.

CLOTHKITS

Clothkits is a website selling patterns for clothes and dolls, for adults and children alike and has been an institution in the UK since the 70s. They also run great workshops welcoming all ages and teaching haberdasher skills to produce an end product such as an Eskimo doll or a summer dress. For more information visit Clothkits.

BOWLING

Kids and adults alike love to bowl. For some of the larger bowling alleys in London check out Yell.

THE PUPPET BARGE

With locations in Little Venice and Richmond, the Puppet Barge presents marionette and rod puppet shows throughout the year, with seasonal specials such as Scrooge at Christmas.

Remember, if you are prepared to think outside of the box there are endless possibilities for unique and exciting activities.

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