London With Kids: Our 5-Year-Old’s Favorite Things to Do in London in Late Fall

Today I'm sharing our trip and how to do London with kids! Here are all of our 5 year-old's favorite things we did in London in late fall...

London in late fall feels like stepping into a storybook - cool, crisp air, gold leaves underfoot, and endless cups of warm tea in hand. I’ve been to London many times, but this was my first visit with my five-year-old daughter. Traveling with kids changes everything… in the best possible ways. The pace slows, the magic shifts, and suddenly the quiet things - ducks, donuts, playgrounds - become the heartbeat of the whole adventure.

My number-one travel philosophy with a young kid: Anchor the trip around one guaranteed hit.

For London, that anchor was simple.

fluffy swan Hyde Park round pond kensington

The swans.

But that was only the start. The vibe. The anchor.

pigeon London pretty colors purple green

10 Things to Do with Kids in London

1. Visit the Swans at Kensington Gardens (Round Pond)

Location: Kensington Gardens

Nearest Tube: Queensway / Lancaster Gate

Best Time: Morning sunlight or late-afternoon glow

Cost: Free

Vibes: London with kids, Hyde Park with kids, best thing to do in London with a 5-year-old

Where We Stayed for the Swans: Royal Garden Hotel

We stayed at the Royal Garden Hotel, which overlooks Kensington Gardens and the Round Pond, home to London’s famously giant, calm, elegant swans.

Every morning, the park glowed gold. Joggers looped past in matching track sets. Tourists snapped photos. Leaves drifted across the water like little pieces of confetti. And my daughter stood at the shore naming swans with absolute confidence that each one remembered her.

We visited every single day - sometimes twice. The swans ended up being the thing she talked about most when we got home.

If you do nothing else with kids in London, do this.

A free, beautiful, zero-stress activity that kids love deeply.

swan open wings in London Hyde Park Kensington

2. Explore the Science Museum + Wonderlab (A Must for Kids)

Location: South Kensington

Cost: Museum free; Wonderlab requires a ticket

Vibes: Science Museum in London, Wonderlab London review, family-friendly museum in London

A short walk from our hotel took us to the Science Museum, which is enormous and endlessly fascinating. Multiple floors cover:

The planets
The human body
Medicine and medical history
Space exploration
Engineering
Light and color
Hands-on experiments
But the real crown jewel: Wonderlab, the highly interactive fourth-floor gallery that requires a ticket and is absolutely worth it.

In Wonderlab kids can:

Race down giant friction slides
Sit in pulleys
Draw with massive spirograph stations
Capture slow-motion droplets
Spin, build, explore
Trigger chemistry experiments
Launch paper 'airplanes' in a wind tunnel
Play with magnets
Create light + shadow displays

It is kinetic, colorful, exciting, and somehow gives parents a moment to just breathe while kids run their own adventure.

A huge, huge win.

spray painting tees Banksy Limitless London

3. Take Kids to the Banksy Exhibit (Surprisingly a Hit)

Location: Central London (rotating locations)

Cost: Paid; VIP includes spray-paint T-shirt

Vibes: Banksy exhibit London, art museums London kids

This one shocked me - my daughter loved the Banksy Limitless exhibition. The art is bold, graphic, humorous, and repetitive in a way that kids find fascinating.

What she loved:

The bright color palettes
The repetition of prints
The textures
Finding the Banksy rat
The cat wall
The whimsy
The clever, funny images
The “infinity-style” video room
And with the VIP ticket, she got to spray-paint her own T-shirt, which was one of her favorite souvenirs of the whole trip.

If your kid has even a tiny flicker of interest in art or color, consider this.

4. Book a Kid-Friendly Afternoon Tea (We Chose the Science Theme)

Location: London hotel with rotating themed teas - The Ampersand Hotel

Vegan Option: Yes (a full tower!)

Vibes: kids afternoon tea London, vegan tea London, family activities London

vegan science tea London ampersand hotel

One of London’s sweetest traditions is children’s afternoon tea - so many hotels do themed versions, from dinosaurs to fairies to space.

We chose a science-themed tea, and it was everything:

• A rocket-ship serving stand
• DIY lemonade experiments
• Color-changing drinks
• Smoke + foam moments
• Planet-themed desserts
• Staff who didn’t blink when things spilled

And best of all: they had a complete vegan tea for me - sandwiches, pastries, the works.

Highly recommend this as a kid-friendly London moment.

5. Wander Through the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland (With Expectations Set)

Location: Hyde Park

Season: Late November – early January

Vibes: Winter Wonderland London review, Christmas markets London with kids

If you’re visiting London during the holiday season, you’ll be surrounded by dreams-in-lights: Christmas markets, decorations, cozy shops, festive treats.

Winter Wonderland is the biggest of the bunch - glowing, loud, enormous, and full of rides, food, games, and carnival energy.

Honest take:

Kids: obsessed
Parents: a little overwhelmed
Best with plenty of time
Not ideal if you’re in a rush
My daughter thought it was magic. I thought it was chaos. But that’s the balance of family travel sometimes.

More mellow markets along the South Bank near the London Eye are also lovely.

6. Playgrounds, Squirrels, and London Dog-Watching

Vibes: London playgrounds for kids, Hyde Park playground, Diana Memorial Playground

Playgrounds became an unexpected highlight of our trip. Actually, every trip we've done with Rosalie basically becomes one big playground exploration. And I love that!

Our favorite:

• Hyde Park Playground, beautiful structures, lots of trees, great vibes

Next on our list (but under renovation):

• Diana Memorial Playground

London dogs also deserve their own subheader. They are uniformly gorgeous. I Googled it - London doesn’t have the same shelter system the U.S. has, so you see a lot of intentional breeding. Complicated feelings aside… the dogs were stunning and unbelievably fun to watch.

Plus: cutest squirrels everywhere. Fluffy, friendly, curious squirrels.

7. Ride the London Eye + Explore South Bank

Location: Westminster / South Bank

Kid Rating: 10/10

Vibes: London Eye with kids, South Bank London Christmas market

We took a cab to the Big Ben area, crossed the bridge for a close-up look, and walked straight to the London Eye.

Tip: Buy the priority tickets. Totally worth it with kids. The ride is gentle, slow, and offers stunning city views. Afterward, the area is packed with:

A small playground
A tiny seasonal Christmas market
A carousel
Street performers (seasonal)
It’s the perfect blend of sightseeing + kid joy.

8. Food, Donuts, Porridge & Practical Tips for Parents

vibes: vegan food London, Mildreds London, London travel with kids

Vegan Food

We ordered plenty of room service (because: parenthood), including food from Mildreds - a long-time HHL favorite. We also found Crosstown, an incredible vegan donut spot - that delivered beautiful, fluffy perfection straight to the hotel.

Porridge in London is unmatched. No one makes it better.

Stroller Rental

We rented a stroller through Cloud of Goods. Quick recap:

First stroller: wobbly
Messaged them
Replacement stroller: perfect
Easy concierge pickup

Highly recommend renting instead of traveling with your own.

Eurostar to Paris

The train was easy… but silent.

Like library-level silent. With a kid, this is torture. Even with an iPad and headphones! Yes, Rosalie started singing loudly to herself at one point. I think it's adorable, but who knows what the commuters on laptops think. Not that you need to care, but still.

Do not take a commuter hour train with a small child unless you love holding your breath for 2.5 hours. Choose morning or midday.