we are going to London for a couple of days as part of our holidays. Where's good for young kids and ideally cheap/free?

The museums are free for the last hour I think ?

Natural History Museum is a must and it free all day except the special exhibitions.

I thought they were free full stop…?

Last couple of times I took my daughter to the Natural History Museum it was anyway. And that would be my recommendation BTW.

i was thinking museums. What about a bus tour?

Just got back from five days in London.
My seven-year-old son enjoyed the Princess of Wales play area in Hyde Park, the Tower of London, Natural History/Science and Military museums.
He was luke warm on the London Eye and the sight-seeing bus.

Science museum (just a couple og hundred meter from the NH museum ) has some excellent kids exhibitions.

Hamleys?

+Many for the museums. They're superb! Why not also try the National Gallery, in Trafalgar Square, some astonishing art to be seen there.

Hamleys? I said cheap or free 😉

HMS Belfast (Kids go free) and RAF Hendon are both well worth a visit.

Kids are 7 and 2 so think museums over art galleries. Probably only manage two museums at most, so which two.

Two museums?

For kids it has to be Science and Natural History. If possible, head to the former when they're running the big engine in the entrance hall!

Food in the museums is pretty rubbish, but there's a decent cafe towards the back right of the entrance hall to the NH. Failing that, pick up an M&S picnic beforehand.

while we're on this topic…where exactly are those pteranadons?

7 and 2 try Natural History. The London Aquarium is dear but they will like it.
Usually something good on the Southbank by the national theatre, street mime etc.

Sadly London is full of stuff that's just not that cheap.

Sadly London is full of stuff that's just not that cheap.

Never mind that lot, why not look at at the massive amount of amazing stuff which is FREE! 🙂

Science/Nat.History Museums for sure. They're just full of stuff that kids love. The London Aquarium is great, there's a shallow tank full of rays that you can touch, which is fun, but the free stuff in the museums is unbeatable.

if you dont mind tubing into ondon and want a ok cheap night ouside the dreaded congestion area book in advance at the city airport travelodge,family room sleeps 4,five minute walk to DLR change canning or bank and 15 minutes into London
http://www.visitlondon.com/areas/river/days_out/alternative

http://www.traveldiscounters.com/freelondonguide.shtml

The Wellcome Collection just three minutes down the road from Euston is free and full of medical oddities amongst other things, which my three boys 11,7, and 3 love. It's not somewhere to spend whole a day, but if you're nearby, it's pretty good for whittling away a few hours and they have a Blackwells bookshop and a Peyton and Byrne cafe doing possibly the finest cupcakes in London.

Staying with friends but may do our own thing for some of the time.

Kew Gardens is very very good for young kids there are lots of playgrounds and interactive kids things and a safe environment for them to run around in. Zoo is great (Also close to primrose hill to take in the view of the city afterwards) and the Aquarium, although I've not been, will be a winner for sure.

Army museum in Chelsea has a massive kids play area too but IME people just go for that and not the actual museum and it gets very crowded.

You could hire bikes and ride round Richmond Park, I take the kids there most weekends at the moment, great views of the city, deer roaming freely, loads of space to run around in but can get very busy on sunny weekends