London with kids aged 3-5

10 activitiesGetting around 3-day itineraryChecked Oct 4, 2026

Ages three to five are when London gets easy. The Science Museum has a play gallery built for this age, the zoo fills half a day, and the Diana Memorial Playground is free. Leave the Tower of London and the studio tour for a later trip.

What works at 3-5

Zoo

London Zoo

child from £19.40

A full half day that works from babies to ten-year-olds, with indoor play if it rains.

Enjoys from 13h – 5hStroller OK

0-2 · Great3-5 · Great6-10 · Great11+ · Fine

Aquarium

SEA LIFE London Aquarium

child from £25

An hour to ninety minutes indoors, fully step-free, right next to the London Eye.

Enjoys from 11h – 1h30Stroller OK

0-2 · Great3-5 · Great6-10 · Fine11+ · Fine

Free museum

Natural History Museum

No ticket needed

Free, huge and very busy at weekends. Book the free ticket to skip the entry queue.

Enjoys from 32h – 3hStroller OK

0-2 · Fine3-5 · Great6-10 · Great11+ · Great

Free museum

Science Museum

No ticket needed

Free with a pre-booked ticket. The Garden in the basement is made for ages 3 to 6.

Enjoys from 32h – 3hStroller OK

0-2 · Fine3-5 · Great6-10 · Great11+ · Great

Museum

London Transport Museum

child from £0

Children 17 and under go free, and under-7s get their own play zone of mini vehicles.

Enjoys from 21h30 – 2h30Stroller OK

0-2 · Great3-5 · Great6-10 · Great11+ · Fine

Boat ride

Thames cruise, Westminster to Tower Bridge

A 35 minute sit-down that doubles as transport from Big Ben to Tower Bridge.

Enjoys from 335 min – 1h10

0-2 · Fine3-5 · Great6-10 · Great11+ · Fine

Cable car

IFS Cloud Cable Car

child from £3.50

A cheap thrill across the Thames in east London. Under-5s ride free.

Enjoys from 320 min – 40 minStroller OK

0-2 · Fine3-5 · Great6-10 · Great11+ · Fine

Free playground

Diana Memorial Playground

No ticket needed

A free pirate-ship playground for under-13s. On sunny days the queue starts at 10:00.

Enjoys from 11h – 2h

0-2 · Great3-5 · Great6-10 · Great11+ · Skip

Theme park

LEGOLAND Windsor

child from £32

A whole day outside London, best for ages 3 to 10. Children under 90 cm go free.

Enjoys from 36h – 8hStroller OK

0-2 · Tiring3-5 · Great6-10 · Great11+ · Fine

Observation wheel

London Eye

child from £26

Thirty minutes in the capsule, but pushchairs must be folded before you join the queue.

Enjoys from 445 min – 1h30Folded only

0-2 · Tiring3-5 · Fine6-10 · Great11+ · Great

Less suited to this age

Tower of LondonTiring Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Making of Harry PotterTiring

Getting around

Step-free access. Transport for London says just over a third of Tube stations are step-free. Several stations families use most are not, including South Kensington for the museums and Covent Garden. All London bus routes run low-floor buses, which makes the bus the simplest option with a pushchair.
Pushchairs on buses and the Tube. On buses you can use the wheelchair space when it is free, but wheelchair users have priority by law, so you may need to fold the buggy or move. Most Tube trains have multipurpose areas suitable for buggies. The Central, Bakerloo and Waterloo & City lines do not.
Child fares. Children under 11 travel free on buses and trams. Up to four children under 11 travel free with a fare-paying adult on the Tube, DLR, London Overground and Elizabeth line. For ages 11 to 15, ask staff at a Tube station to add the Young Visitor discount to an Oyster card, which gives half adult pay as you go fares for up to 14 days.

All transport notes

Itinerary

3 days in London with kids

South Kensington museums and the playgroundTwo free museums in the morning, then the pirate-ship playground in Kensington Gardens.

South Bank, the river and the TowerAquarium and London Eye, a one-way boat to Tower Bridge, then the Tower for over-6s.

London Zoo and Covent GardenA morning at the zoo, then the Transport Museum's old buses and play zone.

Open the full plan