50 FREE THINGS TO DO IN LONDON WITH KIDS UNDER FIVE

A LONDON FAMILY GUIDE

Are you looking for some inspiration on free things to do in London? London is a fantastic city and has so many great things to do, many of which are completely free.

I have two boys under 5 so this is a little kid-friendly guide but actually most of these things you could do with older children as well, or even without kids at all.

These are are also things you can do throughout the year and most don’t require pre-booking.

Although these places are all free, some are charities and rely on donations so it’s amazing to contribute if you can! Alternatively, buying something in the gift shop or cafe also helps them out!

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ULTIMATE LONDON MUSEUM BUCKET LIST

50 FREE THINGS TO DO IN LONDON

PARKS

London is home to many great parks. You can easily spend a whole day in some of London’s latest parks and they are perfect for families, if you pack a picnic, you also don’t even need to spend anything on eating out.

London has 8 Royal Parks, these are parks that were historically used by the Royal Family. These are some of London’s most beautiful parks and are the perfect place to spend a free day in London. They are spaced out across the city so at least one should be easy for you to get to!

Hyde Park
The Green
Richmond Park
Greenwich – Read our full guide on Things to Do in Greenwich Here!
Bushy Park
Regent’s Parks
Kensington Gardens
St James’s Park – Read ‘How to spend a perfect day in London’ here. This itinerary includes St. James Park and some other free activities.

London Parks: Views from Greenwich Park | Wild pelicans in St James’s Park | Beautiful floral displays in Regents Park

Some of London’s other great parks are:

Battersea Park
Holland Park – Read our guide on this area here!
Victoria Park
Crystal Palace Park
Hampstead Heath
Primrose Hill

Photos from Holland Park

MUSEUMS

Until we moved here, I honestly did not realize there were so many museums in London and so many were completely free.

WE’VE WRITTEN A HUGE BUCKET LIST OF LONDON MUSEUMS – READ IT HERE!
(the second section has 45 free options!)

You can click the link above for more museum inspiration but I’ll summarise our favourite free ones here (in no particular order):

The Museum of London Docklands
The National Maritime Museum – *Note: the best parts for kids have been closed until summer 2025 for renovations*
The Science Museum
The Natural History Museum
The Horniman Museum and Gardens
The British Museum
The Young V&A
The National Army Museum

Photos from: The Young V&A | The Science Museum | The British Museum

I’ve written separate posts on these (History and Science museums coming shortly) with top tips to enjoy them with under fives, just click the name to read more.

QUICK TIP: The History and Science Museums can get incredibly busy. Visiting on a sunny weekday is much more pleasant than on a rainy weekend. I wouldn’t go on my own to either of them on a weekend with two under five as it’s too chaotic.

The Museum of London Docklands and The National Army Museum have great kids’ play spaces, unfortunately, these are not free but combined with the museum they can make a full day out.

CITY FARMS

Before we moved to London, I had never heard of a city farm. There are actually 11 spread across London that are free and open to the public!

READ MY POST WITH EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CITY FARMS.

City Farms are much smaller than suburban farms and you wont find a huge soft play but you also wont have the large entry fee they come with.

We’ve been to 5 of them and enjoyed them all (although I probably won’t go back to Woodlands Farm Trust). They’re all fairly similar and are a lovely way to spend a few hours with little kids.

Photos from: Surrey Docks Farm | Mudchute Farm | Spitalfields Farm

TOP TIP: You can easily combine a city farm with another free activity to make a full day out. For example, Mudchute Farm has a really great playground nearby. Both Spitalfields and Hackney city farms are about 20 minutes walk from The Young V&A Museum and Kentish Town City Farm is less than a15 minutes walk from Hampstead Heath Park.

TOURISTY FREE THINGS TO DO IN LONDON

Are you coming to London for the first time? Or maybe, like me, you love being a tourist in your own city. Some of London’s iconic tourist attractions can be enjoyed for free! Remember, all of London’s iconic landmarks are free to see from the outside!

Changing of the Guard – takes place every other day at Buckingham Palace. See the schedule HERE.
Watch street performers in Covent Garden
See the lions at Trafalgar Square – the National Gallery is also here and entry is free.
See the horses at Horseguard’s Parade
Walk across Tower Bridge
Stroll Victoria Embankment for great views of the London Eye and Big Ben
The Reflection Garden by St Paul’s Cathedral

Changing Of The Guard Buckingham Palace London

Photos: Changing of the Guard | Horsegards Parade | Trafalgar Square

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(This guide includes: Trafalgar Square, Horesguards Parade, Victoria Embankment and more!)

NOT-SO-TOURISTY FREE THINGS TO DO IN LONDON

There is also a great selection of not-so-touristy free things to do in London with little kids. In pretty much every area of London, you can just wander, look at the beautiful buildings, and find a playground or park to enjoy but here are some favourites.

Wander in Notting Hill and pick out your favourite colourful house
Find the elephant sculptures around Spitalfields Market. Venders often give out free samples in the market but if your family is like ours, you’ll be tempted to purchase a sweet treat!
Visit the Barbican Conservatory – free but advance booking is required.
Enjoy a free light show at Outernet
Window shop in Hamleys
St Dustan’s in the East – I thought this was a bit overrated but I know others love it!
Search for Gilly and Marc sculptures – I mentioned the elephant sculptures but there are many more to be discovered. They’re currently some great ones on The Kings Road and they are perfect for kids to climb on!

Photos: Notting Hill | Elephant Sculptures at Spitalfields

OBSERVATION DECKS

One of London’s most iconic buildings is The Shard, however, you can avoid the steep entry fee by checking out one of these free viewing platforms instead!

These are not specifically aimed at children but my 4-year-old loves the Sky Garden and we’ve been multiple times!

The Sky Garden is a personal favourite. Read our full guide HERE.
Horizon 22
The Garden at 120 Rooftop – free and no booking is required

Photos from The Sky Garden

CONCLUSION OF FREE THINGS TO DO IN LONDON WITH KIDS

In this post, we’ve covered: 14 parks, 8 museums (plus more linked here), 11 city farms, 7 tourist attractions, 7 not-so-touristy attractions and 3 observation decks. Which is a total of 50 amazing free family-friendly things to do in London!

There are always new and exciting things popping up in London, some are only on for a limited time and I share those on my Instagram page so be sure to follow me on Instagram @muminthecity

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