Hi. We are looking for a place or places in England this summer, ideally near London, that would be a fun (with things to do) for 2-3 weeks with a 1 and 3 year old. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
1
lemonsorbet
It's not cheap but Legoland would be worth a daytrip. We took our 2 year old there last year and he loved it! As well as big rides for older kids there was plenty for toddlers to do! There's even a water/playground bit for teenies, so the 1 year old could have some fun too! The 3 year old could even have a go at driving a Lego car! If you remember Lego from your childhood it's also fun for adults! Loads to do, only downside is the cost, approx £20 per adult!
2
sprin2
Legoland is great, but might be pricey for kids that age. There are plenty of great playgrounds and all over the UK, Windsor has a good playground with a water feature. Many museums have playareas for younger kids and tons of pubs also have nice playareas. We've used the Good Pub Guide to find appropriate pubs with our boys. At that age you can still plan a trip to fulfill your interests and then fill in with great kid-friendly activities almost anywhere in England.
3
snoozysooz
Where to start? We find London and the South East v. kid friendly and are never short of things to do with them (ours are now 7,6 and 7 months). A few suggestions:
1) for a rainy day (yes really, there are a few) The Science Museum in London has an interactive toddler area on the lower ground floor.
2) Covent Garden has numerous street performers which are fascinating to little ones (and ice cream shops)
3) the Peter Pan playground in Hyde Park/ Kensington gardens gets a recommendation from friends although we haven't been there yet
4) Brighton, in Sussex, on the South Coast (where we live) is very child orientated with a cafe culture, the sea (!) a playground on the (pebbly) beach, near the West Pier, the Komedia theatre with Sunday Morning shows for kids (book online in advance). Also in Sussex:
5) The Bluebell Railway has steam trains including Thomas the Tank engine on specific dates, again research online.
6) Washbrooks Farm in Hurstpierpoint is geared up to kids with farm animals to pet and a toddler play area. There are plenty more of this sort of set up within easy reach of London.
Hope this helps for a start. Can give more specifics if you like...
4
claireandbarry
we have a two year old daughter and have been taking her to london since she was about 4 mths old...we find the science museum and the natural history museum fantastic. (food is better in the history museum) You can get in all of the museums in london free of charge so if you try it and you dont like it ..or the kids have had enough you havent spent a fortune wasting a day. Buy a family ticket if travelling on the tube as this works out cheaper. The Ramada Jarvis hotel in South Kensington has decent size suites which are ideal if travelling with a family. This is a fairly safe area and minutes walk from the museums.Plenty of room for a cot and room for kids to play. Bathrooms are a decent size too which is a bonus! Hamleys toy shop is a must for kids although best avoided during school holidays as gets very busy. Our daughter enjoyed seeing the change of guards at the palace which involves lots of horses. The London Aquarium is ok but overpriced.
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