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Best in the West: Top 5 Places to Go with Kids in West London

There are so many amazing places to go with kids in West London, it was actually quite hard to narrow it down to just our top 5!  We’ve no doubt missed out some of your favourite child friendly spots, so feel free to leave a comment below sharing your favourites or send a tweet to @kidfriendly_uk or post a comment on our Facebook page: facebook.com/reallykidfriendly

Best in West London for Visiting Dead Famous People:

All Souls Cemetary in Kensal Rise

It may seem like a strange inclusion, but this cemetery really is incredible and your kids will love it. Let’s face it, kids are fascinated by death, and after the triumphant opening ceremonies they will also be intrigued by the idea of getting to visit the graves of some truly incredible British heroes like Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Other famous people buried in Kensal Rise include Lord Byron’s wife, Oscar Wilde’s mother, Charles Dickens’ in-laws, Nelson’s surgeon, the original WH Smith, the first man to cross Australia from south to north, and the last man to fight a duel in England.

Best in West London for Stress-Free Shopping with Babies and Toddlers:

Westfield Shopping Centre

Possibly the most family friendly shopping experience in London! Westfield has spacious, buggy friendly shopping malls, parent parking bays, stair-free access, baby changing and feeding facilities, quiet areas, kiddy cars for children over 1 yr to drive around the shops, and a play area for under 5s. The very thought of shopping with the kids usually makes me break out in a cold sweat, but Westfield is like no other shopping centre and London mums and dads highly recommend it.

Best in West London for Mini Science Geeks

The Royal Institution

The Royal Instiution (The Ri) is all about science, discovery, innovation, invention and generally bright ideas. Among other cool and decidedly geeky things, there is a modern laboratory where kids aged 7 and up can get stuck in and actually do some experiments – this summer there are workshops in cosmetic science, cosmology (think big bang…), and a chance for children to extract their own DNA.

Best in West London for Green Space and Ecology

Holland Park

Okay, we admit, it does rain an awful lot in London… but every now and then we get to enjoy the most spectacular sunny weather and we are hoping families visiting London will have plenty of excuses to picnic or explore our many green spaces.

One that truly stands out is the beautiful Holland Park, the largest in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. There are of course the quintessentially British formal gardens, but there are also grassy areas and woodlands to explore, and an Ecology Centre where children can learn about the local flora and fauna. There are plenty of sports facilities and some play areas, including a separate area for under-8s, and a child friendly cafe. There are usually some activities for children during school holidays.

Best in West London for Giant Pirate Ships

Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground and Fountain

A clear winner, but perhaps the category was a bit narrow… either way, the Princess Diana Playground in Kensington Gardens deserves a mention. Inspired by the Peter Pan and Wendy stories, this London playground features a giant wooden pirate ship, sensory trail, teepees, mermaid rock (really), toys and play sculptures. There are a couple of cafes nearby for the obligatory post-playground ice cream.

What have we missed?

Tweet your ideas to @kidfriendly_uk  if you’re on Twitter, or you can leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

For more ideas, we’d recommend visiting West London Mum’s website – she’s got some great ideas for places to eat with kids, and normally does an Events round-up for local families.

Written by Janis P.

39 Comments

  1. I think West London is great for kids and families. With underground links to the museums in Kensington(especially the Natural History and Science Museums), lovely parks such as Holland Park and The Princess Diana Memorial Park which have lots of children’s activities, and summer festivals such as my local one in Ealing which provide free entertainment for all ages.

  2. From Willesden to Clapham there is an Excellent transport link opening up West London.
    Shepherds Bush – Westfield Shopping centre.
    Kensinginton Olympia – for all the attractions of Kensington.
    Earls Court – for Exhibition centre.
    Imperial wharf
    and on to Clapham.
    Hop on and off and see all best of the west.

  3. West london is so easy to get to – used to live in Putney but now out in Surrey and drive in often. Putney, Clapham – the facilities are great – love walking down by the river with the kids and Eddie Catz always a favourite! So easy to get into museums and into the West End. Southbank is a firm fave.

  4. West London is great, come rain or shine, as you have things to do and places to go, whatever the weather. Some of my own earliest childhood memories are of the Natural History Museum in the school summer holidays with my mum, and now I have shared that with my son too (though his favourite is the Science Museum!) Although we now live further afield than London, it still makes a great day out, with the train journey in being part of the adventure. Whether it’s a day at a museum, a look round a zoo, a visit to a theatre, a visit to a park or an open top bus tour to take in as many sites as possible, West London is great, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

  5. London? …. It has everything! It’s a totally immersive experience, guaranteed to delight and thrill ll members of the family. What kid isn’t amazed when they see the ‘Queens house’, the view from the London eye, the fantastic Duck tour on road and then into the river, some great places to eat and then a selection of world class shows to suit all to complete the day. Or – art at the Tate, Natual History and other museums, concerts, world class football, shopping, street entertainers round Covent Garden, out to Greenwich, go straight to jail at Clink, aquariums…. The list is endless – what do you want to do? You’ll have to go back for the rest!

  6. Ideal for families because transport links are very good, lots of free open air parks, My daughter personally loves The Science Museum and the Natural History Museum, and of course there is the famous Toy Store,Hamley’s, even a visit to the fountains in Trafalgar Square is fun , and of course lets not forget the wonderful theatres, who have outstanding perfomances of shows suited to all age groups. There is just so much to do and it would be impossible to list it all here

  7. I love west london as its so alive and so much to see even if you just take a wander round but my fav place would be Covent Garden for a meal, a shop & to people watch

  8. West London is great for families because of the excitement of travelling there and the numerous things to see that you can’t see elsewhere like big department stores, the London Eye, the river and its boats, the shows – even their backstage entrances are thrilling- the taxis, the museums and so on.

  9. I find the whole of London completely inspiring both for myself and for my children, I adore the South bank where I spent every weekends with my nana and aim to take my twins there at every chance I get. I love the art, the architecture, the culture, the people and everywhere I look I am bombarded by interesting things to look at.
    I <3 London

  10. I think it’s very important children get the feel of live entertainment so to take them to a child friendly show in London is such a great expierence that will stay with them. There’s also the history of London and attractions like the monument and tower of London both of which I visited as a child. After the success of Lonon 2012 aswell I think the stadium and aquatic center would also be appealing. London is an ever changing city will diverse appeal.

  11. London is amazing but the Westend is filled with wonder for adults and kids. The musicals like The Lion King, Shrek and Mama Mia are truly stunning. I also love the free entertainers on the South Bank and tCovent Garden.

  12. Amazing time for all the family and something to do for everyone of all ages….Wizard of Oz was a favourite of our family 🙂 the duck and eye is a must do…..

  13. It’s great getting the kids out of the house and away from the TV, and what better place to take them than West London. If you find keeping the little ones away from their beloved box for too long takes its toll, take them on a tour of the CBBC Television Centre. They get to see where the stars “work” and its a great family day out.

  14. So much to see for free – lots of famous sights, and give the kids a camera, and they will happily snap away taking pictures, leaving the adults a chance to enjoy the famous sights and architecture etc

  15. i think west London is great for families and kids because there are lots of things to do that are both fun and educational and also have art friendly activities

  16. West london is brilliant as there really is something for everyone, its a great sight seeing place to visit and with very good underground connections travelling around is easy

  17. West London is fab as it has excellent transport links, lots of top attractions such as great museums, parks and exhibitions, and the west end theatreland is crammed full of a wide variety of musicals, plays and operas, not to mention the easy availability of live music in the area. I love love love it.

  18. I think West London is great for kids and families, because it has lots to offer. We especially love saturdays matinee performances. Lots of child friendly facilities, cafes where you really feel welcomed with children

  19. I think west London is great for families and kids because there is so much to do and great places to eat. You can never find enough time in your day to do everything. No matter what you awant to do you can find in west london.

  20. Hammersmith is great with the kids – a great range of shops with a huge Disney Store (and Disney Head Offices)

    The apollo often has shows for kids as well as lots of great music for the teenagers and of course adults.

    Great access links to get to Theatre town in London too

  21. West London is great for families, with easy transport links to get around, lots of places to eat with your children. The shows are very inspiring for young and old 🙂

  22. West London is great for one reason, westfield shopping centre. Which I think is in west london and will be sounding silly now if its not!

  23. I spent a lot of my childhood visiting West London. We moved from Grimbsy to Surrey when I was aged 7, and my parents loved London so much that they took me and my sister there nearly every weekend. Now aged 24, I feel that all of my time spent in London really helped to build and develop me….and think every family should do it!! I LOVE musicals, and would love to now take my neice’s and nephews to more of them 🙂

  24. Having been brought up in nw london, I’m a bit biased – but nowadays I love taking my little one to Westfield London – its a fantastic shopping paradise, that has a fantastic area for kids – chocolate and ice cream shops, lego, toys. Even going to the toilets is fun for a kid! Love it

  25. Love the diversity of London and so many great, free things to do: great parks and green spaces, science and natural history museums, galleries and just walking around Covent Garden can fill your weekends.

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