Top 5 places to take the kids in London

Today I'd love to introduce to my first ever guest blogger on Mrs D plus 3.  How exciting!!  I met Jacinta from Jacintaz3 through the Digital Parents International Blog swap and we will be guest posting for each other this week.  I think we were paired because we are both mummies of three awesome kids.  We've been doing lots of emailing and chatting over the last few days and it has been so lovely getting to know Jacinta, and just that little bit special for me to meet a fellow blogger from England (my home country).  Oh how I do miss London some days, especially after reading this fabulous post about how to show your kids around London.

Take it away Jacinta.

Hi, I’m Jacinta blogging all the way over from the UK thanks to Tots100 and Digital Parents hosting International Blog Swap Day.  And of course a big thanks to Robyn for hosting me today.

I live in London with my husband and 3 children and we try and get out every weekend to do something or the other. Sometimes it’s a visit to an attraction, at other times it’s a walk in one of the lovely parks around London.

It feels strange to be writing for another blog. Although I know that it is relatively the same thing as I do not really know all my readers either, I still kept changing my mind about what I should write about.

In the end, I decided that since I have children and live in London, it may be nice to showcase places that we have visited and really enjoyed as a family.

1.  London - The City of Westminster, Big Ben, Buckingham  Palace.

You can’t really live near London and not visit the city itself. We travelled into London on the tube. This is the best way to get into the city – parking is extremely expensive in London. The children were completely in awe of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. They didn’t complain once about the walking around and we had been walking for quite a long time. We even walked around Piccadilly Circus and Buckingham Palace and then into Hyde Park. It was a lovely day. If you have time, it would be a good idea to go on one of the Thames River Cruises. It is a wonderful way to take in the sights.

2.  Windsor Castle

This is a short run from London and the castle is lovely. The children were really interested in the history of the castle and I was quite surprised that my 5 year old listened attentively to the audio guide right through. Food is not allowed inside the castle but there are many restaurants and cafes just outside. Don’t miss out on the cream tea that is served in the cafes just outside the castle walls. It costs about £50 for a family ticket.

3.  Natural History Museum

This is a wonderful experience for children.  It is a free attraction and there can sometimes be long queues, but it is well worth the wait.  With many different species of animals and birds on display, the museum enthral the children.  The best bit is of course, the land of the dinosaurs.  You can take picnic or eat in one of the cafe inside.

4.  Warner Bros Studio Tour

A must for Harry Potter fans.  To enter the realm of Hogwarts has got to be the best adventure ever.  My five year old son loved every moment of it.  The best part of it is the model of Hogwarts which is awesome.  It will set you back about £90 for a family ticket but it is well worth it.

5.  Chessington World of Adventure

We had an unbelievable time there - there are so many rides to suit all ages and there is also a zoo and aquarium, so there is so much to do here.  Again you can carry a picnic or purchase food inside the park from the many restaurants.

There are many lovely parks that one can visit with children and many of these have adventure playgrounds that the children love.

I moved from a little town in the north of England to London and life has been so different. There is so much to see and do in and around London.

I would love to visit Australia some day as I have so many friends there. It has been lovely meeting Robyn over the internet and getting to know about her through her blog. I hope you enjoyed reading this post.

Jacinta  xx 

You can follow Jacinta on Facebook and Twitter and of course her fabulous blog Jacintaz3