Here’s a blog I’ll be adding to more and more! If there’s any area of London we know more than another for toddlers, it would be the East, so we are starting off with just a few of our favourite things, but looking to add to it over the coming weeks! There are so many things to do in East London with kids!
Here are just 5 ideas for now to get you started:
1)Museum of the Home (Hoxton)
Museum of the Home is such a LOVELY museum and space for children, from toddler upwards, and looking extra glam from its former but still quite recent renovation works. There are some interactive elements, and play areas, and large open spaces which are fun for explorative children! (Having said this, still contained enough not to lose them!) Physically it’s such a lovely environment, and the nature of the museum itself, looking back at how homes have changed over the decades, gives you all the feels. It’s a great community space, and East London asset. We had a fab time here, our first visit back since it re-opened. They also have an outdoor garden space, which we didn’t go into, but it looks great also. We visited during the week when it was pretty quiet, which was another win-win!
It’s free and doesn’t require any booking.
Open: Tuesday-Sunday 10-5pm.
Website: https://www.museumofthehome.org.uk/
2. Spitalfields Farm or Mudchute Farm (Bethnal Green/Shoreditch and Mudchute DLR respectively)
These 2 farms, are our FAVOURITE London farms, so if you go to just 1 of these, you are in for an absolute treat! There is lots for little ones to get up closer to and feel more involved with. Both also had excellent play areas for kids which you really really appreciate, especially for smaller children. Both excellent things to do in East London with kids ideas, and 2 of the very best London farms in our opinion.
Free!
Open: Spitalfields Tues-Sun 10-4pm, Mudchute open every day
Websites: https://www.spitalfieldscityfarm.org/ and https://www.mudchute.org/
3. Role 2 Play (Walthamstow)
A well thought out role play heaven for little ones! We’ve been twice now and love it. Everything is well looked after, there is lots of choice and they update things periodically, and it’s wonderful for your child to be engaged in so much imaginative and creative play. We’ve got things like a little doctors set at home, but you can’t keep and have everything in a London flat, and so I really like places like this (and there aren’t many like them, which is also why Role 2 Play is extra fun) that offers so much for your little one to try.
It’s chargeable but very reasonably priced at £8.50 per child and free for attending adults per slot (check out their website as below) and you do need to book a timed slot in advance.
Open: Monday-Saturday
Website: https://www.role2play.com/
4. Softplays such as at Better Gym (Walthamstow), and Better Gym (Stoke Newington) are two of our favourites to visit.
Stoke Newtington is “very” strictly soft play, with lots of cool softplay options as shown (but without standard different level softplay frame), and Walthamstow has a lot of options with an amazing softplay frame and cool trampoline area to wear out your little jumper! We think these are 2 little gems for softplay and great ideas for things to do in East London with kids.
They are also super reasonably priced! NB! Walthamstow requires you to bring your own special trampoline socks.
Websites: https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/hackney/clissold-leisure-centre and https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/waltham-forest/walthamstow-stadium
5. Discover Story (Stratford)
We love Discover Story! We’ve been just to enjoy the centre and it’s beautiful garden, and also for one of their immersive plays, which was AMAZING and is a great add on for you to consider, otherwise the play centre and garden alone are both fab! The immersive plays are next level also: so well acted and such great attention to detail for younger-older kids inclusive. Check out their latest immersive play, “The Box Rocket” here: https://discover.org.uk/event/the-box-rocket/
Open 7 days a week!
Website: https://discover.org.uk/
Over the coming weeks, we plan to be adding a few more East London gems for you to add to your hit list too! There are so many fun things to do in East London with kids! Where’s some of your favourite ones?