On a tight budget but need ways to entertain the children during the school holidays? We hear you, and we've put together a guide to completely free kid-friendly places to visit and things to do in London over the summer break — so you can have a family day out without spending anything. You can even take your own packed lunch along to some. As for bypassing the gift shop... that one's on you.
Read on to plan your free family days out this summer, and take a look at our complete guide to things to do in London in the summer holidays for more ideas.
Free London museums to visit with children
Us Londoners are lucky in that many of our biggest and best museums are free to visit — though most do accept (and encourage) donations to help with their upkeep, so consider dropping a couple of quid into the box if you can afford to.
You can visit historic artefacts, world-famous paintings, dinosaurs and rockets, without paying a penny — and, crucially, you'll stay dry and warm whatever the weather. Do note that although entry to these museums and their permanent collections is free, there may be a charge for special events and temporary exhibitions. There's often quite a queue to get into some of these places during school holidays too, so it's worth booking your (free) entry ticket in advance if you can.
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM: Probably London's most famous family museum, not least because of the dinosaurs. Best spots in the Natural History Museum for kids are the Dinosaur Gallery (the animatronic t-rex is a favourite, though we have seen it scare younger kids), the Mammals Gallery, with its lifesized stuffed animals, and the Volcanoes and Earthquakes Gallery, which has an earthquake simulator recreating the effects on the 1995 Kobe earthquake. The Earth Hall escalator (pictured above) is pretty damn cool too, and might even elicit a 'wow' from the most stubbornly unimpressable of teens. Plus, the museum's just opened new gardens in July 2024. There's a picnic space on the lower ground floor, where you can eat a packed lunch.
SCIENCE MUSEUM: Right next door to the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum has several big hitters of its own: rockets and spacecraft, a real piece of the moon, planes, a prosthetic arm... The museum also has two picnic areas, on levels -1 and 3, so you can bring sandwiches if you like.
V&A MUSEUM: The V&A has a seriously impressive collection spanning sculpture, photography, fashion, jewellery and artefacts from all over the world — fascinating, but not necessarily appealing to most children and teenagers. What it does have for summer 2024 though, is a free trail dedicated to singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, showcasing costumes, instruments, awards and the like. One to bookmark if you've got a young Swiftie on your hands.
YOUNG V&A: The V&A's east London outpost, Young V&A was designed specifically for younger visitors when it reopened in 2023, so is the better option for summer holiday excursions. It's centred around three zones (Play, Imagine and Design), with plenty of interactive elements, from sandpits to a finger skateboard park, and with exhibits designed for babies through to teenagers. Nostalgic elements like a Kermit the Frog toy from the 1970s/80s are likely to impress parents and grandparents too.
HORNIMAN MUSEUM: Specialising in both natural history and cultural artefacts from around the world, the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill is exactly what a museum should be. Full of glass cabinets with fascinating things to look at, but plenty to make it appealing to younger visitors, and small enough that nobody gets bored. Aromatic herbs used by Bhutanese ritual healers in the Himalayas, and intricate kites from Afghanistan are among the objects in the World Gallery, while the Music Gallery is home to all manner of unusual instruments. Note that the Natural History Gallery — usually home to the famous overstuffed walrus — is closed until 2026, but do make time to visit the gardens for spectacular views back towards central London.
MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS: Sister venue of the currently closed Museum of London, but worth a visit in its own right, Museum of London Docklands is based in a former sugar warehouse. Permanent displays cover topics including the history of that very building, as well as Docklands during the war, and London's links to the slave trade. But, likely to be most popular with youngsters (and, if we're being completely honest, ourselves) is Sailortown, a recreation of a London district close to the Docks, complete with cobbled street, shopfronts, and even a pub.
BRITISH MUSEUM: An absolute behemoth of an institution, the British Museum can be overwhelming even for adults. Thankfully, there's a special Families Desk (open weekends and school holidays), where visitors with children can pick up trails and activity packs to keep little ones entertained. Enter via the main entrance, go through to the Great Court and turn left to find it. Alternatively, explore the museum's 60+ galleries by theme, depending on what they're studying at school — Egyptians, Romans, Greeks and Sutton Hoo all have their own dedicated spaces.
LOCAL MUSEUMS: You might have a museum even closer to home than you realise. Most boroughs and/or towns have their own museum, usually showcasing local history, and many are free to visit. You'll see the remains of a Tudor palace in one such museum, and some defaced books with a fascinating backstory in another. Finding out what happened in the past in their own local area might be just the ticket for getting the kids hooked on history.
Free days out in London with children
KENWOOD HOUSE: Fun fact: English Heritage property Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath offers free entry to everyone. If you've never seen it before, it's a rather magnificent villa, formerly home to a Prime Minister, a Lord Chief Justice and a Russian Grand Duke, and now housing paintings by the likes of Rembrandt, Vermeer and Hals. There's a special trail aimed at 5-11 year olds, with activities for them to take part in as you explore the house, particularly in the Housekeeper's Room — who knows, they might even learn a bit of history along the way. Once you're done exploring, head outside; Kenwood is set in 112 acres of grounds, meaning plenty of space to run around and let off steam, or settle down for a picnic. And beyond that? The vast expanse of Hampstead Heath.
FULHAM PALACE: Another place that feels-like-it-shouldn't-be-free-but-is, Fulham Palace is the former home of the Bishops of London. The palace itself is petite and fairly modern inside, with a museum spanning a few small rooms, plus a great hall and chapel. A brief introductory video is filled with enough trivia to interest most youngsters, and you could easily rush through the building in about half an hour if they lose interest. Once outside, the real fun begins: a large lawn sits beyond the palace, with plenty of space for running and playing, and there's also a natural play area over to one side.
FREE VIEWING GALLERIES: In recent years, there's been a slew of free viewing platforms and galleries opening, a result of the serious growth of the London skyline. The Sky Garden in the 'Walkie Talkie' is the best-known such space, now joined by Horizon 22 on Bishopsgate, The Garden at 120 on Fenchurch Street, The Lookout on Bishopsgate and The Post Office Building in Holborn. One New Change is usually a good bet too, though that's currently closed. Although they are free, visits to some of these places need to be booked in advance, with tickets made available a few weeks at a time.
Free culture for kids in London
Keen to enjoy some live music, theatre or cinema as a family, but on a budget? There are a few places where the entertainment is free:
SUMMER BY THE RIVER: Taking place on the south side of the Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, Summer by the River is a festival of free entertainment. Not everything on the programme is suitable for children, but there are several family-friendly events, including screenings of Wonka, Encanto, The Little Mermaid and Elemental.
SCULPTURE IN THE CITY 2024: Free open-air art exhibition Sculpture in the City is back in the Square Mile, with 17 artworks to seek out, including a rural kissing gate transplanted into the urban landscape, and a giant gilded 'paper' bag. A map will be available on the Sculpture in the City website to help you seek them out — or just wander around the area and see what you can find. From 24 July
BIG ART ADVENTURE: 30 five-foot-tall owl sculptures will be dotted around the Haringey area for the Big Fun Art Adventure, a free art trail. The owls are all unique, decorated individually by local artists, and hidden in plain sight. Come October, they'll be auctioned off to raise money for North London Hospice. 17 August-13 October
GDIF: Greenwich + Docklands International Festival is a free programme of open-air performances spanning theatre, dance, circus and installations. Among the events announced so far is THAW, an eight-hour aerial performance on top of a melting block of ice (you don't have to stay for the whole thing), and ParkWorks, two days of family-friendly street theatre and circus shows in Stratford Park. 24 August-8 September
Free play areas for children in London
LONDON PLAYGROUNDS: For budget-friendly energy burning, you can't beat a free playground — and we know where the best swings, slides and roundabouts in central London are. Our own Little Londonists have tested out the majority, and we've mapped them, so you can always find your nearest, whether you're after a quick pitstop on the way to or from somewhere else, or want to make a whole day of it. Particularly special is a central London playground close to the British Museum, Postal Museum and other attractions, which adults aren't allowed to enter unless accompanied by a child.
PLAY FOUNTAINS: If the weather's looking decent (summer 2024 has got to arrive at some point, right?), pack a towel and a change of clothes and head for one of London's play fountains. Parents can find a spot nearby to sit and supervise while kids run in and out of the water, cooling down and wearing themselves out in the process. It's a win-win situation.
Plenty of London museums have their own indoor play areas and spaces, though as far as we know, the only one that's free is Ahoy! at the National Maritime Museum — sadly, it's closed until 2025.
Get outdoors for free in the summer holidays
PARKS: From Royal Parks to wild heathlands and open fields, London's absolutely chock-full of delightful green spaces, ideal for family walks, games, picnics, wildlife spotting, and generally getting out into the fresh air. Have a read of our guide to London's parks and green spaces and see how many you can tick off over the summer.
MILLENNIUM MAZE: Ever heard of the Millennium Yew Maze? Truth be told, we hadn't until a couple of years ago, but it's been sitting (and growing) in Brent Lodge Park for over 20 years, offering an arboreal labyrinth for visitors to get lost in, with no entrance fee. It has a viewing platform along one side, so parents/carers can keep an eye on exploring offspring, and a wooden tower in the middle where victorious adventurers can survey the path they've trodden. There's a free playground just a few steps away, and if you can spare a few quid, Hanwell Zoo is an excellent way to spend an hour or two (adult £4.50/child £3.50).
BRENT CROSS MAZE: Speaking of mazes, we move from Brent to Brent Cross to bring you 'The Maze', an art project in the form of a free, psychedelic, well, maze. New bits and bobs are being added to it throughout the summer in preparation for the London Mural Festival in September. Until 29 September
FREE MINIGOLF: How competitive is your family? Go head to head in a round of crazy golf, at a pop-up course in Montgomery Square, Canary Wharf. Minigolf by Craig & Karl is a colourful course in situ just for the summer, with clubs and balls available for free from the stewards on site. Top tip: The Museum of London Docklands (mentioned above) is just a 15-minute walk away, if you want to make a day of it.
WALKING ROUTES: Explore a new corner of London — or get to know your own area a bit better — on a walk. We've put together some walking routes to help get you out and about in the capital this summer, without needing to part with any dosh.
