A trip down memory lane to London (with toddler!)

Mum and daughter looking at Tower Bridge, London

I am sure most of you who have read any of my blogs for any length of time will be aware that I have a little obsession with London. It started when we visited on our first around the world trip many moons ago. From the moment we landed London felt like home. I was so happy to be there and knew that one day I must return. And I did, a few years later, with a plan to stay nine months, which turned into six years. It was a very hard decision to leave and one that I have questioned on a very regular basis ever since. For I don’t think I have ever felt like I belonged anywhere like I did in London. I have been searching for that feeling ever since. So after six years had passed, a baby joined our twosome and with another on the way the call of my beloved city was too strong to ignore any more. It was time to return! Our super-active, nap hating toddler was now two and a half years old, and despite these challenges, I felt brave enough to face the long, long haul flight to the other side of the world with her.

If you are looking for more tips on travelling with little explorers, including tackling the plane trip, have a look at this article.

London for little people

Whilst there were definitely things we would not be able to do this time with our little love in tow (goodbye nights at the theatre, long indulgent afternoons at the pub and leisurely strolls through the shops and fancy high-teas). There is still so much on offer for kids, and parents in London. Having been lucky enough to spend so much time in London previously we didn’t feel the pressure to tick all the big sights off our list, so we were able to be a little more selective in what we spent our time doing this time around. We thought about doing things like watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace but thought that given Layla’s age she would probably rather walk through nearby St James Park, feed the ducks and watch the squirrels playing in the tree, whilst spotting ‘where the Queen lives’ from the bridge. Of course there were also things that Layla would probably prefer not to do, like wandering the aisles of Liberty, but that was a non-negotiable for this mumma (although I did spend significantly less time browsing the shops around Oxford Street and Covent Garden than I would have sans toddler!). Plus we spent a lot of our time catching up with our lovely London friends who we hadn’t seen for so long.

I had dreamed for many years of returning to London. Of the things I would do, see, feel. Being there felt unreal in a way, but also so familiar, as if perhaps, we never left. I loved the city as much as I ever did, but found myself this time drawn to the quieter, greener, more peaceful areas of the city. Perhaps this is due to my daughter’s love of these kind of spaces, or perhaps it has been the influence of living somewhere that nature is all around us. Either way, London is such a diverse city, that just about whatever you are looking for, you will find it. For I think you could live a lifetime in London and still not see and experience all she has to offer.

Here are a few suggestions for keeping the tiny explorers happy in the big city

* Before you go buy a London book (we love Ruby Red Shoes Goes to London and All Aboard London) and read it as many times as you can. Play find ‘Big Ben’,a double decker bus, London Eye etc etc and watch your little one’s face light up when they see the pages of their book come to life before their very eyes!

* Go squirrel spotting or watch the ducks, swans and pigeons in one of London’s amazing parks

* Enjoy a boat ride on the Thames (sit at the front or on the back deck for the best view!)

* Ride on the top deck of a Big Red London Bus

* Play in the sandpit with the world’s best view at Southbank

* Have a race to the top of Primrose Hill

Little girl on Primrose Hill, London

* Stretch your legs (and theirs) and get lost in the woody paths of Hampstead Heath

* Make pretend phone calls to friends and family back home in a red phone box

* Learn about the natural world, hunt for dinosaurs and be scared by taxidermy lions at the Natural History Museum

* Watch the buskers at Covent Garden (and go on a hunt for the super-cute hidden utopia of Neal’s Yard)

* Take in a spot of children’s theatre in the West End

* Eat fish & chips with mushy peas

* Say hello to Paddington Bear at Paddington Station

* Fill up on healthy snacks, or grab some food for a picnic lunch in one of London’s epic parks, on the high street at the likes of Pret-a-Manger, Eat, Marks & Spencer food or Leon

* Make the most of the long, long summer evenings by enjoying an alfresco dinner (preferably in a friend’s garden!)

Remember that just about every problem can be fixed with the promise of icecream!

Some ideas of places to visit

One of my favourite things to do in London is walk so if you are thinking of an itinerary for sight seeing I highly recommend picking a few sights / areas that allow you to wander between them. You get to see so much more of the city and really soak in the history and the atmosphere. I almost felt like the buildings in London held memories and a personality all of their own. Wandering amongst them was never a lonely experience. I have written a separate post detailing a few of my ‘best London’ days ever over here.

Starting in central London is a great way to get your bearings, see a few of the main sights, and really feel like you have arrived in the capital! You can’t really miss seeing Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Carnaby Street (make sure you stop by my favourite London store, the stunning iconic Liberty, even if your budget doesn’t stretch to a purchase the window shopping is sensational!), Big Ben, The Thames and Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, Southbank and Tate Modern, St James Park and Buckingham Palace and the Natural History Museum. We also loved visiting the Spitalfields City Farm (there are quite a few different city farms to choose from this is a great article to help you choose) and the opportunity to walk through the uber-cool and quirky streets around Brick Lane, even better if you are there on a Sunday when the area comes alive with the local markets. The Horniman Museum and Gardens in South East London is a fabulous place on a sunny day. We met up with some old friends there and spent a wonderful day in the gardens but didn’t even manage to get to the museum itself. Next time!

I still never managed to visit the London Transport Museum (although I did frequent the gift shop) but would definitely recommend a trip here on a rainy day. The Museum of London is also fabulous and has loads to keep little ones interested.

Trafalgar Square