London summer with kids is a completely different city. Suddenly every park has a paddling pool, the South Bank is alive with free festivals, and you can eat dinner outside while the kids run around until 8pm. It is genuinely brilliant — if you know where to go.
Here are 20 of the best summer activities for children in London, tested with real kids and organised by type so you can pick what suits your day.
Because nothing says London summer like a child who is inexplicably soaking wet.
The most beautiful outdoor pool in London, set right on the heath. The lido is unheated (brace yourself), but on a hot day it is heaven. There is a separate paddling pool nearby at Parliament Hill playground that is gentler for small ones (open in summer). Combine with a walk on the heath for a full day out.
Not a fountain in the traditional sense — it is a circular stone water feature designed for paddling. Kids can splash in the shallow streams that loop around the granite ring. Free, beautiful, and endlessly entertaining for toddlers. Lifeguards are on duty in summer.
Over 1,000 individually controlled water jets built into the ground that kids can run through. Free, no booking needed, and surrounded by restaurants and cafes. It is the most fun you can have in London for zero pounds.
A roped-off section of the Serpentine lake for open-water swimming, with a separate paddling area for children. There is something wonderfully old-fashioned about swimming in a lake in the middle of London. Small entry fee, deckchairs available.
A proper heated outdoor pool that is less well-known than Hampstead or Brockwell. Family sessions run all summer, and there is a shallow end that works well for under-5s. Less crowded, easier parking, and genuinely warm water.
Parks, playgrounds, and green spaces that are worth crossing London for.
The best playground in London, full stop. A massive wooden pirate ship, teepees, sensory trails, a musical garden, and a sandpit. Free to enter, fenced and gated (so toddlers cannot escape), and beautifully maintained. In summer there are often storytelling sessions and craft activities.
A seven-acre park in Bloomsbury with an incredible rule: no adult may enter without a child. This means it is always safe, always welcoming, and never overrun by groups of teenagers. Sandpit, paddling pool (summer only), playground, sports pitches, and a small city farm with goats, chickens, and rabbits.
Tumbling Bay playground has water play, sand, rock pools, and giant climbing structures set among the wildflower meadows. The park itself is huge and excellent for scootering. In summer the fountains by the London Stadium are perfect for cooling off.
A cable car across the Thames from Greenwich Peninsula to the Royal Docks. The views are spectacular, it takes about 10 minutes, and kids love it. You can pay with Oyster or contactless. Combine with a visit to the nearby Greenwich park and the Cutty Sark.
Not technically a tourist boat — it is public transport that happens to go along the Thames. Hop on at Greenwich, Canary Wharf, or Westminster and ride the river. Under-5s travel free, and a Family Hop-on Hop-off ticket lets up to three children (aged 5-15) travel free with two adults. The outdoor deck at the back is the best bit.
London has a surprising number of farms and animal spaces, and most of them are free.
The largest urban farm in London, with 32 acres of farmland and over 100 animals including horses, pigs, llamas, goats, and chickens. Completely free. The views across to Canary Wharf are surreal — skyscrapers behind sheep. The on-site cafe is excellent and reasonably priced.
A small, friendly farm right in the middle of Hackney with donkeys, goats, pigs, rabbits, and a pottery studio. Free to visit. Frizzante, the Italian restaurant inside the farm grounds, serves some of the best Italian food in east London (not an exaggeration). Summer means baby animals — lambs in late spring, chicks in early summer.
A hidden oasis behind Vauxhall station with horses, alpacas, goats, and a community garden. Free, compact, and very friendly. They run riding lessons for children and regular family events. It is small enough for a 45-minute visit, which is perfect for toddler attention spans.
A small zoo inside Battersea Park with monkeys, meerkats, otters, and ring-tailed lemurs. Entry is around 15 pounds for adults and 12 for children (check their website for current prices), but it is perfectly sized for under-5s — you can see everything in an hour. The adventure playground next to the zoo is also excellent and included in admission.
Over 100 acres of wetland reserve in southwest London. Otters, birds, frogs, dragonflies, and a brilliant adventure playground. The "Explore" area for under-7s has a water play zone in summer. It is a paid attraction (around 18 pounds for adults online, free for under-4s) but worth it for a full summer day out.
London's summer calendar is packed with free family events. These are the ones worth planning around.
Every summer the Southbank Centre hosts weeks of free outdoor events: music, dance, circus acts, children's workshops, and food markets. The area between the Royal Festival Hall and the BFI is alive with activity. Kids can usually join in workshops and performances for free — check the Southbank Centre website for the programme.
Every summer they stage a family show (usually in August) that is specifically designed for children aged 3 and up. Past shows have included The Borrowers and 101 Dalmatians. Tickets are not free but are affordable, and watching theatre outdoors on a summer evening is magical. Bring a picnic for beforehand.
Free outdoor concerts and events in the City throughout late June and July. The family events usually include interactive music sessions in Guildhall Yard. Not the most famous London festival, but reliably good and always free for families.
The Sunday of Carnival weekend (August bank holiday) is family day. The parade is full of colour, music, and dancing, and the atmosphere is joyful. It is busy, so use a sling rather than a buggy, arrive early, and stay near the Westbourne Park Road end for the best family atmosphere. Kids absolutely love the costumes and the steel bands.
Luna Cinema runs family-friendly screenings in parks across London throughout summer — think Finding Nemo on a big screen in Kensington Palace gardens. Screenings start at sunset, so it is late for small children, but for older kids (4+) it is a genuinely special experience. Bring blankets, snacks, and cushions. Book early — family screenings sell out fast.
All of these activities and hundreds more are listed in the Little London directory, where you can filter by type, area, and age group. Here is to a brilliant London summer.
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