The best family days out in South London for kids aged 0-7. Zoos, parks, museums and more.
South London punches above its weight for families. Brockwell Park Lido, Dulwich Picture Gallery, Crystal Palace Park's dinosaurs, and the Horniman Museum are all here. It's the most local-feeling part of the city -- less touristy, better cafes, and parks where you'll see the same families every weekend.
Small, child-friendly zoo with lemurs, otters, monkeys, and a farmyard. Perfectly sized for young children without being overwhelming.
Beautiful hilltop park with a great playground, views over London, and the Royal Observatory. Kids can stand on the Prime Meridian line.
Quirky museum with aquarium, natural history gallery, and beautiful gardens with an animal walk. The hands-on music gallery is brilliant for kids.
Free maritime museum in Greenwich with AHOY! children's gallery for under-7s. Hands-on exhibits about the sea, ships, and exploration.
While focused on war history, the museum is free and has interactive exhibits that engage older kids. The main hall with tanks and planes is impressive.
Bright, clean soft play with separate baby and toddler areas. Known for their good cafe and friendly atmosphere.
Heated outdoor lido in south-east London with family sessions. Recently refurbished with good changing facilities.
Dedicated children's theatre in Wimbledon with shows for ages 0-14. Two performance spaces plus a free playground and cafe.
One of London's largest free fireworks displays held every November 5th on Blackheath common. Funfair rides and food stalls.
Grade I listed Victorian dinosaur sculptures set in Crystal Palace Park. Free to visit and endlessly fascinating for dinosaur-loving kids.
Lovely south London park with a boating lake, recumbent bike hire, and good playground. The cafe is family-friendly and the park is flat and buggy-friendly.
Hilly park in Brixton with a 1930s lido, walled garden, playground, and miniature railway in summer. Great views from the top of the hill.
Ancient woodland nature reserve managed by the London Wildlife Trust. Free nature trails, den building, and seasonal forest school sessions.
Free staffed adventure playground in Battersea Park with climbing structures, zip wire, and den building. For ages 5-16 but younger kids love watching.
Ancient woodland dating back 8,000 years to the last Ice Age, with easy walking trails for little legs and a gothic castle with 360-degree views over London. A genuine wild adventure just minutes from the train.
A hidden gem in Brockley with panoramic views across the London skyline, a wonderful fenced playground for toddlers and an adventure play area. Popular with local families but rarely on tourist lists.
Explore the story of the world's first underwater tunnel at this small but fascinating museum in Rotherhithe. Children get free activity sheets that lead to a small surprise gift, and the spectacular tunnel shaft is genuinely awe-inspiring.
England's first purpose-built public art gallery with works by Rembrandt, Rubens and Poussin. Under-18s get in free, and regular family workshops let children create their own art inspired by the masterpieces.
A massive 30,000 sq ft indoor play centre with go-karts, a multi-level climbing frame, interactive sandbox, and a dedicated toddler village. One of the biggest indoor play spaces in London.
A leisure centre in Deptford with a dedicated under-5s soft play on the first floor, plus a leisure pool with wave machine, water slides and floats for family fun swim sessions.
London's biggest trampoline park with 150 connected trampolines, foam pits, a dodgeball court and a jumping runway. Dedicated toddler sessions on weekday mornings provide a calmer, age-appropriate bouncing experience.
A leisure pool in Woolwich packed with a wave machine, water slides, floats and interactive splash features that kids absolutely love. Shallow areas for toddlers and deeper sections for older children.
A registered charity running forest school programmes in Lambeth, Southwark and Greenwich parks. Children learn fire-making, den building, foraging and nature crafts in supervised outdoor sessions year-round.
Fun gymnastics classes for toddlers and young children in South London. The Tiny Gym programme is designed for ages 18 months to 3 years, building coordination and confidence through play-based movement.
A 2.2-acre working farm on the south bank of the Thames in Rotherhithe, free and open daily. Children can feed calves, meet donkeys and horses, and learn about sustainable farming right on the riverbank.
One of London's oldest city farms in Merton Abbey with pony rides for children as young as two, plus goats, sheep, pigs and small animals to pet. A proper hands-on farm experience with riding lessons available.
A free farm run by Capel Manor College with alpacas, Shetland ponies, kunekune pigs and a reptile room that children adore. Located in Crystal Palace Park alongside the famous dinosaur sculptures.
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