London With Kids – South Bank Guide
Child Friendly Places to Visit in England's Capital City
Jul 11, 2008
London is great fun, but what with the sprawling mass of long, confusing streets and all the travelling on the underground tube train network, it can be difficult to get your bearings. Just getting around London can be hard work! Here are a few ideas and helpful pointers to help you plan a child friendly trip to London's South Bank, with everything close by and easy to access in a day.
The London Eye
Located on the South Bank of the river Thames, if you catch a tube to Westminster and then walk over the river on Westminster bridge, you will get a great view of the London Eye and know exactly where to head to catch a flight on this iconic London landmark. For a standard flight prices are currently £15.50 for adults, £7.75 for children aged 5 -15, and free for children under 5. Flights last about an hour. It is possible to save money, and beat the queues, by booking your flight in advance via the London Eye website. Tickets can be purchased and collected from the County Hall, which is the building immediately next to the London Eye. Prams and buggies are allowed on board the capsules.
Southbank Centre Stroll
The Southbank Centre is at the heart of an arts quarter that stretches from the Royal Festival Hall and the National Film Theatre to the Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. For kids and grown ups a wander through this lively area is enhanced by street performers, living statues, book sellers and views of boats on this busy stretch of the river Thames.
Giraffe Restaurant
Eating out with kids should be a pleasure, but many restaurants make it a chore. Luckily, just a short walk away from the London Eye, situated in the Southbank Centre, is a branch of Giraffe, a wonderful child-friendly restaurant. Staff at Giraffe greet families with friendly smiles and serve excellent food in appropriate sized portions for everybody. Kids even get their own menu. Excellent vegetarian dishes are offered, and prices are very reasonable too. For example veggie sausage, beans and mash is £3.95 for a child, turkey enchiladas for a grown up is £9.95.
IMAX Cinema
A trip to the huge British Film Institute IMAX cinema is sure to delight children of all ages. Located at 1 Charlie Chaplin walk, the cinema is well sign posted from the South Bank. It's an easy walk, even though it is set back from the river quite a way. On foot, turn right at the Royal Festival Hall and follow the road, and the signs, until you see the massive dome of the IMAX looming out of its island home. You get to it using a subway. With a screen the approximate height of five double decker buses, the IMAX is a cinematic experience like no other. Especially well worth recommending are the 3D films shown at the cinema such as Deep Sea 3D and, at Christmas, The Polar Express 3D.
Further reading: Please see this article for a review of the IMAX cinema's special 3D version of The Polar Express.
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