Got an upcoming family vacation planned to London? These creative ways to get your kids excited for a trip to London are the perfect way to learn more about England’s capital city as a family.
Kayla has personally done the majority of these activities with her toddler, and they were a huge hit. Her mini adventurer first visited London when she was just shy of turning 2. Kayla had done several of these activities with her prior to the trip but didn’t realize how much of it truly resonated with her child until they got to London. Her daughter was SO EXCITED to see Big Ben after learning so much about it. Seeing the joy on her daughter’s face when she finally saw Big Ben in person is one of Kayla’s all time favorite travel memories.
While Kayla did most of these things with her toddler, there are things on this list for kids of all ages (and adults also!) to enjoy. So without further ado, here are some fun ways to get your kids excited for a trip to London.
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Double Decker Bus Craft
What better way to get your kids excited for a trip to London than with some hands-on activities? We love a good craft that doesn’t require much prep, and this one is easy peasy! Simply cut out the shape of a double decker bus on red construction paper and squares for windows out of black construction paper. Then glue the windows on the bus!
Kayla’s daughter wanted to draw people in each window (you’ll have to use your imagination a bit with the picture above – she’s only 2!). If you really want to go above and beyond, you could glue pictures of your family in the bus windows to make it seem like they’re riding the bus! We also saw some examples on Pinterest where there were peekaboo flaps over the windows, which is especially cute if you’ll be personalizing the windows in any way.
It’s pretty much mandatory to sing The Wheels on the Bus when making this craft. You can also read a book about London buses before making the craft! For babies and tots, try Whizzy Wheels London Bus Board Book. Kids around the ages of 4-8 years old will enjoy the picture book All Aboard the London Bus, which features fun seek and find activities throughout in addition to the story.
Royal Guard Craft
The Royal Guards are an iconic symbol of London. They are instantly recognizable by their tall bear skin hats, bright red uniforms, and stick straight stature. A lot of people who visit London for the first time have it on their bucket list to see one of the famous guards in person. If you get the chance to see the Changing of the Guard outside of Buckingham Palace, it is a real treat!
With this craft, your kids will get to make their own royal guard! The craft involves a little more hand holding than the previous one for toddlers, but older kids should have no issue doing this on their own.
At minimum, you’ll need a toilet paper roll, black and red construction paper, a marker, and glue. You can get creative beyond that by adding pompoms or feathers on the hat to add a fuzzy effect. Googly eyes certainly add a fun element as does a string for a chin strap or glitzy bits for the buttons on their coat.
For the Minecraft Lovers
If you have a child over the age of 7 (especially boys), chances are you’ve heard of Minecraft. The world building game has certainly taken the world by storm with both its clever game concept and its fun Minecraft merchandise. But did you know Minecraft is one of the ways you can get your kids excited for a trip to London?
When you download the Minecraft London Immersion Experience to your child’s Minecrafting device, they will be able to virtually explore all over London! They’ll get to race around in vehicles all over the city and see realistic depictions of some of London’s most famous landmarks!
If you’re planning on doing our Family Friendly Self Guided Walking Tour of London’s Top Sites during your visit, this Minecraft experience is an excellent way for your children to get a lay of the land and learn about the sites you’ll be seeing on your trip!
Make Your Own Stonehenge Replica
Stonehenge is one of the most famous landmarks in all the world. From London, it’s quite easy to take a day trip to Stonehenge to see the mysterious stone circle in person.
We had an absolutely incredible experience Celebrating the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge in 2023. It was awe-inspiring to visit during one of the only days of the year where you can freely stand inside the stone circle for as long as you wish and to see the sunrise in such a beautiful setting!
Whether you’ll have time to visit Stonehenge or not during your vacation, your children will enjoy making their own mini replicas! The easiest way to do this is with wooden blocks or legos. But if you really want to kick things up a notch, you can use food to make an unforgettable snack experience!
You can use any type of food that is able to hold its form and stand on its own, but the two most popular options for this activity are homemade Rice Krispie treats shaped and stacked to form the stones or cheese cut and stacked to achieve the desired effect.
While younger kids may need your guidance to build their stone circles, older kids will love having a competition with you or their siblings to see who can make the best Stonehenge replica with the most creative ingredients. This fun activity will get both parents and kids excited for a trip to London!
Stonehenge Tours From Our Trusted Partner – Get Your Guide
London Themed Lego Sets
Legos are fun for all ages, and there are several options that will get your kid excited for a trip to London. And if you choose one of the bigger sets, you can get some quality bonding time by working together as a family to complete it!
While most of the Lego sets are suitable for older kids and adults, there are a couple of options you and your tots will enjoy building. The Royal Guard Minifigure is made up of only 5 pieces and is just too cute. Kayla couldn’t resist buying one for herself when she spotted it in a toy store in London.
We’re also obsessed with the Lego 3D London Postcard which features famous landmarks and is small enough that you can easily display it without it taking up too much space. We love the Lego Postcards so much, we also featured them in our list of 13 Small Travel Gift Ideas for Children!
Advanced builders have some pretty cool options to choose from. There is a London Bus that comes complete with intricate details such as worn seating and reversible posters that feature retro ads as well as modern day ones. Another option that has just hit the shelves (that Kayla has completely been fangirling over) is the Lego Red London Telephone Box that comes with all sorts of cool features like the option to choose between a rotary or 1990s style phone, stickers to decorate, and a button operated light inside.
For those wanting a less complex build that still gives you wanderlust for London, you can’t go wrong with the Lego London Skyline Collection. The sleek design is perfect for displaying in your office. Any time you’re in a meeting, you can look at your Lego set and think longingly about your fun time in London (Kayla may or may not have done this in every zoom meeting she had during the Pandemic).
Have A Tea Party
Fun Fact: Afternoon Tea became popular in London during the 1800s when a close friend of Queen Victoria’s, named Lady Bedford, found herself getting quite peckish in the afternoon hours between lunch and dinner. It quickly caught on with Aristocrats and then with the rest of the population. Today, it is a quintessential British experience that everyone should enjoy at least once during their visit to the UK.
Hosting your own mini tea party is a fab way to get your kids excited for a trip to London. If you have a toddler, you can probably get away with having a pretend tea party with this play tea set if you don’t feel like pulling out all the stops. But older kids will be dazzled by the full experience!
You can be as simple or as fancy as you choose. While traditional afternoon tea typically has scones with clotted cream and jam, dainty sandwiches, and fancy pastries, you don’t have to go to that extent if you want a more kid-friendly option.
Kayla recently went to a Pirate themed tea party with her little one, which was a huge hit with boys and girls alike! The venue did a great job of catering to their younger audience. There were miniature cups of fish and chips (goldfish on top of potato chips), peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut into fun shapes, and cookies and chocolate gold coins for dessert.
If you fancy having tea in your home but don’t want to do the cooking and baking, order your items from a nearby bakery! You can also check to see if any of the businesses near you offer afternoon tea and make a fun outing out of it.
Several of our subscribers live in the Northeast Georgia area of the USA. We are SUPER excited about a new business that has opened out of Commerce called Jemima’s British Bakes. Not only can you now order a variety of British bakes to enjoy at home, Jemima also offers personalized afternoon tea experiences! And she is from England, so she knows what she’s doing!
Family-Friendly Afternoon Tea Experiences in London From Our Trusted Partner – Get Your Guide
Educational Youtube Programs
There are several Youtube videos that showcase the wonders of London that are extremely well done. While your family is snacking on their cheese Stonehenge replicas, pop one of these shows on the TV to get your kids even more excited for a trip to London!
KeeKee’s Big Adventures features an adventurous cat who loves traveling around the world and sharing her knowledge about history and culture. There are a few episodes dedicated to London. We love that the episodes are short enough to keep the attention span of younger kids but packed with information that will keep the whole family entertained.
All About the UK For Kids – Gives a general overview of the United Kingdom in a way for Elementary and Middle Schoolers to easily grasp.
Follow Our London Trail – Lonely Planet Kids Video that shows some of London’s favorite sites and foods. The host does a good job of making it funny and entertaining.
Blippi Explores London on a Double Decker Bus – Blippi rides around London on an iconic double decker bus and shows some of the top sites and samples some British food.
How Does The London Underground Work? – Lonely Planet Kids Video that gives a history of the tube and compares its modern day workings to subway stations in New York City and Tokyo. A great way for your kids to get an idea of how you’ll be navigating London!
Horrible Histories – Horrible Histories is a hit CBBC show that explores the side of history that they don’t teach you about in school From the Vicious Vikings and Awful Egyptians to the Slimy Stuarts and Terrible Tudors, Horrible Histories covers the funniest, yuckiest and most gruesome bits of history for kids (recommended for ages 9+).
Love and London – Youtube channel where a local Londoner gives advice on everything from navigating the city to where to find Tiktok viral foods. She tells the places worth visiting and gives her insider knowledge to lesser known spots around the city.
TV Shows Set in England
You might not learn a ton about London itself in the shows below, but they’re all set in England. Your kids will become familiar with British accents and learn a little bit about British culture in general by watching the shows below.
Peppa Pig – Especially the episode where Peppa goes to London to meet the queen (Season 5 Episode 15 – Currently on Netflix). If you’re a Peppa loving family, be sure to check out our post on Peppa Pig Theme Park in Orlando, Florida! Peppa Pig is currently on Netflix.
Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom – Fans of Peppa Pig will absolutely love this show which features elves and fairies living in their tiny kingdom and trying to stay out of sight of the humans around them. A lot of the voice actors are the same as Peppa, but we actually like this show even more than Peppa! Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom is currently on Netflix.
The Great British Baking Show: Juniors – We LOVE The Great British Baking Show, and the Juniors edition is an especially heartwarming twist on the feel-good baking show (Currently on Netflix).
The Great Pottery Throw Down – Fans of The Great British Baking Show are sure to love this similar competition show where competitors make beautiful pottery creations each episode and compete in various challenges. Even if you know nothing about pottery, it’s incredibly interesting to watch and has the same good vibes as The Great British Baking Show (Currently on Max).
Ghosts (BBC Version) – A young couple trying to save up for a home inherit a large estate. But when they arrive, they quickly realize they are not the only residents. Even if you’ve seen the Americanized version (which came out second), this one is worth the watch as some of the ghosts are different and the humor is top notch. Kayla loves the original BBC version! This show is recommended for ages 12 and up (Currently on Hulu).
Doctor Who – One of the world’s most well-loved British television series – An alien time traveler known as The Doctor travels through time and space in a British police box that doubles as a time machine. Recommended for ages 10+ (Currently on Max).
Books Set in London
We love reading books that are set in the places we visit! So much so, we have an entire books page dedicated to our bookish posts! Here are some books for all ages though that will get your kids excited for a trip to London:
Kitty Kat Where Have You Been? London! (Ages 3-7) – Join Kitty Kat as she recounts all the things she saw and did in London. There is also a map printed on the inside cover so you can chat with your little one about Kitty Kat’s journey through London and how your itinerary will compare!
Katie in London (Ages 3-6) – When Katie, her brother, and grandmother visit London, one of the lion’s in Trafalgar Square comes to life and gives them a tour of the city that they’ll never forget!
Hello, England! (Sophie & Stephie: The Travel Sisters) (Ages 4-8) – Join Sophie and Stephie as they embark on a quest around England to uncover the royals’ greatest jewels. This humorous children’s detective book inspires critical thinking and comprehension skills.
Magic Treehouse: A Ghost Tale For Christmas Time (Ages 6-9) – Jack and Annie tumble back in time to Victorian England where they work with three ghosts to save Charles Dickens.
Harry Potter – This is a must read if you’ll be doing a tour of the Warner Brothers Studios in London where Harry Potter was filmed! If you want to read these books with your children, we love the beautiful pictures in the illustrated versions. The Audible versions are also truly fantastic and made our list of 9 Audiobooks For Your Next Road Trip.
If you’re a fellow Potter Head, check out our post on Visiting Harry Potter Sites in Edinburgh! The capital city of Scotland is only a 5hr train ride away from London or an even shorter flight, making Edinburgh a great city to combine with a trip to London!
Clockwork Angel (Book 1: The Infernal Devices Series) (Young Adult) – In the first book of this prequel series to The Mortal Instruments, the year is 1878. Tessa Gray finds herself in London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. But when she allies with a group of demon-slaying shadowhunters, they find themselves pitted against a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans who are trying to overthrow the British Empire.
The Screaming Staircase (Book 1: Lockwood & Co Series) (Young Adult) – For over 50 years, England has been facing a ghost epidemic. When Lucy Carlyle finds herself in London working for Lockwood and Co., she thinks she’s landed a notable career. Instead, she finds herself spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England trying to stay alive and save the company from ruin.
Did you try out any of these ideas to get your kids excited for a trip to London? Let us know in the comments below!
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- 9 Ways to Get Your Kids Excited For A Trip to London
Great list – those lego sets are so cute! I want one LOL!
The lego sets and tea parties look like a great way to get your kid excited about a London visit!