Universal London: Summer Fun For Young Kids And For Teenagers

Travelling to London with your little ones – or not so little (i.e. teenaged?) ones – in tow this August or September? Well, in that case, you won’t want to fill all your time traipsing about art galleries, museums and buildings of great historical import (even though London possesses some of the greatest of these in the entire world). No, you’ll surely want to – and your kids most certainly will – spend your time out of doors as much as possible and have as much fun as possible. So what, should you choose to stay at accommodation as fitting as, say, the Shaftesbury Premier London Paddington, might fill up your Big Smoke itinerary this summer…?

Events to experience

• Come across a triceratops or a tyrannosaurus rex at the magnificent and very interactive Dinosaurs in the Wild (Greenwich; until 2nd September)

• Walk around in and explore the Harry Potter’s simply wizard world at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London (special school holiday events run until 23rd September)

• Sign up to the Superhero Academy and reveal to a humdrum world your hidden superpowers as you also learn about conservation (ZSL London Zoo; 21st July-2nd September)

• Make for The Funfair, driven by SEAT and try your hand at classic rides, games and free activities (Westfield London; 27th July-5th August/ Westfield Stratford City; 18th August-2nd September)

• Throw yourself into hands-on conservation work of the legendary wartime ship HMS Belfast via Ship Shape Saturday workshops (28th July, 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th August)

• Check-out the free performances and prop-filled displays at the Disney in the West End summer pop-up (Covent Garden; 31st July-26th August)

Outdoor activities

• Savour the no-fume atmosphere of a traffic-free Regent Street along with family-friendly activities, street food and terrific shopping offers during Summer Streets (8th, 15th and 22nd July – ideal for those already saving money thanks to the Premier Club Reward scheme at The Piccadilly London West End)

• Watch and exercise at a pedal-powered outdoor film screening; movies showing include the likes of family faves Sister Act and Grease (Southbank Centre; 25th July, 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd August)

• Check out the noise, aromas and awesomely colourful costumes, as well as all the dancing and swirling that goes on through the West London streets on the Notting Hill Carnival’s Children’s Day (26th August)

Ideal for teenagers

• Throw yourself into a hair-raising ride down the world’s longest tunnel-slide at The Slide at the ArcelorMittal Orbit (Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park; all summer)

• Have a go at a real-life version of TV’s obstacle-course-world games show at The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience London (all summer)

• Ride one of the planet’s speediest urban zip wires at Zip Now London at Archbishop’s Park (until 9th September)

• Accept the challenge that’s The Monster, a 300m-long, inflatable course that features 42 obstacles (Alexandra Palace; 24th-27th August)

Perfect for tiny ones

• Meet meerkats and throw the whole family into outdoor activities at Lee Valley Park Farms (all summer)

• Hunt down mythical beasts and explore a secret grotto in the Magic Garden at Hampton Court Palace (all summer)

• Get up to piratical mischief onboard the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground’s gigantic pirate ship (Kensington Gardens; so ideal for families enjoying the best hotel rewards program while staying at the very nearby Grand Royale London Hyde Park)

• Family workshops, planetarium shows and talks at Royal Observatory Greenwich (all summer)

• Be a knight or princess for the day, join a bug safari or learn what it takes to be a soldier at Eltham Palace and Gardens (all summer)

• Arts and crafts workshops, challenges and butterfly walks at Horniman Museum and Gardens (23rd July-30th August).