It’s safe to say you often hear a sigh of relief when the kids go back to school. 6 weeks can feel like a lifetime when you’ve got little ones at home. Especially as a working mum, finding childcare to enable you to work can often be a challenge. However, I don’t know whether it is a good thing or bad thing, but my son’s school have a 5 week summer holiday (we then get a 2 week October half term) and it absolutely flew by. Blink and it was over. Hugo is now in year 3 and I have to say, we had the best summer.
A lump in my throat appeared when the time came to go back to school and it made me so reflective of the time we spent together over summer. We didn’t do much. In fact, on paper, we did very little. A few days out here and there, play dates, visits to grandparents… but when I asked Hugo about what he enjoyed the most about his summer holidays, he said it was when we went to London. So, with the help of my (now) 7 year old, we have put together the things he enjoyed most about his summer holidays, and hopefully, with the October half term fast approaching, you can all enjoy a day out in London on us. So, in no particular order, here goes:
London adventure #1
Frameless
Frameless is a multi-sensory, immersive art experience on a scale that I have never experienced before. With 4 rooms, each themed differently according to the pieces of art they are showcasing, you enter a jaw dropping word of art. The experience is fabulous. Utterly engaging for every age. The visuals are spectacular and, alongside the music, it is genuinely exciting to experience. Ages 2–102 would be utterly mesmerised, and we highly, highly recommend. Great cafe and gift shop to visit after as well, which is also a bonus!
Hugo rates it 8/10
London adventure #2
Battersea Power Station Lift 109
Battersea Power Station and its Willy Wonka style glass elevator was a jaw dropping experience. Located in one of the power stations 4 chimneys, the glass lift takes you all the way up, peaking out of the top to give you a 360 degree view of London. We arrived in heavy rain, and what we thought would be a disappointing view we couldn’t have been more mistaken. It was simply phenomenal. The power station itself, after having millions spent on its regeneration, was worthy of a whole day visit. And if you do fancy it, catch the River Bus from Battersea back to central London, you won’t regret it.
Hugo rates it 9/10
London adventure #3
Twisted Museum
Twisted Museum is a mind-altering world of illusions. They label themselves as a place to learn, explore and enjoy, and we certainly did that! As soon as you enter the first room, you are questioning your very own existence. All colour is removed out of the world around you with clever light trickery, and as you walk in, you simply have no choice but to stop. And look. It is simply mind blowing. We visited Twisted Museum with our friends – so with two mums and two 6 year old boys, there was no one who left disappointed. We were all simply thrilled by the whole experience.
Hugo rates it 9/10
London adventure #4
Lego Shop
Lego is life in our house. And with 100+ Lego sets in our house (I wish I was joking), no trip to London is complete without a visit to Leicester Square’s Lego Store, to buy, you guessed it, more Lego. Jacob and Hugo were in their element – walking around with their mouths open wide, gasping at the sheer volume of Lego surrounding them. Even the queue outside the shop didn’t phase them. I was expecting Hugo to give this a quick and simple 10/10, however as it didn’t have any rides (not sure this is quite LegoLand but still…) it lost half a point! Maybe something for them to consider in the future!
Hugo rates it 9.5/10
London adventure #5
Bridgits Bakery Afternoon Tea
Nothing says London more than a double decker bus tour of the city. And what better way to enjoy it than whilst having afternoon tea too! We were treated to the most wonderful experience, being driven around the sights of London, eating sandwiches, scones and cake, drinking tea (or hot chocolate if you are 6 years old) and it really was brilliant. Overall the tour lasted around 90 minutes, and I fear for Hugo’s future afternoon tea experiences, as he will be so disappointed when he finds out that not all of them will be on a bus!
Hugo rates it 8/10
So, there you have it. A few simple ideas for a great day out in London. We spread these experiences over two separate days out, but you could easily just pick one and turn it into an adventure. With a walk along the Southbank, ice cream overlooking the Thames, you can never get bored in London.