10 Free Family Days In London With Kids

On August 1st, I received a “Happy Autumn!” message from a fellow home-ed mama in our nature group. While I love the golden-oranges, bronzy-browns, and lemon-yellow leaves of a beautifully wistful, dreamy autumn, in my head, we are still in summer, baby! My tomatoes are blooming, dinner looks like a cold watermelon & lime salad, we’re still in shorts and flip-flops, it’s ice lollies galore for my 5-year-old, and a trip to the beach is approaching. Now I know my home-ed friend was showing some love to the ancient Celtic calendar, but we still have many summer adventures planned for our family.

As most of us finish our lessons in July and then take a little time to reflect, unwind, relax, and decompress, August is the perfect time to start our Summer Holiday adventures.

And even if you save your exploring for September (when everyone else is back at school), here are 10 free places to visit in London to help you kick-start your summer adventures with the children. You’ll always have a budget-friendly place to visit with these day trips up your sleeve:

A cost-effective exploration of the histories of the seas and the peoples who have explored and travelled them; there is no better time to spend a day in Greenwich than on a lovely summer day. The National Maritime Museum has three floors of different exhibitions, play areas, and exploration. We loved seeing the ship models, uniforms, and one of my favourites – available until Sept 30th 2026) was the Windrush Food Culture exhibition. My five-year-old didn’t get to visit The Cove – unfortunately, it was closed, probably due to the heatwave- but he did love the ship-styled play area on the third floor and the various interactive displays throughout the museum.

The best thing is that there are many other free local places to visit in and around the National Maritime Museum, so you can really make a day of it, and my husband already has it on his to-do list to go back and explore more. We went from here straight to…

…Greenwich Park. From ancient Romans and Anglo-Saxons to Tudor monarchs, Victorian sailors, our family and maybe even yours, you can’t be unimpressed by this Royal park. We first stopped at the Greenwich Park Playground where my son made a friend to play with. While my 5-year-old enjoyed walking in the water fountain and playing with the sand and climbing frames, I reflected on the grandiosity of the royals’ lifestyle compared to everyday folks in the surrounding areas. While I was impressed by the natural beauty and picturesque buildings, the contrast between the rich and the poor gave me plenty to think about. If you do plan a day in London, we defo recommend adding Greenwich Park to the list, with its many free and paid attractions.

We had the most fun at the Young V&A last year. This museum has three galleries, called Imagine, Play and Design, with plenty of interactive stations for the children to play with and enough nostalgia to engage us parents too. Based in Bethnal Green and easily accessible by public transport, Young V&A is a great choice for a budget-friendly day trip. Visit Young V&A.

We have visited for the last two summers and won’t hesitate to visit again.

This is the perfect trip to learn about the Royal Air Force – past, present and future. The various plane models are wonderful for all ages, and the playground was a hit with our little one. There is so much to see and experience, and with free admission, it makes a great free day out for the family. Click on the BOOK FREE TICKETS button to reserve your spaces. Parking on site costs a fee if you choose to drive, and some events and soft play also incur a fee. But you can have a whole day there for free!

This is your big chic garden in the sky that’s giving lush greenery, exquisitely landscaped gardens, observation decks, and an open-air terrace as the boats sail by on the Thames. As well as capturing great views of those iconic bright red buses passing by, you’ll be able to spot The Shard, Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Gherkin and the wonder that is the city’s skyline.

Even though entry is free, remember to pre-book your tickets a few weeks in advance. Tickets are released every Monday morning (except bank holidays).

There is usually a long queue to get into the Sky Garden London, with its array of Mediterranean and South African plant species, but the queue goes down quickly, and it is worth going at least once. For more info, check out their FAQs here.

If you are ever in the North West of London, take a playful pit-stop at Claremont Park. This is a lovely little family chill-out spot with water play, and lots of things for the children to slide, climb and swing on. Play is a key feature of Claremont Park, and it shows in their fun playground and their cute nature features. We usually bring our snacks or stop at the coffee shop just outside the park, but they also have a kiosk.

We would also normally suggest a trip to Exploratory Park, which was literally next door, but unfortunately that recently closed. But expansion is on the cards for Claremont Park; it will have even more to offer in the future, but for now, it’s still a peaceful and picturesque spot for the perfect (and free) outdoor playdate.

I’ve been visiting the Natural History Museum since my school days, and as an adult, I still love a day here with the family. I was telling another home ed mum today that it’s so worth visiting every year, because there is so much to see you can’t soak up in one trip; the children’s interests change each year, and each visit lets you focus on something different. For some extra historical spice, you can check out their WHAT’S ON page to see what’s new. While there are additional paid exhibitions and activities, there are always some freebies too!

Just down the road from the Natural History Museum, this is defo the spot if you have a space-loving kiddo like mine. General admission is FREE, and there is lots to see. This year we plan to purchase a little add-on and pay for the bubble experience, but even without paying a penny, there is lots to do and see.

The last time we walked the exterior Buckingham Palace was for Charles III’s proclamation as King. The fanfare of beautiful horses, back-straight guards in red, and marching bands are always spectacular to see. Whether you are a royalist or not, Westminster is a beautiful place to explore as a family, as there is much to see and many moments to pause, observe and discuss. Even on a normal day, you can walk around the Palace and take in the surrounding spaces.

After you tour around the palace, head over to St. James’s Park. Considered the “most royal” of London’s Royal Parks, St. James’s Park hosts ceremonial events, including royal weddings, jubilees, and military parades. They call this “the park where history is made”. You can spot beautiful gardens, horses, guards, waterbirds, and the most wonderful play area for children. HERE’S A MAP of all the exciting things to see on your beautiful family walk. After our little exploration, we stopped at one of the many local cafes for a little nibble.