What might a 3 year old enjoy in London?

[Kathy]

I took our to the Sicence Museum when they had lots of "hands on" stuff. Our younger son was about 3 at the time and I recall, in the Hologram area, picking him up and putting his head in a highly polished concave bowl on the wall for exactly that purpose. The reflections give you teh impression that a 3d version of you is emerging from the bowl to meet you.

I foolishly stuck my head in that once, not knowing what it was.  As something appeared from the darkness to headbutt me, I instinctively threw myself to the ground.  This was deemed hilarious by those watching.

How old were you? Aged 3-6, it's understandable...

[Kathy]

(FWIW, I always found the Science Museum with all the turny-levers and push-buttons very dull. The NHM is way better, because it has DEAD ANIMALS! )

[Kim]

I took our to the Sicence Museum when they had lots of "hands on" stuff. Our younger son was about 3 at the time and I recall, in the Hologram area, picking him up and putting his head in a highly polished concave bowl on the wall for exactly that purpose. The reflections give you teh impression that a 3d version of you is emerging from the bowl to meet you.

I foolishly stuck my head in that once, not knowing what it was.  As something appeared from the darkness to headbutt me, I instinctively threw myself to the ground.  This was deemed hilarious by those watching.

How old were you? Aged 3-6, it's understandable...

I dunno, 15 maybe?   

[Kim]

(FWIW, I always found the Science Museum with all the turny-levers and push-buttons very dull. The NHM is way better, because it has DEAD ANIMALS! )

See, I'd say the opposite, though tbh as a kid I was pretty happy with either (and anyway, the Science Museum has Charles Babbage's brain-inna-jar and plenty of gory medical exhibits).  But at the end of the day, once you've seen one dinosaur skellington you've seen them all, but there's only one Apollo 10 command module.

[Kathy]

(FWIW, I always found the Science Museum with all the turny-levers and push-buttons very dull. The NHM is way better, because it has DEAD ANIMALS! )

See, I'd say the opposite, though tbh as a kid I was pretty happy with either (and anyway, the Science Museum has Charles Babbage's brain-inna-jar and plenty of gory medical exhibits).  But at the end of the day, once you've seen one dinosaur skellington you've seen them all, but there's only one Apollo 10 command module.

I have an older brother. The rules are that the older brother has to press all the buttons in the Science Museum; he explained this to me. 

[Butterfly]

I'm with Kim. I have no interest at all in dead animals (except the whales), but the science museum has cars and aeroplanes and a toilet with a poo in it!

The NH museum is good if you have a child who is interested in dinosaurs and the earthquake at the science museum end is good though.

St James Park has pelicans and a playground at the palace end.

Regents Park has a boating lake and you can see the giraffes without going in the zoo (and sometimes some other animals, but the giraffes are pretty reliable).

Battersea park has a good playground and the children's zoo.

Harrods has a children's restaurant (Planet Harrods) on the 5th (I think) floor which has disney films playing and is pretty good and not extortionate.

The Rainforest Cafe used to be very good but went downhill so I don't know where it is on the scale now.

[Kim]

I have an older brother. The rules are that the older brother has to press all the buttons in the Science Museum; he explained this to me. 

Ah, I had a younger brother.  The rules are you aren't allowed to see the exhibits that the younger brother deems booooriiiiing (ie. those that don't involve dinosaurs or have plenty of buttons to press, unless overruled by medic parents with an interest in cells and gory stuff^[1]), until such a time as you're old enough to be allowed on the tube on your own.  We could at least agree that space rockets were cool.


^{[1] We had medical gore on tap at home from textbooks and my dad's slide collection, so were relatively nonfussed by it.}

[matthew]

With two younger sisters, particularly one into costume and textiles, I used to get dragged into the V&A rather than either the Science Museum or the NHM. 

[Kim]

The V&A's cool, just a waste of a perfectly good trip to South Ken.

[Arch]

One day, I will open a visitor attraction, which will contain two sorts of things.

1. Displays of ordinary items from within living memory. This ensures hours of fun for parents and grandparents going "Oooh, we had one of them!"

2. Lots of sturdy push buttons, levers, turny wheels etc. Some will do something mildly educational, some will just light a light, some won't do anything. But kids will have a ball pushing/turning them anyway.

The cafe will, of course, be reasonably priced - sandwiches at supermarket prices, a quid for a pot of tea, lots of CAEK!

[Kim]

I'm reasonably sure you're describing Tim Hunkin's exhibit in the basement of the Science Museum.  Just needs scaling up and a YACF-standard cafe installing.



Ah yes, this was my favourite item from category 1 (in the car audio section):



When's the last time anyone here saw one of those in the wild?

[Arch]

Blimey. I've not made it down there, seems I'm missing a treat. We'll rectify that next time we visit That London.

[Kim]

Blimey. I've not made it down there, seems I'm missing a treat. We'll rectify that next time we visit That London.

It's like a physical version of The Secret Life Of Machines.  Well worth it.