100 cool things to do with babies and toddlers in London

  1. Grab a lush lunch at Bear & Wolf while they frolic in the dreamy cubroom.
  2. Browse eenymeeny‘s designer threads while they peruse the pocket-money toys.
  3. Decorate their bedroom with magical monochrome homeware from Molly-Meg.
  4. Unleash their creativity at Tate Britain’s Under 5s Explore the Gallery sessions.
  5. Become part of an installation at parasol unit’s inventive Project Light drop-ins.
  6. Chuck them in the mosh pit at one of Wake Up Gigs‘ parent-focused family gigs.
  7. Take colourful stair selfies at ex-multi-storey carpark Peckham Levels.
  8. Scale rolling hills and rainbow bridges at The Bee’s Knees under-5s zone.
  9. Climb inside their favourite books at Discover Children’s Story Centre.
  10. Ride the yellow helter-skelter and shop vintage-look kidswear at Niddle Noddle.
  11. Meet Little My and stock up on Tove Jansson merch at The Moomin Shop.
  12. Jump around at ZAPspace’s Little Zappers toddler trampolining sessions.
  13. Have a chilled Sunday morning at Tomato Tutors‘ stylish, child-led playgroup.
  14. Catch the latest blockbuster with your babe and a brownie at Everyman.
  15. While away an afternoon playing bonkers arcade games at Novelty Automation.
  16. Expand your mind while your baby expands its nappy at a Mindr seminar.
  17. Check out Whitechapel Gallery’s latest exhibitions with your mini at Crib Notes.
  18. Dip your toes in the V&A’s courtyard paddling pool on a scorching hot day.
  19. Learn circus skills while your baby watches with Flying Fantastic‘s aerial classes.
  20. Or try their Mini Flyers aerial sessions, where toddlers get involved too.
  21. Take your little sitter along to a Bottle Apostle mums’ wine-tasting event.
  22. Kick back with brunch and a beer while they explore the soft play at Jam Circus.
  23. Give them an eighties education over breakfast at Cereal Killer Cafe.
  24. Nail that Nordic nursery aesthetic with a spending splurge at Scandi Mini.
  25. Let them investigate NOW! Gallery‘s latest immersive art exhibition.
  26. Set them free amongst the neon wonders of God’s Own Junkyard.
  27. Discover Victorian relics in Crystal Palace, London’s answer to Jurassic Park.
  28. Get a workout while they tumble at Training Points’ family pilates class.
  29. Commandeer a stately caravan at Sutton House & Breaker’s Yard.
  30. Sip cider while they road-test ride-ons at Dalston Eastern Curve Garden.
  31. Browse beautiful illustrated books and stay for storytime at Smallprint.
  32. Dance to Joy Division at a How Does it Feel to be Loved Children’s Indie Disco.
  33. Roam the Cutty Sark for £5 with Wednesday Toddler Time sessions.
  34. Be Inspired by House of Illustration’s Creative Fun for 2-5s workshops.
  35. Meet peacocks and make mud pies in the toddler playground at Holland Park.
  36. Immerse yourself in the sensory pod at the V&A Museum of Childhood.
  37. Play with boats (and get soaked) in the Science Museum’s The Garden gallery.
  38. Stock up on kids’ Scandi basics before refuelling in the chic Nordic cafe at Arket.
  39. Join in with an inventive Little Feet stay-and-play workshop at The British Museum.
  40. Get plastered in paint and showered in flour at an A Fine Mess messy play session.
  41. Perfect your Child’s Pose at Mums and Toddlers Yoga at The Life Centre.
  42. Pretend your toddler is a giant at Bekonscot Model Village & Railway.
  43. Become a postie for the day at Sorted!, The Postal Museum’s play space.
  44. Take some me-time at The Space Retreat – complete with stylish creche.
  45. Catch an under-5s performance at Little Angel, Chickenshed or Unicorn.
  46. Colour in a Damien Hirst at Newport Street Gallery‘s child-friendly restaurant.
  47. Gobble finger sandwiches and tiny cakes at Sketch with a Children’s Afternoon Tea.
  48. Let them admire the view from the Sky Garden, London’s cloud-side conservatory.
  49. Spot canal wildlife and pond-dip for mini-beasts at Camley Street Natural Park.
  50. Create art inspired by priceless works at Messy Mondays at The National Gallery.
  51. Meet a menagerie of creatures dead and alive at the Horniman Museum & Gardens.
  52. Binge on matcha brownies and black sesame lattes at Toconoco Japanese play cafe.
  53. Dance in the fountain and paddle in the rock pool at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
  54. Make shadow art and let your hair down in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern.
  55. Liberate their inner Jackson Pollock at a Mini Picassos toddler art session.
  56. Refuse to grow up at the Peter Pan-inspired Diana Memorial Playground.
  57. Float around in an origami boat at the Westfield Biodiversity Playground.
  58. Shop design-led toys and frolic in the fountain at the Design Museum.
  59. Road-test designer toys and browse the cream of the kidswear at Little Liberty.
  60. Introduce them to the joys of live classical music at a Bach to Baby concert.
  61. Shop the coolest stuff on Earth in The Conran Shop’s playful kids’ department.
  62. Go for breakfast and stay for playtime at the Cuckoo Hibou concept shop.
  63. Shop gifts and slurp hot chocolate while they cavort at The Sherriff Centre.
  64. Experiment with materials and create tactile play landscapes at Barbican Blocks.
  65. Learn how historical little Londoners lived and played at Museum of London.
  66. Guzzle Bloody Marys while they make mischief at The Corner House.
  67. Spend a Sunday surrounded by greenery at the Barbican’s lush conservatory.
  68. While away a sunny afternoon in Coram’s Fields, London’s historical kids-only park.
  69. Try on shoes in every colour of the rainbow at Brockley’s Gently Elephant
  70. Peruse beautifully made kidswear, toys and womenswear at Luna & Curious.
  71. Spend a Saturday browsing lush, design-led children’s books at Telling Tales.
  72. Create your own work of art with Mini Masterpieces at Dulwich Picture Gallery.
  73. Enjoy bear-shaped pizza and vintage Fisher Price toys at Corner Kitchen.
  74. Get up close and personal with real-life musical instruments at Mini Mozart.
  75. Tackle an assault course at the newly renovated National Army Museum.
  76. Run riot inside a 21,000 square-foot monochrome cyborg at The Idol.
  77. Drive a double-decker and ride the Thames Nipper at the LTM.
  78. Shop cute age-appropriate number tees at Bob & Blossom on Columbia Road.
  79. View Kew Gardens from above on the breathtaking treetop walk.
  80. Grab a babyccino at Palm Vaults, East London’s most photographable cafe.
  81. See Rachel Whiteread’s dolls’ house installation at Museum of Childhood.
  82. Browse historical stores on Museum of London‘s Victorian Walk.
  83. Go below deck at Ahoy!, the National Maritime Museum’s children’s gallery.
  84. Go mudlarking and meet a mummified cat at the Museum of London Docklands.
  85. Ponder big questions and ogle the obesity sculpture at the Wellcome Collection.
  86. Foster a lifelong love of art (and hijack a gargantuan dolls’ house) at Kenwood.
  87. Stock up on reasonably priced Scandi casuals at a Lindex Westfield store.
  88. Grab a cuppa and some me-time at SoundsCreative Projects’ Tea + a Gig.
  89. Pop into The Bright Emporium for a Saturday morning Messy Toddlers session.
  90. Be entertained by varied live music and free pop-up treats at a Mini Jam concert.
  91. Be captivated by the Royal Albert Hall’s magical Storytelling and Music sessions.
  92. Ride the singing lift up to the Nordic Room for Children at the Royal Festival Hall.
  93. Play the afternoon away at Marylebone’s leafy Paddington Street Gardens.
  94. See an exhibition and get stuck into a Family Activity Box at Camden Arts Centre.
  95. Let them spend all their pocket money at the Sylvanian Families store.
  96. Have a picnic, play in the playground and meet the pelicans in St. James’s Park.
  97. Ride Mail Rail and shoot a letter through a pneumatic tube at The Postal Museum.
  98. Dance in the unpredictable fountains outside Central Saint Martin’s.
  99. Pick up a pile of preloved treasures at a FARA Kids charity shop.
  100. Chow down on an ube bilog at Mamason‘s Filipino ‘dirty’ ice-cream parlour.

Babu and Daddy go on a Metropolitan Line adventure.