If you think about it, its 360-degree views of the capital’s skyline are more meaningful when you actually live here. Londoner or not, if you’re planning on visiting the London Eye this Easter (or whenever), you can book here or buy a Merlin Annual Pass here (aff links), or read on for my thoughts.

It’s easy to be dismissive of massive London tourist attractions when you’re a Londoner. In fact, rolling your eyes at anything considered even remotely touristy is almost a condition of living here, along with a solemn promise to huff passive aggressively at anyone standing on the left of the escalator, and to never, ever make eye contact on the Tube.

Londoners don’t ride the London Eye, or lurk outside Buckingham Palace waiting for a glimpse of the King popping out to the shops, but perhaps it’s time we started. Ok, maybe not the second one – let’s definitely not do that. The London Eye, however, is great when you have kids in tow – regardless of whether you’re a tourist or not – and I am going to give you not one, not two, but TEN reasons why, because I’m generous like that:

1. On an obvious level, the Eye is essentially a giant ferris wheel, only it lasts much longer than your average fairground ride and doesn’t have to keep stopping to let people on and off.
2. As lifelong Londoners, there was so much for my kids to spot, from the BT Tower to the Crystal Palace transmission station and even our house (according to Roma). Even if you’re not familiar with the capital’s major sites, it’s still fun to find more generic landmarks (think cathedrals, phone boxes and hospitals), like a giant, real-life version of Where’s Wally.
3. Jumping into the pod alone (the wheel never fully stops, but rather moves slow enough that everyone has time to hop on and off) was one of the most thrilling things my kids did that week. I’m a really fun mum, I promise.
4. Under-2s can ride the Eye for free, while ages 2-15 pay a concessionary price.
5. You can even take your pushchair on board, which is basically unheard of on central London attractions.
6. It’s so calming. With the number of kids in our pod you’d think it would be chaos, but they were all hypnotised into tranquility by the views.
7. The ride lasts around 30 minutes, or the length of three episodes of Bluey. In other words, long enough to feel you’ve got your money’s worth but not so long they have time to get bored.
8. There’s a playground at the foot of the Eye and it’s brilliant. It’s reliably busy on weekends and holidays, but reassuringly secure with a big fence, orbiting parental benches and good sight lines.
9. Shrek’s Advenure is a one-minute walk away and heavily discounted if you book both attractions together.
10. Between 11th April and 4th May (weekends only plus 4th May), London Eye is running an hour-long Botanicals Building Experience, allowing you to build a LEGO Botanicals Daisies set 135 metres above the city and take your creation home with you (suitable for ages 9+).

Look out for other special sessions. Babu and I went to a storytelling session on the Eye once and it was adorable.

If reading this has convinced you to take a trip on the London Eye, you can book here without having to scroll to the top of the page to hit the exact same link, or you can buy a Merlin Annual Pass here for even more family fun (aff links).