Things To Do
Jonny Shanahan
/ 13 September 2025
Guide
Keep the kids entertained with London’s top family-friendly activities
The weather might be cooling down, but your kid’s energy is only ramping up. You’re not getting anything done with everyone home for the half-term Autumn school holidays. Next it’s the cabin fever. Sure, a quick trip down to the park isn’t quite as appealing in the colder months but fear not – between the charming Autumn colours and all the fervent Christmas countdown excitement, London comes alive with cozy, family-friendly activities for all ages, budgets and interests.
From magical theatre shows to thrill-seeking theme parks, here are our ten top things to do in London with kids this Autumn.
Catch a West End theatre show
You really can’t get anymore quintessentially London than a family outing to the West End, and we’ve got plenty of options when it comes to family-friendly fare, with Wicked, Matilda, The Lion King, Mrs. Doubtfire, Come Alive! The Greatest Showman or Harry Potter and the Cursed Child all providing dependably magical experiences. Between mind-boggling sets, striking costumes, heartfelt stories and earworm musical numbers, each show offers an unforgettable experience, guaranteed to keep the kids entertained (at least for a few hours).
Check out our West End Theatre Guide
Dive into an immersive exhibition
For an engaging day of exploration, especially appealing to kids with big imaginations, head to one of London’s many immersive exhibitions. Step into timeless paintings at Frameless, walk among giants at Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs or head to The FRIENDS Experience to sip on a hot chocolate inside Central Perk.
Check out our Things To Do Guide
Seek thrills at a theme park
Rollercoasters offer the highest octane thrills one can experience within the bounds of legality, but they’re no fun in the bitter cold. That’s why if you’ve got a family thrill seekers, you should try to fit in at least one more trip to a theme park like Thorpe Park or Alton Towers before winter arrives. From heart-pounding rollercoasters like the brand new record-breaking Hyperia, to younger-friendly attractions like bumper cars and teacups, these theme parks offer experiences perfect for the whole family to enjoy. And if you get them on enough rides, you might just tire the kids out enough for a peaceful recovery day afterwards. Now that’s what you call a two-for-one deal.
Check out more things to do in London this week
Glide across the ice skating rink
When the UK’s seasonal ice rinks start popping up you know the Christmas countdown is really on. It’s time to lace up your skates and pirouette gracefully around Glide, an ice rink located under the imposing chimneys of Battersea Power Station. With beautiful outdoor settings, festive lights, crisp air and fun atmosphere, ice skating is the perfect family outing. Just make sure to pack the knee pads.
Find out what it’s like to be famous
Even if you’ve long abandoned your own dreams of fame, your kids probably haven’t. While turning them into genuine celebrities would be a bit of a tall order (not to mention morally questionable), you can at least let them feel like stars for the day, thanks to Fame Factory, an immersive experience which recently opened its doors in London. Expect to walk the red carpet, pose for your very own magazine shoot, kick back in a private jet and even fend off the paparazzi.
Plan a sightseeing day in Westminster
If you’re looking for fun things to do in London with the kids this autumn, nothing says a day out in the capital like a leisurely stroll around Westminster, letting the kids take in some of London’s most famous landmarks. As an added bonus, in the early Autumn months you’re just outside peak tourism season and before the Christmas madness, meaning you can enjoy the Westminster atmosphere with less crowds. Nearby attractions like The London Eye, The London Dungeon, and SEA LIFE London Aquarium offer entertaining experiences that are just a stone’s throw from one another.
Feed the kids for free at the Barbican Centre
It costs an estimated £200,000 to raise a child until the age of 18 (and let’s be honest, the costs rarely end then). So anything that can lower that number is going to come as a welcome relief. If you’re a parent looking for a cheap way to keep the little ones happy this autumn, consider a trip to the Barbican Centre, where kids eat for free so long as you spend at least £10 on your own meal.
Get directions to the Barbican Centre
Enter the swamp at Shrek’s Adventure
Sandwiched between The London Dungeon and SEA LIFE London is a bus stop you don’t want to miss. Here’s where you board the Number 2 to Far Far Away – home of Shrek’s Swamp, Rumpelstiltskin’s Carriage, the Muffin Man’s House and Puss In Boots’ favourite locale. Explore 12 fairytale live shows featuring actors, special effects, a unique 4D motion simulation experience and Donkey, of course.
Get tickets to Shrek’s Adventure
Watch the fireworks on Bonfire Night
The idea of celebrating an attempted mass murder is admittedly unusual, but Bonfire Night’s gloomy origins do nothing to detract from the spectacle of the fireworks displays that are held throughout London on November 5. As always, the main event will be at Alexandra Palace, where this year the pyrotechnics will be joined by synchronised swarms of drones, but there will also be plenty of other, smaller displays if you’d rather avoid the crowds.
Get directions to Alexandra Palace
Take them to see some sports
Parents with little sports fans are spoiled for choice when it comes to exciting days out in London this autumn. Whether you prefer more mainstream sports like football, basketball, tennis or rugby, or wackier choices like professional wrestling and strongman, we’ve got plenty of options to sate your family’s appetite for athletic thrills.
Find more things on our London Guide
