Our Summer So Far...

 Heyyyyyy!

So summer holidays are here, which mean demon kids everywhere!....



Iv tried my best to keep the kids entertained almost everyday, and I can honestly say my sanity is almost gone. I cant count how many times we have been cinema, swimming, indoor soft/adventure plays, and for 6 weeks it all adds up!

Even if you don't venture far from home local parks and farms are free! walking and bike riding really wears them out!

 I just wanted to share a few outings we have been on which also don't cost too much but gives them a fun day and ready for their beds once your home... please note most of these trips are in east London but majority of things there should be something similar in your area.

Emirates Airline & River Bus

For the cable carts you can either get on at Royal Docks DLR or North Greenwich Jubilee Line train stations. We got a one way so we could get the river bus back after. Adults are £3.50 kids over 5 are £1.70 you can purchase tickets when you arrive or use you oyster/contactless.

All aboard!

The kids loved being up in the air and still keep asking to go back on. It lasts about ten minutes and you can see lovely views of the docks and o2.

Once we got off we had a little walk around, lunch and then walked over to the River Bus station.

Once again oyster/contactless is used on the boat, depending on your destination the price varies and kids under 5 are free. The bus can go from Woolwich Arsenal all the way to Putney. It travels along embankment, so you get some sightseeing in. Costa coffee is on board too for refreshments.

Gods Own Junk Yard

This is literally a light museum! Based in Walthamstow it has neon old school lighting everywhere, the kids are literally mesmerized by the lights inside! spent a couple of hours in here chilling. Its absolutely free and they have a coffee shop at the back and some colouring for the kids to sit down and draw. Its based in an industrial estate with free parking. This place is only open Fri - Sun. All details here 

BFG Dream Jar Trail

So to celebrate the 100th birthday of Roald Dahl and of course the re release of the new BFG movie, there are giant jars placed around London with peoples dreams inside. These Jars are all over London, with 5 different trails to choose from. Its completely free to take part. We had a day out in Westend so we did the trail there. All you have to do is download the map on your phone and look for the jars!

It involves a lot of walking to tire out those devils which is perfect, we ended the day with an ice cream before we headed home. All info here

Rooftop Puppet Show

I always look for local activities to do with the kids and I found the puppet show performance. Its a good idea to see whats on in your area, so you can book, if not its usually first come first serve for free performances.

The Metta theatre put on a show of the story Blown Away, an acrobatic performance of some penguins and friends leaving the Antarctic for an adventure. Really sweet story, that kept the boys quiet for a good hour. 

Beach East - Olympic Park Stratford

The beach is here till the 4th September, adult entry is £2 kids are £1 but 3 and under is free. to make up for the payment they give you coupons for each paying person for £1 off rides in the funfair or off of food & drink.

Very clean and nice atmosphere here, where ever you find a spot on the beach, your child is in direct view of the water. The water is very shallow so practically safe for all non swimming children, there is also a baby section to take the bubbas into too. The toilet and changing rooms are also spotless.

Within in the beach there are bars, food & drink stands and sweet treat stalls too. There is also a funfair inside which of course is optional as rides can definitely cost a pretty penny. The only downside to the park is that you cannot take in any food or drink, its a shame because it would be nice to do a little picnic over there, but I guess they have to make their money!! (but, if you can try sneak a few drinks and snacks.. shhhhhhh!!)

Tate Modern Gallery

We took the river bus to Bankside and had a walk along the river before we entered. Sounds boring for kids but the Tate is absolutely huge with up to 10 floors worth of art, footage of history and views from the top of the building.

The boys actually really loved looking at the different shapes and pieces of art, while not realising how much walking up and down they was doing. (I realised my foot swelled up!) Check on their website also as they do activities for children on most weekends. We spent a good two hours in their before I made them walk from the southside of the river to the east to get a train home. I think then, they started to realise they walked so much haha! Once again absolutely free unless you want to see particular exhibitions going on.

These are just a few things we done so far I hope it helps anyone who stuck on what to do as you can only think of so many things to keep them entertained. If anybody has any suggestions for me, please do let me know!!

MWA xx