Things to Do with a Baby in London
The complete guide to London with a baby or toddler — free museums, brilliant parks, family-friendly restaurants and everything you need to plan a great day out.
London is, without question, one of the best cities in the world to raise a baby — and one of the most overwhelming places to navigate once you have one. A buggy changes everything: the steps you never noticed, the lifts that break down, the cafés that are too small, the tube lines you can no longer use. But London also has world-class free museums, enormous beautiful parks, an incredible food scene, and more baby classes and sensory sessions than anywhere else in the country.
This guide covers everything. We've brought together the best free things to do, the most family-friendly areas, how to get around with a pram, where to eat, and a day planner to put it all together. Whether you're a Londoner discovering your city all over again through tiny eyes, or a visitor navigating it for the first time with a baby in tow — this is the guide we wish we'd had.
London by age — what works when
Newborn
0–3 months
- •Quiet cafés with big tables and a relaxed vibe
- •Gentle walks in Hyde Park, Regent's Park or your local green space
- •Postnatal yoga and mum-and-baby groups (check your local children's centre)
- •Baby cinema screenings at Vue or Picturehouse (low-lighting, pram-friendly)
Sleep, feed, repeat. Low-stimulation outings are plenty right now.
Young baby
3–6 months
- •Sensory play classes (bubbles, lights, textures)
- •Baby swimming — heated pools, small groups, lots of fun
- •Baby massage and baby yoga classes
- •Introducing the big museums — Natural History, Science, V&A
Babies this age love faces, sounds and movement — classes are brilliant.
Older baby
6–12 months
- •Soft play — safe crawling and cruising environments
- •Music and movement classes (Monkey Music, Jo Jingles and more)
- •Baby yoga and baby sensory sessions
- •Weaning-friendly cafés — big highchairs, relaxed about mess
On the move! This age group thrives with physical play and new sounds.
Toddler
1–3 years
- •Parks with great play equipment — Battersea, Victoria Park, Clissold
- •Museum galleries made for under-5s (The Garden at Science Museum)
- •Soft play and adventure play centres
- •Toddler theatre and Tiny Tales storytelling sessions
Energy levels: high. Attention spans: short. Plan for lots of transitions.
Best free things to do with a baby in London
London is remarkably generous with its free attractions. These eight are genuinely excellent for babies and toddlers — not just tolerable.
Natural History Museum
Free entry. The dinosaur gallery alone is worth the trip — and the blue whale will stop them in their tracks.
South Kensington, SW7
Young V&A
Free entry. Bethnal Green's spectacular reimagined museum is entirely dedicated to childhood — interactive, beautiful and genuinely fun.
Bethnal Green, E2
Science Museum
Free entry. The Garden on the ground floor is purpose-built for under-5s — water play, construction, sensory activities.
South Kensington, SW7
Hampstead Heath
Free. 790 acres of wild London — ponds, meadows, Parliament Hill views. Buggy paths and a brilliant paddling pool in summer.
Hampstead, NW3
Horniman Museum & Gardens
Free entry to museum and gardens (aquarium extra). Fabulous natural history collections, a walrus, and gorgeous South London views.
Forest Hill, SE23
Tate Modern
Free entry. The Turbine Hall is jaw-dropping for babies and toddlers — huge scale, dramatic space. Walk along the South Bank after.
Bankside, SE1
London Wetland Centre
Entry fee applies, but the outdoor space is vast — reed beds, bird hides, a huge adventure play area and lots of ducks to point at.
Barnes, SW13
Local library storytime
Free. Every London borough runs free storytime sessions for babies and toddlers — check your local library's website for times.
Your local borough
Getting around London with a pram
Getting around London with a pram is much easier than it used to be — but it still takes planning. Here's the quick version:
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Buses are always step-free — every London bus has a ramp and a designated buggy space. Children travel free. It's slower but stress-free, especially with a newborn.
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The Elizabeth line and DLR are fully step-free end-to-end — brilliant for longer cross-London journeys. The Jubilee and Victoria lines have good step-free coverage too.
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Use Citymapper in step-free mode — it plans door-to-door pram-friendly routes and tells you which entrance to use at each station. It even flags when lifts are reported broken.
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Always check lift status before you leave — TfL's live lift status page shows real-time outages. A broken lift at an Underground station with no alternatives is a very bad day.
Where to eat with a baby in London
Eating out with a baby is one of the joys of London — the city has so many brilliant restaurants that genuinely welcome small people. The things to look for: a proper highchair (not a booster strapped to a bar stool), a baby change room, space between tables for a buggy, and staff who don't visibly wince when you arrive.
Little Sprout lists 440+ family-friendly restaurants across all areas of London, each verified for highchairs, baby changing, kids menus, buggy space and outdoor seating. You can filter by area, cuisine, and features like kids-eat-free and outdoor play space.
London with a baby — by area
London is enormous. Here's a quick guide to the highlights in each part of the city — browse the full activity list filtered by area for everything near you.
North London
- •Hampstead Heath (open space, ponds, play)
- •Alexandra Palace & park (views, events)
- •Highgate Wood (ancient woodland, great play area)
South London
- •Horniman Museum & Gardens
- •Battersea Park (city farm, adventure play)
- •Crystal Palace Park (life-sized dinosaurs, boating lake)
East London
- •Young V&A (Bethnal Green)
- •Victoria Park (café, paddling pool, play area)
- •Westfield Stratford (accessible, great soft play)
West London
- •Kew Gardens (huge accessible grounds)
- •London Wetland Centre (Barnes)
- •Chiswick House & Gardens (café, lakeside walks)
Central London
- •Natural History Museum + Science Museum (South Ken)
- •St James's Park (pelicans, playground, café)
- •Covent Garden (street performers, pram-friendly piazza)
Plan your day with Little Sprout
Not sure what to do with your day? The Little Sprout Day Planner lets you pick an activity, find family-friendly restaurants nearby, and build a full day itinerary in minutes. Pick your area, choose a morning activity, and we'll suggest great places to eat nearby — with baby change, highchairs and all the things that matter.
Open the Day Planner →Frequently asked questions
Is London good for babies and toddlers?
Absolutely — London is one of the world's most family-friendly cities, even if it doesn't always feel like it. The sheer number of free world-class attractions (Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Tate Modern, Young V&A), brilliant parks, and the density of baby classes, soft play centres and family-friendly restaurants makes it exceptional. The main challenges are getting around with a pram and the cost of living — but with the right planning, a day out in London with a baby can cost very little.
What age can babies go to London museums?
From day one — there is no minimum age for any of London's major museums. The Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Tate Modern, British Museum and all Tate galleries are free and welcome babies and toddlers. In practice, most parents find 3–4 months onwards is when babies start to engage more with their surroundings. Under-fives tend to enjoy the Science Museum's dedicated 'The Garden' space most, while the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum are usually a big hit from about 18 months.
Are there changing facilities in London museums?
Yes — all of London's major free museums have baby changing facilities, and most have them on multiple floors. The Natural History Museum, Science Museum, British Museum, Tate Modern, Young V&A and National Gallery all have dedicated baby change rooms. Some also have Changing Places facilities (larger rooms for families with additional needs) — check individual museum websites for exact locations. The Little Sprout facilities map also lists Changing Places across London.
How do I get around London with a pram?
The bus is your best friend — every single London bus has a fold-down ramp and a designated buggy space, and it's completely free for children under 11. The Elizabeth line and DLR are both fully step-free. On the Underground, step-free access varies by station — use Citymapper's step-free mode or the TfL Journey Planner (tick 'step-free access') to plan routes. Black cabs are legally required to accommodate prams without folding. Always check TfL's live lift status before travelling, as lifts can be out of service.
What are the best parks in London for babies and toddlers?
London has outstanding green spaces for young families. Highlights include: Hampstead Heath (wild, open, brilliant ponds and a paddling pool in summer), Battersea Park (city farm, adventure playground, lakeside café), Victoria Park in East London (paddling pool, playground, wide paths), Crystal Palace Park (boating lake, life-sized dinosaur sculptures), and St James's Park in Central London (pelicans, a playground and the fairy-tale backdrop of Buckingham Palace). For South London, Clissold Park in Stoke Newington is a local favourite with deer and a great café.
How much does a day out in London with a baby cost?
It can cost very little. London's major museums are all free, buses are free for children, and parks are free. A typical day — say, a morning at the Natural History Museum, lunch in a family-friendly café, and an afternoon in Hyde Park — might cost £30–50 for two adults, mostly on food. If you choose one of London's free museums, pack a picnic, and use the bus, you can have a genuinely wonderful full day out for under £20. Many baby and toddler classes also offer free or low-cost taster sessions.