fun to do kids trafalgar square london   Travel for Kids
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London – Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square
In the heart of London, Trafalgar Square is famous for its architectural significance, but with kids, run around the square, take photos, go to the bookstores, climb on top of the lions, look for the tiny police station, and stop in to the Brass Rubbing Centre. And don't miss the National Portrait Gallery and National Gallery, both museums are free.
  Nelson's Column – Lord Nelson's statue really is at the top of this column, 170 ft up, but he's rather far away to see. (Lord Nelson died a hero in 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar.) Kids can climb on the four yawning black lions (also stick their hands in its mouth) at the base of the column.
  Sharks and dolphins In the fountain east of the column, there are two sculptures. Look for dolphins in one, and sharks in the other!
    London Brass Rubbing Centre – In the Crypt of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church is the Brass Rubbing Centre. You can choose from hundreds of metal plates to make your rubbings on black paper with lovely wax crayons. Our kids wanted to go back twice.
  A very tiny police station – It might just look like a round column with a black windowed door, and light on top. But it's a one room police station (on the Charing Cross Rd. side of the square).
  St Martin's-in-the-Fields Church has free concerts at the lunch hour.
   

Charing Cross is noted for its bookshops. Our favorite, which has a large children's section, is Waterstone's on Trafalgar Square proper.

national portrait gallery london queen elizabeth 1
 

National Portrait Gallery (St. Martin's Place) – What better way to see the most famous people in British history? The National Portrait Gallery has original paintings and busts of the kings and queens of England, from the Tudors to King Charles III, Shakespeare, Charles Darwin, Winston Churchill, Ian Fleming, the Beatles, Elton John, J.K. Rowling, and many more writers, poets, statesmen, generals, explorers, scientists, aristocratic families, rock stars, and actors, past and present. Famous figures really come alive in their portraits!

      Museum is free, but book tickets in advance.
 

National Gallery – The National Galley is the biggie museum with European artworks. Look for paintings by British artists J.M.W. Turner, Thomas Gainsborough (super family portraits), John Constable, and George Stubbs, (famous for his horse paintings).

    Kids will also get a chance for a first hand experience of famous paintings such as Sunflowers by Van Gogh, Rembrandt's Self Portrait, The Virgin of the Rocks by Leonardo da Vinci and much more.
      There are kid's activities at the museum every Sunday. The museum is free.
family tours national gallery london

In the National Gallery, meet dragons, cats and dogs, famous horses, and a rhinocerous on a two hour private family walking tour through the museum:

    Family Menagerie: Animals at the National Gallery

The National Gallery has tons to see, but just how do you make famous artworks come alive for your kids? An experienced tour guide will explain legends and stories, and kids can be art detectives. Take a two hour private family tour with stories and activities for kids and parents together:

    National Gallery Tour for Kids
kids books
     
katie and the british artists  

Katie gets in the picture when she climbs into a Constable painting, and joins a boy herding sheep. Soon they are driving a train, riding a horse and chasing butterflies. A delightful story about paintings by British artists you'll see in the National Galley. Fun for younger kids. (Picture book)

 

More children's books on other London pages
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