London is an expensive city but locals know that one of this city’s best and cheapest features is its public parks. In summer, London parks blossom with activities that will appeal to the entire family.
There is so much to do in many of London’s parks that you could spend a whole day enjoying all that’s on offer. Here are three very different options for a summer day, ideal for people with children in London.
Regent’s Park: The Jewel in the Crown
In many ways the most elegant of central London parks, Regents Park is a delightful blend of formal gardens with plenty of open space. This is a perfect spot to while away a summer afternoon and evening.
Start by entering the park at Clarence Gate, just a short walk from Baker Street tube. This gate is just by the Boating Lake where there are pedal boats to hire and extra small ones in the children’s pond. When you’ve finished pedalling, walk around the Boating Pond for a glimpse of many exotic birds and ducks. You’ll pass right by Queen Mary’s Gardens, the formal gardens known for rose displays.
If you plan ahead, you can reserve seats at the Open Air Theatre, the only permanent professional outdoor theater in London. Shows run from May to September. Before the performance, you can dine outside at The Garden Café (in Queen Mary’s Gardens) or you can pre-order a picnic from the Open Air Theatre and enjoy it on the Picnic Lawn inside the theater grounds.
A Sporty Day in Hyde Park
Many of the horse riders in Hyde Park are London residents but actually anyone can rent horses with a guide from Hyde Park Stables for a trot along Rotten Row, where the fashionable elite have been riding for hundreds of years. For those who prefer watching horses from a distance, the Household Cavalry parade by Rotten Row on their way to St James everyday at about 10:30 am (9:30 on Sundays).
A more aquatic experience is available in the Serpentine where swimming is on at the Lido from roughly May to September. There’s a children’s paddling pool and a pleasant café. Those who don’t want to get wet will prefer to rent rowboats or pedal boats on the other side of the Serpentine.
Family Fun in Battersea Park
Although often overlooked by visitors to London, local residents appreciate Battersea Park for its variety of activities and landscape. The gravel walkway that runs along the River Thames has charming views of Chelsea and the Albert Bridge – beautiful at the end of the day when the white lights framing the bridge turn on.
Mid-way between Chelsea Bridge and Albert Bridge on The Parade is the Children’s Zoo. Here there are kune kune pigs, otter, goats and a mouse house with plenty of opportunity for petting. Outside the zoo to the right, along the East Carriage Drive by the Millennium Stadium, is the Recumbent Bike Centre which rents a variety of bikes.
Just a bit further along is the small Boating Lake where pedal boats are available to rent in summer. Continuing around the park to the southwest are the Sub-Tropical Gardens . It’s astounding how many species flourish in this inner city park.
And finally in the southwest corner by Prince of Wales Drive is one of London’s best adventure playgrounds for kids aged 5-16.
Emily Laurence Baker - Emily Laurence Baker is a freelance writer with articles published in The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, The Washington ...
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