South Bank’s world-famous tourist attractions, wide-open car-free spaces and abundant child-friendly restaurants all come together to make this one of London’s most popular destinations for a family day out.
During English school holidays, many restaurants in South Bank offer free meals for kids, These free lunch offers are usually on the basis that a child eats for free with every accompanying adult that orders a sit-down meal. Restaurants running free kids meal offers during the February half-term holidays include: PizzaExpress (17 Feb–2 Mar), Comptoir Libanais (17 Feb–24 Feb), BrewDog Waterloo (15 Feb–23 Feb), Mamuska! and Las Iguanas.
See our family-friendly guide to eating out in South Bank for more ideas on where to get lunch during your visit.
WHEN: Served daily 12pm–5pm until end of April
Muggle-Wump brownies, Jam Roly-Poly sponge and Trick or Twit scones - enter into the story of The Twits with this brand-new themed Afternoon Tea at the Marriott County Hall inspired by the iconic Roald Dahl book. A celebration of The Twits story and characters and their eccentric and tricksy ways. > FIND OUT MORE & BOOK
WHEN: Open Tue-Sun until 1 June at Southbank Centre
Part installation, part adventure playground, REPLAY is a space built entirely out of waste materials, repurposed for fun by The Herd Theatre. It features a design that reignites imaginations, a score composed from recycled sounds and a crowdsourced play generator. Children and their grown-ups are invited to play side-by-side in this space full of things you can move, change, combine, wear and reimagine. REPLAY is suitable for ages 6 months–11 years. Booking is essential!
This brilliant interactive experience (an official collaboration with Lionsgate films) at County Hall is an exciting immersive adventure through some of the most memorable locations from the Paddington stories. After boarding the train at Paddington Station, you'll be whisked away to Windsor Gardens where there are numerous themed rooms to explore, characters to meet and adventures to embark on. Open daily.
Disappear into the world of Far Far Away as you encounter an array of characters from the iconic Shrek film franchise at Shrek's Adventure! at this famous walk-through immersive experience for families. Amaze the little ones with captivating storytelling, dramatic special effects, extraordinary DreamWorks animations and an amazing 3D ride, plus of course photo opportunities with everyone’s favourite ogre. Open daily.
London’s original board games bar Draughts, located inside the famous Leake Street graffiti tunnel, is the ideal spot to while away a rainy afternoon in South Bank. There are more than 1,000 different board games to choose from, covering every possible interest, meaning even the fussiest kids will never be bored! Admission for families is allowed until 9pm (kids under 18 must be accompanied by an adult). Open daily.
A visit to the impressive London Aquarium at County Hall is a brilliant day out for all the family. Come face-to-face with sharks, be dazzled by the vast tropical fish tanks and learn about the many endangered species that the aquarium cares for as part of its conservation projects. Make sure to pick up one of the activity trail sheets at the entrance for the kids to follow and look out for the regular keepers' talks happening throughout the day. Open daily.
London’s favourite karaoke bar brand Lucky Voice has a branch at The Sidings next to Waterloo Station. If you have teens and tweens who are big pop music fans, then booking a karaoke room for the family can be a super fun way to pass an afternoon. During the afternoon Sunday to Friday you can book out the venue for a two-hour kid's party package with soft drinks and snacks, or you can upgrade to add in pizzas for the kids too. The Lucky Voice Kids party is generally recommended for kids aged 11+.
See, hear, feel and smell the chillingly amusing characters of ye olde London as they come to life through 19 interactive shows and two underground rides at this wildly entertaining walk-through experience. This one's a fun day out for teenagers with a stomach for gruesome tales and stomach-churning rides, all themed around the darker moments of London's colourful history. For an even more interactive family day out, The London Dungeon also has a brilliant Escape Room experience! Open daily.
WHEN: Open Tue–Sun 10am–5pm, Passionate Pioneers programme from 15–23 Feb.
Tucked away in the St Thomas Hospital complex the Florence Nightingale Museum is devoted to the life and work of the ‘Lady with the Lamp’. From 15 to 23 February, the museum presents a special half-term programme Passionate Pioneers: Victorians Who Changed The World, exploring the modern wonders we have the thank the Victorians for. The programme includes drop-in hands-on activities for kids including 'Make your own Thaumatrope'. Also, look out for guided walks of the museum by the Lady with the Lamp herself!
You don't need to spend a fortune to enjoy a great day out sightseeing in South Bank.
