South Kensington is home to a whole host of wet weather outing for kids. Don't stay stuck in the house all day, when there are so many fun and exciting adventures to be had indoors in South Kensington.
A dry journey to the V&A
South Kensington Tube station includes an underground walkway with direct entry to the V&A, making it the perfect place for an outing on a rainy day. The V&A café is right on hand when the family gets hungry, and then you can get back to the tube station without facing the rain even once.
Our top picks for kids:
- The jewellery room is full of sparkle that will dazzle the kids
- Grab a back pack on entry to the museum and take a journey through the museum with its activities
- The museum also provides educational museum trails. Head to the Learning Centre on Level 3 to pick one up for your family.
- The Fashion Gallery is full of beautiful clothing throughout the ages. Explore the different fashions over time.
A day at the Design Museum
The Design Museum is a great place to keep dry, with restaurants and a free exhibition. Our top pics include:
- The museum's permanent exhibit, Designer Maker User, is fully of familiar objects kids will love exploring. Find out more about how things are made and experiment with designing things for yourself! The permanent exhibition is free.
- The museum's ground flood café is a perfect place to grab some food, or head up to the restaurant for a dining experience with a view.
- On the last Sunday of every month, the Design Museum holds a drop-in activity for families inspired by the museum and the exhibitions. Free, drop-in, these informal sessions focus on light-touch design and making activities for children aged 5–11.
No rain in the Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is so vast, that it could entertain the family every wet weekend for years! From dinosaurs to diamonds, the museum has exhibits for every child's interests. On a wet weekend, why not take a closer look at how rain, wind and the weather, have shaped our planet? The museum's Red Zone looks at the Earth and it's natural phenomenon from earthquakes to hurricanes.
Other top picks from us include:
- The Mammals (blue whale) Gallery lets you walk through a room full of animal specimens – from tiny foxes to magnificent elephants and giraffes.
- Why not treat the family to lunch at the museum's restaurant, the T-Rex grill.
- Learn about the body, its bones and the brain in the Human Biology exhibit, which includes fun interactives to keep the little ones entertained.
- Become a scientist for a day at the museum's Investigate for families hands-on workshops
- Volcanoes and Earthquakes gallery takes you on a journey through the causes of the world’s most famous natural disasters and explores how science is attempting to minimise the impact of volcanoes and earthquakes around the world.
- In the Cocoon, you can travel deep into the heart of the collections to see the working lives of our scientists in their day-to-day work. Experience the world of scientific research from viewing decks, on video screens and through intercoms.
- There's so many treasures in Minerals and The Vault, they will brighten any cloudy day! Feast your eyes on the Museum’s world-leading collection of minerals and gems on display in The Vault, including the amazing 9,381-carat Ostro stone - the largest topaz of its kind.
Keep dry at Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal wonder for children of all ages, and a great place to while away the hours on a rainy day. From digital entertainment to family activities, there are plenty of things to do. And best of all, children under 16 go free!
Our favourites:
- The Digital Missions app allows children to explore the Queen's apartments, including stories about pugs, pastimes and the family home.
- The last Saturday of every month is filled with family activities which are fun for everyone
- Grab a bite to eat at the palace's beautiful restaurant, The Orangery.
Science Museum selections
Rainy days are great for exploring indoors, so why not explore in the Science Museum's Wonderlab. From colour to sound, electricity to friction, this ticketed exhibition is filled with interesting experiments to keep curious minds occupied.
Other top picks at the science museum:
- Escape life on Earth in The Space Gallery, where you can see a replica of the lander that took astronauts to the moon
- Get into some incredible interactive exhibits in the museum's Engineer Your Future Gallery.
- Try out the new Space Descent VR with Tim Peake, to experience what it's like to travel from the International Space Station all the way back to Earth.
- Grab an ice-cream or a milkshake at the museum's very own Shake Bar.
- Wonderlab – This hands-on gallery is a fun way to learn more about the science that surrounds us every day. From colour to sound, electricity to friction, this ticketed exhibition is filled with interesting experiments to keep curious minds occupied.
- The Garden is an exciting interactive space, created especially for children aged 3–6 and their parents and carers. nquisitive children can explore the main areas – construction, water, light and sound.
- Mathematics Gallery – who says maths can't be fun? The new Mathematics Gallery is a fascinating space where mathematics is connected to the world we live in – from ship-building to computers and communications.
- Pattern Pod - an amazing multi-sensory area for children under 8 years old. Fun, interactive exhibits encourage them to recognise and copy patterns – or create entirely new ones of their own.
Check out our other child-friendly itineraries for more great ideas of things to do in South Kensington.
