Golders Hill Park, Hampstead/Golders Hill borders

This is a really great park space for families. It's also linked to Hampstead Heath. Limited parking in the park itself, but parking is possible on the roads outside (some restrictions 11-1 for resident parking).
This is a pretty park, with good paths, plenty of bowling green smooth grass to picnic on, a butterfly house open from May-September 2-4pm (free) which is a hit with the children, and animals on display in enclosures (ring tailed lemurs, donkeys, deer, hens, birds and so on). Range of child friendly activities on during summer for children, see their website for details, and the bandstand has a performance most sundays to accompany your picnic-ing. A good outdoor play area with swings and climbing frame and adjacent to this is a fun, clean sand pit area with slide all enclosed by a fence with gate so you can relax while your offspring play.

The cafe is good for coffees and serve food. Personally I find the food overpriced and poor quality. The childrens meal I ordered cost £6 for cheap and nasty fries, a stale salad, and dry low quality fishfingers. the price includes ice-cream and a drink, so you decide! Round the front of the cafe is the icecream servery - great gelato icecream, home made on the premises. this really is lovely for all the family. My advice would be to bring your own picnic, but treat yourself to a coffee and an icecream for the kids (and yourself).
Nearby is the Orangery, a spectacular structure worth a visit, if you can drag the kids away from this lovely park.

Oakleigh Park School of Swimming, Friern Barnet

William, my 4 year old, has been having weekly swimming lessons at this family run swimming school for the last 4 months. (He can swim 20 metres and has a badge and certificate to prove it!). During term time, classes are once a week for 1/2 hour for 11 weeks. Classes run week days and weekends and are age / ability banded.

During the school holidays they run week long crash courses for £59. The course is 5 days, each lesson is 1/2 hour and it's run by qualified swimming instructors who are friendly, professional and fun. I booked William in for a course, and it's been a great success given the raining August we are having.

The venue consists of a small foyer with seating for parents etc next to a floor to ceiling glazed area which looks directly onto the pool. From this vantage point, parents can see their children when in the pool but it helps prevent distraction from the teaching. The foyer leads directly onto 2 relatively basic communal changing areas, a pool a length long by a width wide.

It's bright, clean and importantly the pool is right temperature (I know this because I've had a 1-1 swimming lesson myself there).

The teaching is family run, and while keeping it fun, encouraging water confidence, the classes clearly works to establish the building blocks of the different swimming strokes. This is a proper swimming class for parents who want to get their children swimming confidently and enjoying water. It's not a splash about waste of money which some courses can turn out to be. The classes are for ages 3+ and can be in groups (no more than 6 to 1 teacher) or individual lessons.

Watching from behind the partition and chatting to the other waiting parents it's clear that many of these &  pa indeed grandparents, learned to swim at Oakleigh Park when they were young.

Can't recommend this swim school highly enough.

Sunday lunch with Alice and William

The Bald Faced Stag in East Finchley (on the High Road, 2 mins stroll from East Finchley tube) is a gastropub which offers a child venue yet cool urban interior for parents wanting something special (yet relaxed) from a Sunday lunch venue. The menu is an eclectic mix with something for everyone including the usual roast offerings of chicken, beef, pork. It's tasty, visually appealing, and reasonably priced at c £12 for a roast meal. The childrens menu offers pasta, fish and chips (succulent freshly battered cod and home made chips), sausage beans and mash (or chips) all for £4.00, or for an additional £3.00 supplement they can have the childs roast options of chicken or beef with all the usual accompaniments. The price for all childrens meal options includes a pudding of icecream. Menus are accompanied by crayons for those needing something to do for the short wait until lunch arrives.

My family and I love this venue. It's one of the friendliest venues for children we've been to for sunday lunch. Staff are relaxed, tolerant and warm towards the children. The venue feels cool gastopub. The vibe is comfortable, urban chic, F&B wall paper and dark wood floors / tables. Food is great. The childrens food is great quality, well priced and for the roast option they look on a par with the adult sized portion less one or two potatoes. A real treat.

Walk off pudding with a leisurely stroll around Cherry Tree Woods - literally across the road, where there is a good childrens playground, small wooded area, organic cafe (for anyone still feeling peckish!). A lovely north london family park.

Highgate Woods, North London

Highgate Woods has been  a favoured stomping ground of ours for years. It is part ancient woodland, with trees, winding paths and managed woodland, part park with a great childrens playground split into 2 areas, one for under 5s, the other for under 10s. Enough variety in the playground facilities to keep the most taciturn child entertained for a good hour or two. There is a large field and child-friendly cafe in the centre of the woods. The woods are frequented by lots of local families and has a friendly, buzzy atmosphere.
During the summer holidays a range of summer events run by the City of London are held in the Woods, most of which are free. So far we've happened across 'Birds of Bray', a static display of lots of wild birds (owls, hawks and so on) and BigTree Climbing which is for ages 3+, children are safely harnessed and helmeted and able to climb a big tree and zip down a wire to the ground or swing through the trees like Tarzan. The first event was free, the second was slightly pricey at £15 for all the tree activities. This put a few off but not all and there was a permanent queue throughout the day. If they'd dropped the price by £5 they'd have had much more interest I suspect. Still everyone, even those like my son who couldn't be persuaded to try it this time, enjoyed the spectacle.
Bring a picnic blanket, treat yourself and kids to an icecream from the cafe (or take away chips and a hot chocolate on a colder day) and enjoy the atmosphere at this friendly, bustling woods.
Adults on bikes not permitted but it's paths are scooter and buggy friendly, and small children on bikes are welcome.
there are 2 toilets, one located next to the cafe/open space  the other located by the playground.

The Southbank - London Bridge to London Eye (and back)

The walk from London Bridge to London Eye has always been one of my favourites. Going with the children is also possible as London Bridge has Disabled access ie a lift will take you from platform level right through to the ticket hall and from there another lift takes you to street level at Borough High Street. Go through Borough Market (over the road) to avoid the steps & get direct access to the Thames Path. This takes you, traffic free, via the Southbank to the London Eye. 

This summer there are some fantastic fun things to do with toddlers on this stretch of the Thames Path. My 4 year old brought his scooter, my 2 year old was in the buggy, or when she was so inclined could walk safely across the pedestrianised route in full view of the Thames. They loved the Golden Hinde, seeing the boats on the Thames, the pebbly 'beach at low tide which you can access at various points on the route if you wish down slopes (suitable for buggies). We stopped for a coffee (me) and juice (the children) outside the Southbank. The kids ran around on the grass outside the Tate while I took in the beautiful view of St Pauls across the bridge. 

Stop here for  a bring your own picnic, or there are other green spots to stop further on. 

Onwards, we stopped at the Queen Elizabeth Hall for the sandy 'beach' built especially for the summer holidays. Along with lots of other children, my toddlers passed a happy hour playing in the sand, hiding treasure, and just generally enjoying getting sandy whilst barefoot against a backdrop of the London skyline. Benches are adjacent to the sand and plentiful so weary and grateful parents can sit and watch their children play in relative comfort. 

We walked past the beach-huts display, a bright multi-coloured fun-fest of huts many of which you are encouraged to enter and explore close up before accessing the lift at Charing Cross Bridge which takes you from the street level up 1 floor level to the Royal Festival Hall (we stopped there for the loos). I found its foyer has a drop in play area for preschoolers. This comprised hoops and rings for them to throw, jump and generally play in, while you can grab a coffee and cake and take 5. 

On the mezzanine outside the RFH is a criss-cross water fountain area designed to entice the brave to step in and try not to get wet. Children of all ages loved it, mine included. Fountains of water jet up into the air in alternating patters of lines/squares, sometimes stopping completely. 

Beyond this, a fairground and stalls stretched. But we'd run out of time so decided to head back the way we'd come. My tired 2 year old fell asleep, my 4 year old and I treated ourselves to an icecream for the journey back to London Bridge. The tide was in and the pebble beaches we'd seen earlier were underwater on the way back. While William tackled with this concept, I enjoyed the beautiful skyline and the route I've loved to walk well before children. 

A full day out, felt like we'd had a day at the seaside rather than a day in town. Simply fab!

Plenty of coffee/cafe stops en route. 

Toilets available at majority of venues en route. 

Route suitable for buggies and scooters. 

For the weary, heading back to North London, Waterloo tube has disabled access so you can head back from London Eye rather than taking the return route back to London Bridge. 

Alternatively why not take a Thames Clipper, from one of the many piers on route, back to Bankside Pier to leave you with a short stroll back to London Bridge (Borough High St. Entrance). 10% discount if you use your Oyster card. 

ChurchFarm Pool, Friern Barnet/new southgate

This is a must pool for any parent of pre-schoolers. It's the best small family pool that I've been to (and I've tried a few over the years) and worth the 15 minute drive for me. There is some parking outside the pool centre and plenty unrestricted parking on the road outside.

Why did we like it? Under 5's go free. It's clean, the pool is just the right temperature, the (communal) showers were hot and both these and the changing rooms were clean so we felt like we could have a proper wash post swim. The pool is a length long and a width wide with a shallow and deep end. Ideal for mums with small children. my 4  year old can swim reasonably but my 2 year old needs armbands. I felt all 3 of us were catered for with the equipment available and the general pool set up.

They run a family splash session in the afternoons from 2.30pm every weekday during the holiday, provides free woggles/armbands, and has floats in the pool. 2 life guards supervise so it feels well managed. Staff were incredibly helpful, friendly and polite when we went.

The least stressful, most fun swim we've ever had as a family unit. Go!

Small cafe/facilities area adjacent to the pool with a few tables for a hotchocolate and bag of crisps from the vending machines before making your journey home.

Teddy Bears Picnic at Keats House Hampstead

I took Alice and William along to this out of curiousity mostly. Story telling, sing-along and action songs are the order of the day at this free event set outdoors in the beautiful, compact and tranquil setting of the garden at Keats House, Keats Grove, Hampstead.
The audience consisted of babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers and of course teddies of all shapes and sizes. It lasts 45 minutes from 3pm on Wednesdays throughout August, long enough to keep them interested and participation is very much encouraged. #Those feeling a bit restless, as my 4 (nearly 5) year old did towards the end can run around relatively freely without it being a problem.
Mums and carers should bring picnic blankets, food/drink (no cafe on site though there are some loos adjacent to the picnic green). If I'd been organised enough I'd have remembered to pack a flask for myself! Really sweet event to go along to, ideal for 2-4 years. There is resident parking only near the house though some pay and display places further up.

Alternatively, get there ahead of time and park at the Heath car park a few minutes walk away. Bring bread to feed the ducks on the pond in the heath then stroll over to Keats House. Those looking for a longer day out could take a towel and head to the splash pool over by Parliament Hill afterwards on a sunny day.
Free.

RAF Museum, Hendon North London

The RAF museum, Hendon, London is a great afternoon out. Despite putting this off for as long as possible, anticipating a very dull and dry experience, the museum has a fantastic array of real planes from the earliest flying machines to the latest fighter craft all out on display. Some hang from the ceiling 'mid-air', others are on the floor. You can walk around them, touch some of them, and even get inside some models. There is a great WWII display and a 'blitz' experience. There are a couple of pay as you go activities, such as a simulator and a 4D cinema. We did the latter and saw 'racing ravines' which was perfect for my 4 year old. It's a full on sensory experience, we got sprayed by water at one point and 'hit' by shrapnel. All good fun and felt very real. There is a cafe (if you go to the 4D cinema your ticket will purchase you a free beverage). Go. You will be pleasantly surprised! Free.

Coram Fields, Russell Square, London

I have 2 children, William (4 3/4) and Alice (2). If you've read my other blog ' A Woman's Work' you'll know that we've moved house and are living in a building site day in and day out. We moved in June 2011 and are now slapbang into the summer holidays. We can't use the house - it's full of boxes, dust and the builders are resident 6 days a week. So, faced with this predicament, I've been looking at things to do with a very active 4 year old boy and an equally inquisitive 2 year old girl. So here are some of the activities I've discovered for us to fill our days, while spending as little money as possible:
1 Coram Fields
nearest tube Russell Square (5 minute walk) or Kings Cross Tube (15 minute walk).
Absolutely delightful green space fully enclosed and gated entrance. Grass centre and different play areas located around the borders. These include:
climbing frames/slides; swings; huge sand pit; sand pit with water and activity stations with pouring/filling etc; wind chimes; run in ankle-deep splash pool; small animals (bit sad looking area with rabbits, but the ducks looked chirpy enough) including hens, goat, birds; tennis court; sports area. Great and reasonably priced (by London standards an absolute bargain) cafe for coffee and usual sundries plus good range of childrens food on offer with some seating. Attractive buildings frame the perimeter (used by childrens  centre during the week) with old trees providing shade across most play areas. Really lovely. Bring suntan cream, picnic blanket/food, towel and change of clothes or swim gear. My kids LOVED it. No charge on admittance. Adults must be accompanied by a child to enter.