London with 9yo ds, we're doing some gruesome stuff, any must sees that aren't on my list please?

[WideWebWitch]

I'm taking ds to London for a couple of days of just the 2 of us over Easter and we're planning:

Imax at the Science museum
Natural history dinosaurs and earthquake simulation
London dungeon

Is there anything else you reckon a 9yo boy would love? His likes:

football
yu gi oh
sweets and chocolate
playstation

(hmm, he WILL like the museums, I am determined)

Any other ideas? We can go anywhere in London, we're staying centrally and will do at least 2 nights, maybe longer if we feel like it. Happy to swap any of the planned trips above if someone thinks there's something more amazing, I chose them, they're not things he said he wanted to do. TIA.

(and if anyone wants to offer to meet us for a pizza on one of the nights, do email me!)

[Beetrootccio]

when yu going - I am going with 10 year old ds and 7 year old dd form9th - 13th...

[Spidermama]

How about the slides at the Tate. You'll have to check they're still there because I know they finish sometime in April. I'm desperate to do this.

[Beetrootccio]

am doing cutty sark and slides at tate modern

[WideWebWitch]

31st March and 1st April and might stay another day or so if we feel like it

[WideWebWitch]

Oooh yes, I've seen the slides at Tate, I couldn't do it, am scared of heights but ds might like it, I might show him and ask what he thinks

Hmm Cutty Sark, how's that good then?

[WideWebWitch]

They'll still be there, just looked it up, 15th April they go

[WideWebWitch]

Plus I would get stuck in them and it would be embarrassing

[simplycontrolfreaky]

where are you staying.... how central?
ds1 is 9 and we are in islington.... likes all the things you've mentioned..... and.....

wagamama for noodles / yo sushi with moving conveyor belt

forbidden planet shop for all thing comicy and card collectibles

tate modern

london zoo

kew gardens

.... sure i'll think of more....
enjoy your trip!

[wpcanniecartwright]

the tower

[rosie76]

surely you have to go to a park and feed the squirrels out of your hand?

[WideWebWitch]

Oh yes I really want to take him to Yo Sushi where he will turn his nose up at all of it but I can but try

[WideWebWitch]

We're staying in Covent Garden

[slowreader]

London Eye, boat trip down the river, climbing the lions in Trafalgar Square (I hate this, frightens me, kids love it). Don't take vegetarian children to the Natural History museum it is full of dead animals...queue for aeons, in for seconds, floods of tears then you have to rush to Hamleys for a big expensive cheer up. The red top bus trips are very good and do a children's commentary.

[WideWebWitch]

Thanks slowreader he likes gruesome so dead animals are a good idea, as is Forbidden Planet, he'll love that. He's been on the London Eye though and wouldn't climb on lions alone (and I sure as hell won't join him!)

[simplycontrolfreaky]

good and central....
you can get lots of user friendly things in yo www. noodles / satay / rice with meat / veg etc.
and you are near frobidden planet (top end shaftsbury avenue

[PeachesMcLean]

Slides at the Tate were fantastic but are they still desperately busy? We went when they'd just opened and we queued for 55 minutes to go on one moderate height slide. The really high ones were fully booked. Looked great though and you can even accidentally get a bit of culture in too.

[simplycontrolfreaky]

if you want to do the slides then get there at 10.00 am. you cant buy tickets in advance and if you're there when the gallery opens you won't have to queue... for tickets or the slides. they are fab and free. there are height restrictions.... 1.4m min. for the two highest ones iirc. well worth a trip.

[Bowbelles]

While you're in the Science Museum go to the Launch Pad in the Basement - loads of hands-on stuff. I have 3 DSs 13, 11, 9 and they love it.
Madame Tussauds?
Have fun.

[tangarine]

HMS Belfast is a firm favourite with my ds who's also 9. And the science/natural history/British/Imperial War museums. We did Tate to Tate on a boat last year which worked better than I had expected.

[Beetrootccio]

ds loves history so Cutty Sark will be good for him- some other good ideas here to.

[NotQuiteCockney]

Oh, if you're going to the Tate, you should take the Tate boat. You can do a day of going up and down the river, quite cheap, on a River Roamer ticket - something like £6 for an adult £3 for your son. You can then take the Tate boat (between two Tates, stops at the London Eye/Aquarium too), and another boat that does Savoy/St Katharine's Dock/Canary Wharf and a few others. The two boats meet at Bankside pier.

[WideWebWitch]

Thank you everynone, fab ideas. Beety, I SO wish ds loved history, I'm hoping to inspire him a bit with the London dungeon and maybe a walk across Tower Bridge.