10 Things To Try With The Kids In London Bridge

Where we live in Kent

We are very lucky

To be able to get direct trains to London

We go to London quite a bit for Home Education visits and workshops

And for the theatre

Our local station has trains that travel to Charing Cross

Giving us easy access to The West End

But I think our favourite area to explore recently

Has been London Bridge

Esther and William both LOVE The Shard

And wherever we walk in the London Bridge area

The Shard seems to follow us

This area of London has a lot to offer families

And I thought I would share some of our favourite places and activities

If you are not local to London

You could consider an overnight stay

In a London Bridge hotel

There is definitely enough to do in this area

To fill a couple of days

Here are

10 Things To Try With The Kids In London Bridge

Where The Pancakes Are
I had looked at this place online a few times

Before being brave enough to give it a try

But I am so glad we did

The pancakes were perfect

The coffee was wonderful

And the cafe was just lovely

Tucked away by Southwark Bridge

Perfect view of The Shard

The staff were friendly

The service was excellent

And the pancakes were gone in minutes

Testament to their yumminess!

Esther was really brave and tried something new

Pancakes with forest berry compote, house cream, crushed meringue and toasted almond flakes

William had sausages and maple syrup

While I had bacon and maple syrup

All absolutely delicious and we will definitely be going back again

Borough Market

I took Esther and William to experience Borough Market

It is a real sensory experience

Sights and sounds, tastes and smells

They were amazed at the cheese stalls

So many different kinds of cheese!

They loved listening to the traders

Call out about their wares

We saw lots of different fruits and vegetables

All without plastic packaging

Freshly harvested

Sent from the farm

It was a wonderful experience on a rainy morning

We also knew that the market has links with the Harry Potter films

But did not see anything that we immediately recognised

We will have to go back again

Unicorn Theatre
We have recently discovered The Unicorn Theatre

Through a London Home Education Group that we are part of

This theatre is so convenient for us

Being quite literally over the road from London Bridge Station

Unicorn Theatre is the UK’s theatre for young audiences

A creative environment in which children and young people

Can be challenged, engaged and inspired

We watched a brilliant production devised around Aesop’s Fables

It was a fantastic show and made me long to be back in the theatre myself

The modern storytelling was very much like the shows I used to create

With friends and fellow drama students many years ago

We loved the show

The acting was amazing and we were hooked on the performance from the very first action

After the show we had a tour of the theatre

Esther loved meeting the costume designer and came away so inspired

The children then attended a drama / storytelling workshop

They were incredibly nervous going in without me

But they did it and were so pleased with themselves that they did

They loved the workshop, made a new friend and learned some new drama techniques

I was so incredibly proud of them

We all want to make Unicorn Theatre part of our home education routine going forward

The upcoming season has a whole host of inspiring shows lined up and we want to see them all!

The children are very keen to do as many workshops as they can

When I was growing up I lived for theatre

For plays, auditions, rehearsals, writing scripts, acting, directing …

I am so glad that my children seem to be starting to share that love

Bring on the drama!

Treasure Trails – Tale of Two Bridges Trail
Follow a map around London Bridge

A self-guided treasure hunt

To learn the history of two bridges that are often confused

London Bridge and Tower Bridge

As you follow the Trail route

Cann you solve the sneaky clues set on existing buildings, permanent features

And monuments to discover the location of the buried treasure?

This Trail will give you a chance to get to know both bridges

And the Thames-side paths between them

You will cross the river twice along this circular Trail

The Monument
We love history here

And we especially love learning about London’s history

And especially enjoy focusing on The Plague and The Great Fire

1665 and 1666

We have been to The Monument many times

But have not yet been up to the top

Esther and William have this on their bucket list for the autumn term

To return to London

And visit The Monument

And climb to the top

To see the far reaching views across our capital city

Have you been to the top of the monument?

St Paul’s Cathedral

This summer I visited St Paul’s Cathedral for the first time

Together with Esther and William

We went for a history workshop

About the cathedral’s history and it’s links to The Great Fire of 1666

The workshop was wonderful

View this post on Instagram

Today Esther, William and I travelled to The City of London to @stpaulscathedrallondon to learn about the history of The Nation’s Church and it’s links to The Great Fire of London. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and engaging. We learned lots of new information about the cathedral and the great fire. We learned about the Phoenix like reincarnations of the cathedral and how it has burned down 4 times but always risen again. We learned about Sir Christopher Wren, the mathematician. We walked the timeline of The People’s Church and found the Florence Nightingale Memorial. William loved seeing the tombs of Nelson and Wellington. We have come away inspired to learn even more history and are looking forward to returning to the cathedral for a Christmas workshop in December. A wonderful edventure today! #edspireedventures #homeeducation #homeedrocks #homeeducationuk #learningbeginsinwonder #stpauls #stpaulscathedral #thenationschurch #history #cityoflondon #aweandwonder

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We are going back again at Christmas

For another workshop

I loved being inside the cathedral

The people’s church

And we were able to light a candle for Tilda

Which was just so very very special

A moment I will never forget

View this post on Instagram

On Monday amid a hectic morning of learning in London. I took a moment to light a candle for Tilda and to reflect on my parenting journey so far. When David and I decided to start a family we had no idea it would be so hard. We had no clue that we would not be able to conceive without help. We were young and naive and totally head over heels in love. We had no idea it would almost cost me my life to have our babies. That our first babies would be born three months premature. We could not foresee that when we did conceive naturally our beautiful miracle baby would die before she was a year old. We have five beautiful children. Our parenting journey has had magical highs and devastating lows. I often what kind of mother I would have been without almost dying, without almost losing Esther and William before going on to lose Matilda Mae. I know it does not to do to dwell but I cannot help but wonder how our life might have been. 9 years ago today I was rushed into hospital at 25 weeks pregnant with twins. For 48 hours no one knew what was going on or what to do to help me. We thought July 2010 would be the worst month of our life. We had absolutely no idea. And now that we have lost our baby, lost any innocence we may have once had, lost so much more than just our little girl. It affects everything. Every single silver lining has a cloud. Every single bit of hope and happiness has a shadow because she is missing. My baby, my child, his daughter, their sister. She is missing from everything and it hurts like hell! We love you and miss you Baby Tilda. We lit three candles Baby Tilda. Past, present and future. You are one of us, one of our little family, now and always part of all we do. We love you x

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More London Riverside Fountains

These fountains are such good fun

Perfect for cooling off on a hot day

Only my William has managed to get soaked

From head to foot in winter!

A symphony of over 200 white water jets arranged in linear banks

The jets spring from the limestone paving delighting children

And while the children play

The adults can enjoy the amazing city view

3BIS Gelato
When we go up to London

We often have a treat

Pancakes

Cake

Lunch out

An ice cream!

In Borough Market

You can get some very special ice cream indeed

3BIS Gelato

You need to try it

It is pricey

So perhaps for a special occasion

But try it if you can

You will not be disappointed

Museum of London
This is a wonderful free museum where you can learn all about the history of London. From the Roman city of Londinium to Medieval London to the horrors of plague and fire. Learn about how London became the World City that it is today and look back at London 2012. The museum itself is a wonderful resource for schools and families and they also organise walks around the local area.

I organised a Great Fire Walk for our Home Education Group all around All Hallows and following the route of the fire, learning the story of what happened back in 1666.

It was a wonderful experience and a great way to see the city and learn about it’s story. It is also how Esther and William first fell in love with The Shard!

The Shard
Standing proud and tall, towering over London Bridge Station is The Shard. A beautiful glass building, striking and dominating the local area. Wherever we wander in the London Bridge area we are always followed by The Shard.

Esther and William’s dream is to go up to the top of The Shard and I hope to make that happen one day. Meanwhile, they stare in awe and wonder, and make up stories of how it is alive and follows them on their adventures in the city.

We love to wander the streets of London

There is always something new to do

Some hidden secret to discover

Is London calling you?

Do you have a favourite place in London that we should find and try?

We would love for you to let us know

This is a collaborative post. The spending money was gifted by Hotels.com, but all views are my own.

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