Five favourite child friendly walks in London

Grab coats, snacks, wellies, trainers, treasure-collecting bags, a picnic blanket, money (for an essential coffee en route) – whatever the weather says – and explore one (or all!) of these family friendly walking routes in our great city:

Hampstead Heath: climb to the top of Parliament Hill and spot some of London’s favourite landmarks, pop in to Kenwood House and the Brew House café, take a route through the woods (climb a couple trees) or simply amble past the lakes. The great thing about the Heath is that it is enormous enough for you to tailor your walk to suit your kids’ ages and interests, and it would take a few adventures before you’ve seen it all.

Lee Valley: a massive 10,000-acre park with a variety of fun child-friendly activities, including planned routes for families. Each route listed on the website states the distance in miles, how long it will take to walk, the type of terrain and fun features along the way. There are also downloadable maps for each route.  The Artway Route 2 is especially fun (and not too long), with its Viking Ship and play sculptures.

London’s Canals: if you’re in north London, you’ll have surely visited Little Venice, walked to the Camden Lock or done the Regent’s Canal Walk. But there are some other scenic canal routes in London, including the Hackney Canal Walk; a short circular route spanning the Hertford Union Canal, Regent’s Canal and Victoria Park. There are also routes located at the Olympic Park, Canary Wharf and Tower Bridge.

Queen’s Wood & Highgate Wood: both these adjacent woodland areas are a sanctuary for wildlife in a busy part of London, containing a variety of plants and animal species. Both are perfect for collecting nature treasures and spotting all sorts of birds and creatures. Tailor the length of your walk to the stamina of your children; a longer version is through both woods, and end at a café on either side!

City of London Children’s Trail: if you feel like a walk through the city as opposed to a nature trail, London has plenty of cultural landmarks to form a fun adventure for little ones. The City Children’s Trail makes exploring London’s Square Mile on foot even easier for families, with three carefully chosen, kid-friendly, self-guided routes that are perfect for young explorers. Start at St Paul’s Cathedral and meander through some epic skyscrapers all the way to the Tower of London. Click here to download a map.

Happy walking!