Visiting the Natural History Museum with Kids | 40 Things To Do at 40

One of the items on my 40 Things To Do at 40 list was to take my son, Ted, to the Natural History Museum.

Ted is currently six, and his absolute fascination with the natural world - dinosaurs, marine creatures, and wildlife - is something I want to nurture for as long as I possibly can. 

Plus, this year marked David Attenborough’s 100th birthday. 

We love watching his programmes; his legacy is so integrally linked to the museum, and his birthday sits right next to Ted’s. It felt like the perfect time to go.

But taking a six-year-old country boy to the capital during the May half-term heatwave was always going to be an experience…

Camping in London: Finding Sanctuary at Abbey Wood

London is bloody expensive.

Finding accommodation during half-term that wouldn't require me to remortgage the house was proving difficult, until we stumbled across a campsite called Abbey Wood.

Yes, you can actually camp in London.

I’ll admit, the idea of camping in a tent, in a city, during a heatwave sounded like it had the potential to be an absolute nightmare. But it was brilliant.

It felt like a quiet, leafy oasis in the middle of nowhere, but the minute you stepped outside the gates, you were right next to the tube station and straight into the centre of London.

Ted loves camping. Once he was settled in, he was off - running feral, getting mucky, and making friends, exactly as kids should be doing.

Having that grounded, outdoor base to return to after the noise of the city was a lifesaver.

The Reality of Visiting the Natural History Museum with Kids

We headed to the Natural History Museum on our first full day. I had pre-ordered our tickets (which are free, thankfully) and I was so glad I did, because the queues to get in were absolutely mental.

Inside, it was packed, stuffy, and incredibly hot.

The museum is a magnificent, overwhelming place at the best of times, but the heat and the crowds really amplified it.

I could tell Ted was struggling to find his footing. He’s an outdoor boy, and London is a very loud, fast and busy place.

We went straight to Hintze Hall to see Hope, the iconic blue whale suspended from the ceiling, which is genuinely awe-inspiring.

But his attention span soon wavered, so we navigated our way into the dinosaur section.

He properly came alive here, practising his reading skills on the display labels and enthusiastically telling me facts about every fossil. (It’s baffling how kids always seem to know way more about dinosaurs than we do).

We tried moving on to the mammals section, but it was clear he was completely knackered and overstimulated. We all have our limits, and he had reached his.

Visiting the Natural History Museum with kids might not have been the best idea.

Finding Sanctuary in the Museum Gardens

It was lunchtime, so we decided to sack off the crowded halls and step outside into the museum gardens to have our picnic and have a breather.

And what a bloody gem that was.

I had no idea the museum had such beautiful, thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces.

We spent well over an hour and a half just sitting, eating our sandwiches, and playing in the garden.

They had several conservation activities set up, including a brilliant tree-listening exercise that Ted got completely engrossed in.

We also learnt about the London Plane trees that are planted all around the city. They are fascinating things.

They survive the heavy pollution of the capital by literally shedding their bark - peeling away the soot-clogged outer layers to reveal fresh, breathing wood underneath so they can keep growing.

Nature always finds a way to adapt, doesn't it? I think Ted enjoyed learning about those resilient trees and playing in the dirt far more than the dinosaur exhibits inside.

Meaningful Memories Don't Have to Cost the Earth

Will Ted remember this trip when he’s older? Perhaps not. I think London isn’t really a place for him right now, or at least not at this age.

But the trip reminded me of something very important…

Inside the museum, there were lots of incredible, shiny new exhibitions that cost around £20 a ticket. I am so glad I didn't book them.

When we are planning holidays, we often feel pressured to buy the big experiences and fill every hour with structured, expensive activities.

But holidays don't have to cost the earth.

Ted’s main memory of our London trip won’t be the expensive exhibits. It will be sleeping in a tent, getting dirt under his fingernails, and exploring the beautiful, sprawling green spaces that the city actually has to offer.

Children don't need us to buy their wonder; they just need the space to find it themselves.

Sometimes the value of an experience isn’t really about the activity itself. It's about slowing down.

If you're looking for ways to keep your kids entertained this summer without spending a fortune or overcomplicating things, you might like our Wild Summer: 30 Nature Activities For Kids guide.

It’s packed with simple, grounded, outdoor ideas that let kids be kids - no expensive museum tickets required.