With its long-held status as one of many coolest locations in London, because of its markets and musical hyperlinks, a go to to Camden with youngsters and youths simply tops plenty of metropolis break wishlists.
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Whereas there are many issues to do in Camden for teenagers of all ages, it’s one a part of London that’s notably good higher with teenagers and tweens relatively than toddlers.
However from some enjoyable household actions to the waterfront, cool new exhibitions, occasions, meals and locations to buy, right here’s my decide of the perfect issues to do in Camden with youngsters.
Discover Camden Markets
No journey to Camden with youngsters and youths is full with out exploring the realm’s well-known markets – as a result of there’s not only a single Camden market.
As a substitute Camden is made up of a sequence of markets that devour a majority of the neighbourhood. Probably the most distinguished markets are Camden Lock Market, Stables Market, Buck Avenue Market, Inverness Avenue Market, and the latest addition, Hawley Wharf.
Teenagers and older kids will love exploring the eclectic assortment of merchants and shops. Youthful youngsters can benefit from the uncommon sights, sounds, and smells of the bustling markets too, however do preserve little ones shut by because the markets can get extraordinarily busy.
Don’t miss the intense neon lights and big robotic sculptures at CyberDog (simply don’t go right down to the basement degree) and the abundance of anime, superhero, and popular culture merchandise on provide on the Stables Market, additionally dwelling to the well-known bronze statue of Amy Winehouse.
Stay music at Roundhouse
Camden can be well-known for its world-class dwell music scene – and there’s nowhere that may impress younger music followers fairly just like the Roundhouse.
Roundhouse is positioned in a Grade II listed former railway engine shed, which was transformed right into a live performance corridor within the Sixties. The architecturally distinctive venue is without doubt one of the most unimaginable dwell efficiency areas on this planet.
The venue performs host to many big worldwide names, up-and-coming artists, and different dwell occasions and reveals all year long so attending a gig at Roundhouse is without doubt one of the greatest issues to do in Camden with teenagers or tweens.
Some occasions do have ‘age steerage’ or particular guidelines about the place individuals beneath 16 might be seated, so it’s value checking upfront. Roundhouses’ Younger Creatives scheme additionally presents tasks and workshops for younger creatives and artists 11+.
Take a Camden avenue artwork tour
Camden is one in every of London’s largest avenue artwork hubs too, so it’s an ideal place to wander. The realm has a whole bunch of wonderful murals by among the world’s greatest avenue artists – together with the one-and-only Banksy.
The one drawback with the road artwork in Camden is that it may be pretty troublesome to seek out your self, with a lot of it positioned down small backstreets away from the primary vacationer areas.
For this reason a Camden Avenue Artwork Tour is a superb concept. Appropriate for all ages, a avenue artwork tour will take you to find most of the space’s greatest murals whereas educating you the tales behind them.
This Camden strolling tour additionally contains among the space’s greatest avenue artwork, or you may tailor this Camden tour by an area to cowl avenue artwork as effectively. Or do this self-guided audio tour to discover at your individual tempo.
Go to The Jewish Museum
One among Camden’s prime academic experiences for households is The Jewish Museum, the place youngsters can be taught all about British Jewish historical past, tradition, heritage, and id.
The 4 everlasting galleries function some fascinating shows, together with its world-leading assortment of uncommon Jewish ceremonial artwork and objects reflecting the on a regular basis dwelling lifetime of Jews in London. Plus don’t miss the shifting private journey of Holocaust survivor Leon Greenman.
The museum additionally runs a schedule of participating family-friendly occasions, together with talks, excursions, workshops, baking periods, and themed pageant days. When you’re visiting Camden on the weekend, it’s value being conscious that the museum closes on Fridays and Saturdays.
Go to London Zoo
Proper on the sting of the Borough of Camden, in Regent’s Park, London Zoo is simply a 20-minute stroll from Camden City, so it’s an ideal one to mix with a day trip in Camden with youngsters.
The world’s oldest scientific zoo, London Zoo remains to be one of many metropolis’s largest points of interest – for teenagers and adults – greater than 170 years after it opened.
As soon as dwelling to the bear that impressed Winnie the Pooh, today, you may see the whole lot from lions and tigers to with the ability to stroll with lemurs, enterprise into rainforest circumstances, see animals from the African savannah and Australian Outback, and much extra.
There are three colour-coded routes across the zoo, pink, blue and orange – all totally different lengths, they begin and finish in roughly the identical place so you are able to do them in any order you need, and for those who’re in need of time, it helps you to focus in your favourites.
There are keeper talks which happen all through the day, in addition to particular animal experiences – you might even assist feed the gorillas. When you’re fortunate, you may spot the keepers feeding the animals as you discover.
Maintain an eye fixed out for normal particular household occasions, particularly throughout faculty holidays, too. Tickets should be prebooked.
Take a waterbus to Little Venice
The Thames isn’t town’s solely waterway, and Camden is a superb place to get out on a ship with a number of totally different canal waterbus choices cruising alongside Regent’s Canal.
Perseus, from the London Waterbus Firm, has been operating since 1935, whereas Jason’s Journey Canal Waterbus has been working since 1951.
The classic narrowboats take you on a 45-minute journey from Camden Lock to Primrose Hill, previous Regent’s Park, London Zoo (look out for among the animals!) then on to fairly Little Venice, with its cafe-lined canals, the place you may hop off to discover Paddington or stroll the streets.
There’s a commentary in regards to the canal’s historical past over the previous two centuries aboard Perseus – or for those who’d favor to sail in silence, go for Jason’s Journey and putter to Little Venice with out the guided chat (solely commonplace on Jason’s Journey cruises beginning on the Little Venice finish).
Youngsters are welcome and you may take buggies or strollers on board Jason’s Journey, so long as you may fold them, whereas under-fours go free on Perseus, which additionally has barely extra sailings each day by day and all year long.
Paddle Down Regents Canal with the Pirate Fort
Positioned not removed from Camden Lock, The Pirate Fort – sure it really appears to be like like a mediaeval fortress – is a boating charity and neighborhood for native deprived youngsters and incapacity teams.
The charity presents boat cruises and a number of other enjoyable paddlesports, together with stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing and kayaking, alongside the picturesque Regents Canal.
You may ebook a personal group session for teenagers/households. The charity additionally presents faculty holiday schemes for youngsters aged 8+.
And whereas personal periods right here could also be just a little dearer than elsewhere in London, all income assist local people tasks. So you may relaxation assured your cash goes in the direction of an excellent trigger.
Take a Musical Boat Cruise
One other enjoyable solution to expertise the Regents Canal with youngsters on a sunny day in London is aboard The Music Boat.
On this distinctive boating expertise, you’ll sail alongside the scenic canal on a conventional punt, whereas an area musician serenades you with their guitar and well-known hits from Camden’s musical historical past.
The Music Boat units off near Camden Lock’s West Yard Meals Market and takes you on a 90-minute journey as much as London Zoo and again. You may take your individual meals and drinks onto the boat, so I’d recommend choosing up lunch from the meals market and having fun with it throughout your journey.
There’s additionally a reserve now, pay later choice in addition to free cancellation.
Benefit from the views from Primrose Hill
Primrose Hill is without doubt one of the greatest locations to seek out superb free views of London with youngsters, nearly 63 metres above sea degree.
One of many six protected viewpoints in London, the place the timber are saved low in order to not obscure the view, the hilltop park sits to the north of Regent’s Park and is near the upmarket London neighbourhood of Primrose Hill, identified for its grand Victorian townhouses.
From the summit, you may soak up some improbable 360-degree views over town; to the south is a transparent view of the enduring landmarks of central London, whereas to the north you may see over the neighbourhoods of Hampstead and Belsize Park.
It’s a brief stroll from London Zoo, or round 20 minutes from Camden City tube station.
Again to the Future exhibition
In case your youngsters are followers of the Again To The Future films, you may’t miss the brand new Again in Time exhibition, with the biggest assortment of memorabilia from the flicks in Europe.
There are greater than 70 authentic gadgets used through the trilogy’s filming and manufacturing, in addition to the prospect to be taught among the behind-the-scenes secrets and techniques from interviews with Michael J Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Steven Spielberg.
Alongside the way in which, there are many interactive shows too, resembling flying a hoverboard. And the perfect half? You even get to take a seat inside a reproduction of the DeLorean Time Machine. Nice Scott!
Set at Hawley Wharf, tickets are presently out there to January 2023.
Plonk Loopy Golf
For some aggressive enjoyable with the household in Camden, head to Plonk Loopy Golf, an indoor loopy golf course which was fully rebuilt in late 2020
Hidden within the Victorian arches of the Stables Market, the venue is decked out in a unusual mixture of camouflage and UV lights, and the nine-hole loopy golf course is crammed with basic beams, ramps, and jumps, in addition to some extra uncommon obstacles.
The course at Plonk Loopy Golf is totally indoors, so it’s additionally top-of-the-line issues to do in Camden City with youngsters on a wet day.
Youngsters should be 7+ to play and beneath 18s are welcome earlier than 5pm on weekdays. Evenings and weekends are adults solely.
DNA: London’s First Digital Actuality Arcade
Younger avid gamers will love DNA VR, London’s very first digital actuality arcade, the place you may escape actuality to turn out to be something from an area pirate to a grasp murderer, a deep-sea explorer and extra.
At an arcade session at DNA VR, every individual enters their very own gaming pod and is supplied with a VR headset and handsets. You’ll then be immersed in the identical Digital World, the place you may take pleasure in a wide range of multiplayer video games and experiences.
From surviving a zombie apocalypse or defending the world from killer robots to swimming by the deepest oceans and having an epic dance-off, there’s a recreation for everybody.
DNA additionally has VR escape rooms the place you may head on an immersive journey to unravel puzzles and full missions collectively.
Because of the dimension of the headsets, DNA VR is advisable for teenagers 7+, whereas the VR escape room is best fitted to these 10+.
Tomb Raider: The LIVE Expertise
Add some extra journey to your day trip in Camden for teenagers at Tomb Raider: The Stay Expertise.
Within the enjoyable immersive expertise, you’ll want to unravel puzzles, full bodily challenges, acquire historical relics, and outsmart enemies (performed by real-life actors) to assist famed archaeologist Lara Croft on her mission.
Through the distinctive journey, you’ll have to climb, run, soar, zip-line your means by the Costa Rican jungle, rummage for treasures in a sinking ship, escape the snowy planes of Finland, and extra.
Tomb Raider is advisable for youngsters 12+, however these 9+ can play (though some elements of the expertise do have minimal top and weight limits).
Get Lunch at Hawley Wharf
When you’re in search of someplace to refuel after all of the enjoyable in Camden with youngsters, there are many locations throughout Camden’s markets to take pleasure in a few of London’s tastiest avenue meals. One among our favourites is the newly opened Hawley Wharf.
Hawley Wharf’s river-side meals court docket is cut up into two big areas and has a complete number of improbable avenue meals to select from. Some merchants is likely to be just a little too extravagant for youthful palates, however there are many family-friendly choices too.
Try HotBox for unbeatable BBQ smoked meats, BaoziInn for vibrant dim sum and dumplings, and Buk Burger for mouthwatering burgers. The pizza slices from True Romance are at all times an enormous hit with youthful youngsters too.
And for those who’re nonetheless hungry, spherical off your meal with a decadent dessert from DZRT – suppose indulgent waffles, crepes, and cookie dough – or gourmand finger doughnuts from Longboys.
Indulge at Chin Chin Labs
It doesn’t matter for those who go to Chin Chin Labs in the midst of summer season or the depths of winter: it is likely to be higher identified for its liquid nitrogen ice cream, however when temperatures drop, you’ll discover fabulous sizzling chocolate too.
The primary of its sort in Europe to make use of liquid nitrogen to create gourmand ice cream, flavours change all year long and also you’ll discover some quirky mixtures in addition to the classics, plus a string of toppings and choices for ice cream sandwiches and sundaes.
Or seize a sizzling chocolate that’s nearly as a lot of a deal with for the eyes as in your abdomen, with oozily scrumptious charred (veggie) marshmallow fluff on prime for probably the most Instagrammable model (for those who can wait to {photograph} it earlier than diving in).
Contains vegan choices too – there’s additionally a Soho department now, in addition to pop-ups round London, however while you’re planning issues to do in Camden City, you shouldn’t miss the unique place the place it began.
Treat your candy tooth at Hans & Gretel
Based mostly on the Brothers Grimm’s well-known story of Hansel & Gretel, Camden Market’s Hans & Gretel is a magical fairy-tale impressed dessert cafe, totally coated from flooring to ceiling in sweet canes, lollipops, cupcakes and vibrant sweets galore.
There are additionally large statues of Hansel and Gretel to greet you on the store’s entrance and a makeshift sweet home that youngsters can sit inside for images.
Not solely is the shop itself a enjoyable and quirky place to go to in London with youthful kids (however nonetheless a success for those who’re in Camden with teenagers), however its many indulgent desserts are positive to be an enormous hit with youngsters of all ages. You may select from candy Hungarian funnel muffins, bubble waffles, freakshakes, ice-cream, decide’n’combine and extra.
For extra uncommon issues to do in London with youngsters, in addition to all the perfect issues to do in London with youngsters, try my prime picks
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Pictures: Penguin copyright MummyTravels, avenue artwork by way of Picfair, all different pictures courtesy of Depositphotos