100 Ways to Enjoy London for Free (Family Edition)

If it's a family trip with children, I think some anime-themed cartoon parks or events that only take place in the summer are very suitable to participate in. There are also some art galleries where kids can experience the charm of European art, and comparing it with our Chinese art will make them feel the depth and breadth of Chinese culture. (Many pictures, caution for those on mobile data, no reprints.)

Free Activities to Enjoy London with Kids (Cartoon Parks, Art Galleries, and Summer Events)

41 Ride the singing elevator (JCB glass elevator) at the Royal Festival Hall.

42 Neal’s Yard is a popular Instagram spot—take colorful photos of the kids and post them on your Instagram account.

43 Watch street performers at Covent Garden market and piazza, then pop into high-end beauty shops and trendy boutiques to spot up-and-coming fashionistas.

44 At the Lego Store in Leicester Square, create amazing creations with the famous plastic bricks.

45 At Leadenhall Market, where scenes from Harry Potter were filmed, you can wander along the magical path, or push your stroller to King's Cross station to find the magical world marked 'Platform 9¾'.

46 At the Southbank Centre, you can watch skaters perform death-defying stunts, or catch a U-ramp show at 'House of Vans'.

47 Go beachcombing – at Gabriel's Wharf or on the beach near the Millennium Bridge in the City of London, you can find shells, old pottery, clay pipes, and broken china—who knows if they were left by pirates?

48 At the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, there is a huge pirate ship resembling Captain Hook's—kids can play pirate games there, or at Tumbling Bay playground, splash in the rock pools and test their balance on the wobbling bridge.

49 At Vauxhall City Farm, you can see ferrets, rabbits, alpacas, and other animals; at Mudchute Farm and Park, you can see farm animals.

50 At the Science Museum, see amazing exhibits including the Apollo 10 command module and Stephenson's Rocket.

51 Explore the V&A Museum of Childhood, where you'll find dollhouses, games, and construction toys dating back to the 17th century.

Free Events Available Only in Summer

52 At the London Music Festival, relax in the sun and listen to music by talented artists.

53 At the annual Regent Street Summer Streets event, enjoy deals from retailers to street food.

54 As part of the BP Summer Big Screens, watch live opera or ballet performances—you can picnic in Trafalgar Square.

55 Cool off by the fountains; there are open-air film screenings during winter and summer film festivals.

56 Watch the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships for free on big screens around the city.

57 Listen to some free speech—London's most outspoken orators sometimes share their views at Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park.

Free Art Galleries in London

58 Take a journey through British art history from 1500 to the present day at Tate Britain.

59 Check out the free collections of artworks, sculptures, and statues at the Royal Academy of Arts.

60 At the National Gallery, admire works by the world's great painters, including Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Turner, and Van Gogh.

61 At Tate Modern, appreciate more contemporary masterpieces by Picasso, Rothko, Dalí, Pollock, Warhol, and others.

62 At Guildhall Art Gallery, marvel at Pre-Raphaelite paintings, study 17th-century London paintings, and more artistic works.

63 At the Wallace Collection, in Frans Hals's famous painting 'The Laughing Cavalier', you'll notice how the knight's eyes follow you around the room.

64 Keep an eye out for free temporary exhibitions around the corner at the Barbican Centre.