21 ways to keep the kids occupied in London

One of the most iconic sights on the city skyline, the lastminute.com London Eye offers a 30-minute panoramic tour of the city, with views stretching for up to 40km on a clear day.

The County Hall building is at the foot of the London Eye. It's home to three of London's most popular family attractions. 

• The Sea-Life London Aquarium is home to a dazzling amount of underwater life, and you can even come face-to-face with some of the deep's most fearsome creatures (although thankfully you'll be separated by protective glass) in their Shark Walk.
• Shrek's Adventure is a tour through the world of the hit animated films, including a high-tech 4D magical flying bus ride. And the attraction also includes visits from some of DreamWorks' other favourites, including Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon.
• If you've got older kids, head to the London Dungeon. You'll get a warts and all tour through the dark side of London's history, and plenty of other spooky, grisly surprises.

One of London's leading arts venues, the Southbank Centre often has plenty of kid-friendly activities going on to complement its regular events programmes. And it's one of the city's most enchanting places to be over the festive period, with its annual Wintertime festival. Running from mid-November to early January, the festival includes a wintertime market, offering plenty of warming, tempting treats. Among the events highlights in this year's festival are the return of the charming circus-inspired Slava's Snowshow, and the interactive ABBA: Super Troupers exhibition.

Walk along the South Bank to London Bridge, and you'll find one of the most iconic addresses in London, The Shard. The ultra-modern skyscraper's 72nd floor is home to The View from the Shard, where you can take in the city's landmarks from 800ft up.

Now here's a museum that kids will love. The British Museum has several gallery activity sheets to keep children engaged during their visit. A great place to get little ones interested in history. 

The Victoria and Albert (V&A) is the largest museum of decorative arts in the world, with an impressive permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. Check out the family programme to see what's on - there are usually additional events during the school holidays to get kids inspired about art and play.

North Greenwich's The O2 has plenty of options to keep the kids occupied, all under one roof. In addition to shows taking place in the arena, the centre has several permanent attractions that are perfect for thrill-seekers, including the Up at The O2 roof-climbing adventure.

Travel to Greenwich in style with City Cruises. Boats depart every 30 minutes, and include three stops - Tower Pier, Westminster Pier and Greenwich Pier. You'll pass by some of London's most famous sights, get three days of unlimited hopping on and off, and a special family deal.

Built for the 2012 Olympic Games, the London Stadium is now home to West Ham football team and national athletics competitions. It's worth taking a tour to explore the grounds and soak up the Olympic Spirit. Not a West Ham fan? You can tour other stadiums and sporting grounds around the city, including Fulham, Chelsea, and Arsenal's grounds, Wembley and The Kia Oval.

The ArcelorMittal Orbit was designed by the Turner Prize winning artist Sir Anish Kapoor to mark the Olympics. Standing at more than 100 metres tall, it also offers great views across London from its viewing platform. In 2016 a slide was built around the outside. Almost 200 metres in length, it's the world's longest tunnel slide, and bigger, braver kids (and adults), will definitely want to give it a go.

The ZSL London Zoo is the world's oldest, at almost two hundred years old. It's home to animals from all over the world, and its conservation projects are also helping animals thrive in the wild too. The zoo hosts special events throughout the year, as well as a selection of exciting permanent exhibits. 

Just a ten minute bus ride from the busy streets of Hammersmith, you can find yourself surrounded by nature at the WWT London Wetland Centre. The 30 hectare site is home to a wide selection of animals and birds, including species which you won't find anywhere else in the country. Its star attraction, however, are its resident otters. You can catch otter feeding time at 11am and 2pm every day.

London's fantastic theatres have plenty of choice for family and kid-friendly shows to see. For a first trip to the theatre, consider the hit musicals The Lion King and Aladdin. Or crowd-pleasers like School of Rock and Matilda.