London Museum Docklands: Things to do with kids 2025

London Museum Docklands is located at West India Quay in east London. Opened in 2003, it occupies one of the few remaining original grade one listed warehouses, built in 1802 to store produce from the West Indies.

A shared place in the heart of the East End, where stories cross and collide, it confidently shows how international trade, migration, enslavement and the river Thames were integral to shaping London and the world we live in today.

The museum is open 7 days a week, from 10am-5pm and is FREE to all. You can explore the London Museum with collections online – home to 90,000 objects with more being added regularly.

London Museum Lunar New Year festival

1-2 Feb 2025| 10am-5pm | Free with booking required | Families

London Museum welcomes the Year of the Snake with mesmerising dragon dances, enchanting folktales, vibrant crafts and lively community-led events. Celebrate the new year at our free family festival, just a stone’s throw away from London’s original Chinatown in Limehouse. Listen to classic Chinese folktales, take part in workshops, get stuck into celebratory crafts and enjoy a Dragon dance. What better way to start the new year? Stay tuned for the full programme to be released in January. General admission to the festival is free and we strongly recommend you book tickets in advance.

Tots at the Docks at London Museum

Jan – March 2024 | 10.30am – 2pm | Under 5s

Dive deep in the river, stack cargo, put on a puppet show or build the tallest tower! Tots at the docks is an unticketed, drop-in play session that usually takes place on the last Wednesday of the month between 10.30am – 2pm. On selected dates, we’ll be running additional (and free) special events for under-5s with a range of fantastic early years partners.

Upcoming events:

Wed 29 Jan – Celebrations

Wed 27 Feb – Animals

Wed 26 March – Buildings

Mudlarks family gallery

All year | 10am-4pm | Paid advanced booking from £3 | Under 8s

Mudlarks brings the docks to life through interactive play, which keeps little ones occupied and stimulates their development. Find out what the docks were used for and what life would’ve been like for sailors many years ago. There’s plenty for kids to get hands-on with. Drive a DLR train in the soft play area, move ships along the docks on the water table and help the workers move their cargo using wheelbarrows.

London Museum Walks & tours:

Great Fire of London family walk

Saturdays 11 – 25 Jan 2025 | 10.30-11.30am | Ticketed from £8 | Families

Join in the great outdoors on a family walk exploring the Great Fire of 1666. Was the baker of Pudding Lane to blame? And what did Samuel Pepys bury in his garden?

Find out on this 60-minute interactive walk for children of primary school age and their families.

 Roman London family walk

25 Jan 2025 | 10.30-11.30am | Ticketed from £8 | Families

Join our guide to visit the remains of the Roman city wall to find a lost fort and hidden amphitheatre – where brave gladiators and acrobats entertained the raucous crowds.

Discover Roman history on this 60-minute interactive walk for children of primary school age and their families.

Second World War family walk

11 Jan 2025 | 10.30-11.30am | Ticketed from £8 | Families

Join us on a guided walk through the City of London’s landmarks to explore how the Second World War impacted ordinary Londoners. This 60-minute walk for primary school age children and their families, will uncover some of the lesser-known stories about the war along the way, like how it affected children, women and food.

If you're thinking of buying something recommended by us, please go via the links on our pages. When you do this we may earn a fee which supports our editorially independent, family business.