Natural history museum london

[motherofboys]

I've been promising to take my eldest for ages, and decided that this year we are going. But, I don't want to go in the holidays when it's overly crowded. I did consider waiting till his birthday in feb but don't want to put it off too long because I know it will end up getting left like it did before.
Has anyone been on a normal, none school holiday, weekend? How busy is it then?
Also, I would love it to be just a me and him, mummy and son day out, but is that too unfair on the others? I think my 5 year old would get bored after the dinos, he asks to go home after an hour no matter where we go and it's well over an hour journey on the train.

 

[Button#]

We've always gone on weekends and it's been fine. If you can get there for when it opens it's a bit quieter.

 

[motherofboys]

Cool thanks

 

[Pearls18]

We have been on a weekday and on a school holiday day, the school holiday day we ended up leaving it and walking to the west end instead as it was just so busy, but we had been recently before, I think the queue to get in moves quite quickly. The other day was fine walked straight in, it's right next to the V&A and science museum too, science museum is brilliant for kids.

No I don't think it's unfair to just take one child, I think it's important each child gets one on one time every now and then, just next week actually I am on annual leave and will be taking my eldest out of nursery to go to the cinema and out for pizza for lunch, we very rarely do it and he's so excited, my youngest is 18 months and wouldn't understand he's not old enough for the cinema yet anyway.

 

[suzib76]

I don't know about the museum but I often take one or another, or both or some or even all of the children. I have 3 but their needs and wants are very different. My 14yo and I LOVE London and have a couple of trips a year there but my 12 yo autistic son would hate it so he doesn't come. My 5 yo did a few days in London before and after we went to Disneyland Paris and while she enjoyed it I wouldn't rush to take her back as it restricted what we were able to do. It's important for kids to have one to one time, none of mine have ever felt left out, if it's something they would like they come along and if not they don't.

 

[motherofboys]

It is something the others would like, just not for as long as he would. The others get one on one time in general day to day things but he doesn't want to do any of the other things I offer, like my 7 year old is happy to tag along when I have to go shopping and I'll treat him to lunch, but my 9 year old won't come even with the promise of food ha ha I've done things separately with each of them in the past, but this feels like a big, fun day out where as all the other things have been little things which made me a bit unsure of myself and whether it was fair to take just him if the others would enjoy it too, but it would mean he wouldn't get as much out of the experience

 

[embo216]

We last did it in December on a weekend and it was fine We took all 3 and they all loved it! The Science museum is right next door and that's also fantastic and worth a look. x

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

We did both in the day. It was really busy but I took my sons diagnosis letter and they let us in a different entrance with no que! They were very very good and offered is a quiet room for lunch.

Some parts were busy,some not so busy.

They do an explorer back pack for kids x

 

[motherofboys]

I've just looked on the site but next to the back pack info it says "families (under 7s)" and as it will just be the 2 of us I don't think he'll be able to get one.

 

[suzib76]

You will get one if he is under 7

 

[motherofboys]

He is 9

 

[Mummy Bean]

We went a few weeks back before holiday started would deff recommend getting their early and doing the Dino first.

Personally I much prefer the Science museum

 

[motherofboys]

I'm going to try to fit both in to the day if I can, only part we absolutely can not miss is the dinosaurs. He has wanted to be a paeleontologist since he was 4 years old. I still struggle to spell it and pronounce the dinosaur names and have to check facts with him when the younger ones ask ha ha he has it all planned out, he is going to go on digs for a few years then work in a museum lol

 

[Mummy Bean]

If that the case the entrance for the dinos is as you walk in so you can do that bit and then head over to the Science.
The rest is just stuffed animals. Lol

 

[embo216]

They had a fantastic walk through dinosaur exhibit when we went last

 

[motherofboys]

Yeah I noticed it said there were a couple of events running but they are drop in ones because I know sometimes the temporary events you can book a ticket to ensure you get in.