The best family days out in London and beyond rated by kids and teens
Average K-Rating based
on 15 K-Rating reviews
The National Portrait Gallery, just off Trafalgar Square, offers a fun, free, and surprisingly engaging outing for families with kids, teens, and anyone who loves a good selfie with a famous face. With portraits ranging from historical figures like kings and queens to modern icons like David Beckham, it’s a great spot to inspire curious minds and budding historians.
For kids and teens, the National Portrait Gallery Family Trail turns portrait-spotting into an interactive adventure. Armed with creative challenges and fun facts, they’ll enjoy wandering through the galleries, hunting for famous figures, and learning their stories in a way that’s far more exciting than a history book.
Parents, rejoice: entry is free and under-12s even get into paid exhibitions for free. There are also free family-friendly workshops, where kids can get hands-on with drawing, painting, or creating their own mini masterpieces. So, whether you’re wrangling toddlers or teens, there’s something to keep them entertained—and who knows, maybe you’ll even discover your child’s inner Picasso.
And let’s not forget: Trafalgar Square is on the doorstep, which means after soaking in some culture, your kids can enjoy the fountains or watch street performers, giving you a little breather while they burn off some energy.
So, whether you’re a London local or visiting for the weekend, the National Portrait Gallery offers an enriching and budget-friendly family day out, with plenty of culture, creativity, and some excellent photo ops to boot!
You can find loads more information by Laura Porter at aboutlondonlaura.com
Pretty good gallery. I came here with my family and we got to see quite a good variety of pieces. I wouldn’t come here with my mates but if you’re more of an art lover, than I can see why teenagers might come here in their spare time. I personally preferred the National Gallery because of the architecture and wider choice of exhibitions but this is a good one to tack onto a day out in London.
Kids enjoyed the Grayson Perry exhibition on right now. Youngest read up about the exhibition before and was a lot more engaged as a result.