Source: Dimitry B @ flickr
You don’t have to spend money on sightseeing buses. Instead you can choose to take the regular number 15 bus from Tower Hill. The bus will take you all the way from The Tower of London through the City, past St Pauls, past Trafalgar Square and on to Regent St (where Hamleys Toy Shop is) and Oxford St. It’s a double decker and so make sure to get a seat upstairs 
If you are coming to London with the kids then you are probably looking for somewhere to stay that is family friendly. You might be looking for somewhere with adjoining rooms or high chairs, or somewhere cheap as chips etc Obviously there are loads of places to choose from, but I thought I would share with you some of the hotels that appear on Little Legends:
The Carlton Tower – Perfect for shopaholics as this luxury hotel is situated within walking distance of both Harrods and Harvey Nichols!
Novotel London Waterloo – This hotel is very close to the London Eye and just across the bridge from Covent Garden and many theatres. There are also many childfriendly venues along the southbank so this is a good location.
London Thameside Youth Hostel – I doubt you will find anything cheaper than a Youth Hostel. This one is not far from the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and London Dungeon. There are also several others dotted across the capital.
Shepiston Lodge. This place is only 1.5 miles from Heathrow so handy if you need to catch an early flight.
Why not share your experiences of great (or terrible) hotels for kids in London? I am sure there are loads of parents out there looking for tips from families who have been there and done that 
The Big Draw is taking place from 1st to 31st October this year. For those of you who don’t know, it is the national campaign for drawing.
It is inspired by the visionary Victorian artist and writer, John Ruskin. His mission was not to teach people how to draw, but how to see.
To accompany the Big Draw, the National Portrait Gallery is setting up a special event for kids and teens from 1pm to 4pm. Best of all it is FREE! Family visitors and young people will have the opportunity to work with professional artists on an exciting drawing project in the Gallery.
It sounds great fun and a good opportunity to bring Art alive in the perfect setting.
Katie in London
This book is a wonderful introduction to the London sights and it is perfect for any parent planning on taking their child to the capital. Children from 3 to 7 will enjoy this book.
I have also discovered that there are further books in this series which I can’t wait to read with my kids:
* Katie and the Dinosaurs
* Katie’s Picture Show
Source: Bordas@flickr
Holland Park used to be my local park. It amazed me that there was such a great local park for kids so close to the centre of London.
Holland Park has a wide variety of facilities. The best place for young children is the play area for under 5s. This is basically a large sandpit with swings, slide and climbing frame. The play area is handily situated right next to the WCs and not far from the cafe. There is also a One O’clock club, but this has fairly limited facilities.
Other attractions include a much bigger adventure playground for the older kids. The Japanese garden is fun to visit (although younger ones need to be supervised) because the kids can look at the fish in the pond and the waterfall, and even cross the stepping stones. There are also peacocks and rabbits located in various enclosures around the park.
If you want to bring a picnic, the area behind the main house is dog-free. However, if you are bringing your pooch then there is a huge playing field at the High St Ken end where your kids and your dog can run around.
Last but not least, if you contact the information desk they can tell you about nature trails for kids and the ecology centre.
All in all a well maintained, beautiful park with great facilities for kids.
If you know Holland Park, please share your tips and experiences here
On Saturday 27th September, there is a special family event taking place at the Cadogan Hall (Sloane Terrace, SW1X 9DQ).
Doors open at 10.15am when children will be able to as well as meet the inspring young musicians of Southbank Sinfonia take part in fun creative activities.
Children will recognise the main characters – the wolf, grandma and the little girl in a red cape – but not everything is as it seems in this mysterious and magical retelling by Roald Dahl
Tickets cost £6 per person or four tickets for £20. There are concessions for children attending Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Schools – One child goes free with every adult ticket.
You can book tickets by following this link or by calling the Box Office on 020 7730 4500
Source: Tupinambah@flickr
On Sunday 21st September the London Freewheel event, organized by the Mayor of London, will be taking place with the aim of encouraging more people to cycle around the capital.
It sounds like a great day out for all the family, especially if you have older kids. Participants will be able to cycle round some of London’s most famous roads and landmarks including the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace.
The London Freewheel will not cost you a penny and is even suitable for wimps like me because the route is traffic free
Due to the huge number of cyclists taking part (some 38,000 odd last year), the organizers suggest that if you go as a family that you all wear the same colour/hat/flag/balloon etc so that you can keep track of each other.
To find out more about the route and to register visit the official site.
Following our earlier post about this animation series for children with autism, I am happy to report that I have recently been contacted by Claire Harcup (a director of Changing Media Development) to say that The Transporters DVD for autistic children is now available again. She informs me that:
The Transporters DVD Pack costs 29.96 UK Pounds and a large percentage of any profit will be ploughed back into the autism community and further research.
Amazingly, research shows that after using the DVD for 4 weeks, most children with autism caught up with other children in their ability to recognize emotions. Pretty impressive hey!
For further details and to buy the DVD, visit the new website launched this week: http://www.thetransporters.com/