Visits to the capital are heaps of fun for children, and the wide range of activities and attractions means they’ll never get bored. If you are taking a little one as a birthday celebration, why not theme your trip according to their interests? Many kids love dinosaurs, for example, and there are lots of family things to do in London for budding palaeontologists, so why not treat them to a whole day of dino fun? Here are some top dinosaur themed activities for that special trip.

Catch a live dinosaur show

Did you know that you can find dinosaurs in Regent’s Park this summer? Dinosaur World Live is a fabulous theatre show for the whole family, and introduces kids to some amazing prehistoric creatures, from the tiny Microraptor to the gigantic T-Rex. This live dinosaur show uses life-like puppetry to share dino facts, and there’s even a meet and greet afterwards, enabling children to get up close to their favourite characters. The production is aimed at children aged three and up, and at just 50 minutes long with no interval, is ideally suited to the attention span of little ones.

Visit the Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is renowned for its world-class dinosaur exhibition. Alongside real bones from dinosaurs like Iguanodon and Triceratops - some of which were the first to be discovered - you’ll learn lots about these prehistoric giants, how they lived and what they ate. There’s even an animatronic T-Rex who will turn his head and swish his tail as you go past. If your little one is neurodivergent, the museum runs a free morning event called Dawnosaurs, which is tailored to their needs.

Discover the Crystal Palace dinosaurs

Head to the lakes in the southern part of Crystal Palace Park and you’ll find over 30 statues of dinosaurs dotted around. Dating from the 1850s and created by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, these sculptures are great fun for kids to explore. While many of them are not scientifically accurate, they show what leading scientists of the time thought dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures may have looked like.

Explore Brick Dinos

Dinosaurs and LEGO combine at the Horniman Museum’s Brick Dinos exhibition. Running until the end of October 2023, it offers families the chance to see some of the world’s largest beasts recreated in miniature and surrounded by the habitats in which they would have lived. There’s even a life-sized pterosaur flying overhead. You’ll also find rarely seen specimens from the museum’s collection, and kids can have a go at building their own dinosaur or digging for fossils.

If you’re heading to London this summer, don’t forget to book tickets for the dinosaur show and give your little ones the theatre experience of a lifetime. Dinosaur World Live is playing at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre until 3 September 2023.