Our five favourite destinations for exploring London with children.

London's east side feels extra rewarding for families who are willing to wander around - from a tropical conservatory hidden inside a Brutalist landmark to a city farm tucked away in a Hackney park. This is our selection of spaces, designed to be enjoyed by children and parents alike.

Situated in Haggerston Park since 1984, Hackney City Farm gives children the chance to meet with goats, pigs, sheep, chickens and a resident donkey in the middle of the city. The farm is free to visit and run as a community charity, with vegetable gardens, a tree nursery and a butterfly house alongside the animal enclosures. When you’ve worked on an appetite, the on-site Frizzante café serves Italian food made from fresh, local produce. A grounding afternoon in the middle of the city.

1a Goldsmiths Row, London E2 8QA hackneycityfarm.co.uk

Formerly the Museum of Childhood, the Young V&A reopened in 2023 after a full transformation and was awarded Museum of the Year in 2024. Spread across three galleries titled Imagine, Play and Design, the museum houses one of the world's finest collections of toys, games, costumes and dolls' houses, alongside hands-on workshops and an open studio for older children. Free to visit, and one of the most engaging spaces in the city for children of all ages.

Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PA vam.ac.uk/young

From the team behind Goodbye Horses in De Beauvoir, The Dreamery is an artisanal ice cream parlour and wine bar housed in a beautifully repurposed 19th-century building on Halliford Street. The interior is wondrous, with handcrafted cement tiles, hand-painted folklore murals and a timber ceiling panelled with Japanese rice paper that turns the room into something children will want to linger in. A space for children and your own inner child, this in an unexpected stop for all senses.

20a Halliford St, London N1 3HD instagram.com/dreamery_ldn

Sitting on the banks of the River Lea in Lower Clapton, the Princess of Wales is a neighbourhood pub with one of the best riverside terraces in east London. Dogs, children and families are warmly welcomed, and on sunny days the outdoor space beside the water is hard to leave. Inside, the menu runs from pub classics to more distinct seasonal dishes. The kind of place that makes an afternoon stretch naturally into the evening.

146 Lea Bridge Rd, Lower Clapton, London E5 9RB princessofwalesclapton.co.uk

Tucked inside the Barbican Centre's Brutalist complex, the Conservatory is one of London's best-kept secrets - a tropical oasis of palms, koi ponds and cacti spread across two floors above the city. For children, it is a place full of things to discover around every corner: fish to spot, plants to puzzle over, and pathways that make the middle of the city feel like a jungle pathway. Entry is free, though tickets must be booked in advance.

Silk St, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DS barbican.org.uk