London - Pitstops for Kids

Walk in the footsteps of Harry Potter and his friends on your next visit to London

February 5, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

There’s no doubt about it, children and adults all over the world are obsessed with Harry Potter and his adventures. From Harry Potter Book Nights, where fans gather to celebrate the Harry Potter series, through to tours of the locations and the studio where the movies were made, if you’re a Harry Potter aficionado you can always find something to satisfy your thirst for further knowledge of the young wizard.

In fact, the Harry Potter phenomenon has even stretched as far as Japan, where their enduring fascination has generated unheard of book sales, box office receipts, and even his very own theme park, since the release of the first movie, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, over 15 years ago. Just this week, the Japanese have taken their obsession one step further as a series of Harry Potter Manga characters created by a Japanese design company were released, albeit only in Japan for the moment.

The illustrations, which were created in collaboration with Shockhiku, a Japanese movie studio, and licensed by Warner Bros, represent 13 characters from the quintessentially English adventure, and include all the major players in the series from Harry himself, Hermoine Grainger and Ron Weasley to Albus Dumbledore and Professor Snape, who was played by the great British actor Alan Rickman who died recently. There’s even a Manga representation for Harry’s owl, Hedwig. Released as plastic folders with a character on the front and the four Hogwart’s houses on the back, the characters have typical Manga features, with enormous eyes, tiny feet and glossy hair.

However, for real Harry Potter fans, there’s nothing like being in London and taking a tour of the locations used in the Harry Potter movies. Whether you want to see Kings Cross Station, where they filmed the famous Platform 9¾, or 12 Grimmauld Place and the sites used for the Leaky Cauldron, an organised bus tour of the London locations is one of the best ways to get around London and see not just the places featured in the movies, but also some of the iconic London landmarks. With a tour guide to give you all the insider information about how the movies were actually made, it’s one of the best ways to immerse you and your children in the whole Harry Potter experience. Plus, if you really want to get in the mood, you can even dress as one of your favourite Harry Potter characters, although this is not a requirement.

Visiting London offers the perfect opportunity to find out more about how the movies were made, and to learn more about movie making in general if you’ve got any budding Steven Spielbergs in the family; so for this reason a Harry Potter Studio Tour is a must for any die-hard fans. During the tour you’ll get an up-close-and-personal view of the actual sets used to film all eight of the Harry Potter movies, plus you’ll get to see the stunning costumes, props and visual effects that were used to bring these truly iconic movies to life and to the big screen. Children will love visiting the sets, including the Great Hall, Diagon Alley and Hagrid’s Hut, and they’ll also be given the opportunity for a photo shoot sitting in the flying Ford Anglia, made by Arthur Weasley, and used by Fred, George and Ron to rescue Harry who’d been locked up in his room.

Both of the above tours are available from Brit Movie Tours who offer a range of Harry Potter Tours in London and other locations throughout the UK.

Photo credit: Barry Benbridge

Top summer attractions in London UK for kids

The following guest post is written by Kaamna Dhawan of Momaboard.

My family of four moved to London a few months ago and I can honestly say that as major cities in the world go, London is probably the most kid-friendly in the world. As my two and five-year old and I have been exploring our new hometown, we have been delighted to find summer attractions in London ranging from parks, theaters, cinemas, museums, and restaurants dedicated to educating, entertaining, and inspiring children.

If you are headed to London for the summer, here are some of our favorite things to do:

Be one with the fossils at The Natural History Museum: This exquisite, free museum will keep your kids intrigued for hours. The biggest attraction is the beautifully (and realistically) executed dinosaur exhibit but the other sections are definitely worth a visit too. Loads of interactive options as well.

Get your Cap’n on at Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground: The beautiful Kensington Gardens are worth a visit for themselves and are an easy stroll across the lake from Hyde Park, but for the kids, it’s worth a trip over to the playground to explore the giant pirate ship and many other fantastically creative parts of the park. Please note that London parks take their security seriously: adults cannot enter without a child.

Enjoy the view from The London Eye: Ever been on a giant standing-room giant wheel? (Ever paid $30 to do so?). Expensive as it is, the London Eye is worth the experience once in your life. On a clear day, the views of London are spectacular. The Southbank area in which the London Eye is located is also very well developed and fun to hang around on a sunny weekend with street performers and restaurants.

Ride the top of a double decker bus. It’s amazing what a thrill kids get out it!

Grab a show: This is the land of Shakespeare and the Queen’s English. Theater is a must. You can catch one of the well-known shows like The Lion King, Matilda or Billy Elliot but I would recommend finding something uniquely London. Time Out has a great roundup of what’s going on at any point of the year.

Get a lux haircut in Notting Hill: Bella and Beau on Ledbury Road take kids’ cuts very seriously. Not only did my son get some serious styling there, he did it sitting in a very fancy car chair watching Thomas on an iPad. A day in the life of the rich and famous indeed!

Visit the London Transport Museum: Even though London has many beautiful free museums, I would definitely recommend a visit to the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden to experience the London tube simulator, pose as the driver of a double decker bus, or check out the history of transport from man-drawn carriages to how we do it now!

Eat! Although cuisine is not the UK’s most prominent contribution to the world, you can find some of the best ethnic cuisines in London: Indian, Lebanese and Chinese in particular. You will also find much innovation in the London restaurant scene so if you are a foodie, do your research before heading over to see what’s new and hot. A lot of good restaurants welcome children but it’s best to call and ask. It’s also fun to experience a pub lunch, and you will find that even these staunch London institutions are shaking it up these days. The Churchill Arms, for instance, is known for its amazing Thai food!

Want more? Check out Momaboard’s Ultimate Guide to London with Kids.

Kaamna Bhojwani-Dhawan is the founder of Momaboard.com, a website for globetrotting kids and their parents. Join the community on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.