London Eye with Kids

The London Eye is a true architectural feat and towers over the South Bank of London as one of the highlights of the London skyline.  Regardless of the number of times I have seen it, the London Eye is always a sight to behold and standing at the feet of the eye is awe inspiring for children and adults alike.  I learnt today that the London Eye is the most talked about the attraction on social media this year and I can’t say I am surprised.  Whenever we have visited London with my little adventurers always ask to go on the London Eye and I can understand why children would be truly enchanted by experience. The London eye offers visitors the chance to view London and all its buildings with a real birds eye view of the city.  We have done a few other “eye” experiences across the globe but the London Eye is definitely one of the best as the others such as the Singapore Flyer or the Burj Khalifa didn’t have the same appeal as the London skyline or history to retain the children’s attention.

Our visit

We most recently visited London in February 2016 with our Cubs from 1V Scouts and it was a fantastic experience as the majority of the children had never been to London or on the Eye.  As I was planning the trip this seemed an ideal way to showcase to the children the iconic buildings of London in a very unique way.  We were really lucky to have our own capsule which was ideal with so many children in the group.  Having our own space proved to be a perfect solution as we could let the children really enjoy the sights and share their excitement with one another without it impeding or affecting on any other visitors.  If there are enough of you in a group visit I would highly recommend looking into hiring your own capsule.

The London Eye not only offers beautiful views of London, it is a great way of seeing so many of the iconic buildings in a unique way from so many angles.  We had visited the Houses of Parliament the day before and the children loved seeing it from all the different angles from ground level, all the way until they had a true birds eye view of the building.  For me thats one of the best things about the London Eye as other attractions such as the Shard/ Tower Bridge offer spectacular views but its all from the one elevation.

The day we visited was one when it rained all day, which was a shame as clear skies allows you to see much further.  However, the rain did not stop the the children from having a fantastic time and it was something that they all talked about with lots of awe in their cubs diairies.

So what is the London Eye with kids really like?

The London Eye is one of the easiest activities to do with children, even a big group as ours (18 children, 6 adults).  Being in a capsule means that the children are kept within a certain space and you don’t have to worry about them running off or getting lost in the bustle of London.  I also love the London Eye as there is so much to see that even the youngest of adventurers will be enchanted by it.

The capsules are all equipped with iPad / screens which the visitor are able to use to obtain information on the landmarks that they are seeing and is a great way to fill in lots of gaps about the buildings (in case you don’t know all the information).

Sometimes children (and most likely adults) can be reluctant about heights and from the ground the London Eye is huge!  I love that the incline on the Eye is so gradual that you do not feel the change in height and even at the highest point, even our most scared children were well within the comfort zones.  In addition, there is a nice big bench so if you prefer not to stand you can enjoy the views.

Tips for visiting the London Eye with kids

• The kids will love the experience of going on the Eye and it will definitely a highlight for them.  On visits with our youngest he was just excited to be so high and see everyone walking on the ground and being so high.
• Don’t forget to watch the 4D show, it is included in the entrance price.   It is a short video but its a nice inclusion within the London Eye experience (and perfect on a rainy day)
• If you are visiting London and the other attractions for a few days, it is nice to do the London Eye towards the end and get the children find out all the sites they have visited.  It makes the trip much more wholesome and really helps them remember the trip!
• Timing; sometimes your timing for visiting the Eye is determined by the plans for the rest of the day but if you are able to go towards dusk its a great time as you will be able to see London at day and night time from the Eye and its great experience to see both.  In addition, going a little later means you miss the daytime rush and the few times we have been later in the day, we have very little queues.
• Pushchair: you are able to take the pushchair into the queue with you but this must be collapsed before you reach the boarding area.  I would recommend that you have little on the pushchair as it can get very stressful to empty the pushchair, collapsed and holding your child,
• Queues: there is always a queue for the Eye especially if you visit during the day.  If you have young children with you, remember to bring a few snacks to break up the waiting as even though the queues move fast if they are anything like my little adventurers they will start to get edgy.
• Bags: these will be searched before you go on the eye so I would have a bag thats easily opened and not overpacked.  The London Eye has dimensions which the bag must be within to be able to taken onto the capsule.
• Playground: just outside the London Eye is a great little playground which is perfect for children until 12 years old and offers fantastic views of the Eye.  We normally bring a picnic, have a pay and lunch and finish off the experience with a visit to the Eye.

The children had a fantastic time on the London Eye and it is should on the list if you are visiting the city with children.  There is lots to see from the Eye and its a perfect way to showcase some of the world’s major landmarks to children.  Further information on the London Eye and prices, can be found here, you can save up to 15% by booking online.