Tips for Winter

When the long London nights start drawing in and the winter weather is pretty miserable it's hard to keep kids entertained.

Check out our top tips for surviving the chilly months in the capital with little ones. From fun activities to practical advice, we've got all the answers to make sure children have a great winter.

Get Outdoors and Enjoy London

It's tempting to stay indoors and hibernate in the nippy winter months. Yet the best way to beat the winter blues is to get outside and get the blood pumping. It's also a great way to burn up all the surplus energy children seem to have in endless supply! London has hundreds of parks and outdoor spaces for you and the kids to explore. See our Open Spaces page to find a park near to you.

Go Ice Skating

Ice Skating. Image courtesy of istock.com

Get your skates on at one of London's spectacular ice skating rinks. It's a great way to get some exercise and tire out little legs. As long as you don't spend the whole time clinging to the edges…

Catch a Movie

It's grey, it's miserable and it's raining… how can you entertain small people? Why not hit one of London's cinemas and catch a film. For the latest blockbuster releases, you can always head to your local megaplex. If you want to really impress your brood, try one of the capital's IMAX cinemas. Kids can gawp at the enormous screens and be amazed by the perfect picture quality. It's guaranteed to keep them quiet for at least a few hours.

Wrap Up Warm

Little ones are particularly vulnerable to winter's icy winds. Keep them snug with warm coats and woolly scarves, hats and gloves. Tog them up in style with clothes and accessorises from Biff Kids in South London. Your main problem will be getting them to take their trendy winter gear off!

Eat Well

Keep winter colds and runny noses at bay with generous servings of healthy food. Oranges, bananas, carrots, fish and nuts all boost the immune system and help prevent illness. Sometimes getting children to eat their greens can be a hard task. Capture their interested in food by taking them to a cookery lesson. The Kids Cookery School in West London has an after-school club and holiday courses for aspiring young chefs.

Have a Hot Chocolate

When you're out and about in the cold, blood sugar levels can plummet. This can cause all manner of horrible temper tantrums among little people. Boost their energy levels and put a smile on their faces with a steaming mug of delicious hot chocolate. Try Notting Hill chocolatiers, Melt for a serious dose of cocoa. They also run a children's hour where young chocoholics can have a crack at making their own chocolate treats. Yum!