Best action-packed activities to do with kids in London

Book your family tickets for the Shrek's Adventure! London and enjoy a fantastical tour that combines live shows, special effects and classic sets from the Shrek films. Meet Shrek, Pinocchio and the Magic Mirror and take the amazing 4D ride. From July 2015

Get your smartphone ready to take a selfie with your family once you ascend the exciting challenge, Up at The O2. See London's premier entertainment complex from an entirely new angle, and capture a photo your kids will want to show all their friends. Kids must be at least 10 years old.

Strap in and hold on as you go head to head against your sons and daughters, mums and dads, to be crowned the quickest in your family. Capital Karts boasts the longest indoor go kart racing track in the UK and hosts special sessions for younger children, if you're brave enough.

One activity that kids love is to explore London on two wheels with a cycling tour. Whizzing past London’s top attractions is one of the best ways for your children to see the city. Take a cycling tour along the river, through the city, and into the parks, stopping off along the way to take some classic photos.

Prepare your nerves for a thrilling ride through 1,000 years of the capital's gruesome history with a trip to The London Dungeon. Experience live actors, thrilling rides, special effects and bloody tales of torture and plague. Only brave kids (and parents) will survive!

The ice rink at Alexandra Palace is great fun for skaters of all ages. There are public skating sessions every day, as well as ice skating classes and scooters for under-eights. The area is surrounded by parkland, including a boating lake and a skate park.

For families with children of 10 years of age and above, Go Ape Trent Park offers a variety of tree-top adventures. Take in the views from the trees and take on Tarzan swings, high ropes and zip wires. Trent Park is home to an epic Skateboard Zip.

Hire bikes for the whole family and experience four different types of cycling in just one location, Lee Valley VeloPark. Grab a mountain bike and go off-road; try some jumps on the BMX track; aim for speed on the road circuit; or spin the wheels in the velodrome, home of the Olympic Games.

Children aged 14 and over can have an adrenaline-pumping water adventure, including white-knuckle descents of up to 5 metres (16ft), at the Lee Valley White Water Centre, home of the Olympic course in the London 2012 Games. The area also has an Ice Centre, Riding Centre, Athletics Centre, Golf Course and Park Farms for families to enjoy.

Energetic kids will love rollerblading in this beautiful Royal Park. Skating is allowed on the roads and on the cycle tracks in Hyde Park. Serpentine Road is one of the most popular spots for skaters. If you don't have your own skates, you can hire skates, helmets, wrist guards, and elbow/knee pads from Club Blue Room and book skating lessons.

Kids (and adults) will love whizzing up the Thames in a speedboat, it's the most thrilling way to see London! Step on board a small but speedy RIB, and an expert guide will point out attractions such as Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and the London Eye.

Take the kids on a fun outdoor adventure at one of London's adventure playgrounds. Climbing frames, sand pits, swings slides, musical gardens and even pirate ships await your intrepid children. Most larger playgrounds also have cafes nearby (great for drinks and ice cream).

The House of Vans free-to-use space has plenty on offer to keep energetic kids entertained. Learn how to skateboard, create some art, see an exhibition, eat in the cafe, and watch a film, all beneath the arches below Waterloo Station.

Children can ride horses through 8km (5 miles) of Central London bridleways, including the historic equestrian venue, Rotten Row in Hyde Park, one of London's Royal Parks. The rides are suitable for kids aged five and above. Previous experience isn't essential and all rides are accompanied by instructors.

When the weather is warm, cool down in one of London's outdoor swimming pools and lidos, which open mainly during the summer months. Or, if you prefer to keep dry, row around one of the London's lovely boating lakes; a great way to entertain the whole family.