21st Century Mummy

Ever since we came back from a holiday in the Maldives earlier in the year, my two-year old has repeatedly mentioned the sharks and fish she saw “at the beach”. They obviously made an impression. With no tropical beaches in the vicinity, we planned a day out at London Aquarium, with one of her friends, so she could see them again.

We arrived at 10am, walking right in as it was empty. This was just what we wanted as it meant the girls could run around without us worrying about them getting lost. They were both excited and slightly fearful of what might be around the corner, as they entered through double doors, into the darkness. The place was bathed in a deep blue light and they soon spotted the tanks of brightly coloured fish. For the next hour, all we could hear were squeals and shrieks of excitement and the pitter-patter of running footsteps, as the girls ran from tank to tank. The ray tank was a big hit as they could look over the edge at the rays in the water below. One ray even seemed to do a special dance for us, flipping over onto its back, like it was showing off.

The definite favourite was the shark tank, which you could see from each of the three floors, the aquarium stretched across.They would sit quietly and watch in awe as the enormous sharks, turtles and rays glided past. We could have popped off for a coffee without them even noticing!

Last time we’d been to London Aquarium was when our little one was a baby and she loved it even then. This time it was a totally different experience and by the time we left, they’d learned lots of new words and talked about the Clown Fish and Sea Horses all the way home. Our two little monsters had a great morning and so did we! I’d definitely recommend it.

London Aquarium costs £16 per adult. Children aged 2 and under go free. (Children aged 3-14 £11.75)

Top tips

• If you go by train it’s 50% off.
• It is worthwhile booking in advance as the queues to buy tickets on the day can be long!  Book tickets here

For more information visit London Sea Life Aquarium

Location:

SEA LIFE London Aquarium
County Hall
Westminster Bridge Road
London
SE1 7PB

Nearest tube stations are Westminster/Waterloo.