Richmond upon Thames is one of the best family vacation destinations in Greater London. Close enough to central London to expose your children to all that has to offer, while offering plenty of family activity to ensure your holidays will be remembered as the perfect family fun vacation.

Having holidays with kids can be difficult because not everywhere is child friendly. Happy children means happy parents which is why we have put together some family vacation ideas for those who enjoy family activities on their holidays. Your kids and family will enjoy their holidays in Richmond upon Thames.

Ceramics Caf? Kew

How about getting the whole family to try out something creative? Ceramics Caf? is a relaxed and fun environment to experiment with something different. Choose the ceramic object you'd like to paint, and let your imagination run wild. No experience is necessary and it's a fun and for young and old alike. This is also one of those great summer activities for kids.

Tiny Teddies

This is a free activity for babies and very young children. These fun baby bounce and rhyme sessions include stories, songs and rhymes and are held in local libraries.

Story Time

Under 5's can enjoy being read a story at the local libraries. These story time sessions are held once a week. Day and time vary depending on which library in the Richmond borough you visit.

Puppet Theater Barge

Visiting this theater is a completely unique experience. These imaginative marionette and rod puppet spectacles take place aboard a 50 seater barge which is moored at Richmond on the River Thames between July and October. This fantastic setting makes this an incredibly exciting outing for children.

Boat Hire on the River Thames

Why not really treat the kids (and yourself) by hiring a boat and taking a trip along the river? What fun! Get a completely different perspective of Richmond while feeling the wind in your hair and hopefully the sun on your face? There are a number of different types of boats to hire, so there's something for everyone. Take some bread and feed the ducks on route.

Richmond Park

Richmond Park is the biggest Royal Park in London and is home to many deer which roam around freely. Why not take a slow drive or cycle through the park and see how many deer your children can spot? A picnic lunch is also great fun and a fantastic way to get some fresh air. With wide open spaces your children can run around and expend some energy and also enjoy the playground facilities which are on offer.

Bushy Park

Bushy Park seems to be a favorite of many parents as they have fantastic playground facilities for children. There is a mini caf? serving a wide variety of refreshments and picnics in the park are also welcomed. Bushy Park is the 2nd largest Royal Park in London so there is plenty of green space for children to run around and play. Like Richmond Park, there are also many deer who roam freely around the park.

Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens has a dedicated interactive play area for children, known as, Climbers and Creepers. This activity centre has been created to help children learn more about the important relationships between plants and animals, whilst having fun climbing and crawling around. Your children will also love the Henry Moore Sculpture Trail which allows them to touch and crawl around his sculptures. They can also follow one of the children's trails around the gardens, crawl through the badgers sett or climb up the aerial walkways amongst the treetops.

Swimming

During the warmer summer months why not visit one of the swimming pools in Richmond upon Thames? The children are bound to love splashing around and you can jump in to cool off too. Swimming is also a great way to keep fit, so if you can encourage your children to swim, then it's a fun form of exercise. Many swimming pools offer specific times that are 'child friendly' so it's a great time to take children who aren't yet familiar with swimming.

Why not try out one of the activities mentioned above? It's always great fun to do something new and exciting with children and Richmond creates a perfect environment for that.