St James’s Park Playground

You’re not going to find a better-located playground in all of London — the kids are digging around in the sandbox while Buckingham Palace sits right there in the background, which never really gets old. It’s well-fenced and kept in genuinely good nick, which matters when you’ve got little ones running around aged 2 to 10. Picnic tables and shade trees mean you can actually sit down and breathe for a bit rather than hovering anxiously the whole time. Restrooms nearby is a big deal when you’re in the middle of a long sightseeing day and someone suddenly needs to go. Honestly, if you’re doing central London with kids, this one’s a no-brainer stop.