Louise Boyce a.k.a. MamaStillGotIt is a veteran model and mother to three young children. Join Louise as she hits Kings Cross with the kids for a fun-filled day out.
Breaking the typical ‘Mumfluencer’ mould, Louise is known for her funny skits taking on the all-too-familiar trials of parenthood, girls nights, and her other half getting himself hus-banned.
Half term is here already and if like me you’re always on the lookout for new, cool, inspiring places to visit with your kids then I have the perfect day out for you all that ticks the boxes for all ages.
Back in the 90s, Kings Cross used to be my old clubbing ground, however this seems like a distant memory when you step into the buzzing place that King’s Cross is today.
Here is what we did (and remember, this is all within walking distance!).
Starting at Kings Cross station (easy to get to from out of London – we travelled from Surrey), go and find the iconic Platform 9 3/4 that features in the Harry Potter books and get a photo (either you can take it yourself or use the professional on-site to take it) and run into the platform to get to the other side of magic! Then step inside the Harry Potter shop and have a spellbinding experience. Picking out a wand that is suited just for you and seeing the shop as it was in Diagon Alley really makes the experience feel enchanting. Any Harry Potter fan would LOVE this.
Afterwards we headed to Handyside Gardens for the kids to have a runaround and test out their wands! It’s a beautifully landscaped pocket park, complete with a children’s play area and water rill.
Next stop – lunch! We headed to Happy Face, a modern and stylish restaurant that serves authentic wood-fired Italian pizza – ( and made with a 72-hour fermented dough ..so tasty!) and a great place for kids. They also have milkshakes that the kids loved – and naturally I enjoyed their prosecco! It got busy so make sure you make a reservation.
After lunch we headed to Lewis Cubitt Park for a post-lunch run around and a play in the interactive, 16-metre tall ‘My World and Your World installation’ by artist Eva Rothschild. Great colourful hoarding that is perfect for some photo moments (especially if you’re on Instagram ha!).
Next stop – the digital playground Samsung KX at Coal Drops Yard. This was definitely the highlight of the kids’ day – a beautiful room full of ‘the future’ as my kids called it, where tech-loving kids can get their hands on all sorts of futuristic gadgets with everything from gaming lounges to 3D printing stations. It was also great for me to explore new technology and actually take advantage of the kids being quiet and still for a while. Highly recommend it!
After the digital world, we decided to get back to humans and nature and connect the two together. Also within Coal Drops Yard, we had a fantastic time at Botanical Boys making our own terrarium’s using soil, moss, stones and shells. This was the highlight of my day – brilliant idea, so therapeutic and great for the kids to reconnect with nature and take something home that they made. FYI Botanical Boys hold 2-hour terrarium workshops for businesses/parties etc… I know what I’m doing for my next birthday!
The shopping within Coals Drop Yard is exquisite. I felt like I needed a few more pairs of eyes to look at everything. We went to Cissy Wears, a new kind of concept store, with kids at its heart, and good design for the modern family firmly in mind with a mix of fashion and accessories for baby, parents and the home. Earl of East, a lifestyle emporium, coffee shop and event space, Wolf & Badger, which I think may be my favourite shop at the moment and ended up treating myself to new crockery for the kitchen – but the fashion was something I decided I needed to go back to again when I was alone because there was so much to look at and all in love with! I also took a look at Tom Dixon, Ba&sh, Caravane and so many more. The space and great energy of shopping at Coals Drop Yard was really palpable and somewhere I plan to go back to very soon.
Everyone needs a pit stop after a bit of shopping so we went to Longboys for some doughnuts and coffee – delicious! Very conveniently there were public loos (free of charge) next door so we stopped off there too..!
Granary Square is known for its fabulous fountains (possibly the most popular attraction at King’s Cross) where kids can run riot through the 1,080 jets that are individually controlled and lit, providing hours of entertainment. Remember to take a towel and a change of clothes with you. Sometimes this area is also used for car boot sales and other festivals – but either way, the fun to have here is endless. Nearby is also the canal and green steps for you to chill out on and watch the beautiful canal and canal boats.
To sum up our day out, it was brilliant. I was very pleasantly surprised with the amount of fantastic attractions for adults and kids – whether it’s activities like stepping into the world of Harry Potter or making your own terrariums, running around at the many nearby parks, being in Samsung’s digital playground, sipping prosecco in Granary Park or shopping…Kings Cross has it all. The energy, the buzz and the excitement made my kids absolutely exhausted when we got home – me too! Perfect day out! Head over there for half term – I’ll be there!
