.jpg "Mountain biking Stratford")
Famed for hosting the London 2012 Olympics and the continuous regeneration that has happened in the area since the games make Stratford a very well-connected and exciting place to visit. I recently spent a weekend here with my kids to fully soak in all that this East London destination has to offer and I cannot sing its praise enough.
I have always been one to stay in central London when visiting the caption, especially with my kids as convenience is key but Stratford definitely won me over, not only is it very quick and easy ( you can get to central London in under 10mins) to reach but it also offers more space to relax and explore after a busy day in the city while being spoilt for choice when it comes to activities, attractions and places to eat.
I've put together a list of things we personally tried and would recommend as well as additional things you can do in Stratford with your kids
Things to do (our personal recommendations)
1. Lee Valley Velodrome Mountain Biking
Who knew you could go mountain biking in London? Well, you can at the Lee Valley Velodrome with trails suitable for all ages and abilities, including complete beginners and they have all the equipment you need with family rides £22 for two adults and two children (without hire). Both of my kids and I had an absolutely blast exploring all the trails and is something we hope to do again on any future visits to the area. Lee Valley Velodrome also offers track riding and BMX and is perfect for those looking for a fun adrenaline-packed activity.
2. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
You want to put a few hours aside to explore that park, especially with kids who will love the impressive Tumbling Bay Playground, which features treehouses, sand pits, slides and wobbly bridges, among other things and is the perfect space to run off some energy. It's not the only playground in the park, you will also find some at the pleasure gardens, and the water fountains just outside the stadium are sure to be a hit.
The park itself is a lovely place to have a wander with a variety of different garden spaces, meadows, wetlands and formal gardens. You should also make sure to visit the Olympic Rings. The park is free to enjoy and was a real highlight of our stay.
3. Gravity Max Westfield Stratford
Kids will absolutely love this Urban theme park with three floors and 67,000 square feet of entertainment, housing an array of activities you are guaranteed to have fun here. While we are very much an outdoor nature-loving family and not the most tech-savvy, we had a blast here and there is something for all ages. Our favourite activities were the Hyperfloor which is way more physical than we expected and we laughed a lot while running and jumping across the floor. The boys really enjoyed the Hologate VR immersive experience and together, we took on the Street mini golf. They also have indoor e-carts, tower tag, karaoke and immersive gamebox to name a few.
More activity ideas
1. London Aquatics Centre - if you fancy a dip in the Olympic pool, they do have plenty of public swimming sessions weekly.
2. ArcelorMittal Orbit - it was closed when we visited otherwise we would have tried it, but it reopened on the 14th Feb 2025 under Zip World management, and this 178m slide is guaranteed to be a lot of high-adrenaline fun.
3. Get a dose of culture and creativity with theatre performance at either The Yard Theatre or Theatre Royal Stratford East. Both theatres put on shows throughout the year and both host an array of adult and families friendly performances.
4. Indulge in some retail therapy at Westfield Stratford City Shopping Centre, one of the largest urban shopping centres in the UK that houses hundreds of shops and foodie spots.
5. Get on the water - in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, you can also hire Kayaks or SUPs or a Swan Pedalo and get on the water, again this was something we had planned to do but unfortunately due to bad weather we couldn't hire a Pedalo - but one more thing to do next time we visit.
Further Afield
Due to its location is very east to nip from Stratford to other parts of London, especially Canary Wharf and Greenwich - you can travel to both areas on the modern DLR (which my kids loved). We also caught the overground to Camden from here and it goes without saying that central London is just a quick hop on the underground, you can be un zone one in less than 15 minutes.
Where to Eat
Riverside East is a trendy but still family-friendly eatery and bar, which is both the perfect place for a brunch but also comes alive in the evening. We enjoyed some delicious pizza and burgers here, and they have a large range of craft beers and freshly baked pastries.
Part of the Startford Hyatt Hotel, this is a great place to enjoy delicious food away from the hustle and bustle. There is also a fantastic roof terrace, which I recommend during the warmer months.
3. Love Churros
One of my kids' favourite street food stands outside of Westfield was the Love Churros, which makes fresh to order Churros and they are the perfect pick-me-up treat.
4. Pan-n-Ice
If you like ice cream but want to indulge in a unique experience, then Pan-n-Ice is worth a visit just for the theatrics of it all. You can find it inside the Westfield Shopping Centre.
Where to stay
My personal recommendation would be the Hyatt Regency London Stratford, which is where we stayed for 2 nights and it was the perfect family-friendly base and had everything we needed. They offer family rooms and interconnecting rooms, the breakfast is fantastic and the staff and friendly and welcoming to families.
There is also plenty of other hotels in the area, such as Premier Inn, Moxy London and Holiday Inn to name a few.
There is still much more to see, do and explore in Stratford and it's well worth exploring this exciting and family-friendly area and as I've mentioned before it's also a fantastic base for exploring central London, Docklands and Greenwhich due to the fantastic transport options.
.jpg "Stratford family guide")
