Originally Posted by
onylon
Watching this thread with interest as a friend is bringing her kids to visit in the summer. I was thinking about the Kensington museums as suggested up thread. I also thought we would do a day on the south bank starting with a photo opportunity at Big Ben/Houses of Parliament -> London Eye -> Wander past the street market, Tate modern, Globe Theater, Golden Hinde, Tower Bridge -> Tower of London (if time). Lots of opportunity to stop off for food or have a closer look at things if they want to. If the weather is nice you can just amble around watching the street entertainers and trying different foods from the market.
Maybe it's the difference between living there and visiting but during my first visit, I went in to watch Parliament. It was fascinating, and depending on the age of your friend's children (and the OP's), might be interesting, especially if they are learning about how their government works in school. As I recall, you can stay for a bit or leave any time you want, so perfect for kids.
