The cold months are slowly but surely slipping away, and before you know it, spring will be here. By March, the days will be getting longer, the weather will be getting warmer and, best of all, the flowers will begin to bloom.

And as the weather begins to change, so will your mood. You’ll be ready to come out of your winter hibernation and start making plans to enjoy the springtime. If you’ve got children, you’ll certainly be ready to get them out of the house for a change and enjoying the great outdoors once again.

So why not get some plans in place for this spring? It’s never too early to start.

Check out our list of seven fun things to do in London this year, whether you’re going solo, with friends or as a family.

1. See the flowers

One of the biggest joys of spring is the flurry of colour as the flowers begin to bloom, and there are plenty of beautiful places in London where you can get your flower fix.

Why not take a stroll around Kew Gardens and explore the botanic gardens and glasshouses? There, you can enjoy flowers from all over the world, not just from the UK!

Alternatively, fall in love with the seasonal display in the Memorial Gardens of Buckingham Palace or the world-famous gardens of Hampton Court Palace.

There are also plenty of parks around the city where you can take a walk, stop for a coffee and sit in the sunshine. In particular, Hyde park and the Royal Parks and gardens. So this spring, get out there, get walking and get back in touch with nature.

2. Catch a show

When in London, you’d be crazy not to catch a West End show, and this spring, there will be some incredible musicals and plays taking to the stage. A timeless classic, you can see The Mousetrap at St Martin’s Theatre, or for something that will get your toes tapping, Jersey Boys and Caberet will both have you swaying.

Alternatively, catch the award-winning musical adaptation of the 1985 cult classic, Back to the Future.

Of course, these are just a few of the incredible shows that will be on the stage this springtime, so be sure to take a look online and secure yourself some tickets before your trip.

3. Enjoy a festival

Through April, May and June, a number of exciting festivals will take place across the capital, some for a day, some for a weekend and others for the entire month.

So this year, get involved in any one of these fun festivals, including the Eid Festival celebrations in Trafalgar Square, where you can sample street food from around the world and take part in family-friendly activities.

Alternatively, the annual Tulip Festival at Hampton Court Palace will be taking place in April, where you can admire many rare and historic flowers throughout the grounds.

The warmer weather also brings with it our need to get outside and listen to music, and May sees the return of lots of popular musical events across London. This includes Wide Awake, Cross The Tracks and the LGBTQ-friendly festival, Mighty Hoopla.

4. Visit an exhibition

One of the greatest things about London is that it plays host to hundreds of interesting exhibitions each year. But they don’t hang around for long.

This spring, be sure to visit some of the most talked about exhibitions in the city, including Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms at Tate Modern. This is an immersive installation that will blow your mind. Then there’s Hallyu! The Korean Wave, showing at the Victoria and Albert Museum. This is an enticing exploration of South Korean culture.

Or, for a day of learning, pop by the Science Museum and check out the Science Fiction: Voyage to the Edge of Imagination exhibition.

5. Take a tour

As with any other great city, London has plenty of exciting tours that you can be a part of; there is something to suit every interest and personality. For example, this spring, why not find the wizard inside you at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter?

Alternatively, stick to the classic and buy a ticket for the hop-on-hop-off bus tour. This will take you around some of London’s most popular attractions, and you can jump on and off as many times as you like if you want to explore further.

And for the thrill seekers among you, you can tangle with the macabre as you venture around London on the Ghost Bus Tour. You will visit the local haunts and notorious murder sites as you experience a thoroughly spooky day out.

6. Dance the night away

As well as festivals, there are plenty of other wonderful musical events taking place across the capital this year. One of the biggest is ABBA’s Voyage tour, where they’ll play all the greatest hits in a concert like never before.

Some of the other big names in music that will be performing in London this year include Harry Styles, John Legend, Duran Duran, Elton John and Celine Dion.

But if you do want to see any of these wonderful entertainers and dance the night away, don’t leave it a chance. Make sure you get your tickets as soon as possible.

7. Make the most of the school holidays

Finally, springtime is also packed with holidays for both adults and children. From Easter to May half term, there are plenty of reasons to get out and about in London.

During these holidays, the city really comes alive. So whether you choose to spend an adult bank holiday barhopping or take part in any of the pop-up Easter activities for kids, there are so many ways you can make the most of these breaks.

Plus, you can buy attraction passes perfect for families with young children. Alternatively, you can spend the day exploring all of London’s top attractions your own way, including the London Eye, Sea Life Centre and Buckingham Palace.

Photo by Ming Jun Tan on Unsplash