I’ve been persuaded to go freelance into leading guided tours. I’ve been doing them for years in various public buildings, but now want to craft my own on the streets of London.
Oh, I’ve also started career break from my main job so I can raise my infant daughter for a few years, and my idea is to craft a tour which she can come along to. She’s nearly one year old, so not going to be exactly taking part much, but it would be fun and she’s remarkably social. But obviously the tours would be short for her sake, about an hour or so.
With that in mind I’m thinking of kid-friendly tours, for families and the like. If you were to come to London for a tour and you wanted your kids to learn from it, what would you like included? How long for? And how far could you walk?
Any examples of fun tours you had or even led that had good aspects or techniques?
Including your daughter is a recipe for disaster, IMHO. Either you are a guide or you are a parent. Your paying clients are not paying you to spend their time and money for you to care for your daughter when she fusses, needs feeding, needs her nappy changing, or whatever. As for time, don’t forget to include the time getting to the start point and getting home again.
One suggestion: take a group to the Diana memorial playground, then to feed the ducks and swans by the pond and maybe have a picnic in Kensington Gardens.
The London parks are wonderful if the weather is fine and very child friendly.
I totally hear what you’re saying, and I’m prepared for it to not work out. But I’m trying to see if there’s a niche, albeit a small one, for parents with tiny children who may be self-conscious about having a toddler along who they feel might upset others on the tour. I dunno.
Regardless, welcome to hear suggestions from people about what would be good for kids to see on such tours.