You may enjoy this post if you’re a bus/train enthusiast. On this grey Monday morning, the boy woke up saying he wants to go on a train and a plane. Hmmmm. We were at my parents’ house, after my siblings’ birthday weekend (from which I was still recovering 😉 ), so I said, hey, howabout a bus ride to Uxbridge instead. Off he went to get his shoes. Well, it turned out to be the longest journey of my life. Here’s what we did…
1) U4 bus to Uxbridge
He was so excited to go on the ‘BIG’ red bus (it’s a double decker), sitting on the upper deck he announced everytime he saw another bus, police car, ambulance – seriously exciting stuff.
2) Looked at Taxis
At Uxbridge, I showed him the taxi rank – “Ooh lots of taxis”
3) Watched buses at Uxbridge Bus Station
We sat on the bench and watched more buses…
4) Got on a tube at Uxbridge Station
Yep, I wasn’t planning to go anywhere, but the boy had a meltdown, he REALLY wanted to go on a train. Hey, I had nothing really planned for the day, so I topped up my oyster card, got a tube map and we got on a train! We saw this cool vintage piece of equipment on the platform.
5)Piccadilly Line Journey
The boy chose to go on the ‘blue’ train, so we it was to be a Piccadilly line journey. I was thinking we could stop at Hammersmith for lunch, as maybe South Kensington for a museum. Anyhoo, he was so excited looking out of the window. At about Alperton, he climbed on my lap and fell asleep. When he sleeps, he sweats, so I had a huge wet patch on my top – great!
6) District line to Ealing Broadway
I woke him at South Kensington. But he didn’t want to go outside! ‘Go back on a train!’ – Hmmm. I thought, howabout we get on a District line back to Ealing Broadway, at least that would be on the right way back to my parents. So off we went, another train journey!
7) Arrive at Ealing Broadway
I love the District Line platform at Ealing Broadway, as it still has the vintage signage – very rare.
8) Visit Walpole Park
At Ealing, it was time to have some lunch, so we bought sandwiches and snacks from the new Morrisons and headed down to Walpole Park, where there’s a duck pond and a sandpit playground. It’s all new and refurbished, so worth a visit if you’re ever in the area.
9)607 bus to Uxbridge
After lunch and a play in the park, we got on a 607 bus back to my parents. We sat on the top deck and he was commentating throughout the whole journey again “1 big red bus, 2 big red buses, green garbage truck, 3 big red buses….” Here’s the bus going past where my husband and I got married – ahhh.
10) Get back home and have a cuppa
11am – 4pm. This was a real toddler adventure. Tyler needed a lie down and I needed a cuppa after that!
If your toddler is bored, you live near a tube station and have nothing else to do, this is an easy way to entertain said toddler. Any off-peak journey between zone 2 and 6 (not going though Zone 1) is just £1.50. But note the journey must be under 100 minutes, otherwise you’ll get charged double (as happened to us, but they kindly refunded me when I called the Oyster helpline – explaining that I was sitting with a train-mad toddler watching trains on the platform, which is why the journey took so long!)
Sabrina x
Aww, this sounds like a super fun time. Your little one must have been in his element and such an adventure for him. A great post! #twinklytuesday
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Aww it was! It’s funny, when I commute to work on the bus and tube, I hate it, but when I take Tyler it is so much fun. I love seeing how excited and happy he gets looking out the window! xx
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Love that you let him dictate the trains and destinations! A real adventure! #ToddlerApprovedTuesday
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Hehe, I thought, we had nothing else planned, why not let him choose (as long as it wasn’t too far out!) xx
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What a great adventure! I quite often hop on a bus as an afternoon activity for Finn! He loves it. Unfortunately we can’t go upstairs anymore as I always have the buggy. I really need to baby wear more so Finn can enjoy the top of the bus again!
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It’s such a simple way to keep them happy! We’ve only just stopped using his buggy – so upstairs on the bus is a whole new thing for us! I guess that’s why it’s so exciting for him! xx
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Sounds like he had a ball! My little one is train obsessed as well.
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Hehe, glad it’s not just Tyler. He really is obsessed! xx
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What a fun day out! Your son looked like he really enjoyed the view from the window. A good friend of mine lives in London & they go on the bus for fun too! #TwinklyTuesday
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Oh yes, it was the most exciting thing ever for him! I loved seeing him so happy. We’re lucky my parents live in London 🙂 xx
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Aww! He’s darling! What a fun day!! 🙂 #toddlerapprovedtuesdays
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Thank you, it really was a fun day, so much excitement for Tyler! xx
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Award for having the cutest train spotter goes to….The Mummy Stylist! Fab pictures and I have a little train spotter too and know how much just the journey, lights them up! My husband hung out with our train spotter over a train bridge in Bromley and every time you wave at a train driver going under they sound the horn (or whatever a train horn is called)…they were there for at least half an hour! #twinklytuesday
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Ahhh thank you! Tyler sounds just like your little train spotter! They really light up, I love seeing how happy he is looking out the window! That is so cool that the drivers sound the horn, lucky boy! xx
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Sounds like a day my boys would enjoy too.
Often the spontaneous days out are the best.
#twinklytuesday
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Exactly! This day was so unplanned, but I think he had the best time ever! xx
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What an adventure! Spontaneous days always end up being the best days. 🙂 xx #toddlerapprovedtuesday
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Exactly – I love spontaneous adventures, there’s no expectations so they’re always fun! xx
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What a great idea, I love this makes me wish I loved near a tube station!! 🙂 And very impressed with your adaptability and inpromptudeness!!!#ToddlerApprovedTuesday xx
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It was a fun day, I really do appreciate being near the tube! And thank you, I do have to be adaptable with this little train-obsessed boy! xx
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Zach would just adore this! We travelled up to London at the weekend which meant he got on two trains each way and he was so happy! He’s very lucky that you were so accommodating to his (very mundance for a mummy) needs! Bless him! Love that Oyster refunded you too! I had no idea they had that rule! Thanks so much for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
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Boys really do love trains don’t they! I hate it when commuting, but when going with Tyler, suddenly it’s so much fun! He gets so excited! And yes, beware of that rule! I was kind of embarrassed we’d taken more than 100 minutes haha! x
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What a great, child led fun day out! I’ve promised T a trip on a train over the summer so we might just do something similar. Thanks for sharing with us at #toddlerapprovedtuesday x
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Oh yes do, it was so fun, just seeing Tyler so excited made me feel happy! xx
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