We love St. James Park. It's right in the heart of London, just a stone's throw from Trafalgar Square.
23 hectares is a lot of space to run around in.
Plenty of cute furry residents to play with.
And in autumn, mushrooms to gawk at.
He's trying to spot acorns.
I love the four seasons and seeing the different fruits, plants and flowers that accompany each one. What a lovely surprise it was to spot this berry plant by the lake, in the most gorgeous of colours - bright purple! We have seen lots of red, yellow, orange and black berries but this purple one is a first.
Found out that this is beautyberry, native to Southeast Asia (really??).
Fallen autumn leaves in the lake.
The park is home to a large number of fowls - pigeons, ducks, swans, geese and pelicans.
View of Buckingham Palace to the west from the Blue Bridge.
And to the east is the London Eye in the distance.
A veil of pine leaves in the sunlight.
Best feeling in the world!
Toddler review: St. James Park is a great place for a toddler, especially one who loves nature and the outdoors. There is plenty to see and do - feed the waterfowls by the lake, run around on the grass, spot the squirrels, chase pigeons, pick wildflowers. It is a great park for every season. We have visited in spring, summer and fall and the scenery is beautiful and a little different every time. I would love to visit when it is covered with snow.
It is very stroller-friendly as there are no steps to negotiate. We usually go past the lake and over the Blue Bridge to the grassy fenced-up area where I let him run around. It is still a big area but at least there is fencing between the grass and the pedestrian path. I don't have to worry about him running onto the path which leads to the busy main road outside the park. But I do have to chase after him as he runs like crazy and can easily get out of sight if I don't keep up.
Except for the portion in front of the cafe, the rest of the lake is safely cordoned off. There is fencing separating the walkway and the big grassy patch leading to the water's edge.
The park is popular with locals and tourists alike. If you are headed to Buckingham Palace, walking through the park is definitely a more pleasant route. Hence, it is always full of people, more so in summer. The walkways especially can get quite crowded so I usually keep Lucas in the stroller or firmly in hand.
Toddler fun factor: 10/10!
Mummy stress factor: Well, rather stressful because he runs so far and fast and I have to keep going after him whilst still taking care of stroller. Would be great to go with a companion. Nevertheless, still a wonderful place to spend a couple of hours away from the hustle and bustle.
I was tickled by one stay-at-home-mom who named her blog "what we do all day". Those who work full time will no doubt have this question on their minds.
Indeed, what do we do all day? To a 2.5 year old, his job is to play. All day. With anything and everything. To his caregiver, her job is to see that he learns something through all that playing. How do you keep a little person occupied and meaningfully engaged, when he has an average attention span of, oh, 2 minutes? And come up with creative answers to repeated questions of "What's that?" Not forgetting that in between all that, you need to keep his tummy full, bum clean and body healthy. Plus you've got to eat too, have clean clothes to wear and make sure the kitchen and rest of the house do not turn into disaster zones. You get the idea.
Sometimes we happen to be wearing some nice clothes. And have time for a photoshoot.
Black woollen vest - essential item in every stylish toddler's wardrobe. Looks super cool and most importantly, hides many food stains.
All that before the jumping kicks in.
Mostly, we just play and do silly stuff.
He is rather organised about his fruits and veggies (and egg).
But mess is always fun.
Discovering the magic of cornflour mix.
Playdoh-ing with real dough.
"This is serious stuff."
Trying to fit into things around the house is also fun.
