Is the London station checklist free to download?

Yes. It's a free one-page PDF with no sign-up, no email address and no watermark. Print as many copies as you need.

It suits roughly ages 4 to 11. Younger children enjoy the ticking and the pictures they spot; older ones tend to take over the route planning.

Do we have to do it all in one day?

No, and it's better if you don't. Most families fill it in across several trips over the holidays, which is what makes it last.

Illustration of London King's Cross station with its curved brick arches and departure boards

Station ChecklistFree download

London Train Station Checklist for Kids

London has more big railway stations than any other city in the world, and most kids have only ever been through one or two of them. This checklist turns that into a collection to complete. Thirty things to find: twelve of those big stations, twelve famous Tube stops and six Underground lines to ride at least once.

It works because it costs nothing extra. If you're already travelling into London for the day, you'll tick off three or four without going out of your way. Give it a few visits across the holidays and the sheet starts to fill up, which is the bit that keeps children interested long after the novelty of the first train has worn off.

Print it, hand it over with a pencil, and let them lead. The clue lines under each station are deliberately short, so a younger child can be read to and an older one can hunt independently.

Download the printable

One page, A4, prints fine in black and white. No sign-up and no email address.

Download free PDF

PDF, 1.2 MB, 1 page.

London Train Station Checklist for Kids printable sheet

Ages

4 to 11

Things to find

Cost

Free

Pages to print

What's on the sheet

30 things to find, grouped so you can work through them in the order you'll actually come across them.

Big railway stations

The twelve stations where the long-distance trains start and finish, so the tracks stop dead at the end of the platform. Each one has a one-line clue so children know what they're looking for once they're through the barriers.

Paddington, and the Paddington Bear statue on Platform 1
King's Cross, and the Platform 9¾ trolley
St Pancras, and the tall red brick clock tower
Waterloo, the busiest station of them all

Famous Tube stations

Twelve Underground stops chosen because there's something to notice when you get there, not just a name on a map. Baker Street is one of the oldest. Angel has the longest escalator on the network.

Westminster, where you come up right by Big Ben
Covent Garden, and the big lift up to the street
Bank, a twisty maze of tunnels
Canary Wharf, deep down and very modern

Tube lines to ride

Six lines to ride at least once, listed by their colour on the map so younger children can match them up themselves. This is the part that usually turns into a game of route planning on the sofa the night before.

Victoria line, light blue
Central line, bright red
Elizabeth line, purple
District line, green

Know a family who'd use this?

Send them the link. These sheets only reach the families who need them if people pass them on.

Tips for the grown-ups

Travel off-peak with a Zip card

Children under 11 travel free on the Tube, DLR and buses with a fee-paying adult. Ages 11 to 15 can get a Zip Oyster photocard for child-rate fares. Off-peak travel is cheaper and far less stressful with a pushchair.

Chain the big stations together

King's Cross and St Pancras share a street. Cannon Street, Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street are all a short walk apart in the City. You can tick off four or five in an hour if you plan the walk rather than the train.

Let them hold the map

Give an older child the Tube map and the job of getting you from one station to the next. Getting it slightly wrong and having to work out the fix is most of the learning.