As the weather gets frosty it can be tempting to want to stay in and hibernate until spring. However, the winter months don’t need to be a time of inactivity. There are plenty of fun things you can do even when the weather is cold and rainy (or worse!), especially in the UK’s bustling capital.

Here are our top picks for what to do in London when it’s cold outside.

Play Mini Golf

Is the weather too cold for golf? Never fear, there is another option: mini golf. There are a number of mini golf courses in London, many of which are indoors or undercover. For the funkiest mini golf around, head to Battersea Power Station’s new course. Complete with funky designs which are a mix of industrial architecture and pop art, a cool playlist and cocktails, this course proves that mini golf is for sophisticated adults too, not just for kids!

Visit Harry Potter Land

The Harry Potter Studio tour at Warner Brothers Studios in London, or “Harry Potter Land” as it is commonly known, is a great thing to do when the weather pushes you indoors. The massive studio features a large number of real sets from the films, as well as props and costumes, offering an immersive Harry Potter experience. Harry Potter studio tickets often sell out far in advance from the official site, but last minute tickets can be bought elsewhere online.

Hit the Rink

Rather than avoiding the cold weather altogether, you could embrace it and go ice skating. Even if you haven’t put on a pair of ice skates since you were a child (or not even then!) ice skating is easy to learn: you will quickly get accustomed to it and by whizzing around the rink in no time. There are a number of outdoor ice rinks in London during the winter months. Perhaps the most picturesque is the National History Museum rink, where you can skate with the glorious backdrop of the historic Waterhouse building. This rink is open seasonally, from mid-October to mid-January every year.

See the Crown Jewels

Museums are a great way to spend the day indoors and out of the weather, and London has plenty of great museums to choose from. Perhaps the king of them all is the Crown Jewels exhibition at the Tower of London. Here you can see these genuine and dazzling objects, which contain exactly 23,578 precious gemstones. They are displayed in a special darkened room with spotlights to make sure they shimmer and sparkle at their bests.

Go Trampolining

Trampolines have been one of the biggest crazes in London recently, for kids and adults alike. There are now trampoline parks across the city, and the biggest feature next-level trampoline courses, interconnected trampolines, mazes, climbing walls, slides, and children and toddler areas. Some of these parks also offer other activities such as dodgeball. Check out Flip Out London in Brent Cross, E6 and Wandsworth, and Oxygen Freejumping in Action, some of the newest and biggest trampoline parks which are completely indoors.

Play Boardgames

Ok so sitting inside with monopoly may not sound all that fun or exciting, but there is a way to make this a lot more social. There are a few ways you can do this: simply get some friends together and head to a pub which has a good selection of board games. Or even better, go to a social board game club like London on Board, or board game bar, such as Draughts Board Game Café. You’ll be surprised how much fun you’ll have spending an afternoon or an evening playing your favourite games, when a classic kids game or something more adult like Cards  Against Humanity.

Dig into the Nation’s Attic at the V&A

Sometimes called the “Nation’s attic”, the V&A is the world’s largest museum of design and applied and decorative arts and design. The museum’s extensive collection has a range of fascinating items, from jewellery to photographs, musical instruments to costumes and haberdashery, covering a range of historical periods. Even if you’re not into history and don’t normally enjoy museums, you’re sure to find something of interest here. The permanent exhibitions are free to visit and the museum is open daily, including late on Fridays.

Go Shopping at an Indoor Market

Browsing the markets, searching for bargains and sampling culinary delights may sound like activities for a sunny summer day. However, this is something you can enjoy even when the weather is poor by heading to a covered market. There are a few of these around London, but probably the best is Greenwich Market. Open 7 days a week, the market has a variety of boutique, designer and independent stores, along with a range of high-quality street food.

As the chilly weather settles in, don’t despair: there are plenty of activities to keep yourself busy in London!