Zip Now, Archbishop's Park

We already knew Archbishop's Park was one of London's best playgrounds. It's just gotten even better as Zip Now, purveyors of the biggest, fastest, city-centre zip wire in the world set up shop for the summer months, offering striking views of the Southbank to all participants.

Kids 8+ can ride on adventure company Zip Now's urban zip wire, which launches from 35 metres high (that's the height of nine double-decker buses!), travels across 225 metres and reaches thrilling speeds of 50km per hour. Know any thrill-seekers looking for an exciting birthday party alternative?

This year is better than ever before, with four zip lines to ride on. Safety is paramount, and after watching a safety video, you're fitted with safety gear, strapped in and given a helmet. You're also adjusted a couple of times as you get the gear put on, once before you mount the 183 steps to launch, and then a few more times before you jet off.

Jangling nerves are to be expected as you climb the tower to the top, and the scariest bit is right before you take off: you need to walk down three steps to launch. You hold on securely to the two handlebars, move your head to the right or left, squat, and you suddenly realise your weight is completely supported and you're about to fly. The ride itself is exhilarating and a chance to take in the beauty of aerial London.

The second we'd zipped across, we wanted to go back for another round.

Adrenaline junkies can get another fix once they've zipped across, doing a free fall Mega Drop to descend (instead of taking the stairs down).

The best part? The attraction is open come rain or shine, and getting wet does not rain on this parade: it's a real thrill, and if you're iffy about heights or thrill-seeking in general, there's a real sense of accomplishment when you've done it.

The zip wire ride itself lasts about 20-30 seconds from launch to brakes, but you want to carve out 45-90 minutes for the full experience (depending on whether you're going midday, mid-week, or on a busy summer's day during the school hols). Children under 16 need to be accompanied by an adult. One adult can accompany up to three children.

We don't think you'll get better views of London's thrilling skyline anywhere else, including Southbank attractions like the London Eye and Big Ben. You can bring your phone up to the top to take some social-media worthy snaps (you'll be kitted out with a bum bag), but if you have a GoPro, you can take it along for the ride and capture yourself in action.

Book now and use the code PREMIUM at checkout to get four tickets for the price of three.