Things to do in Amsterdam with kids
Maybe against all expectations, but Amsterdam is a real family-friendly city. No doubts to visit Amsterdam with kids. There are many in- and outdoor attractions for all ages throughout the city. All over the city, there are a lot of public playgrounds with slides, swings, sandboxes and jungle gyms to challenge our smallest kids.
Furthermore most of all the major attractions (for example the Rijksmuseum) have special activities/ tours for children. Some even have corners/ mini – museums dedicated for children. Most of the museums in Amsterdam are free of charge for children under 13 years old. Therefore the city is great to visit with toddlers as well as with teenagers. Many places will be enjoyed by adults as well! And of course there are low budget (free) attractions, lovely places just outside the city. Places where kids always have fun like ‘Amsterdamse Bos’ (forest), ’de Zaanse Schans’, small animal farms and the beach. Throughout the city, basicly every restaurant and café is child-friendly. And in summer the number of places increases!
The best places to visit / major attractions in Amsterdam with kids:
- Small children 0-6 years
- Children 6-12 (16) years
Small children 0-6 years
Indoor
- Tun Fun – huge indoor playground
Mr. Visserplein 7, Amsterdam
Tel: 0031 (0) 20 6894300 - Puppet Theatre (> 2 years) – (dutch) shows on Wednesday and Sunday
Iepenplein 40, Amsterdam
Tel: 0031 (0) 20 6928532 - Race planet for kids (2 – 12 years) – outside the city center of Amsterdam
Herwijk 10 Amsterdam
Tel: 0031 (0) 20 6111120
Outdoor
- Café Groot Melkhuis; a large playground (< 12 years) in the Vondelpark
(Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
Vondelpark 2 Amsterdam
Tel: 0031 (0) 20 6129674 - Amstelpark – large park with playground, animal farm, restaurant, mini-train, labyrinth and more
Amstelpark 18 Amsterdam (south of Amsterdam)
Tel: 0031 (0) 20 6441744 - Pancake boat Amsterdam (all ages) – cruising and all-you-can-eat pancakes
Ms. Van Riemsdijkweg (Amsterdam-North)
Tel: 0031 (0)20 6368817
Animal farms:
- De Ridammerhoeve Goat farm – Amsterdamse bos (in the forest)
Nieuwe Meerlaan 4 Amstelveen - Kibo Westerpark – western part of Amsterdam
Overbrakerpad 10 Amsterdam - Kinderboerderij de Pijp (south of Amsterdam – close to the Albert Cuyp market)
Lizzy Ansinghstraat 82 Amsterdam
Summertime:
Around May more lovely open air places are open.
- Vondeltuin – open air café with a playground
Vondelpark 7 Amsterdam - Blijburg aan Zee – an artificial sandy beach and beach pavilion
Muiderlaan 1001 Amsterdam
Real hotspots during summer are the swimming/ paddling pools throughout the city. Paddling pools can be found in the Vondelpark, Westerpark or Beatrixpark. And even in the forest, ‘het Amsterdamse bos’, a few lovely pools and places can be found where you can swim and relax with (smaller) children.
Children 6-12 (16) years
Indoor
- Madame Tussauds (> 5 years) – waxmuseum
Dam 20 Amsterdam
Tel: 0031 (0)20 5221010 - Amsterdam Dungeon (> 10 years)
Rokin 78 Amsterdam
Tel: 0031 (0)20 5308500 - Nemo (> 6 years) – science center
Oosterdok 2 Amsterdam
Tel: 0031 (0)20 5313233 - Glowgolf Amsterdam (> 4 years) – glow in the dark midget golf
Prins Hendrikkade 194 Amsterdam
Tel: 0031 (0) 20 7371809 - Lovers Powerzone – bowlen and lasergamen
De Ruyterkade 153 Amsterdam
Tel: 0031 (0) 20 7607600 - Ajax Experience Rembrandtsquare (all ages) –interactive experience through the world of Ajax
Utrechtsestraat 9 Amsterdam - Tun Fun – (< 13 years) huge indoor playground
Mr. Visserplein 7 Amsterdam
Tel: 0031 (0) 20 6894300 - Kinderkookkafé (Children’s cook café)
Vondelpark 6 B Amsterdam
Tel: 0031 (0) 20 6253257 - Puppet Theatre (2 – 8 years) – (Dutch) shows on Wednesday and Sunday
Iepenplein 40 Amsterdam
Tel: 0031 (0) 20 6928532
Outdoor
- Fun Forest (> 8 years) – Amsterdam forest
Bosbaanweg 3 Amstelveen
Tel: 0031 (0) 20 6429683 - Amstelpark – large park with playground, animal farm, restaurant, mini-train, labyrinth and more
Amstelpark 18 Amsterdam (South of Amsterdam)
Tel: 0031 (0) 20 6441744 - Pancake boat Amsterdam (all ages) – cruising and all-you-can-eat pancakes
Ms. Van Riemsdijkweg (Amsterdam-North)
Tel: 0031 (0)20 6368817
Indoor Swimming pool
Amsterdam has several indoor swimming pools throughout the city. A few examples in the city center:
- Sportcomplex ‘Het Marnix’
Marnixplein 1 Amsterdam
Tel: 0031 (0) 20 5246000 - Zuiderbad
Hobbemastraat 26 Amsterdam
Tel: 0031 (0)20 2521390 - De Mirandabad
De Mirandalaan 9 Amsterdam
Tel: 0031 (0)20 2524444
Summertime:
- Canoe & paddle boat rental Amsterdamse Bos (forest)
Speelweide 5 Amstelveen
Tel: 0031 (0)20 6457831
In summer, all the parks in the city have perfect spots to relax in Amsterdam with kids or play some football. A great way to explore Amsterdam with kids is rent a bike. During spring and summer season there are several spots where you can cool down and jump in the water. At the Amstel river for example, a mobile swimming pool (with bar) is placed in this river. Nevertheless, most teenagers would probably love to explore the city and go shopping, go to the movies or visit the Ajax Stadium for example.
There are of course numerous museums and attractions not mentioned above, but suitable for all ages like the Artis Zoo or the Anne Frank House.
Hello,
we want to visit Amsterdam in august. We have a baby (1 year) and an 14 year old child. We are coming by plane. Is it possible to rent a buggy or an Bike trail for the baby somewhere (for 3 days)? Thank you for your answer,
best regards
Julie
I want to use Amsterdam Holland Pass with my family. I have ten year old kid. Please indicate what are the attractions/Museums included in the Kids Holland Pass. In case we want to cover more than 5 attractions/museums, then how to use kids Holland pass for that.
Regards,
Dear Dinesh,
You can find a list with all the museums/attractions included in the Amsterdam Holland Pass on this page: http://www.amsterdamtourist.info/tips/amsterdamdiscount-cards/#museums
Please note that most of the museums are free for children, so if you are planning to visit more museums than attractions you might be better off not buying the Holland Pass for Kids.
More information about the Amsterdam Holland Pass: http://www.amsterdamtourist.info/tips/amsterdamdiscount-cards/amsterdam-holland-pass/
Kind Regards,
Jan