After playing tour guide to my sister, brother-in-law and two young nieces (aged 3 and six months) last month, I had to do a lot of research into what constituted family friendly things to do in Amsterdam. I doubted that my nieces would enjoy the things I usually partake in in the city – drinking coffee, grabbing brunch, checking out new bars and cycling the narrow streets. So I had to get my thinking cap on about possible ways to fill our days.
Their trip was a highly successful and enjoyable one, so I thought I’d put together a post about some of the things you can do with children of all ages, to show just how family friendly Amsterdam can be.
Young Children – Pre-School and Babies
Artis Natura Zoo – As I talked about in an earlier post, the Amsterdam zoo is great for kids of all ages. The range of animals is extensive enough to keep even the cynics at bay and there are a couple of cafes should you need a sit down and some refreshments (as you usually do when young children are involved). The addition of a planetarium and impressive aquarium means that you can really pad a visit to the zoo out to last almost a full day.
Pancakes – No-one should visit Amsterdam without trying some traditional Dutch pancakes (either the big, round Dutch pancakes or poffertjes) and there are several pancakes bakeries around town. My favourite is Pancakes, but you can also try the Upstairs Pancake House (reservations recommended – and be aware that it’s a very small space, so probably not ideal for a pram/stroller) and the Pancake Bakery.
For a more unique setting, you could always eat your fill of pancakes aboard the Pancake Boat. They run several different river cruises throughout the year which include an all-you-can-eat pancake buffet (dangerous, right?), as well as hosting children’s parties and seasonal themed cruises (including visits from Santa). I doubt that the quality of pancakes are superb, but the mixture of sugar and boats is bound to fill any child with glee.
Playgrounds – There are playgrounds scattered all around the city, some within residential neighbourhoods, some in leafy parks and some outside cafes and restaurants. The size and quality may vary, but they are definitely a sure-fire way to keep most small children entertained. If you’re staying in an apartment, then a quick wander around the neighbouring streets will likely have you stumbling on at least one small one, but the parks, zoo and even the Museumplein are your best bet for bigger and more impressive playgrounds.
Parks – There are a number of parks dotted around the city, all complete with a myriad of things to keep children entertained. Feed the ducks, play on one of the aforementioned playgrounds, grab a juice and a snack at one of the relaxing cafes. Heck, the Westerpark even has its own petting zoo and the Vondelpark has a cafe where children can go and bake their own pizza and desserts!
Bakfiets – If you’re confident on a bike and don’t mind braving the Amsterdam cycle traffic, then a good way of ferrying small children around is by bakfiets. Those are the large wooden boxes you will often see attached to the front of a regular bike, usually whizzing past you containing any combination of children, pets and shopping. You can rent bakfiets by the day, half day or longer and it can certainly make it easier to get from A to B with a small child and all of their associated luggage. The bakfiets have straps on the seat and you could probably also rent a helmet, just in case. We rented a bakfiets for half a day just so that we could cycle my niece around the park and she absolutely loved it. You should be able to rent bakfiets from all major bike rental companies in the city.
Older Children – School and Teenage
Museums – Some of the most popular museums in Amsterdam offer some kind of informational program or gift pack for children. The Van Gogh Museum, for example, provides children with a little suitcase upon entry, and encourages them to look for different details in paintings as they walk around. The size of the museum often depends on how child-friendly it is for younger ones – prams/strollers can’t be taken into the Anne Frank House due to the sometimes cramped spaces and narrow staircases, whereas bigger museums such as the Rijksmuseum are much more easy to navigate (and actually offer family guided tours of their own).
Amsterdam Dungeon – If you have teenagers, then the Dungeon is always a good place for a little spooky fun. It may not be authentically “Amsterdam”, but each of the tableaus are conducted in English and you’ll be guaranteed that someone in your party will probably get humiliated by the actors, which is all part of the fun.
NEMO Science Center – NEMO is the incredibly cool-looking green building that you can see from Centraal Station, and although the hands-on exhibits could entertain younger children, it’s the slightly older ones who will benefit the most. I would think that ages 5-13 are the best target audience for this museum, that helps people understand the world through science and technology.
Zaanse Schans – Technically this could have been listed under either age bracket, because younger children will also enjoy the colours and styles of the windmills, but older children will probably appreciate the cheese- and clog-making craft displays more. Here you can see several windmills, a replica old supermarket, a bakery museum and watch craftsmen work with everything from cocoa and cheese, to pewter and Delft Blue pottery. You can enter each windmill individually (although you’ll pay for the privilege each time), but as it’s located only around fifteen minutes outside of the city by train – another fun thing for the kids to experience – it’s an easy half day’s excursion for the whole family.
Leave a Reply