9 Best Things to Do with Kids in Amsterdam
Where are the Fun Places in Amsterdam to Take Your Family?
Amsterdam may not be your first thought when you’re listing family-friendly cities, but the range of attractions available offer something for many different ages and interests. Despite being a bustling urban center, Amsterdam is scattered with parks and waterways waiting to be explored. Enjoy a day at a flower-filled park, where you can enjoy picnics, games, and even free concerts during the summer.
Amsterdam’s child-friendly museums will inspire budding minds, thanks to creative workshops that take place all year round. The city is also home to a scattering of quirky, interactive exhibition spaces which the family will relish. Plan a memorable vacation using our guide of things to do in Amsterdam with kids.
1. Vondelpark
Summer dance and music concerts
Good for: Couples, Families, Budget
Vondelpark is Amsterdam’s equivalent to New York’s Central Park, encompassing nearly 50 hectares of green space filled with flowery lawns, ponds, playgrounds, and scenic pathways. Families get to frolic about at the park’s 6 play areas, rent skateboards or bicycles, and enjoy picnics with views of a large pond. If your family is feeling active, you can even take a guided bike tour around this vast park.
Vondelpark is particularly special in summer, when a never-ending festival vibe takes over at the Openluchttheater, an open-air theater in the middle of the park. Check online as the theater often hosts free family-friendly performances. Read more
Location: 1071 AA Amsterdam, Netherlands
Vondelpark
2. De Gooyer Windmill
A photogenic 18th century windmill
Good for: Families, History, Photo
The De Gooyer windmill is a grand, octagonal windmill dating from 1725. Standing at over 26 meters, it’s one of the tallest windmills in the Netherlands. Fantastic family photos can be taken here and little ones will enjoy the sight of this grand structure and the surrounding greenery.
Parents get to relax with a beverage or two at the next-door Brouwerij ‘t IJ microbrewery. Grab a spot on the terrace for the best views of the iconic De Gooyer windmill. Read more
Location: Funenkade 5, 1018 AL Amsterdam, Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0)20 662 3972
De Gooyer Windmill
3. NEMO Science Museum
An interactive center of science and fun
Good for: Families, Unusual
The NEMO Science Museum will keep you and the children entertained for hours as they learn about extra-terrestrial life, how to make clean water, or even how to build a dam. This kid-friendly science center has plenty of fun, hands-on exhibits for visitors of all ages, including an interactive laboratory.
Located on the rooftop of the NEMO Science Museum, the Energetica exhibit features chairs fitted with solar panels, unique sculptures that move with the wind, and an enormous sundial. For when hunger calls, the museum also contains a cafe, coffee bar, and a restaurant which all focus on sustainability. Read more
Location: Oosterdok 2, 1011 VX Amsterdam, Netherlands
Open: Mid-February–early September: Daily from 10 am to 5.30 pm. Mid-September–mid-February: Tuesday–Sunday from 10 am to 5.30 pm (closed on Mondays)
Phone: +31 (0)20 531 3233
NEMO Science Museum
4. Madame Tussauds Amsterdam
All your family’s favorite celebs in wax
Good for: Families, Photo, Unusual
Madame Tussauds Amsterdam is an interactive wax museum in Dam Square, near to the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. There are galleries dedicated to art, music, and sports, all of which are home to life-like wax figures of prominent icons.
The Royal exhibition features wax models of Dutch royalty such as Queen Maxima and Queen Beatrix. Art lovers may enjoy the interactive “I Am Art” exhibition, which gives guests the chance to become part of paintings by renowned artists such as Salvador Dali and Rembrandt van Rijn. Read more
Location: Dam 20, 1012 NP Amsterdam, Netherlands
Open: Monday–Thursday from 10 am to 6pm, Friday–Sunday from 10 am to 8 pm
Phone: +31 (0)20 522 1010
Madame Tussauds Amsterdam
5. National Maritime Museum
A beautiful replica of an 18th-century ship
Good for: Families, History, Photo
The National Maritime Museum, also called the Het Scheepvaartmuseum, is where kids can pretend to be pirates or sailors on an impeccable replica of a traditional 18th century tall-ship. Located only a 20 minute walk southeast from Amsterdam Centraal Station, this incredible ship-museum occupies a harborside naval warehouse dating back to 1656.
The museum’s standout feature is the replica of the Amsterdam, a cargo ship of the Dutch East India Company. You get to crawl through the holds and even fire cannons, as well as enjoy a virtual reality experience of Amsterdam’s maritime history. Read more
Location: Kattenburgerplein 1, 1018 KK Amsterdam, Netherlands
Open: Daily from 10 am to 5 pm
Phone: +31 (0)20 523 2222
National Maritime Museum
6. Theater De Krakeling
Live performances at a child-friendly theater
Good for: Families
Theater de Krakeling is a long-established youth theater in Amsterdam that dates back to 1978. It predominantly showcases comedy, magic, dance, and music in Dutch and Flemish. However, they often feature shows performed in English and many other events even manage to entertain little ones without any spoken language at all.
Many events are appropriate for toddlers or babies, and have a fun interactive element. Catching a show here is a great way to introduce kids to pantomime, music theater, play acting, and dancing. The theater also regularly hosts workshops. Check their schedule of events online.
Location: Pazzanistraat 15, 1014 DB Amsterdam, Netherlands
Open: Hours vary by event
Phone: +31 (0)20 624 5123
Theater De Krakeling
7. Rembrandtpark
Playgrounds and a children’s center in a lovely park
Good for: Budget, Families, Photo
Rembrandtpark is a beautiful city park with idyllic ponds, paved pathways, playgrounds, and even a children’s play and exploration center. It’s located in Amsterdam West, just over a mile northwest of Vondelpark.
A lovely day can be spent here picnicking with the family or having lunch at the Bolenius Restaurant, but this park has so much more for children to enjoy. There is a large children’s amusement center, where kids can learn how to build cabins, sail rafts, and even make jewelry. Read more
Location: Postjesweg, 1057 NT Amsterdam, Netherlands
Rembrandtpark
8. Amsterdams Marionetten Theater
Puppet-making workshop fun
Good for: Families, History, Unusual
The Amsterdam Marionette Theater, founded in 1985, is an intimate venue that showcases traditional puppet shows for visitors aged 6 and above. Resident puppeteers use beautiful hand-carved marionettes in vibrant silk and velvet costumes, presenting musicals and sketches to classical music by Mozart and Offenbach.
Join a backstage tour to learn about the history of the theater and see how the puppets are created at the onsite workshops. The Amsterdam Marionette Theater is only a 3 minute walk from the Nieuwmarkt Metro Station.
Location: Nieuwe Jonkerstraat 8, 1011 CM Amsterdam, Netherlands
Open: Hours vary by event
Phone: +31 (0)20 620 8027
Amsterdams Marionetten Theater
9. Wereldmuseum Amsterdam
Learning about different cultures through play
Good for: Families, Photo, Unusual
Wereldmuseum Amsterdam (World Museum), founded in 1975, is a fantastically fun, child-friendly museum that focuses on culture, food, art, and life from nations all over the world. It features interactive spaces and workshops for children to learn about different cultures using craft-making, food, and costumes.
A popular attraction in the Wereldmuseum lets you learn about Moroccan culture and history through dance, calligraphy, and fashion. Older visitors may enjoy the museum’s permanent exhibits, some of which showcase cultures from Southeast Asia and New Guinea.
Location: Linnaeusstraat 2, 1092 CK Amsterdam, Netherlands
Open: Tuesday–Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm (closed on Mondays)
Phone: +31 (0)88 004 2800
Wereldmuseum Amsterdam
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