9 Best Things to Do with Kids in Amsterdam
Best Family-Friendly Places in Amsterdam
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 all waiting to be explored. Enjoy a day at the city’s flower-filled parks, where you can enjoy picnics, games, and even free concerts during the summer.
Child-friendly museums are where budding minds will be inspired, thanks to creative programs and workshops that take place all year round. Amsterdam is also home to a scattering of cool, quirky, and interactive city center exhibition spaces which the family will relish. Plan a memorable vacation by checking out our guide of things to do in Amsterdam with kids.
1. Vondelpark
Catch dance and music concerts in summer
Good for: Couples, Families, Budget
Vondelpark is Amsterdam’s equivalent to New York’s Central Park, spanning nearly 50 hectares of green space filled with flowery lawns, ponds, playgrounds, and 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. Vondelpark is particularly special in summer, when a never-ending festival vibe takes over at the Openluchttheater, an open-air theatre in the middle of the park. Read more
Vondelpark
2. De Gooyer Windmill
Take photos of the 18th-century windmill
Good for: Families, History, Photo
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. While there isn’t much to do other than taking photos, the little ones may enjoy the sight of this grand structure and the surrounding greenery. Parents get to relax with a beer or two at the next-door Brouwerij ‘t IJ microbrewery. Grab a spot on the terrace for the best view of 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
Learn how to build a dam at this interactive center
Good for: Families
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 and 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 NEMO Science Museum, the Energetica exhibit features chairs fitted with solar panels, unique sculptures that move with the wind, and an enormous sundial. 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
Become a painting at the I Am Art exhibition
Good for: Families, Photo, Unusual, Group
Madame Tussauds Amsterdam is an interactive wax museum in Dam Square, nearby the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. There are galleries dedicated to art, music, and sports, all of which are home to life-like figures of prominent icons. The Royal exhibition features wax models of Dutch royalty such as Queen Máxima and Queen Beatrix. Art lovers may enjoy the interactive I Am Art exhibition, as they get 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: Daily from 10 am to 9.30 pm (hours vary by season)
Phone: +31 (0)20 522 1010
Madame Tussauds Amsterdam
5. National Maritime Museum
Explore the replica of an 18th-century cargo ship
Good for: Families, History, Photo
The National Maritime Museum, also called the Het Scheepvaartmuseum, is where kids can pretend to be pirates on the impeccable replica of a traditional tall-ship. Located 1.4 km southeast of Amsterdam Centraal Station, it 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 9 am to 5 pm
Phone: +31 (0)20 523 2222
National Maritime Museum
6. Theater De Krakeling
Watch a variety of live performances at this kid-friendly theatre
Good for: Families
Theater de Krakeling is a historical youth theater in Amsterdam that dates back to 1978. It predominantly showcases comedy, magic, dance, and music in Dutch and Flemish, with selected shows performed in English and others without any spoken language at all. Prices vary by performance.
Location: Nieuwe Passeerdersstraat 1, 1016 XP Amsterdam, Netherlands
Open: Most shows start at 10 am
Phone: +31 (0)20 624 5123
Theater De Krakeling
7. Rembrandtpark
Play with animals at the De Uylenburg petting zoo
Good for: Couples, Families, Budget, Group
Rembrandtpark is a city park with idyllic ponds, paved pathways, playgrounds, and children’s centres. It’s located in Amsterdam West, about 1.7 km northwest of Vondelpark. You can visit horses, peacocks, and chickens at De Uylenburg, a petting zoo named after Remembrant’s wife. The park also has a children’s amusement center, where they can learn how to build cabins, ride horses, and make jewelry. Read more
Location: Orteliuskade 57, 1057 Al Amsterdam, Netherlands
Rembrandtpark
8. Amsterdam Marionette Theatre
See how marionettes are made at the workshops
Good for: Families, History
The Amsterdam Marionette Theatre, founded in 1985, is an intimate venue that showcases traditional puppet shows for visitors aged 6 and above. Resident puppeteers use 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 theatre and see how the puppets are created at the onsite workshops. The Amsterdam Marionette Theatre is 700 meters northeast of De Wallen, Amsterdam’s Red Light District.
Location: Nieuwe Jonkerstraat 8, 1011 CM Amsterdam, Netherlands
Open: Shows start at 3 pm and 8 pm
Phone: +31 (0)20 620 8027
Amsterdam Marionette Theatre
9. Tropenmuseum Junior
Learn about Morocco through dance, food, and craft-making
Good for: Families
Tropenmuseum Junior, founded in 1975, is the sub-museum of an ethnology museum of the same name. It features interactive spaces and workshops for children to learn about cultures from all over the world. A popular attraction in Tropenmuseum Junior lets you learn about Moroccan culture and history through dance, calligraphy, and fashion. Older visitors may enjoy Tropenmuseum’s permanent exhibits, which showcase cultures from Southeast Asia and New Guinea.
Location: De WallenTropenmuseum, Linnaeusstraat 2, 1092 CK, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Open: Tuesday–Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm (closed on Mondays)
Phone: +31 (0)20 568 8200
Tropenmuseum Junior
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