Amsterdam with kids
Travelling with children? Amsterdam has more for kids than you might think. Here are 12 family favourites, with ages, prices and opening hours, plus ideas for a rainy day and practical tips.
NEMO Science Museum Indoor
Hands-on science in a green ship-shaped building, with experiments to try, and a rooftop square with a view.
- 👧 Ages: ages 4 and up (children under 13 only with an adult)
- 🎟️ Price: €21.50 for ages 4 and up; free under 4
- 🕗 Hours: Tue–Sun 10:00–17:30; also open Mondays on 12, 19 and 26 October (school holidays)
- ⏱️ Visit: ~2.5 h
- 💡 Tip: Book a time slot online; weekdays after 14:00 are quieter. Tram 26 or a short walk from Centraal Station.
- 📍 Oosterdok 2, 1011 VX Amsterdam
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near NEMO Science Museum: 🚶 0.1 km · 2 min walk
ARTIS zoo Outdoor
Amsterdam's historic zoo, in a green park, with an aquarium and planetarium included in the ticket.
- 👧 Ages: all ages
- 🎟️ Price: From €29.50 adults (13+) and €25.50 children (3–12) online; free under 3
- ⏱️ Visit: ~4 h
- 💡 Tip: Online is cheaper than the counter and the price varies by day. A cheaper late-afternoon ticket (€15 for ages 3 and up) exists from September.
- 📍 Plantage Kerklaan 38-40, 1018 CZ Amsterdam
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near ARTIS (zoo): 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk
ARTIS-Micropia Indoor
A museum about the invisible world of microbes, with microscopes, a kissing booth and a human-body tour.
- 👧 Ages: ages 6 and up works best
- 🎟️ Price: €17 adults (13+) online, children 0–12 free
- 🕗 Hours: Daily 10:00–17:00
- ⏱️ Visit: ~1.5 h
- 💡 Tip: A good rainy-day stop right next to the zoo. Children are free, so only adults pay.
- 📍 Plantage Kerklaan 38-40, 1018 CZ Amsterdam
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near ARTIS (zoo): 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk
Het Scheepvaartmuseum (Maritime Museum) Indoor
A full-size replica of a 1700s East Indiaman to climb aboard, plus maps, ship models and family activities.
- 👧 Ages: all ages
- 🎟️ Price: Adults €20; children 5–17 €8.50; free up to 4 (€1 less online)
- 🕗 Hours: Daily 10:00–17:00
- ⏱️ Visit: ~2 h
- 💡 Tip: Ten minutes' walk from NEMO and ARTIS, so it combines well in one day.
- 📍 Kattenburgerplein 1, 1018 KK Amsterdam
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near Het Scheepvaartmuseum (Maritime Museum): 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk
Vondelpark (playgrounds and paddling pool) Outdoor
The big city park has several playgrounds, from a toddler area by the Blauwe Theehuis to climbing towers and slides.
- 👧 Ages: all ages (toddler and 4–12 playgrounds)
- 🎟️ Price: Free
- 🕗 Hours: Open day and night; the paddling pool only from May to September
- ⏱️ Visit: ~2 h
- 💡 Tip: Combine with a pancake or a cooking class at the Kinderkookkafé inside the park. The paddling pool is closed in autumn.
- 📍 Vondelpark, 1071 AA Amsterdam
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near Vondelpark: 🚶 0.5 km · 6 min walk
Wereldmuseum Junior Indoor
The former Tropenmuseum has a children's section where kids listen, look, taste, make and take part.
- 👧 Ages: up to 12 years
- 🎟️ Price: Museum ticket: adults €16, ages 4–18 €8, free under 4
- 🕗 Hours: Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00; Mondays only in school holidays
- ⏱️ Visit: ~2 h
- 💡 Tip: Oosterpark is next door for a picnic. Tram 7 or 14 from the centre.
- 📍 Linnaeusstraat 2, 1092 CK Amsterdam
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near Wereldmuseum Amsterdam: 🚶 0.6 km · 7 min walk
Geitenboerderij Ridammerhoeve (goat farm) Outdoor
A farm in the Amsterdamse Bos with about a hundred milk goats, lambs, pigs and a playground and maze.
Kinderkookkafé Indoor
A children's cooking cafe since 1981 in the Vondelpark: kids make their own cakes, cookies and pizzas.
Pannenkoekenboot (pancake boat) Indoor
A 75-minute canal cruise with unlimited pancakes, a ball pit and colouring pages for the youngest.
- 👧 Ages: all ages (free up to 2)
- 🎟️ Price: Adults €27.50, children 3–11 €22.50 (plus €2.70 per person entertainment fee, drinks extra)
- ⏱️ Visit: ~1.5 h
- 💡 Tip: It leaves from NDSM in Noord; take the free GVB ferry from behind Centraal Station.
- 📍 TT Neveritaweg, 1033 WB Amsterdam
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near NDSM Wharf: 🚶 0.2 km · 3 min walk
A'DAM Lookout (Over the Edge swing) Indoor
A 360-degree view from the A'DAM tower and Europe's highest swing, 100 metres up.
- 👧 Ages: Lookout from 4; swing from 1.20 m (children up to 11 with an adult aged 18+)
- 🎟️ Price: Lookout €16.50 adults, €10.50 children 4–12 online; swing €7.50 extra
- ⏱️ Visit: ~1.5 h
- 💡 Tip: Check the 1.20 m height before you pay for the swing; arrive at least 30 minutes before your swing slot.
- 📍 Overhoeksplein 5, 1031 KS Amsterdam
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near A'DAM Lookout: 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk
Rijksmuseum family route Indoor
A free family route with mini-quests turns the museum into a treasure hunt for children.
- 👧 Ages: family route from 6; Family Quest from 7
- 🎟️ Price: Adults €25; 18 and under free (book a time slot); Family Quest €2.50 per person
- 🕗 Hours: Daily 09:00–17:00
- ⏱️ Visit: ~2 h
- 💡 Tip: Pick up the route at the information desk. The free garden outside has sculptures and space to run.
- 📍 Museumstraat 1, 1071 XX Amsterdam
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near Rijksmuseum: 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk
OBA Oosterdok (children's library) Indoor
The big public library has a whole children's floor with books in many languages and play areas, plus a rooftop view.
Rainy day? Go indoors
Tips for families
Children's tickets on the tram, metro and bus
Check gvb.nl for the child fare and free age on trams, buses and the metro; the GVB P+R ticket covers up to 5 people.
Museums are free or cheap for children
The Rijksmuseum is free up to 18, Micropia is free up to 12 and the Scheepvaartmuseum is free up to 4. Book a time slot for the Rijksmuseum.
Canals with small children
Many canal quays have no railing, and bikes are fast on the cycle paths. Hold small children by the hand and keep prams away from the cycle lane.
Check the closing days
NEMO and the Wereldmuseum are closed on Mondays outside school holidays; the Ridammerhoeve goat farm is closed on Tuesdays.
Plan around mealtimes
Dutch restaurants serve lunch around 12:00–14:00 and dinner early, from about 18:00; kitchens often close around 22:00. Book ahead in busy periods, and pay by card.
Plan your trip → Put these places in a day plan with walking times.
More guides
- Free things to do in Amsterdam
- Hidden gems in Amsterdam
- Delicatessen in Amsterdam
- Amsterdam on a rainy day
- Which museums are open today in Amsterdam?
- Amsterdam on a Sunday
- Opening hours of the sights in Amsterdam
- Which clubs are open tonight in Amsterdam?
- Parking in Amsterdam
- Where to eat near Dam Square
- Where to eat near the Anne Frank House
- Where to eat near the Rijksmuseum
- Where to eat near the Van Gogh Museum
Checked: 6 October 2026. Prices and hours can change; check the official site before you go.