Playground · Amsterdamse Bos (Amstelveen)
Geitenboerderij Ridammerhoeve
Ages 0–8Free
An organic goat farm in the forest park — feed the goats, café, very young-child friendly.
Family
Amsterdam with kids
Amsterdam is a wonderfully easy city with children — compact, flat, full of parks, and packed with things that delight kids of every age. The zoo, a hands-on science museum, playgrounds in every park, indoor play for rainy days, pancakes everywhere, and beaches, windmills and giant playgrounds just outside town.
Browse all venuesCentral Amsterdam is small and flat: many family outings are a short walk or tram ride apart, and the free ferries behind Centraal take you to Noord in minutes. That makes the city manageable with a buggy or with children who don't want to walk far.
Toddlers get playgrounds in almost every park, city farms and calm indoor play spaces. School-age children have hands-on museums such as NEMO and Het Scheepvaartmuseum, plus ARTIS and Micropia. Teenagers tend to prefer viewpoints, film and active options like a trampoline park. When it rains there is plenty indoors; when it's dry, the big parks and the Amsterdamse Bos are the best places to burn off energy.
Below you'll find picks by age, where to eat with children, what's free, which areas work well and a sample day. For outings beyond the city, see day trips from Amsterdam.
What to do in Amsterdam by age
A rough guide — every child is different, so treat it as a starting point. Where a venue states its own age range, you'll find it on that venue's page.
- Ages 0–4Outdoors: the Ridammerhoeve goat farm and Meerzicht in the Amsterdamse Bos. Indoors: Monkey Town has a separate toddler zone. ARTIS works at any age.
- Ages 5–8NEMO for hands-on science, Micropia next to ARTIS, the Vondelpark adventure playground and soft-play centres such as Ballorig.
- Ages 9–12Het Scheepvaartmuseum with its replica ship, This is Holland in Noord, Playhood with escape rooms, and the Anne Frank House, which the museum itself recommends from age 10.
- TeenagersVROG for trampolining, A'DAM Lookout for the view, STRAAT for street art, a film at one of Amsterdam's cinemas, or go-karting (adult karts usually from 14, kids' heats often from 8 – rules differ per track).
Outdoor playgrounds
Playground · Amsterdamse Bos
Meerzicht (Amsterdamse Bos)
Ages 0–12FreeA pancake farm with a deer enclosure to feed, a digger play area, an outdoor playground and ice cream.
Playground · Zuid / Oud-West
Vondelpark Adventure Playground
Ages 3+FreeA big adventure playground with giant climbing nets, ropes and slides, plus a tree-top playground in the city's favourite park.
Playground · West
Westerpark playground
Ages 3+FreeGood playgrounds and open space beside the Westergas culture park.
Indoor play
Planning a rainy day for the whole group? See our guide to indoor activities in Amsterdam.
Indoor play · Zuidoost
Ballorig
Ages 1–12Spacious soft-play — ball pit, slides, climbing — parents enter free.
Indoor play · West
Candy Castle
Ages 1–12A colourful play paradise inside a former church — slides, trampolines, ball pit and go-karts.
Indoor play · Diemen
Monkey Town
Ages 0–10Indoor climbing, slides, ball pits and laser tag, with a dedicated 0–4 toddler zone.
Indoor play · West
Playhood
Ages 1–9A creative role-play indoor playground in the Houthavens, with Escapehood escape rooms for older kids.
Indoor play · Centrum
VROG Trampoline Park
Ages 6+A trampoline and freerunning park with a jump tower, airbag and air arena — for older, energetic kids.
Kid-friendly attractions
Kid-friendlypark
Amsterdamse Bos
FreeA vast forest park south of the city — three times the size of Central Park — with a rowing lake, goat farm, open-air theatre and boat hire. Free.
- Kid-friendly
museum
Fabrique des Lumières
An immersive digital art centre at Westergas projecting masterpieces across vast walls.
Kid-friendlymuseum
Het Scheepvaartmuseum
The National Maritime Museum, with a full-size replica of an East Indiaman moored outside.
Kid-friendlypark
Hortus Botanicus
One of the world's oldest botanical gardens, with historic greenhouses, in the Plantage.
Kid-friendly
Kid-friendlymuseum
NEMO Science Museum
A hands-on science museum for families in a ship-shaped building, with a free rooftop terrace.
Kid-friendlymuseum
Rijksmuseum
The Netherlands' national museum — Rembrandt's Night Watch, Vermeer and 800 years of Dutch art.
Kid-friendly
Kid-friendlymuseum
Van Gogh Museum
The world's largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings, drawings and letters. Book a timed slot ahead.
Kid-friendlypark
Vondelpark
FreeAmsterdam's largest public park: 47 hectares of lawn, lake, and footpaths, the city's local outdoor rhythm spot for runners, picnickers, and Sunday families.
Attraction · Noord
Pannenkoekenboot (Pancake Boat)
Ages 0+An all-you-can-eat pancake cruise on the IJ — sightseeing and lunch in one.
Eating with kids in Amsterdam
With children, simple usually works best: pancakes, room to sit and ideally something to do nearby. Below are restaurants where we know concretely why they're practical with kids. If you want to combine food with outdoor play, the pancake farm Meerzicht (deer enclosure and play area) and the café at the Ridammerhoeve goat farm, both in the Amsterdamse Bos, are good picks.
Family-friendlydutch
Bistro Bij Ons
Dutch classics in the Jordaan, with pancakes on the menu — an easy option if the children want something familiar.
- Family-friendly
fusion
Pllek
Large waterside restaurant at NDSM, reached by free ferry; on Sundays (13:00–16:00) it runs the Ruige Rakkers programme for ages 4–12.
- Family-friendly
dutch
The Pancake Bakery
Pancake house on the Prinsengracht since 1973; the menu includes children's pancakes and poffertjes.
Want more choice? Browse every restaurant in Eat & Drink.
Days out around Amsterdam
Day out · Heemstede (near Haarlem)
Linnaeushof
Ages 3–12Billed as Europe's largest playground — hundreds of outdoor attractions.
Day out · Utrecht (day trip)
Miffy Museum (nijntje museum)
Ages 0–6A small interactive museum for toddlers in Utrecht (Agnietenstraat 2), opposite the Centraal Museum, honouring Dick Bruna's Miffy.
Combine with beaches, Zaanse Schans and Keukenhof — see Day trips.
Rainy day with kids
On a wet day, pick one big indoor place per half-day and keep travel short. A few strong options:
- Hands-on museumsNEMO and Het Scheepvaartmuseum are within walking distance of each other on the Oosterdok.
- Indoor play
- FilmEye Filmmuseum or a screening at one of the city's cinemas. Check the individual screening for language and subtitle information.
Free things to do with kids
- Parks and playgroundsThe Vondelpark adventure playground, the Westerpark playground and the goat farm in the Amsterdamse Bos are free to enter. More under Parks.
- Ride a ferryThe GVB ferries behind Amsterdam Centraal are free for pedestrians and cyclists. Take the NDSM ferry for a longer ride across the IJ.
- Museums: free under 18The Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum are free for under-18s (checked September 2026). Everyone still needs a timed ticket.
- NEMO's rooftopNEMO's rooftop has one of the best views over the old centre; see its page for season and opening times.
- Explore on footWander the Jordaan and the canals, or stroll along the Plantage Middenlaan past the Hortus and ARTIS. See neighbourhoods for ideas.
Good areas to explore with kids
- Plantage
- Eastern IslandsAround the Eastern Islands you'll find NEMO and Het Scheepvaartmuseum, close to Centraal.
- Oud-ZuidOud-Zuid: the Vondelpark with its adventure playground, plus Museumplein.
- Noord
A sample family day
Everything sits in one corner of the city, so there's little travelling.
- Morning
Start at ARTIS in Plantage when it opens.
- Lunch
Eat inside ARTIS or bring a picnic; outside the zoo there are cafés along the Plantage Middenlaan.
- Afternoon
Pop into Micropia next to the entrance, or walk about 15 minutes to NEMO.
- Early evening
In good weather, NEMO's rooftop, then the free ferry from Centraal to Noord and back.
Practical tips
- Public transportChildren under 4 travel free on trams, buses and metros. Older children pay child fares; see getting around. The free GVB Kids Vrij scheme only applies to children who live in Amsterdam.
- Buggies and strollersTrams, metros and ferries take buggies. In the old centre, pavements are narrow and many bridges have kerbs; a compact buggy is easier than a large pram.
- Cycling with kidsRent a bike with a child seat or a cargo bike (bakfiets) from one of the bike rental shops. Practise in a quiet park first if you're not used to busy bike traffic.
- Book aheadBook a time slot for the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, even when children go free. For NEMO and ARTIS, buying online is sensible during holidays and weekends.
- Travelling with toddlersPlan one main outing per half-day with a playground or park nearby for breaks. Many museums have a cloakroom for bags and coats.
- Days outBeaches, Zaanse Schans and Keukenhof: see day trips. More for everyone under things to do.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best things to do with toddlers in Amsterdam?
City farms and park playgrounds, the Ridammerhoeve goat farm and Meerzicht in the Amsterdamse Bos, ARTIS, and indoor play spaces with a toddler zone such as Monkey Town.
What can you do with kids when it rains?
Hands-on museums like NEMO and Het Scheepvaartmuseum, indoor play at Monkey Town, Candy Castle or Ballorig, VROG for older kids, or a film. See also our indoor activities guide.
Which museums are best for children?
NEMO is the hands-on science museum, ARTIS and Micropia fill a day together, and Het Scheepvaartmuseum has a replica ship. The Miffy Museum is in Utrecht (Agnietenstraat 2), about 30 minutes by train.
Where can you eat with kids in Amsterdam?
The Pancake Bakery has children's pancakes and poffertjes, Pllek at NDSM runs a Sunday programme for ages 4–12, and Meerzicht in the Amsterdamse Bos pairs pancakes with a play area.
What can you do for free with children?
Parks and playgrounds, the GVB ferries behind Centraal, and the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum for under-18s (a timed ticket is still required).
Do children travel free on Amsterdam public transport?
Children under 4 travel free. Older children pay child fares. The free GVB Kids Vrij scheme only applies to children who live in Amsterdam or Weesp.
Is Amsterdam easy with a stroller?
Mostly: trams, metros and ferries take buggies. In the old centre, pavements are narrow and there are many bridges, so a compact buggy works best.
Which attractions should you book in advance?
The Anne Frank House (recommended from age 10), the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum use timed tickets. For NEMO and ARTIS, booking ahead is sensible during holidays and weekends.
Last checked on 23 September 2026. Prices and opening hours can change.