17+ best things to do with kids in Amsterdam and surrounding areas in Holland

Amsterdam has a reputation, and most of it has nothing to do with children. But the city is actually quite good for families. The canals, the parks, the science museums, the petting zoos hidden in the middle of residential neighbourhoods. Once you start looking, there’s a lot here that works just as well at eight as it does at thirty-eight.
Below you’ll find the best things to do in Amsterdam with kids, covering everything from interactive museums to outdoor adventures. The quick overview below will help you plan depending on age, weather, and budget.

A few things worth knowing before you book.

Amsterdam with kids by age group

Every activity on this list has a different sweet spot. Here is a quick guide to what tends to work at each stage:

What is free and what costs money

Quite a bit on this list costs nothing. Kinderboerderijen (urban children’s farms) are all free. Speeltuinen (playgrounds) are free. The Mouse Mansion at the Central Library is free. The NEMO rooftop is open to anyone during museum hours without a ticket. The Eye Panorama section is free. Rijksmuseum entry is free for anyone under 18. That is a solid day of activities without spending anything, if you plan it right. Bring your own food and the total cost stays close to zero.

Safety in Amsterdam with children

Amsterdam is safe for families. Crime targeting tourists is low, English is everywhere, and the city is easy to get around. What catches parents off guard is the cycling infrastructure. Bike lanes run along most streets, often at pavement level and without obvious markings. Bikes move quickly and have legal priority over pedestrians. They do not always slow down for someone who has wandered in. With young children, hold their hand on busy streets, teach them to look both ways including for bikes, and treat bike lanes like a road rather than a shortcut. Trams are the other thing worth mentioning: they cannot swerve, they stop harder than you expect, and you should cross only at marked junctions. Canal edges are mostly unprotected along residential stretches. With toddlers, keeping them away from the water’s edge is worth making a firm rule, especially at canal-side restaurants where the terrace ends directly at the water.

NEMO Science Museum

NEMO is five floors of hands-on science, and it tends to hold children’s attention better than most museums in Amsterdam. Kids put on lab coats and work on actual experiments in the laboratory. There are exhibits on energy, shapes, and space that are designed to be touched and tested rather than looked at. Teenagers have a dedicated section on the biology of puberty and the human body. The rooftop has good views across the city, space to run around, and a few sculptures, and it’s free, open to anyone during museum hours, even if you haven’t paid for entry.

Speeltuinen: playgrounds in Amsterdam

Amsterdam has more playgrounds than you might expect from a dense city. Vondelpark alone has several, including a large treehouse structure at the centre. The climbing bridge complex in Oosterpark is worth a trip on its own. For families with more time and good weather, Amsterdamse Bos and the Gaasperplas recreational area both have extensive playground equipment alongside open space for walking and cycling. You can spend a full day at either for nearly nothing. Bring your own food and let kids lead the way.

THIS IS HOLLAND!: fly over the Netherlands in 5D

THIS IS HOLLAND! is a 5D flight experience that takes you over the Netherlands in about 60 minutes. Moving seats, wind, mist, and scents match the footage, covering the tulip fields, coastline, windmills, and other parts of the country you’re unlikely to see in a short city trip. Good for kids who like something physical rather than just looking at things. Located just behind Amsterdam Central station, so easy to reach. Best for children aged six and up.

Ballorig indoor playground

Ballorig is where you go when kids need to physically exhaust themselves and the weather isn’t cooperating. Two locations in Amsterdam’s southeast: one at Gaasperplas and one near Bijlmer ArenA, with climbing structures, slides, and separate toddler areas. Weekday mornings are designated toddler time, which keeps things calmer for the youngest. For parents: there’s a decent café, a reading corner, and working wifi. Kids up to 12 are welcome; party packages and school holiday programmes are available.

Artis Amsterdam Royal Zoo

Artis has been in Amsterdam since 1838, which makes it one of the oldest zoos in Europe. Several of the original Victorian-era buildings are still in use, which gives the place a different character from newer wildlife parks. The relatively compact size means kids can get closer to the animals than at larger facilities. Alongside the enclosures there’s a planetarium, aquarium, insect house, and a small petting zoo. The Micropia museum next door, dedicated entirely to microorganisms, is unusual enough to justify an extra hour if you can.

Kinderkookkafé: where kids do the cooking

At Kinderkookkafé, near Vondelpark, children take over the kitchen. They cook, they serve, and they clear up. Parents eat whatever they produce. The menu usually involves pancakes and other Dutch staples, and there’s a small vegetable garden and playground on site. On Saturday evenings, children aged 8 and up can book to cook a full three-course dinner. It’s a good reset for a trip that has had one too many museum afternoons. Booking in advance is essential.

Eye Film Museum and the free Panorama for families

The Eye Film Museum sits on the north bank of the IJ, reached by a free ferry from Centraal station. The building is striking from the outside, and the Panorama section downstairs is the main draw for families: a free, permanent installation where kids can learn how green screen works, walk through a 360-degree film environment, and shoot their own short scene. The ticketed exhibitions upstairs change throughout the year. Either way, the ferry crossing is a small adventure in itself for younger children.

Kinderboerderijen: children’s farms in the city

Amsterdam has a surprising number of urban children’s farms, most of them free. Stadsboerderij Zimmerhoeve has farm animals and bees. Kinderboerderij de Pijp has pony riding, craft workshops, and pigs. Ridammerhoeve in the Amsterdamse Bos has hundreds of goats you can feed and pet. For a more traditional farmyard experience with sheep, cows, and rare Dutch breeds, Speelboerderij Elsenhove near Amstelveen is worth the short trip. Young children often get more out of these than any ticketed attraction in the city.

Body Worlds Amsterdam

Body Worlds takes the human body as its subject, using preserved specimens to show how we’re built, how disease affects us, and what different habits do over a lifetime. It’s educational in a way most museums aren’t, and the format tends to grab attention from children who are past the point of being impressed by standard exhibits. Recommended for ages 12 and up; younger children may find some displays unsettling. Check the Body Worlds website for current exhibition details and opening hours before your visit.

Jump Square: trampolining in Amsterdam Zuid

Jump Square, in Amsterdam Zuid, is a trampoline park with separate areas for different styles: tricks, sports, airbag, and a slackline. Lessons and structured sessions can be booked for children who want to work on technique. For kids under 9, Mini Jump sessions keep things age-appropriate and less chaotic. Good for burning off energy on a day when the weather has ruled out anything outdoors.

Parks and nature: Amsterdamse Bos and beyond

On a good day, Amsterdamse Bos is hard to beat for families. There’s a climbing park with zip wires and rope bridges, horse riding, two cheese farms, an open-air theatre in summer, and canoes for hire. Amstelpark, closer to the city centre, is smaller but has a miniature train, bumper boats, and a petting zoo. The Gaasperplas lake area in the southeast has more space and is better for swimming days. These are best in spring and summer but the Bos is worth visiting year-round, even just for a long walk with lunch.

Pizza canal cruise with kids

A canal cruise with younger children can go either way, but adding pizza halfway through changes the calculation. Several operators run evening family cruises where food is ordered before departure and delivered mid-trip, keeping attention spans occupied while Amsterdam’s canals scroll past. Look for departures around 6pm and 8pm. If you’d rather have more control over the pace, renting a small electric boat and navigating yourselves is another option that works well with older kids who want to steer.

Marionette Theatre Amsterdam

The Marionette Theatre has been running in a former blacksmith’s workshop in central Amsterdam for decades. Performances cover opera, classical stories, and shows aimed at children, mostly in Dutch, but the visual nature of puppetry makes language less of a barrier than you’d expect. The format is old-fashioned in the best sense: handmade wooden figures, live performance, a small intimate theatre. It’s the kind of thing that barely exists anywhere anymore.

Museums in Amsterdam for kids and families

Most of Amsterdam’s major museums have made a genuine effort to engage families. The Van Gogh Museum has painting workshops, a treasure hunt, and family-specific assignments. The Rijksmuseum runs a digital mystery game and a Rembrandt Challenge. The Tropenmuseum has a dedicated junior wing for children aged 6–13 built around world cultures and hands-on activities. The National Maritime Museum has a full-scale replica of an 18th-century East India Company ship moored outside that children can explore properly. Worth checking each museum’s website for the current family programme before you go.

Het Muizenhuis: the Mouse Mansion at the library

Amsterdam’s central library is free to enter and has a well-designed children’s section. The main draw for families is the Mouse Mansion, a large detailed dollhouse city created by author Karina Schaapman as the setting for her children’s book series about two mice named Sam and Julia. The books have been translated into more than 30 languages, so there’s a fair chance your children already know the characters. There’s also a teepee, interactive installations, and books in multiple languages. A solid option for a rainy afternoon, especially with young children who don’t need much to be happy.

Flevoparkbad outdoor swimming pool

Flevoparkbad, in Amsterdam Oost, is an outdoor pool complex open through the summer months. Three pools: one Olympic-length for lengths, one for children, and a wading pool for toddlers. There’s a large grassy area for sunbathing, several cafés, and a good-sized playground. The queue starts building from around 9am on warm days, so arriving early makes a real difference. If you’re looking for something to do after, Flevopark is right next door. For more swimming options around the city, check out our guide to open-water swimming in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Dungeon

The Amsterdam Dungeon is twelve live theatre episodes from Amsterdam’s darker history: plague, torture, witch trials, piracy and more, using actors, special effects, and separate stages. It’s funny and alarming in roughly equal measure, and tends to work well with older children who are difficult to impress. Not suitable for young children or anyone easily startled. Recommended from age 12 upwards, though some parents take confident 10-year-olds without issue.

Powerzone: bowling, laser tag, and glow-in-the-dark mini golf

Powerzone, near the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam’s southeast, is the go-to for indoor activities when the weather has other plans. Glow-in-the-dark mini golf, laser tag, and bowling are all under one roof, so it’s easy to do several things in one visit. No booking required for walk-in, though weekends and school holidays get busy. Going in the morning is noticeably calmer than the afternoon.