Everyone would tell me that Amsterdam is not a place to visit with children, but I dare you to still think that after reading this post. The city surprised me by being very kid-friendly, and I will show you what you can do in Amsterdam if you have kids.
Starting by the airport itself. That’s right, Schiphol is an amazing place to spark some curiosity in the little ones.
Our fun starts by the terrace, where KLM left a Fokker 100 airplane as a museum piece. The children can go inside the plane and have fun by pretending to be flying. Take a break and watch the planes take off, enjoying this moment as a family.
But, if you want to have even more fun, run to the Nemo Museum of Science. This is one of the most famous attractions in Amsterdam, and it doesn’t only please the little ones, but also the adults. The Nemo is fully interactive and even if you already know a lot, you can always learn something new, or at least have some fun. We even built our own boats and competed to see whose was better. They have many amazing spaces with really cool exhibitions. I loved the big circuit that shows chain reactions. Don’t miss out on the demonstrations that happen every now and then.
We played and learned, so it was time to slow down, and right next to the Nemo, you will find the OBA, Amsterdam Public Library. What?? Why would I waste my time going to a library? Believe me, it goes well beyond. In the kids area, there are many teepees and houses where they can play with the books, besides cushions where we can lie down and the children can rest. The entire place is designed to make children feel comfortable among the books, hiding one of the best surprises the city could provide us. Go to the roof and find out one of the most beautiful views in Amsterdam and be amazed by the beautiful sunset you can spot from there.
Oh, so that’s it? Are those all the options? Not at all, we’re just starting! Do you want to go to a petting farm in the middle of the city? Amsterdam has one and the children go insane! There are many options and the best thing is that they’re located inside parks where children can play.
Let’s begin by the Amstelpark farm, which was the easiest one to find, in my opinion. It has all kinds of animals, such as cows, horses, pigs, and much more! It is clean, awesome, and the best part about it: it is free! And when we left, we had some more fun at the playground at Amstelpark.
Do you want to visit another farm? Then go to Amsterdamse Bos, a little bit farther from the centre, but the park itself is worth a visit. We spent the entire day there as there are many hiking options. We watched the planes take off and land, we ran around, and found the Geitenboerderij, a beautiful and large goat farm. Of course, the children were ecstatic.
Okay, so now you want something more romantic for the adults, and you are visiting the country in spring? How about visiting the flower garden Keukenhof? You think it might be boring for the kids? It is not!
Keukenhof is not only fully prepared to have children, but they also have a petting farm to entertain the little ones, as well as playgrounds where they can play. Not to mention that they can run among the flowers, which is already really fun, right?
Ok, so you want to go beyond and see the famous Dutch windmills in the Zaanse Schans village? But you don’t know how the children will fit in? Relax, Route Amsterdam takes care of everything and shows you the most fun attractions so the little ones can enjoy it too.
Besides all the local beauty, the children can also go inside the windmills and learn how a typical Dutch shoe is made, or even find out about how cheese is made. You can also take advantage of the visit to try the delicious Dutch cinnamon cookies.
Let’s go back to downtown Amsterdam and have fun at the Maritime Museum. Besides all the interactivity of the Museum, you can also go inside a real ship. All kids want to be a sailor or a pirate! In this Museum, you can learn all about Holland’s trade and naval history, so don’t miss it.
Amsterdam is amazing and will always surprise you! Go and fall in love with this amazing city!
– Cris Stilben –
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