Amsterdam with Kids

Why Amsterdam is Worth Visiting with Kids

• There are many amazing things to do in Amsterdam with kids.
• Amsterdam is super child-friendly.
• Public transportation is very good and easy.
• There is plenty to do in Amsterdam with kids even when it rains.

The Best Things to Do in Amsterdam with Kids

Amsterdam has some amazing attractions designed just for kids, as well as classic attractions that are great to visit with children.

We’ll show you both: fun attractions just for kids and classic sights that are also great for families!

NEMO Science Musem

• Perfect for: children aged 3 and up
• How much time to plan: at least 4 hours
• Cost: 17.50 euros, up to 3 free of charge
• Online ticket: NEMO Ticket

Before we had children, we didn’t even realize that every major city actually has a science museum.

In the meantime, apart from Amsterdam, we have been to the science museum in Cape Town, Lisbon, Valencia and Paris with our kids.

They were all really great. But the science museum in Amsterdam is in a different league.

There are 4 floors in total – the higher the floor, the more challenging the discovery and hands-on activities. And the hands-on experience is not just a phrase – the entire museum is interactive.

There is also a large restaurant on the 5th floor with a panoramic view of the city.

If the weather is nice, you can also head up to the amazing rooftop terrace. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to use the roof terrace because we had a bad weather day.

However, the Nemo Museum is a great activity in Amsterdam when it’s raining.

Check out our experience report for all our top NEMO tips:

Maritime Museum

• Perfect for: children from 2 years
• How much time to plan: 1-2 hours
• Cost: 18.50 euros, up to 12 years free, 13-17 years 8.50 euros
• Online ticket: website of the Maritime Museum

The Maritime Museum is not an attraction made for kids. However, it is more likely that families with children go here. Here’s why!

The museum has two themed rooms for kids: Doris the Diver (2) is a small indoor playground, and The Tale of the Whale (6) features a giant whale to admire while learning about these sea creatures.

However, our highlight at the Maritime Museum with kids was the VOC ship anchored in front of the museum. The kids were able to discover an incredible amount in the replica of the East Indiaman Amsterdam: cannons, hammocks, cabins with small beds, the deck with steering wheel, a small climbing course in the ship’s hull. Very cool!

Our tip: Maritime Museum is a particularly good activity when you are in Amsterdam with kids in winter. It’s also very conveniently located right next to the Nemo Science Museum.

You can buy tickets online on the website of the National Maritime Museum or, like us, simply on site.

WONDR Experience

• Perfect for: children aged 2 and up
• How much time to plan: 1-2 hours
• Cost: 27.95 euros, up to 2 years free
• Online ticket: WONDR website

The WONDR Museum isn’t just for kids, but we probably wouldn’t have gone without them. However, plenty of visitors were there without children.

But let’s first briefly explain what the WONDR Experience is: you go through various rooms, each offering a different photo backdrop or experience. It’s all about having fun and taking cool photos.

In most rooms, you can scan your QR code (which you get with your ticket) to take a selfie. You can view your photo directly on the screen and download it for free at the end.

You can take as many photos as you like. There was also a photographer in two rooms who took a few photos of us.

There are 14 rooms in total. We really had a lot of fun and in retrospect we are really glad that we did this with the kids. We now have some really cool family photos and memories of our city trip to Amsterdam.

At 28 euros, the entrance fee is really no bargain. Children under 2 pay nothing, but children aged 3 and over pay the full price except for Kids Time, when they pay 8 euros less up to the age of 10.

Kids Time is open every Saturday and Sunday until 1pm, Wednesday from 12pm to 4:30pm and every day during the school vacations until 1pm.

We definitely recommend that you go to Kids Time and preferably right at the opening in the morning. We were there for the opening at 10am and so it was still quite, and we were completely alone in most of the rooms.

Conclusion: The entrance fee is high, but the fact that we walked out with some really cool family photos makes it worth it in our opinion.

Our tip: Make sure you buy your tickets online in advance to save another 2 euros per ticket. WONDR tickets are also available on GetYourGuide with the option to cancel them free of charge up to 1 day in advance, but there are no tickets for Kids Time. So if you want to go to Kids Time, it’s best to buy them in advance on the WONDR website.

Check out our detailed experience report on the WONDR Museum:

A'DAM Lookout

• Perfect for: children of all ages, from 1.20 m kids are also allowed on the swing
• How much time to plan: 1-2 hours
• Cost: 18.50 euros, up to 3 years free, 4-10 years 10.50 euros
• Online ticket: to the official website

Admittedly, the A’DAM Lookout viewing platform on the A’DAM Tower is not one of the typical classic sights in Amsterdam, such as the Rijksmuseum or the Anne Frank House.

However, if you are traveling to Amsterdam with kids, we can only warmly recommend a visit to the A’DAM Tower.

It’s best to get your tickets online in advance so that you don’t have to queue on site.

There is no minimum age for the A’DAM Lookout. But for the “Over the edge” swing, you have to be at least 1.20 m tall. And this is checked very carefully at the entrance.

Our children were both too small, but still had a lot of fun. Even going up in the elevator was an experience. The ceiling of the elevator is transparent and you can watch a light show as you go up.

If you’re not sure whether your baby or children think this is cool and would prefer to take an elevator without bright light effects, just ask on site. Our kids (aged 2 and 5) loved it.

The elevator takes you up to the covered viewing platform. There the kids can run around freely and marvel at the view of Amsterdam. Our 5-year-old had a lot of fun with the free telescopes, which even had a zoom button.

There is also a VR rollercoaster on the level, which children aged 6 and over can “ride”. Tickets for this can still be bought on site.

We also tried out the VR rollercoaster through Amsterdam and are not sure whether it is suitable for children aged 6 and over. You wear VR goggles that fit really tightly and are opaque. We thought it was cool, but we had never tried it before and have no comparison.

One level above is the viewing deck with the “Over the edge” swing. The kids can also run around freely up there. You get a timeslot for the swing and then queue up. Of course, you are very well secured with a bar and then enjoy 60 seconds of swinging over the edge.

Jenny thought it was great, but she also loves anything to do with adrenaline. However, she claims it was less exciting than she thought it would be.

There is also a burger restaurant in the building, for which there is a good combination ticket offer Lookout Burger Menu on GetYourGuide (you can cancel it up to 24 hours in advance).

There is also the A’DAM VR Game Park in the basement. However, we didn’t go there and unfortunately can’t give you any specific tips.

The A’DAM Lookout is located in Amsterdam Noord. From Central Station, you can take the free F3 ferry in the direction of Buiksloterweg to the other side in just 2 minutes. Just like the viewing platform itself, the ferry is also barrier-free.

This is Holland

• Perfect for: children from 1 meter
• How much time to plan: approx. 1 hour
• Cost: 23.50 euros, 4-12 years 19.50 euros
• Online ticket: website of This is Holland

The 5D Experience This is Holland was perfect for us because it was unfortunately pouring with rain. We combined it with a visit to the A’DAM Lookout, which is right next door.

In the 5D Experience, you fly over Holland’s most famous sights, including the scent of tulips and splashing water. Children over 1 meter tall are allowed in.

We’d plan for about an hour in total, as you should arrive 15 minutes before a time slot and the experience takes around 40 minutes. It consists of three parts: two informative shows about the Netherlands itself and then the 5D flight experience lasts 9 minutes.

We thought it was a bit of a shame that the show is entirely in Dutch. But at least there are English subtitles, so you can explain things to the kids.

It didn’t really bother our son though, as he was more focused on the experience itself.

Tickets are a few euros cheaper online than on site, you can buy them online in advance on the Visit Holland website.

Our tip: There is a small café called The Coffee Virus – A Lab right next door. It serves very tasty coffee, cakes and lunch at fair prices.

Lego Store

• Perfect for: children aged 2 and over
• How much time to plan: 1 hour
• Cost: free of charge

If we’re honest, toy stores aren’t usually on our must-do list of things to do with kids.

But this time we were really unlucky with the weather and it rained from morning to evening. When it was pouring down, the LEGO Store totally saved the day!

And it wasn’t that bad. The children had a lot of fun and spent ages looking at all the packages on the shelves. There were several hands-on stations, which our two-year-old daughter also enjoyed.

And yes, they both got a small Lego or Duplo set.

Here’s a well-intentioned tip: make sure you only buy a small set that the kids can unpack in the restaurant, for example.

With larger sets, you might find that Amsterdam takes a backseat as the kids would rather stay in the hotel and build LEGO the next day!

Moco Amsterdam

• Perfect for: children aged 3 and up
• How much time to plan: 1 hour
• Cost: 21.95 euros, 7–17 years 16.95 euros, children up to 6 years free,
• Online ticket: Moco Amsterdam Ticket

There are many cool museums in Amsterdam, but going to a museum with two toddlers is usually not that much fun.

Nevertheless, we decided to visit Moco and it worked out really well. We asked at the entrance if there was anything we needed to know and the answer was:“No, we are very child-friendly and everything is allowed“.

So we fast-forwarded through the exhibition, looking at the art together. Our kids particularly liked the video and light installations.

We spent about 30 minutes in the museum itself and then another 15 minutes in the garden. Among other things, there is a large sculpture of a horse that you can sit on.

Even More Ideas for What to Do with Kids in Amsterdam

We’ve been to Amsterdam quite often, but with kids we only had 3 days to experience Amsterdam. Unfortunately, it rained on two out of three days, so we mainly did indoor activities with the kids.

However, we had many more ideas saved for our family trip to Amsterdam:

Parks and playgrounds in Amsterdam:

• Vondelpark: playground, Groote Melkhuis restaurant with playground, Kinderkoofkafé
• Osterpark: playground
• Westerpark: Boerderij Westerpark, playgrounds, Het Woeste Westen nature playground directly north of the park

Museum:

• The Upside Down Museum (tickets)

Attractions with animals:

• Kinderboerderij De pijp (petting zoo)
• Zoo Artis (tickets)
• Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam (tickets)

Canal cruise:

• Kids Cruise by Blue Boat (tickets)
• A canal cruise in Amsterdam, e.g. the pedal boat cruise(tickets)
• Hop-on/Hop-off boats

For teenagers:

• Anne Frank Museum

Things to Do in Amsterdam with Kids in 1 Day

1 day in Amsterdam is not much. But if you only have this much time, we recommend this program:

Start your day by heading straight to NEMO Science Museum when it opens – it’s an absolute paradise for kids! Plan to spend about three hours there because there’s so much to explore.

Afterward, make a quick stop at the Maritime Museum, which is right next door. The highlight? The huge replica of an East Indiaman ship that kids can climb aboard – super exciting! You’ll need about an hour here.

For lunch, grab some delicious pancakes at Choco Delight – a perfect energy boost!

In the afternoon, take the ferry to A’DAM Lookout and, if your kids are at least 1.20 meters tall, they can try the giant swing at the top – a real thrill!

To end the day, there’s a great burger restaurant right downstairs for dinner. After all this adventure, the kids will definitely crash as soon as they hit the bed!

Where to Stay in Amsterdam with Kids?

There are many great places to stay in Amsterdam with kids. We chose the Bob W in Amsterdam Noord and really felt at home.

Pictures of our hotel in Amsterdam with two kids

Description of The Bob W Hotel in Amsterdam Noord

The hotel is located in Amsterdam Noord, which means we had to plan a bit of time to get directly to the center of Amsterdam. But that wasn’t too bad.

We either walked about 10 minutes to the ferry station at the NDSM shipyard and then took the free ferry from there to the central station in the city center in about 10 minutes. The ferries leave every 10 minutes.

Or we walked about 15 minutes (there are also several buses) to the Noorderpark subway station. From there it is only one stop to the central station. Also read our article How public transport works in Amsterdam.

The Bob W. works completely without a reception. When you book, you will be given a 6-digit code that you can use to get in everywhere: the entrance, your hotel room, the washing machine and locker room, the parking garage, etc.

But now worries! You can always contact someone via WhatsApp, and they will help you directly.

We were in Amsterdam by car and since parking in Amsterdam is not that easy, we needed a hotel with a parking lot. There is a parking garage under the hotel (up to 2.10 meters high) where we were able to park for 17 euros per day. That’s a really fair price for Amsterdam.

Immediately after booking the Bob W on Booking.com, we were able to book the parking space there.

The hotel has two room categories for families with children. The Superior Studio (23 m²) and the Deluxe Studio (31 m²) both have a double bed and a separate sofa bed.

We opted for the Deluxe Studio because it is a bit bigger, was hardly more expensive and even had its own washing machine.

You can’t book breakfast, but there is a café on the roof of the building.

The nearest supermarket is about a 10-minute walk from the ferry to the center.

There are several cafés nearby, we went to Brunchdale (see our restaurant tips here in the article).

More options for places to stay in Amsterdam

Where to stay for cheap in Amsterdam with kids?

• VIA Amsterdam
• Meininger Hotel Amstel
• ClinkNOORD

Cool and special family hotels in Amsterdam:

• Attic Monkey Lodge
• People’s Hotel
• Bob W Noord
• The Tribe

Restaurant Tips for Amsterdam with Kids

We love city breaks in general, but we especially love eating our way through cities. And we don’t miss out on that when traveling with kids.

Quite the opposite! We often use delicious food as a source of motivation. The search for the best pizza or ice cream in Amsterdam just happens to lead us through beautiful neighborhoods we want to explore.

In Amsterdam, we also looked for the best pancakes and the best fries.

IJver Amsterdam: Restaurant with play corner

We discovered IJver by chance on our first evening when we were walking through the NDSM shipyard in Amsterdam Noord.

We actually wanted to go to Noorderlicht or Pllek, both of which are on the waterfront and have plenty of space for the kids to run around, but the children had discovered the play corner in the restaurant as we walked past and that was the end of the matter.

The IJver is located directly in one of the large halls, but also has outdoor seating. In addition to the games corner, there was also a shelf with community games and two old-school slot machines.

And very importantly, the food was also very good.

Breakfast in Amsterdam

We could have made breakfast in our hotel room at the Bob W and the hotel also has a rooftop café where breakfast is served.

However, we decided to look for nice cafés in Amsterdam. There are plenty of them.

De Bakkerwinkel Centrum

This café is located in the middle of the red light district in Amsterdam. The breakfast is tasty and the place super child-friendly.

We had read that there was a children’s corner. Unfortunately, it was no longer there. But that wasn’t a problem at all. The staff were super friendly, children’s breakfast was on the menu and there were also highc hairs.

We made a reservation by phone the day before, but in the mornings during the week shortly after opening, there were still a lot of tables free. The café didn’t fill up until 10 o’clock in the morning.

Bakers & Roasters

We chose this café because it is very close to the Nemo Science Museum and the Maritime Museum.

We booked a table online the evening before, and that was a good idea. However, if you come straight to the opening in the morning, you can still get a table.

B&R is a New Zealand café with a Brazilian influence.

Either way: really excellent and an absolute recommendation if you want to go for breakfast in Amsterdam.

Brunchdale

The Brunch Café was conveniently located just around the corner from our Hotel Bob W. in Amsterdam.

There was a really cute children’s corner, a children’s menu and the kids got their cocoa in children’s cups with mouse ears and their breakfast on children’s plates.

The breakfast was delicious, the staff were super friendly and everyone was happy.

Eating pancakes in Amsterdam

Pancakes, pannekoeken or American pancakes – Amsterdam has many really good restaurants that only serve pancakes.

We opted for Café Blin Queen and loved it. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was very cozy, there were high chairs and everyone was very nice.

We had also saved the following pancake restaurants:

• Choco Delight. They also serve waffles and ice cream, but the seating is more uncomfortable.
• Pancakehouse Upstairs. Super cute café with teapots hanging from the ceiling. But very small and cramped and you have to climb a steep staircase. But it’s definitely an experience with older children or those who like to sit quietly (do they exist?).
• Pancakes Amsterdam. Very close to the central station. They serve pannekoeken and American pancakes and vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free options.

Eating pizza in Amsterdam

We decided to have lunch at Magia Pizza & Wine. The pizzeria is not far from the Museumkwartier and as we wanted to go to the Moco Museum in the afternoon, the location was very convenient for us.

The pizzeria has outdoor and indoor seating, but it’s not huge. However, it was no problem to get a seat inside and the pizza was very tasty. There were also high chairs and everyone was very friendly.

Eating fries in Amsterdam

The Dutch do a lot of things right, but what they are really good at is: fries.

Normally, fries are not on our wish list when we choose restaurants for our city trip. But for our children, fries – along with pizza, burgers and ice cream – are a staple.

During our weekend in Amsterdam, we had fries several times and they were all really good. But the best were the fries from t’Pareltje.

A tip for anyone who doesn’t want fries: Just on the other side of the canal there is a really excellent Lebanese takeaway called The Lebanese Sajeria with manakish (rolled flatbreads with your choice of contents). The kids were happy with their fries and we were happy with our manakish.

Eating ice cream in Amsterdam

As we all know, ice cream is always a good idea. One (or two) ice creams a day, keep the doctor away. You probably know the saying.

Our kids have a few kilometers of patience for the best ice cream in a city. We can take our time looking around the city and they don’t even notice if we take a few detours. Win-win!

This time we were unfortunately only able to try one ice cream parlor – Sotto Zero Gelatorbar – but it was really very good and was on our way between the Museumkwartier and the way home to Rokin metro station.

FAQ about Amsterdam with Kids

Do you have more tips for a city trip to Amsterdam with kids?

Then please leave us a comment. We’d love to hear about your experiences and tips for things to do in Amsterdam with kids.