When visiting Amsterdam, many people assume it wouldn’t be the right place to visit with their children. But there is a lot more to Amsterdam than the famous RLD or even the coffee shops. In fact Amsterdam is just like any other city and caters for children just as much as it does for adults.
I used to think the same thing about taking children to Amsterdam, after all even the souvenir shops have peculiarly shaped salt shakers on the bottom shelf. But with a small amount of digging around, finding things for kids to do in Amsterdam became a lot easier and the choice was amazing.
As children are welcome on many of the tours that can be found in Amsterdam, so viewing the city via a canal cruise could well be an excellant start to your adventures in Amsterdam. Giving you a chance to take the city in at a reasonable pace, while giving you time to decide on where to go and what to do next.
From museums aimed at children, to specially designed kids playgrounds. Amsterdam has everything you need to spend a good time with your child on holiday.
Things for children to do in Amsterdam:
Artis ZooThe Artis Zoo is a great place to take children and is easy enough to find. Many different parts of the zoo offer everything from animal enclosures of many different species. To the Zoological museum,Geological museum and many more. Explore the 14 Hectares of space that the Artis Zoo has to offer.
Geitenboerderij Ridammerhoeve – (Goat Farm at Ridammerhoeve)
Visiting this goat farm can be great fun for kids, adults might even enjoy the day there too! Situated in the Amsterdam Bos, the goat farm includes a dairy,petting zoo,playground for children,farm and farm shop. It’s location gives it a peaceful surrounding. (Closed throughout the winter)
Kinderkookkafe – (Kids Cook Café)
The kids cook café gives children a chance to take control of the kitchen (with adult supervision of course). Kids run the show here so expect to be served,billed and waited upon by children. The kids cook café gives the children a chance to act and feel like adults. Serving upto 30 guests at a time, each child may invite upto 2 guests to share the experience with them.
This converted underpass was once used for traffic in Amsterdam, thanks to it’s conversion it now gives children a safe place to play and enjoy themselves. With 4,000 Sq metres, TunFun has everything you need to entertain a child in Amsterdam. Slides, soccer field,crafts corner and even a kids disco make TunFun a wise choice, especially if the weather isn’t great.
NEMO
The NEMO science centre is a total hands on experience. Almost everything inside the centre is meant for amusement and education purposes, whether you want to see how big you can blow a soap bubble (Big enough to stand in,in many cases 
) or just want to check out your drumming talents. The NEMO science centre is so big with so many activities, you have to see it to believe it.
An expanse of greenery with so much space, kids are bound to enjoy their time here. During the warmer months you can find open air concerts at the Vondelpark that will keep even the most bored child entertained. Enjoy a walk around the park with the children or even hire out some rollerskates and enjoy a skate around.
Cycling is a great way to see Amsterdam,stay fit and keep the children entertained all in one go. There’s many places to rent a bike in Amsterdam, so consider going for a ride either around the Oud Zuid of Amsterdam, or if your feeling wary of the roads. Visit the huge Vondelpark with enough space to cycle around for hours. Bike tours are also available for the whole family.
A list of tips and places to go shopping for children were put together by myself and others who love taking children to Amsterdam. Got an idea you feel should be added? Let us know via the contact form.
