Amsterdam with Kids – An Amazing City Break

WhatKeeranEats

After the success of a mother-son overnight trip to London with my oldest last year (you could call it a trial run!) we were ready to try leaving the UK and going on a real adventure…so we opted for Amsterdam.

The big wins for us were a short 45 min flight from Bristol, loads of ferry’s, trams and trains to catch, and Dutch pancakes…it’s also known as a child friendly city – which I completely agree with.

We spent 2 nights or 48 hours in the Dutch capital, and it was the perfect amount of time. My son was 6 at the time, and so whilst the Holocaust Museum and Anne Frank’s house are incredibly important places to visit, I felt my son was too young at the time. If he was older, we definitely would have included these within our itinerary and could have spent at least another day exploring.

Our Amsterdam highlights:

  • Travelling around the city on metro’s, trains, trams and ferries
  • Getting a panoramic view of Amsterdam on Europe’s highest swing (100m high!)
  • Being hands on at the Nemo science museum
  • A 3 hour bike tour of the city, which included a trip to Vondelpark
  • Cooling off with Amsterdam’s best ice cream at a fun (and free!) splash park

Fun things to do in Amsterdam with Kids

Day 1

1. Amsterdam Bike Tour

Amsterdam is a busy capital city, so we opted to let a guide take us around and fill us in on the history of the Dutch capital on bike. 

We booked on to a 3 hour city bike ride with We Bike Amsterdam they offer a really informative bike tour that takes you round the whole city at a relaxed pace with lots of stops, including 30 minute stop in the Vondlepark which has a cafe and a splash pad (chargable). 

We loved it, the guide was really knowledgeable and highlighted the history of Amsterdam from the way it was built, it’s explorers, laws and the history of WWII. We were able to view the incredibly important landmarks we weren’t planning to visit, including Anne Frank’s house and some of the museums, including the Holocaust Museum.

My son loves to cycle and We Bike Amsterdam allowed him to have his own bike – although they also had options for tandems and bike seats incase children (or parents) are a bit unsure.

I recommend checking requirements for children before you book, as many tour companies have minimum age limits.

2. Wander around and get soaked at the Rijksmuseum grounds

The queue for the Rijksmuseum was huge when we arrived after lunch and we didn’t fancy waiting, also my son probably wouldn’t have appreciated the art! You can book ahead if you are interested to see all that the Rijksmuseum has to offer.

Instead we had a wander around the gardens which are beautiful and play in the fountain!

There is a cafe on site and during the summer holidays when we were there, they had an art activity which H loved. Easels were dotted around the gardens, and for a small sum of €5 they gave you some charcoal and chalks to borrow and encouraged anyone to draw something that inspired them from the building or gardens. We spent over an hour there.

3. Get a unique view of the city at the A’dam Lookout – the highest swings in Europe!

After lunch we took the free ferry from outside Centraal station over to the A’dam Lookout and headed up to the 20th floor (using a lift that includes a 20 second light show!) try out the swings.

We’d booked tickets in advance to guarantee our entry and luckily there was no queue when we arrived (at 4pm in the summer holidays) and we were on the swing within 10 minutes of arrival.

You are sat on a secure swing and once safety checks are complete, you are raised off the ground and swung out over the building. Sounds scary? Don’t worry, the swing is motorised so it is a slow speed and feels completely safe.

You’re on the swing for about 2 minutes in total. So, yes it is expensive but in our opinion, totally worth it (my son wanted to go on again!). At the top of the Adam tower there is also a small bar where you can grab a drink or ice cream and enjoy the views with your feet firmly on the ground!

Day 2

4. Getting hands on and learning at the NEMO Science Museum

We spent an entire morning, and could have spent longer at the brilliant NEMO Science Museum. It is an incredibly hands-on museum that is reminiscent of We the Curious in Bristol but on a much larger scale. 

Many of the signs are in both Dutch and English, so instructions are easy to follow and children are encouraged to get involved. The museum has 3 floors and is zoned into different areas including space, the water cycle and motion. 

One thing we really enjoyed are demonstrations throughout the day across the museum (not all are in English) – we loved ‘chain reaction’ which used loads of everyday items to create a chain reaction and launch a toy rocket.

On the roof there is a beautiful view of the city and a splash areas to play in. There are also two cafes serving lots of kid friendly food (just be aware of the queues!).  It’s the perfect day to escape from the heat or for a rainy day!

To get there take the tram to Muziekgeb. Bimhuis. The walk is about 10 minutes from here

5. Splash park at the beautiful Oosterpark

Amsterdam has many parks and playgrounds for children, our favourite was the beautiful Ooosterpark, which is also a favourite of the locals too.

Firstly I have to save a space for the amazing ice cream. There were a lot of ice cream stalls at the park, but I recommend seeking out Paradijs. The ice creams are all handmade and the range of flavours are incredible. You must go!

The park, has a large splash pad which so may children enjoy. There is a round pool with stepping stones, small fountains and structure to climb and slide on. It’s also the perfect place to cool off when the city get’s a little warm.

We found the park, despite being huge, the entrance was a little hidden, so i’ve included a small map of the route from the tram stop to the splash park (follow the red line).

6. Visit one of the oldest zoos in the world, the Artis

If you have time, you can also combine with a visit to Artis which is one of the five oldest zoos in the world, has a huge number of animals and even an aquarium and planetarium! Look out for the summer nights events that the Artis holds on Saturday evenings during summer, they are announced on their website.

Artis is walking distance from Oosterpark.

For an extra day…

Have an extra day? If we were to go back we heard brilliant things about the Efteling Theme Park which is a Fairy Tale Forest with lots of rides. Have you been before? Let me know all of your tips in the comments section

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