Amsterdam With Kids: Family-Friendly Activities That Aren’t Boring

A local’s guide to enjoying Amsterdam with kids.

Written by Alexandra, Founder of Who Is Amsterdam

Amsterdam has a reputation.

Canals. Rembrandt. Bicycles. Brown cafés. Adults discussing seventeenth-century art with their hands behind their backs.

Children do not tend to hear that list and immediately begin packing.

Fair enough.

But Amsterdam with kids works better than people expect, mostly because the city is compact, full of water, slightly strange and unusually good at hiding interesting things inside buildings that adults might otherwise describe as educational.

You can climb aboard a huge ship. 

Make a chain reaction.

 Stare at microbes. 

Take a ferry to a former shipyard covered in street art. 

Or eat a warm stroopwafel roughly the size of your child’s head.

There are also museums where touching things is encouraged.

This helps.

The mistake is planning Amsterdam for children as though every day needs to be a heroic march through famous attractions.

Amsterdam can handle the rest.

Is NEMO Science Museum Good for Kids?

Some museums have a certain tone.

Please whisper. Do not touch. Walk slowly. Stop pressing that.

NEMO Science Museum has a different approach.

Press things. Turn things. Build things.

Make something move and then immediately wonder why it moved.

NEMO is one of the strongest things to do in Amsterdam with kids because children are allowed to be curious with their entire bodies. There are experiments, demonstrations and hands-on activities involving science, technology, energy and all the questions children tend to ask when you’re trying to make dinner.

Why does that happen?

What happens if I do this?

Can I touch it?

At NEMO, the answer to the last one is often yes.

The museum also has a rooftop square with views across the city, while its programme includes demonstrations such as the Chain Reaction and laboratory workshops.

Parents should know one thing.

This is not a quick visit.

Do not tell everyone you’re popping in for an hour before lunch unless you’re comfortable becoming unpopular.

Give it time.

Children tend to find one experiment they want to repeat seventeen times while ignoring the thing you were certain they would love.

This is normal.

You are not in charge anymore.

Take a Family-Friendly Canal Cruise in Amsterdam

Children and beautiful European cities have a complicated relationship. You see a seventeenth-century canal house leaning elegantly over the water.

They see another building. You point out a beautiful bridge. They ask when lunch is.

Then you put everyone on a boat and suddenly the city becomes interesting again.

A canal cruise is one of the best things to do in Amsterdam with kids because Amsterdam looks different from the water. Bridges pass overhead. Houseboats sit at eye level. Larger boats squeeze through spaces that do not appear remotely large enough.

There is always something moving.

Choose a covered boat if the weather looks unreliable, which in Amsterdam is less of a weather forecast and more of a general life philosophy.

Smaller children may not listen to every piece of commentary.

This is fine.

Neither do all adults.

Let them look out the window. Count bridges. Spot unusual houseboats. Watch other boats pass.

The canals do most of the work.

And for forty-five minutes or an hour, nobody is asking how much farther they have to walk.

Worth it.

Visit the Maritime Museum With Kids

Children who show limited enthusiasm for the phrase “Dutch maritime history” may change their position when they see the ship.

A large reconstructed East Indiaman sits outside Het Scheepvaartmuseum, the National Maritime Museum.

You can go aboard.

This changes things.

Suddenly there are decks to explore, low spaces to investigate and plenty of opportunities to imagine life at sea without needing to experience scurvy, months away from home or seventeenth-century sanitation.

The museum covers centuries of Dutch maritime history and has specific programming for families and children.

Among the many family-friendly things to do in Amsterdam, this works because history has something physical attached to it.

Children can walk through the space and begin asking questions on their own.

That is usually more effective than telling them something is important.

The museum is also close to NEMO, which means you could theoretically do both in one day.

Theoretically.

Consider the age and stamina of your children before announcing an ambitious double museum programme.

There is confidence.

Then there is madness.

Is ARTIS Zoo Worth Visiting With Kids?

Zoos are an obvious family choice.

This one happens to be in the middle of Amsterdam.

ARTIS combines its historic zoo with a planetarium, aquarium and two museums: Micropia and the Groote Museum.

That gives families options.

Animals having a quiet day?

Go to the Planetarium.

Weather turning bad?

Head inside.

Older child suddenly fascinated by invisible organisms after previously showing no interest in anything smaller than a tiger?

Micropia is waiting.

ARTIS is one of the more reliable Amsterdam family activities because it can take up most of a day without feeling as though you’re trapped in one long attraction.

Adults are also capable of deciding to visit a museum for exactly two hours, followed by lunch at 12:30, followed by a walk.

Children may decide at 10:17 that watching one particular animal eat something is now the entire purpose of the holiday.

Visit Micropia With Older Kids and Teenagers

ARTIS-Micropia is one of Amsterdam’s more unusual museums, built around a world that exists everywhere and remains mostly invisible to us.

This tends to work particularly well with older children.

There is something deeply satisfying about discovering how much unseen life exists on everyday objects, inside us and around us.

Also mildly horrifying.

Image Source: Klook

A good museum should occasionally change the way you look at your own toothbrush.

For families searching for what to do in Amsterdam with kids who have moved beyond playgrounds but aren’t interested in spending three hours admiring oil paintings, Micropia is a strong choice.

It is science.

There is plenty to discuss afterward.

Possibly over lunch.

Possibly not.

Take the Free Ferry to NDSM With Kids

One of the easiest ways to improve a family day in Amsterdam is to add a boat that costs nothing.

Behind Centraal Station, free ferries cross the IJ to Amsterdam Noord.

Take the ferry to NDSM, a former shipyard that now feels completely different from the canal belt. Huge industrial buildings. Open spaces. Street art. Water. Old structures whose original purpose you may not entirely understand.

This is where STRAAT Museum lives, inside a huge industrial building filled with street art and graffiti.

Image source: Wikipedia

For children who think art means standing three metres from a small painting while an adult says, “Look closely at the brushwork,” this can be refreshing.

Some pieces are enormous.

You physically move to see them properly.

Scale helps.

Afterward, walk around NDSM.

Have something to eat.

Sit by the water if the weather behaves.

Then take the ferry back.

Among all the family activities in Amsterdam, few have such a convenient ratio of effort to adventure.

Best Parks and Playgrounds for Kids in Amsterdam

Vondelpark is the city’s famous green escape, and with children, the important part is not its historical significance or landscape design.

The important part is that they can move.

Run.

Climb.

Investigate sticks.

Develop an immediate emotional attachment to a leaf.

Vondelpark gives a family day breathing room.

Walk through it. Stop at a playground. Find somewhere for coffee. Buy something to eat and have a picnic when the weather allows.

A park stop is not wasted time between proper attractions.

For a four-year-old, the playground may be the proper attraction.

Adults sometimes struggle with this because we have paid to travel somewhere and feel the need to experience it efficiently.

Children have no such problem.

They can spend forty minutes moving gravel from one side of a bench to the other.

Honestly, there are lessons in that.

Where to Eat With Kids in Amsterdam

Albert Cuyp Market in De Pijp is a good place to turn eating into an activity instead of stopping for another formal meal where someone changes their mind after the food arrives.

You can also find fries, cheese, fruit and plenty of other food depending on what everyone wants. 

Visiting markets is one of the easiest things to do with kids in Amsterdam too, because there is movement, noise and choice.

You are seeing the city.

You are also preventing a hunger-related diplomatic incident.

Both matter.

Explore the Jordaan With Kids

Jordaan is beautiful.

Everyone knows this.

Give them a camera or let them take photos on a phone, count bridges, spot a cat in a window or simply look for the three white crosses of Amsterdam’s coat of arms.

This works well when exploring Amsterdam with children because the city is packed with tiny details. Gable stones. Houseboats. Pulley hooks. Crooked façades. Bicycles carrying dogs, flowers, children or quantities of furniture that seem to challenge basic physics.

Children notice different things than adults.

You may end up seeing more of the city because of it.

Is the Rijksmuseum Good for Children?

The Rijksmuseum with children can work. The goal is not to leave with a child who can deliver an informed lecture on Dutch Golden Age painting.

For families who want more context without wandering through room after room hoping inspiration arrives, Who Is Amsterdam also offers a private Rijksmuseum tour, which can turn paintings into stories about power, money, ambition and the people behind the frames.

History improves when somebody remembers to include the humans.

Should You Cycle in Amsterdam With Kids?

Cycling is part of daily life here in Amsterdam, and watching local families move through the city by bike can make the whole system look effortless.

Parent pedalling.

Children in a bakfiets.

Shopping in the front.

Nobody screaming.

You may think: we should do that.

Pause.

Cycling in central Amsterdam is not a theme-park activity. Bike lanes are genuine transport routes used by people who know where they’re going and expect everyone else to understand the rules.

For confident cyclists with older children who already have solid road awareness, cycling can be excellent.

For nervous riders, inexperienced children or adults who have not been on a bike since 2009, walking and public transport may produce a considerably happier holiday.

What to Do in Amsterdam With Toddlers

Planning Amsterdam with toddlers requires a separate philosophy.

A two-year-old does not care that a painting is culturally significant.

They actually care that they saw a duck.

So, intentionally, keep days short.

Build around parks, boats and places with room to move.

Vondelpark works.

ARTIS works.

A canal cruise can work, depending on how long your child is happy sitting down.

NEMO may be better for older preschoolers who can engage with the exhibits, though younger siblings can still enjoy parts of the experience.

This is perhaps the most important family travel advice on earth and somehow we continue learning it the hard way.

A toddler saying “I’m not hungry” should not be considered reliable forecasting.

Carry snacks.

Bring layers.

Do less.

Nobody remembers a family holiday fondly because the itinerary had excellent time management.

Things to Do in Amsterdam With Teenagers

Older children and teenagers travel better when they have some ownership of the day.

Adults do too.

The activity itself matters less than the fact that nobody is being dragged through somebody else’s perfect holiday.

Some of the best family-friendly things to do in Amsterdam are the ones your family finds by paying attention to what is working.

Your child loved NDSM?

Stay longer.

Everyone is tired after the Rijksmuseum?

Do not push through another museum because tickets were available.

The weather is beautiful?

Go outside.

The plan is allowed to change.

Amsterdam does not need to be completed.

Best Food Markets and Dutch Snacks for Kids

Amsterdam has plenty of neighbourhood markets and casual places where eating can become part of exploring instead of a formal break that requires everyone to sit perfectly for ninety minutes.

The Dappermarkt in Amsterdam Oost is another option for families willing to move beyond the centre, with food reflecting the neighbourhood’s diverse communities.

Let children choose something unfamiliar.

They may hate it.

They may love it.

They may take one bite, declare it disgusting and then eat half of yours.

Parents will recognise the system.

2-Day Amsterdam Itinerary With Kids

Trying to fit everything into two days is tempting.

Resist.

A better plan leaves enough space for people to remain pleasant.

Day 1: A Family Walking Tour, Canals and a Park

Start the morning with the Amsterdam Family Walking Tour from Who Is Amsterdam.

This is a private two-hour tour designed specifically for families, rather than an adult walking tour where children are expected to quietly follow along.

The route takes you through Amsterdam’s historic centre, from Dam Square towards the Westerkerk, but the experience is built around games, questions, funny stories and small challenges rather than a long list of dates.

The pace and stories are adjusted depending on whether you are travelling with younger children, teenagers or grandparents. There are also mini pancakes along the way, which is generally a more effective way of maintaining enthusiasm than another seventeenth-century façade.

More importantly, everyone is encouraged to take part. Screens stay in pockets, nobody has to pretend they are enjoying a history lecture, and the family actually explores the city together.

Have lunch afterwards.

Take a canal cruise in the afternoon.

Then go to Vondelpark if everyone still has energy, or find somewhere warm for food if they don’t.

That is enough.

Three good experiences beat six rushed ones.

Day 2: Animals or Ships, Followed by Something Loose

1. Choose ARTIS or the Maritime Museum.

      2.  Afterward, pick something lighter.

      3. Albert Cuyp Market.

      4. The ferry to NDSM.

      5. A neighbourhood walk.

     6. A stroopwafel.

     7. Sit somewhere.

Watch Amsterdam continue around you.

A family holiday does not improve in direct proportion to the number of tickets in your email.

Practical Tips for Visiting Amsterdam With Kids

You will walk more than you think.

Bring comfortable shoes.

The weather can change quickly, so layers and a waterproof jacket help.

Watch bike lanes carefully. They are not extended pavements, decorative red strips or convenient places to stop while looking at Google Maps.

When crossing, look for bicycles as well as cars and trams.

Book major attractions ahead when visiting during busy periods. NEMO, ARTIS and the Maritime Museum all provide online visitor planning and ticket information through their official websites.

And leave gaps.

This cannot be repeated enough.

A schedule with no gaps assumes nobody gets hungry unexpectedly, nobody needs a bathroom at the wrong moment and nobody becomes fascinated by a fountain.