Things to do with kids in Amsterdam .

Visit an indoor playground in Amsterdam

An indoor playground is useful on a rainy or cold day, but Amsterdam has several very different options. Some have large climbing structures and slides, while others focus on imaginative play for toddlers and younger children.

Monkey Town Amsterdam

Monkey Town Amsterdam is a large indoor playground where children can climb, slide and play. There are play areas for different ages, making it an option for families with both toddlers and older children.

There are two locations in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam-West: Zuidermolenweg 32, 1069 CG Amsterdam
Amsterdam-Noord: Sportpark Kadoelen 4, 1035 NB Amsterdam

Candy Castle

Candy Castle is an indoor playground inside a former church in Amsterdam-West. It is aimed at children from 0 to 12 and has a separate toddler area for children from 6 months to 4 years. Older children can use the larger climbing and play structures.

Location: Erik de Roodestraat 14-16, 1056 AM Amsterdam

Jimmy's Speelparadijs

Jimmy's Speelparadijs is a large indoor playground in Amsterdam-Westpoort. Children can use climbing structures, a climbing tower, go-karts, a bouncy castle and a monorail. There is also a roller disco at the same location.

Because it is outside the centre, check your route before leaving. From Amsterdam Sloterdijk, the playground can be reached by bus.

Location: Herwijk 10, 1046 BC Amsterdam

WOPL!

WOPL! is an indoor play centre near the Olympic Stadium. The activities combine physical play with learning and discovery. Its location in Amsterdam-Zuid also makes it easy to combine with other activities around the Olympic Stadium and Amsterdamse Bos.

Location: Stadionplein 300, 1076 CK Amsterdam

Playhood

Playhood takes a different approach to the traditional indoor playground. Instead of large climbing frames, children enter a small play neighbourhood with places such as a bakery, supermarket, theatre and fire station. The emphasis is on role play and imaginative play with younger children.

Visits take place in fixed play sessions, so check the schedule and availability before going.

Location: Danzigerbocht 15, 1013 AM Amsterdam

You Kids Amsterdam-Oost

You Kids Amsterdam-Oost is another indoor playground option in Amsterdam, located in Amsterdam-Oost. It is useful for families staying on the eastern side of the city or looking for an indoor activity away from the centre.

Location: Daniël Goedkoopstraat 1, 1096 BD Amsterdam

Find a large playground in central Amsterdam

You do not have to travel to the outskirts of Amsterdam to find a good playground. Several large playgrounds are within or close to the central districts. They are particularly useful when children need a break between museums, canals and other sightseeing.

Groot Melkhuis playground in Vondelpark

One of the larger playgrounds in Vondelpark is next to Groot Melkhuis. The fenced playground includes slides, climbing equipment, swings, a zip wire and sand areas. It is free to use.

The location makes it easy to add to a day around Museumplein. From the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, you can continue into Vondelpark and stop at the playground before exploring the rest of the park.

Location: Groot Melkhuis, Vondelpark 2, 1071 AA Amsterdam

De Vondeltuin playground

At the southern end of Vondelpark, De Vondeltuin has another playground. It is a useful stop if you are cycling or walking through the full length of the park rather than entering from Museumplein.

Location: Vondelpark 7, 1075 VR Amsterdam

Vondelpark also has smaller play areas and a children's paddling pool. The Vondelpark children's paddling pool is intended for warm-weather use.

Location: Vondelpark 4, 1071 AA Amsterdam

Westerpark

Westerpark is close enough to the centre to reach easily by bike or public transport. The park has large lawns and plenty of room for children to run around. Families can also visit the nature playground in the western part of the park.

The combination of regular park space and more adventurous outdoor play makes Westerpark worth considering if you want to spend several hours outside rather than make a short playground stop.

Playgrounds outside the city centre

Some of Amsterdam's larger and greener playgrounds are outside the city centre. These are worth the journey if you want to combine playtime with a few hours in a park. They also tend to offer more space than playgrounds in central Amsterdam.

Visit the Amsterdamse Bos

The Amsterdamse Bos is a good place to spend several hours outdoors with children. There are large play areas, water activities and plenty of space for walking and cycling.

For toddlers and young children, there are two paddling pools: the Klein Kinderbad and Groot Kinderbad. Both have playground equipment nearby. From May to September, the pools are filled with water on selected warm, dry days.

Older children can explore the Speeleilanden in the Grote Vijver. These play islands can be reached using footbridges and a small self-operated ferry. The forest also has the Speelbos, while the Kleine Speelweide and Grote Speelweide provide large open areas for running and playing.

For younger children aged 4 to 8, there is also the Beleefpad, a nature trail between De Boswinkel and the Klein Kinderbad with activities about the plants and animals in the forest.

The Natureluur in Sloterpark

De Natureluur in Sloterpark is a nature playground in Amsterdam Nieuw-West. Children can play with water, sand and natural materials in a large outdoor environment.

Sloterpark itself has plenty of open space, so you can combine the Natureluur with a walk, picnic or other outdoor activities. This works particularly well when you want to spend half a day outside.

Location: President Allendelaan 4, 1064 GW Amsterdam

Playground at Gaasperplaspark

Gaasperplas in Amsterdam-Zuidoost has large grassy areas, paths and places for children to play outdoors.

The playground and waterside play areas at Gaasperplas can be combined with a walk around part of the lake. Because the park is outside central Amsterdam, it feels very different from the compact streets and canals in the centre.

Check current water quality and local swimming rules before swimming in natural water. Conditions can change during the season.

Go swimming in Amsterdam

Swimming is another option when visiting Amsterdam with children. Several public swimming pools in the city offer recreational swimming, children's swimming and sessions for babies and toddlers.

A good option for families is De Mirandabad in Amsterdam-Zuid. The swimming complex has several indoor and outdoor pools, including an indoor wave pool, a warmer 32°C pool, an outdoor toddler pool and a shallow water play area. Recreational swimming and dedicated family swimming sessions are available at scheduled times.

Children without a swimming diploma must wear armbands and remain accompanied by an adult. Children under 10 must also be accompanied in the indoor pool by someone aged 18 or older. Children up to and including 2 years old can currently join recreational swimming for free.

Location: De Mirandalaan 9, 1079 PA Amsterdam

The exact timetable matters. Baby swimming and recreational swimming are normally scheduled at specific times rather than being available throughout the day, so check the programme of the swimming pool you want to visit before leaving.

During warmer weather, families can also use the children's paddling pool in Vondelpark. It is shallow and specifically designed for young children.

Location: Vondelpark 4, 1071 AA Amsterdam

Pick flowers on a day trip from Amsterdam

Flower picking does not take place in central Amsterdam, but it can be a fun family activity for a day trip. At Pluktuin Amstelveen, flowers can be picked from March until the end of October. Annemieke's Pluktuin in Hillegom offers tulip picking during the spring, while By Broersen in Warmenhuizen has a self-picking garden with flowers and fruit.

Flower availability depends on the season, so check what is ready to pick before travelling. For more ideas outside the city, see our guide to day trips from Amsterdam.

Choose an attraction park for little children

Families with toddlers and younger school-age children can also visit an attraction park near Amsterdam. When choosing one, check the minimum height for individual rides before travelling. A park with many rides can still have relatively few options for very small children.

Also consider the journey. An attraction outside Amsterdam can become a full-day trip once travel time is included. For younger children, a large Amsterdam playground or indoor playground may be easier to fit into the day. Popular attraction parks in the Netherlands include Efteling, Duinrell, Walibi Holland, Madurodam and Julianatoren.

Visit a child-friendly museum

Museums can work well with children when the exhibits are interactive or designed with younger visitors in mind. Amsterdam has museums where children can experiment, touch exhibits or learn through games and activities.

For more ideas, see our guide to the best kid-friendly museums in Amsterdam or discover some of the city's more unusual attractions in our guide to fun museums in Amsterdam.

Getting around Amsterdam with children

Public transport in Amsterdam includes trams, buses, metros and ferries. When travelling with children, the best option depends on your destination. Locations such as Sloterpark and Gaasperplas are outside the central canal area, so public transport can save considerable walking time.

If you are travelling with a stroller, allow extra time for boarding and transfers. Busy trams and metros can have limited space, particularly during peak hours.

Cycling is another way to cover longer distances in the city. If you are considering cycling as a family, read our guide to getting around Amsterdam before deciding which form of transport suits your plans. If cycling fits your day, you can also rent a bike in Amsterdam and explore parks, playgrounds and family attractions at your own pace.

Plan around your children's energy levels

A day in Amsterdam with kids usually works better when active play is mixed with activities that require sitting, walking or concentrating. A museum in the morning can be followed by a playground in Vondelpark in the afternoon. On a rainy day, an indoor playground or swimming session gives children somewhere to use their energy.

Distances matter too. The Natureluur in Sloterpark, Gaasperplas and the indoor playgrounds in Amsterdam-Noord are in different parts of the city. Group activities by area instead of travelling back and forth across Amsterdam.

This leaves more time for the activities themselves and gives children regular opportunities to play between the museums, canals and other sights.