9 Best Things to Do with Kids in Amsterdam

Vondelpark is Amsterdam’s equivalent to New York’s Central Park, spanning nearly 50 hectares of green space filled with flowery lawns, ponds, playgrounds, and pathways. Families get to frolic about at the park’s 6 play areas, rent skateboards or bicycles, and enjoy picnics with views of a large pond. Vondelpark is particularly special in summer, when a never-ending festival vibe takes over at the Openluchttheater, an open-air theatre in the middle of the park.

De Gooyer Windmill is a grand, octagonal windmill dating from 1725. Standing at over 26 meters, it’s one of the tallest windmills in the Netherlands. While there isn’t much to do other than taking photos, the little ones may enjoy the sight of this grand structure and the surrounding greenery. Parents get to relax with a beer or two at the next-door Brouwerij ‘t IJ microbrewery. Grab a spot on the terrace for the best view of De Gooyer Windmill.

The NEMO Science Museum will keep you and the children entertained for hours as they learn about extra-terrestrial life, how to make clean water and how to build a dam. This kid-friendly science center has plenty of fun, hands-on exhibits for visitors of all ages, including an interactive laboratory. Located on the rooftop of NEMO Science Museum, the Energetica exhibit features chairs fitted with solar panels, unique sculptures that move with the wind, and an enormous sundial.

Madame Tussauds Amsterdam is an interactive wax museum in Dam Square, nearby the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. There are galleries dedicated to art, music, and sports, all of which are home to life-like figures of prominent icons. The Royal exhibition features wax models of Dutch royalty such as Queen Máxima and Queen Beatrix. Art lovers may enjoy the interactive I Am Art exhibition, as they get to become part of paintings by renowned artists such as Salvador Dali and Rembrandt van Rijn.

The National Maritime Museum, also called the Het Scheepvaartmuseum, is where kids can pretend to be pirates on the impeccable replica of a traditional tall-ship. Located 1.4 km southeast of Amsterdam Centraal Station, it occupies a harborside naval warehouse dating back to 1656. The museum’s standout feature is the replica of the Amsterdam, a cargo ship of the Dutch East India Company. You get to crawl through the holds and even fire cannons, as well as enjoy a virtual reality experience of Amsterdam’s maritime history.

Theater de Krakeling is a historical youth theater in Amsterdam that dates back to 1978. It predominantly showcases comedy, magic, dance, and music in Dutch and Flemish, with selected shows performed in English and others without any spoken language at all. Prices vary by performance.

Rembrandtpark is a city park with idyllic ponds, paved pathways, playgrounds, and children’s centres. It’s located in Amsterdam West, about 1.7 km northwest of Vondelpark. You can visit horses, peacocks, and chickens at De Uylenburg, a petting zoo named after Remembrant’s wife. The park also has a children's amusement center, where they can learn how to build cabins, ride horses, and make jewelry.

The Amsterdam Marionette Theatre, founded in 1985, is an intimate venue that showcases traditional puppet shows for visitors aged 6 and above. Resident puppeteers use hand-carved marionettes in vibrant silk and velvet costumes, presenting musicals and sketches to classical music by Mozart and Offenbach. Join a backstage tour to learn about the history of the theatre and see how the puppets are created at the onsite workshops. The Amsterdam Marionette Theatre is 700 meters northeast of De Wallen, Amsterdam’s Red Light District.

Tropenmuseum Junior, founded in 1975, is the sub-museum of an ethnology museum of the same name. It features interactive spaces and workshops for children to learn about cultures from all over the world. A popular attraction in Tropenmuseum Junior lets you learn about Moroccan culture and history through dance, calligraphy, and fashion. Older visitors may enjoy Tropenmuseum’s permanent exhibits, which showcase cultures from Southeast Asia and New Guinea.