Amsterdam With Kids (2026): The Best Things to Do as a Family
The short answer: Amsterdam is one of the easiest European cities we’ve visited with kids. It's small, flat, and walkable, and the best family activities are hands-on. Start with NEMO Science Museum, do the free treasure hunt at the Van Gogh Museum (kids under 18 get in free), and make your own stroopwafels at the Flagship Waffle Experience. Spend a half day in the Amsterdamse Bos feeding baby goats and eating goat's milk ice cream at the Ridammerhoeve farm. For rainy days, the public library, the Mouse Mansion, the Museum of Illusions, and the LEGO flagship store are all within reach of the center. Base yourself in the canal ring, ideally at the Pulitzer, and you can walk to almost all of it.
We spent a week in Amsterdam with our two kids, and it's now one of our favorite European cities for families. We stayed at the Pulitzer Amsterdam, but our full list of the best hotels in Amsterdam can be found here. The distances are short, the trams are easy, and almost everything below was a walk or a short tram ride from our hotel.
NEMO Science Museum
NEMO is the must-do for kids who like to touch everything. It's the largest science museum in the Netherlands, in a green, ship-shaped building by Renzo Piano, a short walk from Centraal Station. Kids can make a soap bubble big enough to stand inside and run experiments in a real lab. Humania, on the fourth floor, is all about the human body. Don't skip the roof. The terrace reopened in May 2025 after a renovation, it's free, and the views over the city are great. Plan for two to three hours.
NEMO is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5:30pm, plus some Mondays during school holidays. Tickets are €21.50 for everyone 4 and up, and under-4s are free. Go right at opening to beat the crowds, and book a time slot ahead.
OBA Oosterdok, the Public Library
This is the best free rainy-day stop in Amsterdam. The main branch of the public library sits between Centraal Station and NEMO, so it pairs perfectly with a science museum morning. The children's section has climbable shelves and giant stuffed animals to curl up with, and the whole building is open daily and free.
Head to the top floor for lunch. The café has one of the best views in the city, and its terrace opens from spring through fall. Amsterdam's neighborhood library branches are lovely too if you're staying outside the center.
Museum of Illusions
This one is pure fun. The Museum of Illusions sits in a former church on the Keizersgracht, with more than 60 illusions. Kids can walk through a spinning vortex tunnel, watch each other shrink and grow, and take photos that look impossible. Staff help with photos and explain the science behind each trick.
A few practical notes. Family tickets cover two adults and two kids. It's closed on Tuesdays except during school holidays, and it's cashless. There are stairs and no lift, so leave the stroller at the hotel.
Van Gogh Museum Treasure Hunt
The Van Gogh Museum works surprisingly well with kids, as long as you do the treasure hunt. Pick up the free hunt at the Family Desk near Van Gogh's self-portraits. It comes in English and Dutch, and kids who finish it get a small prize.
Entry is free for everyone under 18, but every visitor, kids included, needs a timed ticket. Tickets sell out weeks ahead, so book as soon as your dates are set. Around an hour is right with younger kids. The playground behind the Rijksmuseum, on the same square, is ideal afterward.
The Mouse Mansion
The Mouse Mansion, or Het Muizenhuis, is pure magic for younger kids. Karina Schaapman built an enormous mouse house from cardboard and papier-mâché, with tiny crocheted mice living in more than a hundred rooms. It became the Sam and Julia picture books.
Her mini museum shows the original sets from the books, spread across two floors, and entry is free. On weekends there are drop-in craft sessions where kids can make their own mouse project to take home. Buy one of the books before you go. Spotting scenes you recognize is half the fun.
LEGO Store Amsterdam
The LEGO flagship on Kalverstraat was the first in the Netherlands, and it's more of an attraction than a shop. Big LEGO sculptures nod to Dutch culture, including the Munttoren and a windmill. There's a play area, a Pick & Build wall, and the Mosaic Maker, which turns a photo of your child into a LEGO portrait. The Minifigure Factory prints custom minifigures while you wait.
It's free to visit and right on the main shopping street near Dam Square. Budget for at least one souvenir.
Flagship Waffle Experience
Making stroopwafels was one of the most fun, easy wins of the trip. The Flagship Waffle Experience is at Bloemgracht 2, right across from the Anne Frank House and a short walk from the Pulitzer. In 45 minutes, you mix the dough, bake two stroopwafels on traditional irons, and decorate one with milk, white, or pistachio chocolate. The second goes home with you.
Tickets start at €25.95 per person, and it works for kids from about age 3 up. It's the perfect activity for an afternoon when everyone's tired of museums.
Feeding Goats at the Ridammerhoeve
Half a day at the Ridammerhoeve goat farm is the best thing to do when your kids need green space. It's an organic farm in the middle of the Amsterdamse Bos, a huge forest park just south of the city. For a small fee, kids can buy little bottles of milk to feed the baby goats. There are also chickens, pigs, cows, a horse, and a pony.
Then get the goat's milk ice cream. It's made on the farm, and it's excellent. Parents can have lunch on the terrace, with dishes made from the farm's own produce. There's a nature playground next to the terrace and a big hedge maze nearby. Bring some coins for the goat bottles.
Westerpark and Het Woeste Westen
Westerpark is where Amsterdam families go on a nice day. It has big lawns, ponds, two playgrounds, and a petting farm with donkeys and goats. The real draw is Het Woeste Westen, a wild nature playground where kids wade through streams, catch critters with nets, and pull themselves across the water on rope ferries.
It's muddy in the best way. Bring a towel and a full change of clothes, and expect the kids to beg to come back. There's coffee nearby for the parents.
Foodhallen at De Hallen
Foodhallen solves family dinner. It's an indoor food market in De Hallen, a converted tram depot in Oud-West, with dozens of stalls under one roof. Everyone can pick what they want, from Dutch bitterballen to dumplings, and eat at shared tables.
It's lively and loud, so nobody notices a restless toddler. It's also an easy stop on the way back from Westerpark. For sit-down meals, see our guide to the best restaurants in Amsterdam.
A Canal Boat Tour
Do a canal cruise on your first day. It orients everyone to the city, and kids love spotting buildings from the water later. If you stay at the Pulitzer, the hotel's own 1909 salon boat leaves from the dock outside, and it was the single best thing we did in Amsterdam.
How to Plan Your Days
Group activities by neighborhood and you'll barely need transport. Pair NEMO with the OBA library and lunch at the top-floor café, since they're steps apart near Centraal. Pair the Van Gogh Museum with the Museumplein playground. In the canal ring, combine the Flagship Waffle Experience, the Anne Frank House for older kids, the Museum of Illusions, and the LEGO store.
Give the Ridammerhoeve farm its own half day in the Amsterdamse Bos. Save Westerpark and Foodhallen for a sunny afternoon and an easy dinner.
Where to Stay in Amsterdam With Kids
Stay in the canal ring. The Nine Streets and Jordaan put you within walking distance of most of this list, with the museums a short tram ride away.
Our top pick is the Pulitzer Amsterdam, where we spent the week. It has real family rooms, a treasure hunt through all 25 canal houses, handwritten notes for the kids, and its own canal boat. The one catch is the lack of a pool. For more options, see our guide to the best hotels in Amsterdam.
A tip for any canal-house hotel: rooms are small and stair-heavy, and connecting rooms are limited. Book early and ask about the exact layout and number of stairs. Family rooms at the top hotels typically run around €500 to €900 a night, plus a tourist tax of about 12.5 percent.
Best Time to Visit Amsterdam With Kids
May and September are the best months. The weather is at its most reliable, the terraces and parks are open, and you miss the biggest crowds. Late April is peak everything, since King's Day on the 27th overlaps tulip season, and hotels book out months ahead.
Summer is busy and pricier but great for Westerpark and the goat farm. Winter is gray and cheap, with December's Sinterklaas celebrations as a bonus. Rainy days happen in every season, which is why it helps to keep NEMO, the library, and the Museum of Illusions in your back pocket.
Book the family room first. Aim for four to six months ahead in shoulder season and eight to nine months for summer and the holidays. Book the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House as soon as tickets are released.
FAQ
Is Amsterdam good for kids? Yes. It's small, flat, and walkable, with excellent trams, lots of free activities, and museums that welcome children.
What is the best thing to do in Amsterdam with kids? NEMO Science Museum is the top pick. The Van Gogh treasure hunt, stroopwafel making, and feeding goats at the Ridammerhoeve are close behind.
Is the Van Gogh Museum free for kids? Yes. Entry is free for everyone under 18, but children still need a timed ticket booked online.
What can you do in Amsterdam with kids when it rains? NEMO, the OBA public library, the Mouse Mansion, the Museum of Illusions, the LEGO store, and a stroopwafel workshop are all indoors.
Where is the goat farm in Amsterdam? The Ridammerhoeve is in the Amsterdamse Bos, a forest park just south of the city center.
Where should families stay in Amsterdam? The canal ring, around the Nine Streets and Jordaan. The Pulitzer Amsterdam is our top family pick.
