Family and kids in De Plantage

ARTIS

Spend a day at ARTIS, one of the oldest zoos in the world. As a charming family destination in the beautiful Plantage area, ARTIS offers enchanting views of over 750 species - everything from awe-inspiring elephants to cheeky capybaras - in its thoughtfully designed enclosures, shady ponds and grassy paddocks. Time your visit to catch the animal feedings, before the kids are free to run amock in the zoo's impressive play. Come summer, ARTIS extends its magic into the evening with its Summer Nights program, offering twilight tours, live performances, sunset storytelling and unforgettable close-up encounters with the animals.

Micropia

Dive into the weird and wonderful world of micro-organisms at Micropia. With interactive exhibits dedicated to the minuscule life-forms which shape our world, the museum offers live laboratory demonstrations and microscopes you can peer into to see how living organisms move, eat and reproduce. From growing mould to the useful and essential bacteria that live inside our bodies, microbes are the smallest but most powerful things on our planet.

Hortus Botanicus

Founded in 1638, the Hortus Botanicus is one of Amsterdam’s oldest institutions and a place to explore the diversity of the plant world up close. It features thousands of plant species from around the globe, blending its long history with modern efforts in sustainability and education. There’s always something fun happening at the Hortus, where families can join daily tours or take part in special seasonal events like the magical Hortus By Night in winter, when the garden lights up after dark.

Resistance Museum Junior

As the Netherlands' first children's museum centred around World War II, a visit to Resistance Museum Junior offers a poignant and thoughtfully created journey through some of the war's most significant moments. Designed for visitors aged 9 to 14, the exhibition brings the era to life through the eyes of four real children, each sharing their personal war-time experiences through compelling narratives. These first-hand accounts provide an intimate lens on themes of persecution, resistance, and daily life under occupation, presented in a way that's both accessible and deeply moving.

Dutch National Ballet

There couldn’t be anything more entrancing than watching an ancient fairy tale brought to life on stage. Every season, the Dutch National Ballet puts on a new performance with costumes, sets and music that will take the whole family’s breath away. Time-honoured stories like Cinderella or The Nutcracker are reinvigorated with a contemporary twist to enchant all generations. In December, the Christmas Gala gives dance a heavy sprinkle of magic and wintry snowflakes making it an unmissable festive spectacle.

Jewish Museum

The moving and informative Jewish Museum's children's section contains a treasure trove of child-friendly interactive exhibits. Created in the form of an imaginatively decorated Jewish home, each room offers a new way to engage with Jewish culture and traditions through educational play. Find out about kosher food in the kitchen, learn about the Torah in the study, and test your musical skills on instruments used for particular Jewish holidays in the music room.

VROG Amsterdam

At VROG, movement for kids takes centre stage. This adventure-filled venue just off Waterlooplein offers a unique mix of parkour freerunning, trampolining and dance. The massive space, housed inside a converted tunnel of over 3000 square metres, includes an indoor freerun park, trampoline jump park, dance studio and a stage. It’s the perfect place for kids to burn off energy and try out their newest moves in a safe and exciting environment.

Waterlooplein Market

As the oldest flea market in the Netherlands, Waterlooplein Market is something of an Amsterdam institution. With over 300 stalls open six days a week, the market is a lively and colorful experience perfect for both curious kids and treasure-hunting parents. Rife with vintage steals, quirky antiques, vinyl records and plenty of fun bric-a-brac, you're guaranteed to find something for everyone at this expansive and historic market.

Parks and green spaces

After exploring the Hortus Botanicus and the sweeping ARTIS zoo, it's time for a lesser-known green spot. Offering a moment of quiet reprieve for the whole family, stop and take in the beauty of Wertheimpark, a waterfront park which was once gifted by Napoleon. As the city's oldest park, it's a truly historic spot, and also houses the Auschwitz Monument, thoughtfully designed by Dutch writer and artist Jan Wolkers.