Kids: out and about in Amsterdam and just beyond
Sometimes you don't need a grand plan. No full day programs or weeks of planning ahead. Sometimes you just want to do something fun with the kids. In the city, or just outside. Amsterdam is full of places where children can explore, participate, and completely lose themselves in what they're doing. Where you can be curious, get carried away, or just release all your energy. From science that stimulates to theater that stays with you, and from history that suddenly becomes tangible. These are the places and activities that cater precisely to that.
Photo credits: Robin Balou.
Hemlab is one such location. It may be just over the edge of Amsterdam, but you're within no timeAt Hemlab, curiosity is naturally aroused. In this children's laboratory for kids aged 7 to 14, they can get their hands dirty, ask questions, and try out experiments. It's not a school setting, but rather experimenting, discovering, and lots of oohs and aahs. Exactly what makes science fun for kids.
February 11th is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. To celebrate this, Hemlab is organizing three Saturdays: January 31st and February 7th and 14th. Marie Curie's LabHere, children are introduced to science through the story of one of the most influential scientists ever.
Marie Curie's Lab tells the story of a woman who changed everything. The first woman to ever win a Nobel Prize, and the only one to do so twice. From her childhood in occupied Poland, through the secret Flying University in Warsaw, to her discoveries in Paris. Not a heavy history lesson, but an inspiring story that sparks curiosity. Afterward, children can get started themselves. With safe experiments inspired by her work. Measuring, mixing, and discovering, naturally without danger. The kind of activity that makes you think: yes, this will stick.
The Meervaart Theater is a place to visit with children. Spacious, pleasant, and with a fantastic children's and family program. In January, the program features performances that truly linger because they're grand yet never overwhelming.
On Saturday January 25th Muk and the OrchestraA performance for ages 4 and up that you'll want to remember. It's performed by the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, with a live orchestra of no fewer than 20 musicians. There's a lot going on in the hall: music, story, and energy. Grand without being overwhelming, and just as impressive for parents as for children.
Efteling also plays on Saturday 25 January: Joris en de DraakA dragon, a princess, and George taking on the monster. A thrilling family show for ages 6 and up, full of Efteling magic, presented in a theater where children will naturally fall silent, and you, as a parent, will be just as engrossed in watching.
The Maritime Museum is one of those places where you simply start looking and end up lingering. The building alone is impressive, but what makes the museum so enjoyable with children is that everything invites them to explore.
Look, ask questions, and dream for a moment. No walls full of explanations to read, but places where children can discover for themselves. Where sailors aren't just history, but people with stories. And where adventure always feels close.
Diver Doris It feels like a gentle introduction to a museum. No rules, no set route, but a story where children can move, explore, and participate. They follow Doris on her journey from the sea
Heading to land, they search for a mysterious lamp that must return to the lighthouse. Along the way, they crawl through barrels and boats, listen to a singing seaweed forest, and build with sea monsters. Everything invites them to touch, look, and experiment. For toddlers and preschoolers, this is one of those places where a museum suddenly becomes not just a museum, but an adventure.
Navigate among the stars shows how people found their way before screens. With sun, moon, and stars, and with instruments now almost forgotten. You'll walk past old maps, measuring instruments, and stories of sailors who trusted their intuition, their knowledge, and the heavens above. It's the kind of exhibition that naturally raises questions. How did they know where they were? What if they made a mistake? And how did they learn all this? Without it becoming complicated.
The program VOC ship Amsterdam It lies outside at the dock and pulls along almost automatically. Large, sturdy, and full of stories. On board, you'll discover what life at sea was like. Where the sailors slept, what they ate, and how long their voyages lasted.
lasted. Children walk around here with their own questions and their own imaginations. You join in and notice that history suddenly becomes tangible. Not from a book, but under your feet, all around you.
More tips
-
The best gift for the teacher
-
Kidsproof: child-friendly hotels and resorts that are also fun (and tasteful) for parents
-
Truly the nicest maternity gifts (but real)
-
Child-friendly hotels (and holiday homes) in the Netherlands that are also fun for parents
-
Austria, but in the summer (and yes, you want that)
-
City trip goals: Valencia with the kids
-
Picking flowers! Nice spots in the Amsterdam region
-
Pick your own flowers and fruit: the best pick-your-own gardens in the Netherlands
-
Eating out or having drinks with the kids in Amsterdam? We think these are the best cafes and restaurants for kids.
-
The nicest children's shops in the whole of the Netherlands