The best things to do in Amsterdam with toddlers
Forget the brown cafes and red light district, a city break in Amsterdam with kids is perfect for families – and that includes seeing Amsterdam with toddlers. At least once I reached the point were I was (fairly) certain my daughter wouldn’t try to fall into a canal.
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If you’re also planning to see Amsterdam with a 2-year-old, it’s not even a tricky journey: there are also some cheap – and quick – flight routes, including low-cost airlines, a direct train from London with the Eurostar route, or a ferry to Hook of Holland or Rotterdam
So I’ve found some of the best things to do in Amsterdam for toddlers… although sadly you can no longer climb over the I Amsterdam sign, which was removed in 2018.
Take a canal cruise
A great way to see Amsterdam with kids and experience the canals without walking, it’s something that appeals whatever age you are.
But if you’re looking for child-friendly Amsterdam ideas, there’s still a string of companies to choose from, including a hop-on, hop-off canal boat, a 75-minute highlights cruise and a pancake cruise on the Pannenkoekenboot.
Pancakes are always going to feature on a list of things to do in Amsterdam with a toddler after all!
The Vondelpark
The city’s most famous park is a lovely green oasis, perfect if you find yourself visiting in summer and need a shady retreat for kids to run off a bit of energy (or cool off from the city streets).
As well as ambling alongside the lake and down the paths, there are things to do in the Vondelpark itself – the most kid-friendly of which is the huge playground overlooked by the Het Groot Melkhuis café.
For another quirky activity, chek out the Kinderkookkafe, where the kids wear the aprons and create their own meals. Adults can help if you’re visiting with toddlers or preschoolers, but it’s also a great option with slightly older kids.
Sadly Ontdekhoek has now closed, a former favourite of anyone in Amsterdam with young kids, ‘Discovery Corner’ had over 30 different experiments and activities for age 4+, designed to be done without parents being involved.
Ride a bike
One of the safest places to cycle, half the city (maybe more!) seems to get around on bikes – if you are on foot, it’s worth trying to work out the system fairly quickly, so you – or your toddler – isn’t wandering out in front of fast-moving bikes.
If you’re in Amsterdam with kids who can’t ride, renting a bakfiets – a bike with little trailer at the front – is a great way to explore, although don’t forget to lock them up if you do stop.
Nemo Science Museum
Amsterdam’s Science Museum is aimed at children aged six to 16, although there are as many exhibitions and experiments to entertain pre-schoolers (and parents) as school age kids – so if you’re wondering what to do in Amsterdam with a child, this should definitely be on the list.
It was one of the biggest hits of our trip, with so many things to get hands on with, including making giant bubbles, experiments with sound, exhibits on the human body but also shows to watch plus areas aimed at teens and a lot lot more.
The sloping roof even becomes a beach in summer, with fantastic views out over Amsterdam. Buy a skip-the-line ticket online in advance here
Check out my review of our visit in this post too
Wondr Experience
Who says kids are the only ones who get to play? The Wondr Experience is easily one of the most fun things to do in Amsterdam with toddlers AND adults, with everything from Europe’s largest ball pit to a pool full of marshmallows.
Add in confetti showers, a magical kaleidoscope, a thousand disco balls and fluffy karaoke booths, and it’s all designed to keep everyone in the family grinning. There’s even a sea of teddy bears (count me in!)
As a bonus, the SpongeBob Special themed zone means you can also visit Bikini Bottom, a guaranteed hit with younger kids who love the cartoon as you get to explore the world’s most famous underwater city first-hand.
Plus you’ll come away with free digital photos using the in-house professional camera system as a fantastic souvenir – set up in every room, you just need to activate them with a personal QR code.
Located one metro stop from Central Station, or a ride on a the free ferry (plus a short walk), it’s easy to get to. Morning sessions are often quieter for younger kids, and there’s a discount if you book tickets in advance – free for kids aged 2 and under.
Barbie: The Dream Experience
If your kids are big fans of Barbie, you can’t miss a visit to Barbie: The Dream Experience , only in Amsterdam – and adults will love reliving a bit of childhood too.
There’s plenty for all ages, with more than 2,000 square metres of fun including the chance to step into life-size recreations of some iconic Barbie moments from across six decades – slide down the Dream House, drive Barbie’s camper van and fly to the moon (virtually) along the way.
Just let your imaginations run wild, and swap the everyday world for the primary colours and popping pinks of Barbie’s world.
If you’re looking for a unique souvenir of your time in Amsterdam, you can get free digital photos using the experience’s professional quality cameras in the rooms, or pick up some exclusive Barbie items from the gift shop.
Right next door to Wondr, it’s easy to combine both experiences in one day, and very easy to get to – the experience is one metro stop from Central Station or a ride on the free ferry from Central, then a short walk. Kids are welcome at all sessions before 5pm, and there’s a kids’ menu at the Barbie Cafe to enjoy as well. Free for ages 2 and under.
Amsterdam art galleries with kids
One thing Amsterdam is famous for is its incredible art galleries – and if you’ve assumed those have to be off the list if you’re looking for things to do in Amsterdam with a toddler, think again.
Most of the city’s major museums have children’s tours, or other ways to make it child-friendly. Of course, if you can time a visit to tie in with younger toddlers’ naps, you get slightly longer to wander around and soak up the art yourself too.
The Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum has a guided tours, a digital game as well as tips for families including a 1km walk through. Some are better for different age groups but it’s a great place to start.
The Van Gogh Museum
The Van Gogh museum has options galore too, including a treasure hunt, family guided tour, family guides, and even a travelling case with different activities for kids – although again, many are aimed at age six plus. If you’re splashing out, you can even get a private family-friendly tour of the Van Gogh Museum or pick up one of the skip-the-line tickets and go at your own pace.
Check out my tips for visiting the Van Gogh museum with a toddler where I created a toddler-friendly treasure hunt using the museum’s map and highlights – perfect for short attention spans.
The Rembrandthuis
If you’ve set your heart on seeing the Rembrandthuis, it has a special audioguide for kids (aimed at six up) while it’s free for under sixes to enter if you’re planning a short visit. Buy tickets with free cancellation here.
H’Art Amsterdam
H’Art Amsterdam (formerly part of the Hermitage museum) has children’s routes through its exhibitions, as well as treasure hunts, so that’s still a possibility when you’re planning things to do in Amsterdam with toddlers.
There’s even an immersive Van Gogh and Rembrandt experience, with under-fives going free if you want to bring the art to life in Amsterdam for toddlers
National Maritime Museum
With the Dutch once in the forefront of exploring the globe, learning more about the seafarers of the Golden Age is going to capture even the short attention span of a toddler – who doesn’t fancy imagining themselves on deck seeking out new worlds?
One of the highlights is the life-size replica of the Dutch East India Company ship Amsterdam, which you can look around to learn more about life aboard, along with colonial history.
It’s included in entry to the National Maritime Museum next door, with plenty of hands-on options, a Doris the Diver exhibit aimed age 2+, not to mention an interactive life-size board game and an exhibition on whales, as well as a 60-minute audio guide which is helpful to pick out the higlights. Plenty for all ages, if you’re visiting Amsterdam with kids who are older too.
Wereldmuseum
This Museum of World Cultures is focused on people from around the globe , so it’s great for capturing younger kids’ attention, as well as introducing them to some other cultures and what connects us all.
The former Tropenmuseum combined with two other Dutch museums to become the Wereldmuseum in 2023, and the Wereldmuseum Junior is one of the more unusual Amsterdam children’s attractions to keep on your list too.
The focus is about getting hands on: seeing, touching, experiencing and participating in order to get even the youngest visitors thinking about keeping an open mind about the world, how we’re all connected and topics including climate change.
It’s also places like this which make me say an emphatic yes to anyone asking, is Amsterdam good for families?
Buy tickets with free cancellation for the Wereldmuseum
Artis Royal Zoo
You can’t beat a day looking at animals if you’re a toddler – and this zoo, in one of the greener leafy parts of central Amsterdam has more than 900 different species of animals.
Along with an aquarium and a petting area, you can spot everything from giraffes to gorillas, not to mention elephants, lions, lemurs, penguins and more.
There are activities and talks throughout the day, and you can take a guided tour, but half the fun is ambling around at your own pace watching the animals. Whichever you choose, there’s plenty to entertain anyone visiting Amsterdam with baby or toddler here.
You can also head in to the planetarium as part of your visit. The aquarium, which is also normally included in the ticket price, is currently closed and due to reopen in spring 2026. Get skip-the-queue tickets, with free cancellation up to 24 hours beforehand if you buy online.
Check out my review of our visit to Artis Royal Zoo with a toddler
Discover Amsterdam Noord
Hop on the free ferry which runs to Amsterdam Noord, one of the city’s biggest creative hubs.
Once an industrial area, wander around and you’ll discover street art galore – perfect if you’re looking for things to do with kids in Amsterdam that will suit toddlers and older siblings, as even littler ones will love the bright colours.
It’s another great place to cycle, or if you’ve got a younger toddler in a buggy, to walk as they watch the world go by.
Visit the KattenKabinet
Amsterdam specialises in some very quirky museums, and if you’ve got a small animal lover in the family, the KattenKabinet – or Cat Museum – is a fun option.
Dedicated to all things cat, there’s art featuring a string of cats, including works by Picasso, Rembrandt and Toulouse-Lautrec, but also various other cat-themed objects from posters and drawings to photos and sculptures, including ancient Egyptian cat statues.
Best of all, there are several real-life cats who live there. If you have toddlers who like to grab, it’s worth knowing that they don’t always like to be petted or stroked, so it’s worth setting any expectations (and keeping a short rein on enthusiastic small cat lovers).
Amsterdam with toddlers… things to postpone until they’re older
And when my daughter’s older? There’s a long list of things to do in Amsterdam for kids once you’ve left the toddler years behind too, not to mention a whole string of great day trips from Amsterdam with kids.
A visit to The Anne Frank House is definitely for older children, but nothing brings recent history quite as vividly to life as this desperately moving place.
Or on a lighter note, there are quirky museums and attractions galore in Amsterdam – dive in to immersive artworks at Nxt Museum, the STRAAT Street Art Museum
For more tips on the best things to do in Amsterdam with kids, check out my family guide to the city, the best day trips from Amsterdam, as well as my review of the I Amsterdam card…
*First published 2014, updated 2025*
PIN FOR LATER: THINGS TO DO IN AMSTERDAM WITH TODDLERS
Main image/Rijksmuseum/Rembrandthuis/National Maritime museum photos courtesy Depositphotos, Wondr/Spongebob/Barbie Dream Experience courtesy of the attraction, all others copyright MummyTravels
Disclosure: This post contains paid content and affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission. All opinions remain my own.
