Suitable Activities in Amsterdam for little kids?

kawan2

Hi!

Thinking of going to Amsterdam in August with OH and 4-year old boy. Did a search and events/activities tend to be for older kids. Are there activities/places that might keep the little one occupied for a 4days/3nights stay?

Thanks.

Dumyat

there is a children's science museum called NEMO. I checked their website and it says its suitable for kids aged 4-16...our kids loved it. So much so we spent the whole day there. Museum is the wrong word for it..its very much an interactive place full of lots of hands on exhibits. One of their favourites was a dressing up area, complete with runway.
Kind of like Eureka in Halifax...

Its within walking distance of the city centre...in the harbour area.

jonesMUFCforever

From Central Station take a left walk past the Boathotel and the Sea Palace floating restaurant cross the bridge and it's the large green building in front of you. (From memory)
Would agree with previous poster it's a great place for kids.Go to the top of the buildong if its nice as they have a sand pit and paddling pool there whilst you relax with a beer or ice cream from the rooftop bar.
Also consider taking them to the zoo. Its not the biggest in the world but plenty to keep young minds occupied.
Eric

kawan2

Hi dogrose and ejones999,

Thanks for the reply. Looks like I will have to postpone the trip to Amsterdam until the little one is a little bit older as there won't be enough to keep him occupied. I was hoping Amsterdam might be like Budapest where we just came back. The little one had so much fun, he asked if we can stay and not go home!

Regards,
kawan2

jonesMUFCforever

Did I not mention Vondel park? or a visit to Amsterdam Arena?We took our 2 year old there and he loved it. He still treasures a photo of him on the pitch at the Arena.
Eric

Dumyat

not sure how far you want to travel out of town but we also went to a fab seaworld type place....

gooismeid

my kids (born in Amsterdam, both of them! - long story...) used to love going on the tourist boat trips - about an hour. They also liked the outdoor museum at Hoorn, which is a way out of Amsterdam but well worth a trip (dykes, windmills, you can dress up in traditional costume, make paper boats, see kippers being smoked, laugh at the live actors pretending to be oldfashioned Dutch folk...). Then there's the Poezenboot on the Prinsengracht - a cat sanctuary! and the houseboat museum (also on a boat, strangely enough), and the kinderbrillenwinkel (just sells kids' spectacles, nothing else) and the toothbrush shop, both in the Jordaan area. Friends have said the Kattenkabinet is fun (devoted to all things with pics of cats on them - if that's your taste). I'd also recommend the Artis zoo, good size for a 4 year old and right in the centre. Riding on the trams kept mine amused for hours, and it's good to get your bearings for later sightseeing too. The Amsterdamse Bos is a huge park to the south of the city which has a lovely kids' play area and paddling pool and petting zoo, and you can watch the planes go overhead before they land at Schiphol. In the town hall at Waterlooplein there's a huge representation on the wall of Holland in slices, so you can see just how low Amsterdam is compared to the sea, and the Waterlooplein market is great for knicknacks. Albert Cuyp market is good for cheap toys and stuff like light-up plastic tulips. The flower market on the Singel was also full of cheap toys and fun kid stuff last time I was there, but the council has made noises that they're going to have to start selling more flowers or get chucked off their pitches. I'd say there's definitely enough to keep a 4 year old amused for 3 days in Amsterdam - and they can stuff themselves silly with the best chips this side of Belgium, and pancakes too!

kawan2

Hi gooismeid - Thank you very much for your suggestions. Unfortunately, OH has been told to report for jury service in August in a letter today.

Some of the activities sound just the sort of thing, the little one will enjoy. However, for some reason, he does not like zoo. Anyway, will file away your suggestions and hopefully use them at some stage.

Regards,
kawan2