Traveling to Amsterdam with kids? Here's an insider guide for what to do and where to go, tested by us and proven to be kid-friendly and cool.
Amsterdam toy warehouse
We got this wooden toy warehouse for my son’s first birthday and it’s a huge hit! When he was little he loved opening and closing the doors and peeping through the windows, and his his big sister liked climbing into it very much (we went for the more expensive sturdy version with a bottom plate for this reason!). And it’s still being played with on a daily basis, as a doll’s house, a shelter for the Schleich animals, or as part of a city. And my husband and I like the fact that it looks really cool in our living room. Very Amsterdam!
We got our warehouse at Sherwood on the Elandsgracht, but online it is sold at Spelmaterialen.nl. Unfortunately they only ship to the NL, Belgium and Germany, but I also found a similar (and cheaper) warehouse at Toypost in the UK, and they will ship internationally. Because I don’t think it will fit in your suitcase easily!
xxx Esther
A week in Amsterdam
Monday:
Go out for breakfast in the Bakkerswinkel. A basket of different sorts of bread, muffins, scones and croissants makes way to your table accompanied by a much needed coffee and orange juice. Fancy jams can be found on the table. Open from 7AM – what a wonderful way to start the week!
After, take your children to the Amstelpark, where there is a lovely playground and a little city farm. A ‘real train’ can take you around the park – a sure hit with your little ones.
Had enough of the park? Go to the Scheldestraat where you can find the great kids’ shoe store Meys&Co (open from 1PM onwards), with Koter&Co across the street where they sell a big selection of the cool Dutch kiddie brand Imps&Elfs (and more).
Before going back home, don’t forget to visit Italian delicatessen Feduzzi for a cappuccino and one of their mouth-watering Panini. And don’t forget the babyccino for your little angel! You can pick up something for dinner here too – I promise you, the food is great and prices are reasonable.
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Not a fish!
But a Science Centre!
NEMO is a fantastic building in the heart of Amsterdam designed by the world famous Italian architect Renzo Piano. It resembles a big ship heading for the ocean and it houses a great place to entertain your children. Their cute motto is: forbidden NOT to touch!
I read on the NEMO website that the primary target group is children aged between 6 and 16, but we brought our 2 1/2-year-old daughter together with her 64-year-old grandfather and both of them enjoyed themselves immensely! There are soap bubbles so big you can stand in them, life size kaleidoscopes, a DNA exhibit, and they show you how to provide a house from energy, etc. etc. Everything is set-up in a playful, interactive matter. We were there on a Saturday, so not the quietest of days you can imagine, but still there were no lines and we were able to do every experiment we were interested in.
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ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| De Bakkerswinkel | Burgermeester | Raining? Go tropical! |
