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.
Efteling: a magical place
The Efteling is famous here in the Netherlands! It started as a ‘Fairytale Forest’ in 1952, and over the years the Efteling grew out into a large-scale theme park with roller-coasters and restaurants, most of them still inspired by fairy tale themes such as Sinbad the Sailor or Fata Morgana. But my favourite part is still theFairytale Forest, where you can find the Sleeping Beauty sleeping in her castle, the scary Dragon watching over his treasure, Snow White in her coffin made of glass, the candy house with Hansel and Gretel, singing mushrooms and much, much more to explore.
Visiting the Efteling is truly a joyful experience for the entire family. As soon as they can walk, little children will love the Fairytale Forest, and bigger kids will not want to skip this part either, although they will probably also want to go for a ride in one of the many other great attractions. A visit to the Efteling may take a day, but we usually spend two days where one day we hang out mostly in the Fairytale Forest and the other we explore the rest of the park. You can stay the night in the Efteling Hotel, where the experience goes on with theme rooms (we once stayed in the ‘Flying Dutchman‘ room) and dinners with real fairytale characters — cheesy, maybe, but the kids love it (and so do I).
Fuoco Vivo, the best pizza in Amsterdam
Oh, just thinking about this pizzeria makes my mouth water. At Fuoco Vivo, pizzas are made the Italian way: from organic sour dough, baked in a wood oven that is made of volcanic earth. Toppings are simply the best, often organic and imported directly from Italy. No wonder this place is crowded with Italians! It feels as if you’re in Naples instead of in Amsterdam, which brings me to the child-friendliness of this place: I have yet to meet an Italian who doesn’t love kids.
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| The Hollandsche Manege | Marqt |
Knutsel Frutsel, for your creative needs
Nooo, this is not a candy store. It’s even better! At Knutsel Frutsel you will find everything you need for your children’s art & craft kit — or yours! Filled with the best products, from play-dough to paper, glitter to glue — you’ll find it in this shop. And the owners will give you expert advice on how to use the products (or get you inspired with a craft idea or two)! Oh, and if you think you’re done browsing and you’re getting ready to pay, a happy surprise will wait for you on the other side of the shop: wonderful toys, fun party-bag goodies, and the entire Schleich collection.
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| Issa | Le Fournil | Imagine — a very special toy shop |
Le Pain Quotidien
One of my favourite international chains in the world must be Le Pain Quotidien (PQ). Even after, I don’t know, 10 years or so, I still am not tired of the deliciousness of the PQ tartines, cakes, salads and, well, everything. So the fact that the PQ finally came to Amsterdam has made me very, very happy! If you’re looking for a cute place to meet a friend for a cappuccino, or bring your kids for a scrumptious weekend breakfast, then this is the place for you. There are highchairs available and my kids absolutely love the fact that they can indulge in the many jams, honey and different Belgian chocolate spreads on the table (and so do I)!
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| Delle 4 Stagioni | Issa | Knutsel Frutsel, for your creative needs |
Amstelpark
We love taking the kids over to the Amstelpark for a walk and a play in the big playground. It’s also a great spot for a summery picnic — in the quiet areas close to the river we’ve often seen rabbits hopping around our picnic blanket! Amstelpark also has a sweet little city farm and a ‘train’ that will drive you around the park and which the kids obviously love. There are a few places where you can have a drink and a snack but I prefer taking the kids to @7 on the Scheldestraat for lunch or a coffee (or for an ice cream next door in summer).
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| Strand Zuid | Kid’s shoes from Meys & Co | MIFFY SHOP |
@7, lovely for lunch
The Scheldestraat is a fun street to go to — you’ll find the Miffy Store there and a few other nice children’s shops. It is also fairly close to the Amstel Park, where there’s a big playground and cute little city farm. A good place for an informal lunch or coffee is at @7. In the back is a little play area for the kids, there are plenty of high chairs, and on the menu are great treats for kids like warm cheese toasts and bread with chocolate sprinkles. One of my favourite places to have coffee or lunch with a friend with the kids in tow!
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| MIFFY SHOP | Kid’s shoes from Meys & Co | Amstelpark |
