5 things to do in Amsterdam with a toddler

When you think of Amsterdam, you might think of “coffee” shops and stag parties. However, on our recent trip to Europe, we flew into Amsterdam and used this lovely city as a place to get over our jet-lag and entertain our 4-year-old.

You can click on the map above to see all the places we visited during our trip, and a few extra suggestions for restaurants and museums that are not mentioned in this post.

One of the many decorated bikes in Amsterdam. We were told that the city hires someone to design and create these pieces of artwork all over.

Disclaimer: This post may contain links to travel credit cards that we use; if you click on our link and apply, then we will be rewarded with points, at no additional cost to you. We only recommend credit cards that we find beneficial and have used to help us save money when we travel.

Best area to stay in Amsterdam:

We stayed at the Kimpton De Witt which was a short walk from Centraal Station. We chose this for a few reasons: first, being near Centraal station guaranteed that would could take day trips easily, the DeWitt is right on a tram line, which allowed us to travel around the city, it was a short walk to the Anne Frank house as well as the Nemo Science museum, and we were able to book 4 nights for free. (We used our IHG credit card from chase). While I would not call this the most kid-friendly hotel (there’s no pool, and not much entertainment). The perks were: our daughter was given a toy dog upon check-in, and we had no issue getting an extra roll away bed added to our room. For the parents, there is a free cocktail hour every night, and since we are IHG rewards members, we received an addition 15 euro drink credit to use during our stay.

Activities with kids in Amsterdam

Visit the NEMO Science Museum.
(This is especially good on a rainy or hot day). The exhibits are highly interactive, appropriate for a variety of ages, and the rooftop features a splash pad. Our daughter danced her heart out and requested that we return to NEMO the next day. Finally, on the rooftop, in addition to the splash pad and the views, there is a delicious restaurant with outdoor seating. If you are used to museum restaurants in the US (like we are) then this is nothing like that in the BEST possible way. There was a variety of fresh food, the prices were very reasonable, and the variety was incredible. (You can also eat here without even entering the museum.)

Our toddler exploring one of the many interactive exhibits at the Nemo Science Museum.

Splashing on the rooftop of the Nemo Science Museum. (You can access this and the restaurant without paying to enter the museum.)

2. Book a canal cruise.

We chose Captain Jack because it was a small boat (fewer than 20 people), smoke free, and the captain was the one doing the storytelling (as opposed to a recording). If it’s important to you, make sure to read the fine print about smoking on board; many allow smoking, and some, like the Smoke Boat, encourage it.

3. Explore the Vondelpark

For East Coast Americans, this is like Amsterdam’s version of New York’s Central Park. There are cafes with playgrounds at either end of the park, and water features in the middle. This is a great place to push a stroller on a cool day, or take your kids for a bike ride. Vondelpark was also a nice break from the more crowded sidewalks in Amsterdam; the bikes have their own roads, so pedestrians have a little more leeway on the dirt paths that meander through the park.

4. Get out of the city: visit Zannse Schans.

A short 15-minute train ride from Centraal Station can take you into another world. See working windmills, visit a chocolate shop, get some ice cream, learn how cheese is made (and taste some samples or buy some for a picnic). A visit to Zannse Schans is a great way to spend a couple hours away from the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam’s busy streets.

5. Hit the playgrounds.

We found that there were many small, neighborhood playgrounds all over Amsterdam. If we were talking to or from dinner, we would stop and get some energy out. We found one near our hotel that included a selection of bikes for kids to play with and return, which was great for us as our daughter will not see her bike for a month during our travels.