Amsterdam with Kids: Best Activities, Cheese, History, and Sweets

We had a whirlwind three days in Amsterdam with kids and it gave us enough time to try out everything the city has to offer.

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This is a family guide, intended to provide assistance for you as you plan your own visit to Amsterdam, Netherlands. For context, during our visit, our children were ages 6 and 9. We paid for all attractions out of our own money and do not have any relationship (financial or otherwise) with the operators of the services described below. That allows us to give our honest feedback about what we did and did not like.

Is Amsterdam good for kids?

Yes! Amsterdam offers interactive museums, cheese tastings, canal tours, and plenty of rich history easily digestible by kids, making it a great choice for families. The compact layout, mix of history, and fun activities work well for kids of all ages.

Top Things to Do in Amsterdam With Kids

NEMO Science Museum

Link to official site: https://www.nemosciencemuseum.nl/en
Good for ages: 0 to 16
Nearest rail station: Plantage Parklaan (12 minute walk)
Stroller-friendly: Yes

Let’s start with NEMO, pronounced as though you’re British (neh-moh and not nee-moh). This science museum is quite popular with children and makes everyone’s go-to list of things to do in Amsterdam with kids. But there’s good reason for it: four stories of educational fun await inside.

The thing we like the most about science museums over children’s museums is that there’s something for all ages here. That includes us adults because we’re all kids at heart to some extent. Our children are very much enticed by experimentation, so it was quite natural that they ran all over this place like kids in a candy store. While the museum is popular, it never felt crowded, if that makes sense.

Our children were so into the museum that they even hung out at areas arguably designed for younger children. I wasn’t going to tell them that they couldn’t enjoy themselves here.

One of their favorite moments was the giant chain reaction. Most of the story at the start of the program is spoken in Dutch, but some instructions are provided in English as well. This chain reaction contraption reaches three stories high, so even if you don’t get a spot to view it on the first floor, you can get a different perspective on higher floors. There are all sorts of wacky reactions taking place and it makes you wonder how tiring it is to set it all up.

Each floor has its own distinct feel and vibe, such as the “Garage” on the second floor where kids can explore a place with a factory-like feel. Other areas include learning about the human body, space, and even a science lab to do real experiments.

Dining at NEMO

While there are a couple of cafes scattered on the floors, if you get hungry, go up to the top floor. Here, you’ll find a large cafeteria where you can pick up plenty of nourishment should you feel famished. The options vary between the basic (pizza) and the more intriguing (something closer to chicken biryani).

We enjoyed the lunch break before continuing the action.

Verzetsmuseum (Verzets Resistance Museum)

Link to official site: https://www.verzetsmuseum.org/en/world-war-ii-in-the-netherlands
Good for ages: 5 and up
Nearest rail station: Artis/Holocaustmuseum (1 minute walk)
Stroller-friendly: Yes

You might initially look at the Verzetsmuseum and wonder if there is anything here intended for children. After all, its focus is all about the horrors of World War II, the impact it had on the people of the Netherlands, and what life was like. Well, there is actually a point to bringing your children here, though it’s probably most interesting to grade school children. While you could reserve your tickets in advance, I don’t think it’s necessary on most days.

When you’re inside the museum, you can make use of free lockers. This is a great feature to have in the winter with all those heavy coats.

As referenced, this is museum is all about Nazi Germany’s occupation of Amsterdam and the Netherlands. There are audio and visual components to help bring you back into that period. All audio is done via personal listening device that you place by your ear. For adults, there is a lot to explore, especially if you want to hit up everything. I’d say you could probably spend a couple of hours exploring all there is to offer here.

In the back of the museum, there’s a section of the museum dedicated to juniors. If there is a school class using the facility, you may not be able to access. But thankfully in our case, there was no one else inside when we were here.

The junior area of the museum takes you through the stories of four distinct children. Your kids will learn about how life varied so heavily between each child, how their families responded, and ultimately their fate. Our kids enjoyed the more approachable format of the content here, which mirrors the content in the rest of the museum. If your children have an interest in world history, this is one of the best museums we’ve been to.

Anne Frank House

Link to official site: https://www.annefrank.org/en/
Good for ages: 8 and up
Nearest rail station: Westermarkt (1 minute walk)
Stroller-friendly: No

I’ll just throw this out as an alternative. The actual Anne Frank House, which was on top of a workshop, isn’t near the Verzetsmuseum, but is more famous. We’d argue not to take your children to the actual Anne Frank House until they’re in middle or high school range. Everyone is expected to be quiet inside, which already isn’t a great environment for the youngest kids. But the gravity of the site probably doesn’t make sense to younger children.

We’d say the better place to start if your kids are interested is at the Verzetsmuseum first. Then, after they’ve engaged with that (and perhaps have seen the three-hour 1959 film The Diary of Anne Frank), they might be ready.

ARTIS Royal Zoo

Link to official site: https://www.artis.nl/en
Good for ages: 0 to 9
Nearest rail station: Artis/Holocaustmuseum (1 minute walk)
Stroller-friendly: Yes

We didn’t get a chance to check out ARTIS on our most recent trip to Amsterdam, but we did stop by on a prior trip. The entrance to ARTIS is actually very close to the Verzetsmuseum. That means you could stop by the zoo right after as a way to unwind from all the intensity of the Resistance Museum.

ARTIS is a smaller zoo, which tends to be the case when it’s within city limits. You’ll find the usual suspects here: lions, giraffes, jaguars, gorillas, and elephants. They also have some more interesting animals like wallabies, capybaras, and raccoons. Yeah, a regular raccoon is here. It’s considered an exotic, invasive species in the Netherlands, hence why it’s caged up here.

In addition to the zoo, they also have two other facilities here (free for children 12 and under):

ARTIS-Groote: an interactive nature museum
ARTIS-Micropia: a science museum dedicated to microbes

When we came here, we didn’t visit the other museums. Perhaps we’ll do it on a future trip.

Blue Boat Kids Cruise

Link to official site: https://www.blueboat.nl/en/canal-cruise-amsterdam/kids-cruise/
Good for ages: 0 to 6
Nearest rail station: Leidseplein (3 minute walk)
Stroller-friendly: No

OK, I need to start this with a disclaimer. I had every intent to purchase a cruise that was specifically marketed as a cruise for kids. I went to their site (linked above) and selected the time that worked for us. It initially seemed impressive that there were so many options for kids cruises at any time of the day. What I was hoping for was the audio story geared towards kids–otherwise being on a boat for 75 minutes will be a bit of a drag.

With that, let’s get back to the story.

We chose the boat dock that departs across the canal from the Hard Rock Cafe as it was closer to our hotel.

At the ticket booth, we redeemed our tickets to get the special kids cruise activity books for them to enjoy on the cruise.

Included in the package is an activity book, binoculars to help them focus during the cruise, and some colored pencils.

And then we got on board to find mostly adults. You see, they advertise kids cruises but the cruise isn’t dedicated for children. It threw us off guard but, hey, it’s fine that they have something here for everyone. And it now makes sense that there are so many options for kids cruises.

There is a stand that shows off all the languages if you want the pre-programmed stuff. There is a live guide and he spoke in English on our cruise, so we didn’t need the informational tracks. However, that last option is what we wanted–the kids cruise English option. And, yeah, despite paying for the kids cruise, it wasn’t available on this cruise. Sigh.

The cruise itself is pleasant, but we would recommend stepping outside for a more serene feel. You could connect to the Wi-Fi and listen to the pre-programmed commentary, but I enjoyed just listening to the water.

There are a few seats out here, as Alex is showing off when he needed some fresh air.

If you haven’t done a cruise before, it’s a nice way to get your bearings in the city. However, this kids cruise wasn’t a complete success for us.

Stroopwafel cooking class

Link to official site: https://www.stroopwafelworkshop.com/
Good for ages: 2 and up
Nearest rail station: Frederiksplein (9 minute walk)
Stroller-friendly: Yes

Now let’s jump to something that did work out well for us. While you can book directly with the company, we instead booked via Viator to take advantage of a Rakuten shopping portal bonus. Thankfully, Viator didn’t appear to be charging a premium instead of booking direct.

This workshop is located at the Albert Cuyp Market. As the banner states, it’s great to be happy for no reason.

Stepping inside, you’ll find a workshop set up with only one purpose: to teach people how to make stroopwafels.

When class is in session, you’ll be wearing these cute aprons to protect your clothing underneath. They also have a coat rack in case you need to hang up your jackets.

The class itself was nice, but the one thing we would have liked to do was mix the dry ingredients together. We suspect they mixed them to make the visit more efficient and to reduce the mess, but it would have been nicer to make it fully from scratch. That said, you weigh your flour, mix in your water, and form it into balls.

Toss these balls onto one of the many griddles for one minute…

…and you have a stroopwafel. You just need to slice it and add caramel between the layers.

If you wanted to be fancy, you could add syrup and toppings onto your stroopwafel, but Jenn and I preferred the stroopwafel plain.

It sounds like a trivial class, but it’s designed to be simple. I think it’s a great class to bring your kids to because

This class requires the right amount of skill for them to not get frustrated or fall behind
They will feel accomplished in the end

There were large family groups here and other couples, so it’s not just a kids activity. Still, this ended up a highlight of their trip.

Once you’re done with the workshop, consider eating lunch at Albert Cuyp Market. There are many vendors here selling street food, making it a great place to grab a bite before continuing on.

Het Scheepvaart (National Maritime Museum)

Link to official site: https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.com/
Good for ages: 0 to 9
Nearest rail station: Artis/Holocaust Museum (13 minute walk)
Stroller-friendly: Yes, and they even loan them if you need one

If you have a sea lover in your party, stopping by the National Maritime Museum seems like a natural choice. And like many activities in Amsterdam, there are activities dedicated to children here as well.

You’ll find plenty of lockers for free on the bottom floor to store your gear. This includes any purses, handbags, or backpacks that must be stored and not brought around.

The first place to check out is outside where a couple of cool ships await. The one below is a replica of the East Indiaman Amsterdam. When you’re onboard, you’ll learn all about the Dutch East India Company and the rich naval history the Netherlands had.

Stepping onboard, you’ll see the living quarters, which brought back memories of walking around Old Ironsides in Boston, Massachusetts. You’ll find a couple of interactive exhibits, but the real appeal is the ship itself.

Next door to the replica is the Royal Barge, a ceremonial ship roughly 200 years old. While you won’t be able to step onboard this one, you can certainly see all the intricate details up close and personal.

At the stem, you’ll see an impressive gold display. It’s worth stopping by just to have a glance at it.

One floor up from the entrance to the museum is where you’ll find some more interactive exhibits for children. An example would be the ‘tale of the whale’, which dives into whales and human interaction with the massive beasts.

You can even take a step inside a whale and see what it would be like to be Geppetto in Pinocchio.

Before you leave this area, be sure to take a photo with a large sea turtle painting.

Other exhibits intended for children include ‘Doris the diver’ (for children 2+) and ‘Amsterdam port & city’. All three of these interactive exhibits are in the west wing.

Henri Willig Cheese Tasting

Link to official site: https://henriwillig.com/en/our-experiences/tasting/
Good for ages: 2 and up
Nearest rail station: Rembrandtplein (2 minute walk)
Stroller-friendly: No

You can’t come to Amsterdam without taking a moment to sample the local product (cheese). While there are several choices for cheese tasting, we settled on Henri Willig. They’ve been making cheese since the 1970s, and it’s quite delicious. There are several locations to do a tasting within the Amsterdam city limits, and we went to the location at Rembrandtplein.

Even if you don’t pay for an official tasting, you’ll find some cheeses to sample in the center tables. Naturally, we helped ourselves while we waited for it to start. And, yes, there is a restroom available if you need to use it like the kids did.

The tasting takes place upstairs in a private room. This is a group setting, so you’ll be with about a dozen cheese lovers total.

The entire group broke up into two tables and witnessed the massive board of cheese placed in front of us. There are many varieties of cheese and dipping sauces, which paired wonderfully with the cheese.

To go with the cheese, everyone received two rounds of drinks. I had both a port and a beer made with the whey from their cheeses. There are other options, including nonalcoholic drinks for the kids, but I thought the beer was excellent.

Our host spent some time talking about the company’s history, added in some trivia, and made sure we all had a fun time. Jenn even got a chance to go up and wear some clogs during a demonstration. Those wooden clogs are great protection for your feet if you dropped a cheese wheel or some tools on them.

Also, if you’re thinking of buying souvenirs or cheeses to take home, do it after the tasting. We received coupons giving us 10% off any food or drinks in their store downstairs or at other locations. The cheese is packaged well to survive the trip home.

Sample Amsterdam itinerary with kids

If you only have one day in Amsterdam with your family, what should you do? Our recommendation would be the following:

Morning: NEMO Science Museum
Midday: Albert Cuyp Market
Afternoon: Henri Willig Cheese Tasting or Stroopwafel Cooking Class
Evening: Walk along the canals

We don’t advocate doing more than two major attractions per day as it can feel rather cramped. That’s why we only recommend admission to two attractions in this itinerary. We love the idea of starting the day at the NEMO Science Museum. For lunch, you could just eat at NEMO like we did, or you can decide to make your way down to the Albert Cuyp Market. That’s where the Stroopwafel cooking class is at. Alternatively, go to a Henri Willig cheese tasting and fill yourself up on cheese.

In the evening, we like the thought of just walking along the canals. You can’t really go wrong anywhere, but the intersection of the Reguliersgracht canal and the Herengracht canal is one of the more famous in the evening, Feel free to take a canal tour if you want, but we just like wandering around town.

For ideas on what to eat, consider the following restaurants where we ate:

Short FAQ on visiting Amsterdam with kids:

Is Amsterdam walkable with kids?

Yes and no. Some of the attractions are clustered in different areas around the city, but the canals mean you may have inefficient routing. On top of that, some roads don’t have much indication between where the road ends and the sidewalk begins. If you have younger children wanting to walk on their own, you’ll need to pay close attention to them to ensure they don’t wander into the street unintentionally.

On the plus side, the sidewalks (where they exist) aren’t too bumpy, which makes it not too bad if you have a stroller.

How is the public transit system with kids?

The Amsterdam public transit system is a little lacking compared to other European cities. Some places are right along the path of the light rail, which makes it easy. But the canals limit where public transit can go.

This is one city where taking Uber, like we did, might be the best option with your kids. If you don’t travel during rush hour, Uber is quite affordable.

Is Amsterdam safe for families?

What do you think of Amsterdam? Recreational drug use and the red light district? While those do exist in Amsterdam, you don’t need to use that as an excuse not to come to Amsterdam with little ones. If you’re walking by the red light district during daytime, it honestly won’t stand out to kids. And at this point, recreational drug use seems like a common sight in most major cities. That said, we did feel perfectly safe everywhere we went in town.

If you have any concerns about pickpockets, we have a tip to share that might help prevent you from losing anything substantial.

How many days do you need in Amsterdam with kids?

We have visited Amsterdam twice, both for three nights each. If you’re coming with your children, we would recommend around four nights if you want to get the most out of it. Amsterdam surprisingly has a lot of activities you can do for the whole family, and experiencing it all will take time. We also appreciate the rich history the city has and how they’ve made it digestible for kids.

Staying that long will also give you a chance to use Amsterdam as a base while you explore other nearby areas. Places like Rotterdam or Zaanse Schans come to mind, especially if you’re in the mood for those vintage Dutch windmills.

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experiencing the world via gastronomy with our children