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Family outings

Family outings in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is lived by bike and at child height: parks on every corner, museums free for minors, festivities that make little eyes sparkle and the sea half an hour away. Here are our addresses, all checked on official websites.

Verified on 30 October 2026

Parks, playgrounds and farms

Amsterdam is criss-crossed by parks linked by cycle paths: you get there by bike, picnic by the water, and every neighbourhood has its kinderboerderij, a small free city farm.

Good to know

  • The Vondelpark, the city's best-known park, has playgrounds, an open-air theatre in summer and lawns where all of Oud-Zuid gathers at the first ray of sun. Source
  • The Amsterdamse Bos, to the south, is a real forest on the city's doorstep: trails, bike rental, paddling pools in summer and a goat farm. Source
  • At the Ridammerhoeve goat farm, in the heart of the woods, children get close to goats and kids; you can have lunch or a snack on the terrace. Source
  • Artis, one of Europe's oldest zoos, is free for under-3s and includes the aquarium and planetarium in the ticket. Source

Addresses

  • Vondelpark

    Park

    Oud-Zuid

    The big park of the south, playgrounds and an open-air theatre in summer.

    Website Source

  • Amsterdamse Bos

    Park

    Amstelveen (sud d'Amsterdam)

    Forest, lakes, paddling pools and rental bikes for a whole day outdoors.

    Website Source

  • Geitenboerderij Ridammerhoeve

    Park

    Nieuwe Meerlaan 4, Amstelveen

    Organic goat farm in the Amsterdamse Bos, with a restaurant.

    Website Source

  • Westerpark et Westergas

    Park

    Polonceaukade, Westerpark

    Park and former gasworks turned cultural venue, Sunday market and big lawns.

    Website Source

  • Oosterpark

    Park

    Oost

    Oost's family park, close to the Wereldmuseum and Artis.

    Website Source

  • Artis

    Park

    Plantage Kerklaan 38-40, Plantage

    The historic zoo right in town, with an aquarium, planetarium and Micropia next door.

    Website Source

Go further

Museums for children

Amsterdam's great museums take children seriously: family trails, workshops and often free entry for minors. With the Museumkaart, you can pop in for an hour guilt-free.

Good to know

  • The Rijksmuseum is free up to and including age 18 and offers family trails at the entrance; the Van Gogh Museum is free for under-18s, with a booked time slot. Source
  • The Museumkaart gives a year's access to more than 500 Dutch museums; there is a kids' card up to age 12 and a youth card for ages 13 to 18. Source
  • Micropia, the microbe museum next to Artis, is free for children up to age 12. Source

Addresses

  • NEMO Science Museum

    Museum

    Oosterdok 2, 1011 VX Amsterdam

    The big hands-on science museum, paradise for ages 4 to 12, with a rooftop terrace over the harbour.

    Website Source

  • Rijksmuseum

    Museum

    Museumstraat 1, Oud-Zuid

    Rembrandt, ship models and dolls' houses, free up to age 18.

    Website Source

  • Van Gogh Museum

    Museum

    Museumplein 6, Oud-Zuid

    Free for under-18s, with a children's trail.

    Website Source

  • Het Scheepvaartmuseum

    Museum

    Kattenburgerplein 1, 1018 KK Amsterdam

    The maritime museum and its replica East India ship that children can climb aboard.

    Website Source

  • Wereldmuseum Amsterdam

    Museum

    Oost, à côté de l'Oosterpark

    The former Tropenmuseum, world cultures and exhibitions for children.

    Website Source

  • ARTIS-Micropia

    Museum

    Plantage Kerklaan, à côté d'Artis

    The world's only museum devoted to microbes, free up to age 12.

    Website Source

Go further

Libraries and French books

The OBA public library is free for children and young people and has a foreign-language collection. For French, the Alliance française, a French bookshop and a cultural foundation keep the language alive.

Good to know

  • The large OBA Oosterdok, near Central Station, has a whole floor for children, and membership is free for children and young people. Source
  • The Alliance française d'Amsterdam runs classes for native French-speaking children, from age 4 to teenagers, at OBA Oosterdok, at the Lycée Vincent-van-Gogh premises in De Pijp and in Amstelveen. Source
  • Le Temps Retrouvé, the French bookshop on the Keizersgracht, hosts talks and readings with the L'Échappée Belle foundation. Source
  • Amsterdam Accueil runs a rotating library and 'La Petite Librairie' for its members. Source

Addresses

  • OBA Oosterdok

    Library

    Oosterdokskade 143, 1011 DL Amsterdam

    The central library, children's floor and foreign-language books; it hosts the Alliance française.

    Website Source

  • Alliance française d'Amsterdam

    Library

    Dans l'OBA Oosterdok, Oosterdokskade 143

    French classes for children and adults, DELF exams and cultural events.

    Website Source

  • Le Temps Retrouvé

    Library

    Keizersgracht 529, 1017 DP Amsterdam

    French bookshop in the centre, books for all ages and author events.

    Website Source

  • L'Échappée Belle

    Library

    Amsterdam

    French-speaking cultural foundation: literary evenings and the Tapis Rouge film festival.

    Website Source

  • Institut français NL

    Library

    Pays-Bas (programme hors les murs)

    French cultural agenda across the country, magazine and French workshops.

    Website Source

Activities and workshops in French

Between Alliance française classes, Amsterdam Accueil clubs and parents' associations, children can keep a foot in French. For sport, Dutch clubs welcome everyone and immersion does the rest.

Good to know

  • Alliance française classes for French-speaking children range from 'explorers' aged 4 to 6 to 'grands scripteurs' aged 10 and over, on Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday after school. Source
  • Amsterdam Accueil runs pram coffees, bike outings, walks, padel and neighbourhood lunches: a way to meet other French-speaking families from day one. Source
  • The Tapis Rouge French-language film festival takes place every autumn at the Ketelhuis, in Westerpark. Source
  • The swimming diploma (zwemdiploma A) is an institution in the Netherlands: most children take it around 5 or 6, sign them up early as waiting lists are long.

Addresses

  • Alliance française, cours enfants

    Activity

    OBA Oosterdok, De Pijp et Amstelveen

    French classes for French-speaking children, by age and reading level.

    Website Source

  • Amsterdam Accueil, clubs

    Activity

    De Lairessestraat 120, Oud-Zuid

    Pram coffees, cycling, walking, padel and a rotating library.

    Website Source

  • Tapis Rouge Frans Filmfestival

    Activity

    Ketelhuis, Westerpark

    Autumn French-language film festival, from 28 October to 1 November in 2026.

    Website Source

  • NEMO, ateliers et expériences

    Activity

    Oosterdok 2

    Science shows and workshops during school holidays.

    Website Source

Through the seasons

The Netherlands lives to the rhythm of its festivities: the king in orange in spring, Sinterklaas in November, lights on the canals in winter. And as soon as the sun shines, everyone heads to the beach.

Good to know

  • On King's Day (Koningsdag), 27 April, the city turns orange and children sell their old toys at the vrijmarkt, the big street flea market. Source
  • Sinterklaas arrives in Amsterdam by boat in mid-November (Sunday 15 November in 2026) and children get their presents on 5 December, well before Christmas. Source
  • The Amsterdam Light Festival lights up the canals in winter, from 26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027 for its fifteenth edition. Source
  • In spring, the Keukenhof flower park opens from 18 March to 9 May 2027; the tulip fields around Lisse peak in mid-April. Source

Addresses

  • Koningsdag

    Activity

    Toute la ville, 27 avril

    National celebration in orange, vrijmarkt and concerts.

    Website Source

  • Intocht van Sinterklaas

    Activity

    Port et centre-ville, mi-novembre

    Saint Nicholas arriving by boat, a magical moment for little ones.

    Website Source

  • Amsterdam Light Festival

    Activity

    Canaux du centre, novembre à janvier

    Light artworks to discover on foot or by boat.

    Website Source

  • Keukenhof

    Park

    Stationsweg 166a, 2161 AM Lisse

    The world's most famous tulip park, open eight weeks in spring.

    Website Source

  • Plage de Zandvoort

    Park

    Zandvoort aan Zee

    Amsterdam's beach, half an hour by direct train.

    Website Source

Go further

Getaways under two hours away

The country is small and the trains efficient: beach, historic towns, windmills and theme parks are within a day trip, often without a car.

Good to know

  • Zandvoort and Haarlem are less than half an hour away by direct train, and the dunes of the Zuid-Kennemerland national park can be explored by bike between Haarlem and Bloemendaal. Source
  • The Zaanse Schans, with its windmills and clog and cheese workshops, is about ten minutes away by car or train; access to the site is free. Source
  • Paris is a little over three hours away by direct Eurostar: for the holidays, grandparents visit easily.

Addresses

Go further

A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Amsterdam will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 I amsterdam, sorties en famille
  2. 2 Amsterdamse Bos
  3. 3 Rijksmuseum, familles et enfants
  4. 4 Museumkaart
  5. 5 Alliance française d'Amsterdam, cours enfants
  6. 6 Amsterdam Accueil, sorties en famille

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