Skip to main content
MumExpat

Family outings

Family outings in Brussels

Brussels is greener than you think, with green space over half the Region, and its museums cater for children, from dinosaurs to trains. Everything happens in French, and the sea, Bruges or the Ardennes are within weekend reach. Our addresses, checked on official websites.

Verified on 30 October 2026

Parks, woods and the Sonian Forest

The large green spaces are mostly on the outskirts, to the south and east, where many families live. In the centre, Brussels Park and the Cinquantenaire make ideal breaks between two visits.

Good to know

  • The Region has some 8,000 hectares of green space, half its territory, but unevenly spread: most of it is on the outskirts. Source
  • The Bois de la Cambre is closed to cars from Saturday morning to Sunday evening: bikes, scooters and pushchairs have free rein. Wooded parks close in high winds. Source
  • Bruxelles Environnement's Brussels Gardens app and website list every green space, with opening hours and transport. Source

Addresses

  • Bois de la Cambre

    Park

    Bout de l'avenue Louise, Bruxelles-Ville et Uccle

    The big family park of the south: the Pelouse des Anglais, a ravine, and a six-hectare lake with an island reached by ferry.

    Website Source

  • Forêt de Soignes

    Park

    Uccle, Watermael-Boitsfort, Auderghem, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre

    An ancient forest at the city's gates, a listed site and Natura 2000 area: rides and walks, all-terrain pushchair recommended.

    Website Source

  • Rouge-Cloître

    Park

    Auderghem

    Gateway to the Sonian Forest around a former priory, with ponds and wetlands.

    Website Source

  • Parc de Woluwe

    Park

    Woluwe-Saint-Pierre et Auderghem

    One of the largest parks in Brussels, rolling English-style, with four ponds.

    Website Source

  • Parc Josaphat

    Park

    Schaerbeek

    Twenty hectares of ponds, lawns and play areas, with an aviary of birds and farmyard animals, and bandstand concerts in summer.

    Website Source

  • Parc du Cinquantenaire

    Park

    Etterbeek et Bruxelles-Ville

    French-style gardens beneath the triumphal arch, surrounded by museums (Autoworld, Art and History): the combined park and museum outing.

    Website Source

  • Parc de Bruxelles

    Park

    Entre le Palais royal et le Parlement, 1000 Bruxelles

    The city's oldest public park, right in the centre, with wardens every day from 8:00 to 21:00.

    Website Source

Go further

Children's museums and free museums

Dinosaurs, trains, comics, musical instruments: Brussels has museums children ask for. And many are free once a month.

Good to know

  • On the first Wednesday of the month, several major museums are free in the afternoon, including the Natural Sciences Institute and the Royal Museums of Art and History; others are free on the first Sunday, and about thirty Brussels museums are always free. Source
  • Every autumn, the Place aux Enfants day opens the backstage of dozens of places, museums included, to 8 to 12-year-olds; in 2026, 22 Brussels museums took part. Source
  • The Children's Museum, in Ixelles, opens on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons and during all school holidays, with creative workshops. Source

Addresses

  • Muséum des Sciences naturelles

    Museum

    Rue Vautier 29, 1000 Bruxelles

    Its Dinosaur Gallery and Bernissart iguanodons are a must for little ones; free on the first Wednesday afternoon.

    Website Source

  • Musée des Enfants

    Museum

    Rue du Bourgmestre 15, 1050 Ixelles

    A hands-on museum to touch and play, with workshops and birthday parties; it celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026.

    Website Source

  • Train World

    Museum

    Gare de Schaerbeek, 1030 Schaerbeek

    The railway museum in a historic station, with real locomotives up close.

    Website Source

  • Musée de la Bande Dessinée (CBBD)

    Museum

    Rue des Sables 20, 1000 Bruxelles

    Tintin, the Smurfs and Spirou in an Art Nouveau store by Victor Horta.

    Website Source

  • Musée des Instruments de Musique (MIM)

    Museum

    Mont des Arts, 1000 Bruxelles

    Hundreds of instruments to listen to, and a terrace with a city view on the top floor.

    Website Source

  • Atomium

    Museum

    Place de l'Atomium 1, 1020 Bruxelles

    The Expo 58 spheres and the view from the top; combine with Mini-Europe and the Planetarium, on the same Heysel plateau.

    Website Source

  • Mini-Europe

    Museum

    Bruparck, 1020 Bruxelles

    Europe's landmarks in miniature, at the foot of the Atomium.

    Website Source

  • Planétarium de Bruxelles

    Museum

    Heysel, 1020 Bruxelles

    Dome shows to discover the sky, near the Atomium.

    Website Source

Libraries, toy libraries and children's books

No need for a French media library in Brussels: the French-speaking communal libraries all have a children's section, and several lend games too.

Good to know

  • The biblio.brussels portal brings together the catalogue of French-speaking libraries in the 19 communes, the events calendar and book selections by age. Source
  • Registration is free with an ID card, and so is borrowing: in Ixelles, each reader borrows up to 15 books for four weeks. Source
  • Several libraries are linked to a toy library (Uccle-Le Phare, Auderghem, Forest, Watermael-Boitsfort...) to borrow games like books. Source

Addresses

  • Bibliothèque des Riches Claires

    Library

    Rue des Riches Claires 24, 1000 Bruxelles

    The central library for the Region, in the heart of town.

    Website Source

  • Bibliothèque communale francophone d'Ixelles

    Library

    Rue Mercelis 19, 1050 Ixelles

    Adult and children's sections, toy library and work space, open on Wednesday afternoon and Saturday.

    Website Source

  • Bibliothèque Uccle-Le Phare

    Library

    Chaussée de Waterloo 935, 1180 Uccle

    Library, media library and toy library together, in the south of Uccle; Uccle also has its Centre and Homborch branches.

    Website Source

  • Bibliothèques de Woluwe-Saint-Pierre

    Library

    Avenue Charles Thielemans 93, 1150 Woluwe-Saint-Pierre

    Central library and media library at the town hall, plus two neighbourhood branches (Joli-Bois, Chant d'Oiseau).

    Website Source

  • Le Wolf, maison de la littérature jeunesse

    Library

    Rue de la Violette 20, 1000 Bruxelles

    Illustrator exhibitions, workshops, holiday courses, birthdays and a Café-Poussette, a stone's throw from the Grand-Place.

    Website Source

Activities, youth movements and holiday camps

All activities happen in French, and the great Belgian classic is youth movements: a weekly meeting and a summer camp. During school holidays, sports and creative camps take over.

Good to know

  • Les Scouts offer a search engine to find a unit near you; sign up early, places go at the start of the school year. Source
  • The Adeps, the sports administration of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, runs sports camps in every school holiday, in its centres in Brussels and Wallonia, as day or residential camps. Source
  • For young mums, Bruxelles Accueil runs a Café Poussette, and Le Wolf a Café-Poussette around books for toddlers. Source

Addresses

  • Les Scouts

    Activity

    The pluralist federation of French-speaking scouts, with units in every commune.

    Website Source

  • Guides Catholiques de Belgique

    Activity

    The other major French-speaking youth movement, with open days at the start of the year to discover local units.

    Website Source

  • Stages Adeps

    Activity

    Multi-sport and outdoor camps during every school holiday, from young children to teenagers.

    Website Source

  • Ateliers du Musée des Enfants

    Activity

    Rue du Bourgmestre 15, 1050 Ixelles

    Creative, cooking and craft workshops for families, by booking during the holidays.

    Website Source

  • Ateliers et stages du Wolf

    Activity

    Rue de la Violette 20, 1000 Bruxelles

    Illustration and writing workshops, holiday courses and book-themed birthday parties.

    Website Source

  • Jeunesses Musicales Wallonie-Bruxelles

    Activity

    School and public concerts for children in Brussels and Wallonia, in every style.

    Website Source

Through the seasons and festivities

Saint Nicholas on 6 December matters as much as Christmas for Belgian children, winter is spent at Winter Wonders, spring at the Royal Greenhouses and summer on the Grand-Place. Note the National Day on 21 July too.

Good to know

  • Winter Wonders, the Christmas market and its attractions downtown, runs from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with a children's programme. Source
  • The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken open to the public for only a few weeks in spring, by booking; in 2026, from 17 April to 10 May. Source
  • The Flower Carpet covers the Grand-Place every other year in August: after the 2026 edition, the next is planned for 2028. Source
  • The consulate is closed on 21 July (Belgian National Day) and has its own closing calendar, mixing Belgian and French holidays: check its closing days before an appointment. Source

Addresses

  • Plaisirs d'Hiver

    Activity

    Centre-ville, 1000 Bruxelles

    Christmas market and attractions, with a Kids programme, from late November to early January.

    Website Source

  • Serres royales de Laeken

    Activity

    Domaine royal de Laeken, 1020 Bruxelles

    A walk under glass among the flowers, a few weeks a year in spring; tickets online, quickly sold out.

    Website Source

  • Tapis de fleurs

    Activity

    Grand-Place, 1000 Bruxelles

    An ephemeral begonia carpet on the Grand-Place, in even years in mid-August.

    Website Source

  • Ommegang

    Activity

    Grand-Place et Sablon, 1000 Bruxelles

    The great historical summer pageant, with jousting, crossbowmen and a Renaissance village.

    Website Source

Go further

Trips under two hours away

Belgium is small and the train goes everywhere: the sea, the Flemish cities, the caves and citadels of Wallonia and the big wildlife parks are less than two hours from Brussels.

Good to know

  • The Hergé Museum, in Louvain-la-Neuve, and the Waterloo Memorial are about half an hour from the south of Brussels. Source
  • For the coast, De Haan is one of the most family-friendly resorts, with its dunes and beach close to the coast tram. Source
  • Visit Flanders and Visit Wallonia detail outing ideas by region; Bruxelles Accueil also recommends both sites to newcomers. Source

Addresses

  • Bruges

    Flandre occidentale, environ 1h en train

    Canal boat rides, the belfry and chocolate makers: the museum city works very well with children.

    Website Source

  • Gand

    Flandre orientale, environ 30 min en train

    The Castle of the Counts and its armour, the quays and boats: fewer crowds than Bruges.

    Website Source

  • Zoo d'Anvers

    À côté de la gare d'Anvers-Central

    One of the world's oldest zoos, right outside the train station: the easy outing without a car.

    Website Source

  • Pairi Daiza

    Brugelette, Hainaut

    Belgium's big wildlife and botanical park; plan the whole day.

    Website Source

  • Walibi Belgium

    Wavre, Brabant wallon

    The theme park south-east of Brussels, with rides for all ages.

    Website Source

  • Domaine des Grottes de Han

    Han-sur-Lesse, province de Namur

    The caves, the wildlife park and the little tram: the Ardennes nature day out.

    Website Source

  • Citadelle de Namur

    Namur, environ 1h en train

    A citadel and its underground passages above the Meuse, with a little tourist train.

    Website Source

  • Musée Hergé

    Museum

    Louvain-la-Neuve, Brabant wallon

    The whole world of Tintin's creator, in a building by Christian de Portzamparc.

    Website Source

Go further

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

Sources for this page

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

  1. 1 be.brussels, parcs et espaces verts
  2. 2 Bruxelles Environnement, Brussels Gardens
  3. 3 Brussels Museums, les musées gratuits à Bruxelles
  4. 4 biblio.brussels, bibliothèques francophones de la Région
  5. 5 Adeps, stages sportifs
  6. 6 Plaisirs d'Hiver
  7. 7 Bruxelles Accueil, loisirs

Get updates to the Brussels guide

Verified addresses, official sources, school-year dates: we write when the Brussels guide changes, never more than once a week.

Other sections of the Brussels guide

Report a change

A place has closed, a number has changed, something is no longer right? Please tell us: we check and fix the Brussels guide.

What is going on?