What To Do in Amsterdam in Summer with Kids 🌞
If you live in Amsterdam, there's lots of reasons why you might not be going away over Summer: work, financial constraints, or to avoid the school holiday peak.
Or maybe you're visiting Amsterdam with kids, and want to see a summary-side to it.
Transform Amsterdam into a Summer vacation at these spots in and around the city:
👙 Swim Outdoors
Westerpark kids pool. This is our go to swimming spot on hot days, and is especially good for toddlers and smaller kids, with shallow clean water (that gets refreshed every morning). It's open everyday from May to October 1, on days when it's 20 degrees or warmer.
We've found it less crowded and chaotic as the big circular kids pools in Vondelpark, Amsterdamse Bos, Noord etc. And there's nice grassy shady spots for parents to set-up picnic blankets overlooking the pool.
With bigger kids? Here's a good list of swimming spots in Amsterdam's lakes, rivers, city beaches, and canals:
🥛 Ride to Broek in Waterland (and stop at the Milk Tap!)
Load the kids up on bikes and bakfietsen, and head North! Pass through Amsterdam Noord, and within about 20mins you're out in open farmland. Follow the bike lane, surrounded by green fields and cows, en route to Broek in Waterland.
De Melktap (The Milk Tap) is a highlight along the way, with fresh chilled milk on tap (bring coins). It's the best milk you've ever tasted, guaranteed!
Broek in Waterland itself feels like a fairytale town, with wooden houses, little canals, a lake, and a great pancake restaurant.
Pass through Nieuwendammerdijk in Amsterdam Noord on the way back, a little wooden village that was gobbled up by Amsterdam, and grab a biertje and bitterballen at Café 't Sluisje. Great day out!
🌳 Get Out In Nature
Everyone goes to Amsterdamse Bos, but not many outside of those living in the far West of Amsterdam, seem to know about Natuurluur: a park with lots of natural elements and water, combined with play areas, activities for kids, and a little forest.
🤸♂️ Get Active Indoors
Let's face it there's bound to be some rainy days where you need to find indoor activities in Amsterdam this Summer. Located underground near Waterlooplein, Vrog seems like it was designed by our 8-year old Olli, with everything he loves to do! With a vast free-running zone, trampolines, indoor football and basketball courts, and a dance studio. Plus a mezzanine café for parents to chill and watch their kids (get badly injured 😂). It's fairly new, so has never been crowded when we've been.
🏖 Go to The Beach
Zandvoort is the closest ocean beach to Amsterdam. With a big, sandy beach, and full of beach bars and restaurants. Head to Hippie Fish, to feel like you're Ibiza or Tulum (just don't look at the colour of the water), which is also surprisingly kid-friendly.
🏛 Fun & Educational Day Trips
- 🚂 Train Museum Utrecht: with lots of trains, a station, a theatre, exciting attractions and a bunch temporary exhibitions and events, you're always on the right track here!
- 🏹 Archeon: step into history and discover how NL was in ancient history. With a Roman town, a medieval town, demonstrations, and people dressed in costume.
- 🎨 Museum Voorlinden: an interactive modern art museum out in nature, that the whole family can enjoy.
