So, book your flights through Cathay Pacific and read this list of 10 family-friendly things to do in Amsterdam.

Tuschinski

This is a more surreal and beautiful movie theatre in Amsterdam. Its interior is well wort
seeing, especially for the fans of art decor. The lights bring an artistic and flamboyant
atmosphere. The seats are very comfy and the sounds are good enough to keep children awake.
Elders can enjoy a fancy beer before a movie! Even if you are not planning to watch a movie it is
worth the visit to see its mesmerizing architecture. Grab your kid a drink and a snack from the
snack bar for free until the movie begins!

NEMO Science Museum

Looking for some educational stuff with fun? Go to the NEMO science museum. It exhibits a
great balance between fun and education exploration. Adults will feel as they’ve gone back to
school days but it’s worth a lot of people with scientific curiosity. The roof restaurant
overlooking Amsterdam is open for everyone to get refreshed. The museum itself is full of
interesting facts and self-experiments as well which you try yourself for extra fun. This setup is
of five floors where Science seems easy to understand!

Artis Zoo

It’s an awesome zoo right in the centre of Amsterdam. Artis is all about nature and freedom as
almost all the animals are kept in very spacious cages where they can walk here and there. There
are lots of animals including elephants, chimpanzees, gorillas, sea lions, insects, jaguar, wolves,
giraffe, zebra, kangaroo and an aquarium as well. This is a must-visit place for every family in
Amsterdam. Lion feeding is the coolest thing here. Walking through the never-ending pathways
gives much relaxation. Overall it’s an impressive home for animals with lots of places to sit and
eat. Animals seem to be happy to live here!

Tropenmuseum

Finding a way to spend a rainy afternoon? Head to Tropenmuseum. This is a stunning museum
with a very interesting contemporary approach. It will mostly give you knowledge about gender
exposition, slavery and colonization. It also houses artefacts from Dutch colonies like Indonesia,
Papua and New Guinea. Wooden facemasks and wooden canoes and those artefacts tell a huge story with some beliefs. To make your children aware of the Netherland’s colonization plus cultural aspects of historical and modern-day, Tropenmuseum is the right place.

Canal Boat Tours

Take a look at the picturesque Amsterdam from the waterways! There is no better option to see
the city on a sunny day other than by boat. It will donate you a different but pleasant experience
to appreciate the attractions of the water. Every tour combines foods and drinks. You can arrange
the tour from the hotels in Amsterdam that you check-in. A better way is purchasing a hop-on,
hop-off ticket so that it accompanies you to many attractions.

Anne Frank Huis

This is probably one of the most popular museums in Amsterdam. The surreal feeling you get
after reading the diary of Anne Frank appears in front of you when you enter this place. So it is a
very touchy place to all the peeps out there who have read or heard her story. The museum’s
attempt of showing how Anne Frank and her family lived for entirely 2 tragic years inside a
house is seen successful. This is a memorial which must be visited by everyone in Amsterdam
with respect.

Vondel Park

Kids looking for a place to run and chill? Head to the VondelPark. It is a nice reach between
wall-to-wall urban buildings in Amsterdam. Vondel Park is full of greenery, wide lawns and
places to sit and enjoy. The place is big enough that even with so many people, it never feels so
crowded. Vondel Park is great for biking, inline skating, having a picnic or just having a nap. If
you are staying in Amsterdam, come here with your whole family for jogging or relaxing!

Amsterdamse Bos

Visiting the Netherlands during summer months? Amsterdamse Bostheater must be a definite
travel destination for you. It’s an open-air theatre with a forest in the backdrop. It usually releases
a new film every summer month. It is possible to dine in a nearby restaurant. Since performances
are done in open air concerning the weather before the visit is essential. The audience can
withstand a capacity of 1500 people at once. You must get that chill by watching a performance
among trees and under the stars!

Goat Farm Ridammerhoeve

This is such a nice and cosy place to spend time with kids and families. It is quite a big farm
where goats and chickens walk around. Your children will love to cuddle and feed those baby
goats. Next to the farm is a forest where you can walk or do a picnic. You must try its ice-cream
made of goat milk. Visiting here on a weekend is a good option. Don’t forget to buy some
homemade cheese to take home!

Madame Tussauds Amsterdam

All the Madame Tussauds museums in the world are almost identical. The wax museum in
Amsterdam is worth a visit if you are interested in seeing some Dutch personalities. I suggest
this as a great way to make historical figures more familiar with one’s children. Those statues
look so real and the building is so cool. People enjoy clicking pictures with celebrity statues and
other props. To spend a rainy afternoon with your family, Madame Tussauds Amsterdam is a
brilliant option.

Giethoorn is a small village with embellishing flower plantation, small green yards, thatched-roof cottages, wooden bridges, singing birds and quacking ducks and no roads, just connecting waterways. You can’t ride a motorcycle or drive a car in Giethoorn. Additionally, the residents of Giethoorn are welcoming, cooperative and very friendly. It’s so different, so peaceful and has such simple beauty that it hardly seems real which make it one of the hidden gems in the Netherlands.

Giethoorn village is located in in the Dutch province of Overijssel, Holland and is famously referred to as the Venice of Holland or the small Venice of the North’. It got its unique name from many goat horns that were found in the area by its first inhabitants. (Goat horn=giet hoorn) The horns were thought to have been left over from a huge flood in the tenth century.

The many water canals that make the village so unique, were made by peat harvesters. When they cut and removed the peat, canals, and lakes were formed. Small islands were formed, where peat harvesters then constructed their houses.

In 1958 Giethoorn Village was selected as a filming site by the Dutch film producer Bert Haanstra for his Fanfare comedy movie. The village has been in the spotlight since then and it receives a reasonable number of tourists each year.

Best prices for your accommodation in Giethoorn: Booking.com | Agoda

Things To Do With Your Family In Giethoorn Village

Boating

A must do in Giethoorn village is to rent a boat. You can hire a boat with a captain or rent your own boat. This is by far the best way to explore Giethoorn. There are different types of boats and also several boat rental options. You can rent a Whisper Boat. This is an open-air boat that’s equipped with a silent electric motor. The nickname whisper comes from the low noise level of the boat.

The whisper boats have a flat bottom and are stable. The water in the lake and the canals is shallow and is only around one meter deep. As a result, a rental boat is also suitable for families with kids. For a more comfortable and enjoyable journey, you can bring some cushions.

You’ll be given very easy to understand instructions on how you can control the boat, and you’ll also be given navigation maps of the waterways.

You and your family can also rent a canoe paddling boat or a punter. It’s also possible to do an evening canal cruise or a guided trip with a large boat. For the more sporty types, Giethoorn village offers the possibility for suppen which is stand up paddleboarding.

Events and Festivals

In August the entire village including buildings, gondolas, gardens, and bridges are decorated with lights. For music lovers, between June and November, they’re five different music festivals that host blues, jazz, folk, and rock musicians. There’s also a strong man competition, where contestants compete to win the title of, the Strongest man in the Netherlands.

Biking

You and your family can enjoy the sights culture and history of the picturesque village of Giethoorn by bike. There’re many different biking routes:

• ANWB cycle route (37km)
• Giethoorn Weerribben Cycle Route (46km) – This route takes you and your family through the wetlands of National Parks De Wieden and De Weerribben.
• Bicycle route Giethoorn Wanneperveen (20km)
• Giethoorn – Bossen Eese, De Woldberg (43 km)
• Rietsnijders route (35 km)
• Giethoorn route – This is certainly one of the best cycling routes for families because it’s suitable for all ages and it will take you and your family through the village.

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Museums

You and your family can also visit the ‘t Olde Maat Uus, which is a museum farm that enables visitors to discover the meaning of a farmer’s life around 1900 and the historical development of the village during that period. Moreover, there are expositions of practising ancient handicrafts and trades such as reed covering, peat stabbing, and building “punter”-boats.

Another interesting museum is the Museum De Oude Aarde. It was founded in 1969 by Rene Boissevain. He travelled all around the world to collect specimens for the distinct collection of minerals that are now displayed in the museum. Currently, the Visser family operates the museum. They also travel to various parts of the world searching for beautiful minerals and crystals to add to the collection.

You can also visit the old time museum that houses bikes, old car’s, and skates and the Shells museum.

Souvenir Shopping

If you like purchasing unique keepsakes from the areas you visit, you can go to one of the many shops in Giethoorn. There’re all kinds of trinkets and souvenirs to choose from.

Relaxation and Sporting

Giethoorn is home to an all-weather swimming pool, the bowling hotel, and the cinema City theatre that all provide a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. Fishing and ice skating are some of the sporting activities which will keep you and your family thrilled during your visit to the Giethoorn village.

Have you been to a village or a city where there is almost no car?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Peter Hanson is a motorcycle enthusiast and expert on motorcycle travel. He loves to travel and has covered a lot of countries over the past eight years. In each country, he takes the time to record his impressions.

Visit his blog to read more articles about motorcycle travelling and helpful tips!