10 Things to Do with Kids in Berlin

When traveling with children we must be aware that their interests may be different from ours. So, no matter how much the parents like a museum, it is quite likely that the little ones will get bored after a while. For that reason, you should introduce activities designed for them.

The advantage of the German capital is that you will have no trouble finding plans for the kids to have a good time. Among other things, you will be able to take them to its wonderful parks with areas dedicated to them, enter some museums that are sure to catch their attention or, if you dare, even ride in a balloon.

With a little skill, you can add a touch of mystery and fun to your visit to Berlin with kids. You just have to visit some places where they will discover the life of spies and some hidden corners of the city that are going to draw a lot of their attention. I propose you some options:

• Spy Museum: Berlin, during the Cold War, was one of the cities with more spies in the world. Although it is not specifically designed for the little ones, they will have a great time discovering the objects of the secret agents. Located in Leipziger Platz, near Potsdamer Platz and the entrance fee is 7 € (5 € for children).
• Innsbrucker Platz Tunnel: Through this tunnel you reach a mysterious abandoned subway train station. Tickets are purchased at the south entrance of the Gesundbrunnen subway station and cost about 12 €.
• The GDR Museum: Although you should explain the context very well, since there are some parts that may be too dark for them, it houses areas that they may like East. It is located in Karl-Liebknecht-Straße. The price for adults is around 10 €, while children only pay 6 €.

Discover Museum Island with your children

It is clear that when traveling to Berlin, even with children, a visit to the Museum Island is a must. If the visit is well organized and not too long, there is no doubt that they can find many interesting things. However, it is also worth taking a look at the list of best museums in the city to find some that will be more entertaining for them. Here are some examples:

• Museum of Video Games: Inside you will be able to learn about the first computer games and game consoles. Located in Karl-Marx-Allee 93A. General admission is about 9 €, but children pay about 5 €.
• Anne Frank Center: Depending on the age of the child it may be interesting to take them to this Berlin museum associated with the one in Amsterdam. It is located in Rosenthaler Str. 39. The price for adults is about 6 € and children under 10 years are free.
• Natural History Museum: one of the most liked by children of any age. In its collection you can see more than 25 million samples of minerals, animals and paleontology. Oh, and dinosaurs! The address is Invalidenstraße 43 and the entrance fee for adults is about 8 € (children between 6 and 15 years, 5 €).

Take them to the best exhibition on the human body

If your kids love science, another place to take them is the Body Worlds exhibition in Berlin. Here they will discover the most impressive aspects of the human body through an exhibition of more than 200 figures, in which muscles, organs and tissues are recreated to perfection.

The attractions in the center of Berlin are almost endless, but I'm sure that among them you weren't expecting to find a large aquarium with more than 5,000 marine specimens of 80 different species. Although children will really enjoy the visit, I'm sure adults will also have a good time.

Book your ticket for the Berlin Aquarium. It is located next to Alexanderplatz, in the Mitte district. Inside you can see 35 different pools that reproduce various types of natural spaces. The very structure of the place is spectacular, since it is a cylindrical aquarium with an interior elevator through which you go up surrounded by a million liters of salt water.

As usual, the animals that usually attract the most attention of children are sharks, although rays, octopuses, seahorses and catfish are also interesting.

Practical information

• Hours: every day of the week between 11 am and 5 pm.
• Price: over 15 years old pay about 19 €, while the entrance fee for children is about 15 €.

With its 3,500 square meters of floor space, booking tickets for the Legoland Discovery Centre is a must if you are going with children. It is one of the most visited places by Berlin families and tourists who go with children between 3 and 10 years old, ages for which the activities are recommended.

In this space, in addition to contemplate spectacular constructions made with Legos, the little ones will be able to play and create their own structures. It also has a room that projects a 4D movie, attractions and the so-called Merlin's library.

One of the areas of this center is the Miniland, where children (and adults) will be able to see the most famous monuments of Berlin made with Lego pieces.

Practical information

• Price: the entrance fee for both adults and children is about 19 €.
• Opening hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The last entrance must be before 3 pm.

For approximately 29 €, I recommend that you don't miss the opportunity to book tickets for a Die Welt balloon ride. Unless they are afraid of heights, this is one of the activities that children will remember most from the whole trip.

The balloon, attached by a steel cable, takes off every 15 minutes from near Checkpoint Charlie. During the flight you will be able to see the Brandenburg Gate, have a perspective of the Spree River and see a different image of the Reichstag.

If you go with children and young people you can not miss to book tickets for Dungeon Berlin, where you will know the most chilling history of the German capital. A very different and original family activity!

With your ticket you will have access to a total of 10 recreations of the most terrifying moments of Berlin with an expert guide and various actors and actresses who will entertain your visit. You will meet key characters from history such as the Lady in White or the Dark Jester, you will take a raft ride and experience a fall from no less than 12 meters high in the dark.

You have a wide variety of schedules to fit this activity into your vacation schedule. From 11:30 a.m. to approximately 5:45 p.m. and the entrance fee is 23 ¤ for those over 15 years old and 17 ¤ for children from 8 - 14 years old.

Anyone who has visited the German capital, (even if you have traveled in winter to Berlin), will have noticed how many families flock to its parks and gardens to hang out. You only have to book a guided tour of Berlin to see for yourself. If you have gone with children, it is best to imitate the locals and choose the green area that best suits their tastes.

One of the attractions of these green areas is that almost all of them have playgrounds for children.

• For the most active, for example, the park located on the runways of the former Tempelhof airport is the best option. There they will be able to ride a bike or skateboard without any problems.
• If they are fans of fairy tales, no place more appropriate than Volkspark Friedrichshain, where they will find a fountain adorned with sculptures of the characters created by the Brothers Grimm. It is also the oldest public park in the city and has a pond, sports facilities and, in summer, an open-air cinema.
• The park called The Gardens of the World is, without a doubt, a place that can become one of the children's favorites during their trip to Berlin. Located in the district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf, in this area they will not only find a fantastic labyrinth and a playground, but also discover different styles of gardens (from Chinese to British) and taste food from different parts of the world.

Although it has no beach, if you have traveled to Berlin in summer you will find several spaces near the river set up for locals and visitors to enjoy a swim and a picnic in the area.

• The most interesting urban beaches are Kinderbad Monbijou (more familiar) and Badeschiff, with a more festive atmosphere.
• The lakes that surround the capital and can be easily reached by subway are the Wannsee, the Grunewald Forest Lake and the Müggelsee.

Of course, the other great water-related option is a cruise around the German capital. Don't hesitate to book a Berlin cruise. You're sure to love it.

and if you are traveling in winter, take them ice skating!

It can be said that Berlin in winter trades baths for ice rinks. Especially if you have traveled to Berlin at Christmas you will find rinks in several of the most important squares of the city. Among all of them highlights the one that is installed in the so-called Winterwelt (Winter World ), a kind of fair located in the middle of Potsdamer Platz.

Moreover, many Berliners move to the same lakes where they bathe in summer but, this time, to skate on its icy surface.

One of the most curious places you can take your children while in Berlin is the MACHmit! Opened in 1993 with the intention of being a mix between a playground and a museum. Specifically, its activities are designed for children between 4 and 12 years old.

Located in the Prenzlauer Berg district, this place is expressly designed for children to participate. To begin with, they are sure to be amazed when they see where it is located, since in 2003 it was moved to the interior of a renovated neo-Gothic church. Here are some of its main areas:

• In its main exhibition hall, in the central nave, you are going to find a large wooden shelf in the manner of a vertical labyrinth through which they are going to be able to climb.
• Another popular area is the mirror room, as well as the soap store, the printing press and the library. There is also a playroom and several didactic exhibitions that change their theme every year.
• Finally, where the altar used to be, an amphitheater has been installed in which various shows take place while parents spend time in the cafeteria.

Practical information

• Address: Senefelderstraße, 5.
• Opening hours: Thursdays and Fridays from 2 pm to 6 pm; Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm.
• Price: about €7.

One of the advantages of touring the neighborhoods of Berlin beyond the center is that you will find places that, for sure, you did not expect. For children, for example, there are few more fun than the Robin Hood Spielplatz, a theme park inspired by the popular character.

At Savignyplatz, near Kurfürstendamm Avenue, you will find a wonderful recreation of Sherwood Forest, the place where Robin Hood lived his adventures. The central point of the park, which occupies about 14,000 square meters, is a huge castle full of towers and houses. From this point, across a bridge, you reach the tree houses where Robin Hood and his comrades lived.

The play area extends throughout the park: sports courts, a water park, sledding hills and picnic tables.

More adventures for children: the pirate ship play area

If Robin Hood doesn't convince them, maybe a pirate ship will. This is located in a children's playground near Charlottenburg Palace, so it can be a perfect stop if you have decided to visit this splendid monument.

The main attraction of the park is obviously the pirate ship, which older children can try to climb using the climbing nets and feel like a real privateer for a few hours.

With the reunification of Berlin the city found itself with some duplicate facilities. Among them were two zoos. Today, both are still in operation and often provide many good times for the little ones.

The Berlin Zoo, located near Kurfürstendamm, is considered to have the most animal species in the world, more than 16,000. It is also the most visited zoo in Europe. Among its attractions is its huge aviary, in addition to the aquarium with sharks and piranhas. It also has a children's area where children can interact with sheep, goats, ponies and donkeys.

The other zoo in the city, Tierpark, is much smaller, housing only about 900 different species.

• Make a list of everything to see and do in Berlin: This way, you can explain each of the monuments and museums and, thus, enliven the visit to the smallest of the house.
• Take advantage of the sightseeing bus: we all know that children tend to get tired of walking around the city quickly. The Berlin sightseeing buses are the perfect alternative to visit the most important monuments of the German capital without getting tired. You just need to study the stops to see where to get off and where to get back on.
• Public transport: children under 6 years old can travel for free, while those between 6 and 14 years old are entitled to a reduced fare. Transport is also easily accessible with baby strollers.
• Bicycles: Berlin is a very friendly city for those who prefer to be on two wheels. If you prefer something more organized, there are several interesting bike tours.
• Museums: Most museums have reduced admission for children.