11 Things to Do with Kids in Barcelona

Traveling can be an arduous task for the little ones. That is why it is always a good idea to make activities and plans in which they themselves are the protagonists and enjoy themselves to the fullest. Fortunately, Barcelona is a city very well prepared for children to enjoy it while they get to know it. The range of options for this purpose is very wide and you will not lack ideas.

If you need a little help, here you will find a selection of 10 ideas and plans with which the little ones of the house will be more than satisfied. This includes amusement parks, excursions, different and entertaining experiences and all this without renouncing to know the most touristic part of the city. As you will discover now, Barcelona is a city with a lot to see and do but above all it is also very family-friendly. So here are my recommendations:

Although I have already told you about the Tibidabo park, if we talk about amusement parks we cannot forget Port Aventura. Considered one of the best parks in Europe, this one is located outside Barcelona near the city of Tarragona. However, it is barely an hour away so excursions from Barcelona are very frequent.

These excursions include round-trip transportation from Barcelona and tickets to Port Aventura so they are an option to consider for a family day out.

Actually Port Aventura is a complex that includes the Port Aventura World amusement park, Ferrari Land and a giant water park perfect for the summer. What is the amusement park is divided into 6 thematic zones with more than 40 attractions among which the Furius Baco or the Dragon Khan, two of the most impressive roller coasters in Europe, stand out.

Since it can be visited in one day from Barcelona, it is an unbeatable reward for children.

Information of interest

• Price: From 50 euros approx
• Location: Port Aventura, Tarragona.
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 20:00.

Zoos and aquariums are usually one of the favorite places for children and no wonder. In Barcelona there is both a zoo, located in the Citadel Park, and an aquarium. It is the latter that I recommend the most as it is not just any aquarium and some of the activities it offers are quite special.

For example, it is one of the best aquariums in the world in terms of shark experiences and in addition to diving with sharks, it offers the possibility for children to spend a night in the aquarium sleeping surrounded by thousands of fish and sharks.

Apart from this type of activities, the display of marine animals in the Barcelona aquarium is immense. They have aquariums with Mediterranean and tropical species, themed aquariums with unique species... But its main attraction is its oceanarium, its largest aquarium crossed by an 80-meter tunnel that allows us to submerge almost literally.

The general admission for children over 11 years old costs about 24 euros and the reduced admission for children under that age is around 17 euros. You have the complete information about the prices in this link.

Information of interest

• Price: From 24 euros for adults and 17 euros for children
• Location: Aquarium of Barcelona, in the marina.
• Hours: Every day from 10:00 to 20:00.

There is no better place for children to enjoy than an amusement park. Or at least I can't think of one. And in Barcelona you can find one with a lot of history. The Tibidabo amusement park is located on the mountain with the same name west of Barcelona.

It is the oldest amusement park in Spain and one of the oldest operating parks in the world. This is by no means a disadvantage, even Walt Disney himself stated that it was one of the most magical places he had ever visited and served as inspiration for his parks.

The Tibidabo park consists of 6 different levels where you can find its more than 30 attractions. The most popular are its carousel, the merry-go-round and the Ferris wheel from which we have incredible views of Barcelona. Since the park is on the mountain, the views of the city are some of the best we can have.

Spending a day here costs about 35 euros for adults and 14 euros for children as long as they are less than 120 centimeters. It is a perfect place to enjoy with the family so the entrance fee is gladly paid.

Information of interest

• Price: From 35 euros for adults and 14 euros for children
• Location: Tibidabo Amusement Park
• Hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 20:00. (Varies depending on the season)

The show of the magic fountain of Montjuic is one of the best plans that can be done in Barcelona for free. Given its spectacular nature, it is usually a great success especially among children.

The show consists of a play of lights and music that accompanies the choreography of the powerful jets of water from the fountain. The magic fountain of Montjuic is located at the end of the avenue of Queen Maria Cristina between the Plaza of Spain and the National Palace of Montjuic.

In addition to the show, the area is perfect for a family stroll through the square of the waterfalls to go up to contemplate the views from the terrace of access to the Palace of Montjuic. We can also go up to see the Olympic Village or go to the Arenas shopping center in the Plaza de España where there are plenty of stores, restaurants and places for the whole family.

Information of interest

• Price: Free
• Location: Avenida Reina de Maria Cristina.
• Time: Depending on the season, between 20:00 and 23:00 hours.

Playgrounds are ideal for children to enjoy. In Barcelona there are hundreds of them but there are some more special than others. And of all of them the best is the Can Mercader park. This park has more than 10 hectares of green areas, terraces, swings, sports facilities and all kinds of amenities to enjoy a day with the family.

But undoubtedly what makes this park special and its most special feature are the mini electric trains that run through the park. No child can resist them and can get on them to travel around the park on the tracks that are all over the park. They only operate on Sundays and holidays. Although Can Mercader is located in Cornella, it is well worth the trip and can be reached in just half an hour by taking line 5 from, for example, Plaza de España.

Information of interest

• Price: Free
• Location: Can Mercader Park in Cornella
• Hours: The electric train is in operation on Sundays and holidays from 11:15 to 13:30.

The Barcelona cable car is one of the most original ways to move around Montjuic and always a very popular experience among the little ones of the house.

This cable car runs along the heights of Montjuic in a route of about 750 meters and allows us to have privileged views of some points of Barcelona as the Camp Nou, La Sagrada Familia or the area of Plaza de España. The starting point of this route is at the Parc Montjuic stop and goes straight to the castle of Montjuic.

Tickets for the cable car cost €9.40 for adults and €7.50 for children between 4 and 12 years old. This is only for a one-way ticket. Return tickets are 12.70 for adults and 9.20 for children. In both cases children under 4 years old do not pay admission.

Another option to take a cable car is to go up to Montjuic from the port of Barcelona in a tour of about 10 minutes in which to have the best views of the port of Barcelona.

Information of interest

• Price: From 9.40 for adults and 7.50 for children.
• Location: Montjuic, parc Montjuic stop.
• Opening hours: From 10:00 to 18:00 in winter, from 10:00 to 21:00 in summer.

The beach is always a safe bet for children to enjoy. And in Barcelona, especially in the summer months when the heat is hot, it is a highly recommended option. In Barcelona there are several beaches that, due to their location and services, are perfect for a family day out.

The first of these, and the best known, is the Barceloneta beach. In its more than 500 meters long there is space for sports areas, spaces for renting umbrellas and sun loungers, lockers and showers and public toilets.

But Barceloneta also has children's play areas for the little ones. In addition to having all kinds of amenities, on the promenade next to the beach there are dozens of restaurants and bars for lunch or dinner. Also, given its location very close to the center, it is very easy to get there. Another option with similar characteristics is the beach of Sant Sebastia, very close to Barceloneta.

Information of interest

• Price: Free
• Location: Barceloneta Beach

Children are among the best soccer fans. And if you visit Barcelona, it is in your hands to fulfill the dreams of many of them, especially for Barsa fans. Barcelona is a very soccer-loving city thanks in part to clubs like Barcelona, which offers its fans the chance to fulfill their dream of visiting its stadium with the Camp Nou Experience.

This experience includes a tour of the stadium's facilities. You can visit the stands, the dressing rooms, the tunnel and a view of the entire stadium at the foot of the pitch. You can also visit the club's museum where its history is reviewed and its numerous trophies are exhibited. If soccer is one of the biggest illusions of some of the children in Barcelona this is the right place.

Information of interest

• Price: From 50 euros approx.
• Place: Camp Nou
• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00. Sundays from 10:00 to 15:00.

A priori a tour of Gaudi's Barcelona does not sound very attractive to do with children. But it is a mistake, because these tours tend to delight the little ones for two reasons: If you go with children the visits and the guides adapt to make them more enjoyable, and second is that the striking architecture of Gaudi always surprises children. Enjoying Gaudí with children is perfectly compatible.

In these tours we take a tour of Gaudi's monuments and buildings in Barcelona. The pillars and main points of the tour, as you can imagine, are the Casa Batlló and La Pedrera, Park Güell and the Sagrada Familia.

In these cases you can combine the visits in many ways. For example, you can get joint tickets only for Park Güell and Sagrada Familia or for the two Gaudi houses on Passeig de Gracia. In any case, don't be afraid to take the kids on these tours as they are sure to enjoy it.

Information of interest

• Price: From 20 euros approx. (depending on the type of tour)
• Location: Gaudi's Barcelona

The "Golondrinas" are emblematic boats of Barcelona that leave from the port to make tours along the coastline of the city. A different way to know and see the city that is very popular among children.

The swallows are located in the port in front of the statue of Columbus where they have their embarkation point. The tour of these boats goes through the Port Vell area where you can see several emblems of the city such as the Hotel Vela, the clock tower, or the Maremagnum.

There are two types of tours depending on their duration. The first one lasts about 40 minutes and always goes inside the port, and the other one lasts about an hour and a half, which also covers more areas of the coastline.

Tickets start at 7.70 euros. It is an ideal activity for children as they can enjoy nature while getting to know part of the city.

Information of interest

• Price: From 7.70 euros.
• Location: Barcelona Marina.
• Schedule: From 11:00 to 18:00 approx with departures every hour.

Let them enjoy the Chocolate Museum where they will discover the history of this product so important in the tradition of the city of Barcelona. With the tickets to the Museu de la Xocolata they will be able to visit its different rooms, learn about its uses and of course taste it.

If you prefer, you can also take your children to Casa Amatller, the place where the family of the famous chocolatier Antonio Amatller lived. The building, with its exquisite modernist architecture, can be visited thanks to skip-the-line tickets that allow you to visit the different bedrooms, the dining room or the music room. You will be amazed by the interior decoration.

Although, yes, maybe the children will enjoy it less because there is no chocolate tasting...