10 Things to Do with Kids in Berlin

When you travel with children you have to be aware that their interests may be different from yours. So, no matter how much your parents love a museum, it's quite likely that the little ones will get bored after a while. For this reason, you should introduce activities designed for them.

The advantage of the German capital is that you won't have any problems finding plans for children to have fun. Among other things, you'll be able to take them to the wonderful parks with areas dedicated to them, visit some museums that are sure to catch their attention or, if you dare, even ride in a hot air balloon.

With a little skill, you can add a touch of mystery and fun to your visit to Berlin with children. Just visit a few places where they will discover the life of spies and some hidden corners of the city that will catch their attention. Here are a few options:

• Spy Museum: Berlin, during the Cold War, was one of the cities with the most 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 on Leipziger Platz, very close to Potsdamer Platz, the entrance fee is €7**(€5 for children**).
• Innsbrucker Platz Tunnel: This tunnel leads to a mysterious abandoned underground railway station. Tickets can be purchased at the south entrance of the Gesundbrunnen underground station and cost around €12.
• The GDR Museum: Although you should explain the context very well, as there are some parts that may be too dark for them, there are areas that they may like this one. 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

A visit to the Museum Island is a must when travelling to Berlin, even if you're travelling with children. If the visit is well organised and not too long, there is no doubt that you can find many interesting things. However, it's also worth taking a look at the list of the city's best museums to find some that will be more entertaining for them. Here are some examples:

• Video Game Museum: Inside you will be able to learn about the first computer games and video game consoles. Located in Karl-Marx-Allee 93A. General admission is about 9 €, but children pay about 5 €.
• Anne Frank Centre: 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 at Rosenthaler Str. 39. The price for adults is about €6 and children under 10 are free.
• Natural History Museum: one of the most popular museums for children of all ages. In its collection you can see more than 25 million samples of minerals, animals and palaeontology. Oh, and dinosaurs! The address is Invalidenstraße 43 and the entrance fee for adults is around €8 (children between 6 and 15 years old €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 centre of Berlin are almost endless, but I'm sure you didn't expect to find a large aquarium with more than 5,000 marine specimens of 80 different species. Although children will 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 structure of the place itself is spectacular, as it is a cylindrical aquarium with an interior lift through which you go up surrounded by a million litres of salt water.

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

Practical information

• Opening hours: every day of the week between 11am and 5pm.
• Price: over 15s pay around €19, while the entrance fee for children is around €15.

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

In this space, as well as contemplating spectacular constructions made with Legos, the little ones will be able to play and create their own structures. It also has a room that shows a 4D film, attractions and Merlin's library.

One of the areas in this centre is the Miniland, where children (and adults) can see Berlin's most famous monuments made with Lego pieces.

Practical information

• Price: admission for both adults and children costs around €19.
• Opening hours: 10am-5pm daily. Last admission must be before 3pm.

For around €29, I recommend you don't miss the opportunity to book tickets for a Die Welt balloon ride. Unless they have a fear of heights, this is one of the activities 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, get a perspective of the river Spree and see a different view of the Reichstag.

If you are going with children and teenagers, you can't miss out on booking tickets for Dungeon Berlin, where you will learn about 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 together with an expert guide and various actors and actresses who will entertain you during your visit. You'll meet key characters from history such as the Lady in White and the Dark Jester, take a raft ride and experience a fall from no less than 12 metres in the dark.

There is a wide range of timetables so you can fit this activity into your holiday 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've travelled to Berlin in winter) 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've come with children, it's best to follow the locals and choose the green space that best suits their tastes.

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

• For the more active ones, 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 you are a fairy-tale lover, there is no better place than Volkspark Friedrichshain, where you will find a fountain decorated 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 definitely a place that can become one of the children's favourites during their trip to Berlin. Located in the Marzahn-Hellersdorf district, this area is not only home to a fantastic maze and playground, but also to different styles of gardens (from Chinese to British) and food from around the world.

Although it doesn't have a beach, if you've travelled to Berlin in summer you'll find several areas near the river set up for locals and visitors to enjoy a swim and picnic in the area.

• The most interesting urban beaches are Kinderbad Monbijou (more family-friendly) and Badeschiff, with a more festive atmosphere.
• The lakes surrounding the capital and easily reached by metro 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're travelling in winter, take them ice skating

It's safe to say that Berlin in winter trades baths for ice rinks. Especially if you have travelled to Berlin at Christmas, you will find ice rinks in several of the city's most important squares. One of them is the Winterwelt (Winter World ), a kind of fairground located in the middle of Potsdamer Platz.

Many Berliners also go to the same lakes where they bathe in summer, but this time to skate on the 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 the ages of 4 and 12.

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

• In the main exhibition hall, in the central nave, you will find a large wooden shelf in the form of a vertical labyrinth through which you can climb.
• Another popular area is the mirror room, as well as the soap shop, the printing press and the library. There is also a games room and various educational exhibitions that change their theme every year.
• Finally, where the altar used to be, an amphitheatre has been installed in which various shows take place while the parents spend time in the cafeteria.

Practical information

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

One of the advantages of exploring Berlin's neighbourhoods beyond the centre is that you're bound to find places you wouldn't 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, you'll find a wonderful recreation of Sherwood Forest, the place where Robin Hood lived out his adventures. The central point of the park, which occupies some 14,000 square metres, 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, sledging hills and picnic tables.

More adventures for children: the pirate ship play area

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

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

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

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

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

• Make a list of all the things to see and do in Berlin: this way, you will be able to explain each of the monuments and museums and, in this way, make the visit more enjoyable for the youngest members of the family.
• Take advantage of the sightseeing bus: We all know that children tend to get tired of walking around the city very quickly. Berlin' s sightseeing buses are the perfect alternative to visit the most important monuments of the German capital without getting tired. All you need to do is study the stops to see where to get off and where to get back on.
• Public transport: children under the age of 6 can travel free, while those aged 6-14 are entitled to a reduced fare. Transport is also easily accessible with pushchairs.
• Bicycles: Berlin is a very friendly city for those who prefer to be on two wheels. If you prefer something more organised, there are several interesting bike tours.
• Museums: Most museums have reduced admission for children.