10 Things to Do with Kids in Berlin

When travelling with children, you need to be aware that their interests may differ from yours. So, no matter how much parents enjoy a museum, it is quite likely that the little ones will end up getting bored after a while. For this reason, you should include activities designed for them.

The advantage of the German capital is that you will have no trouble finding things for children to enjoy. Among other things, you can take them to wonderful parks with areas dedicated to them, visit museums that are sure to catch their attention or, if you dare, even go up in a hot air balloon.

With an area of 3,500 square metres, booking tickets for the Legoland Discovery Centre is a must if you are travelling with children. It is one of the most visited places by Berlin families and tourists with children between the ages of 3 and 10, for whom the activities are recommended.

In this space, as well as admiring spectacular constructions made from Lego, children can play and create their own structures. There is also a room showing a 4D film, attractions and Merlin's library.

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

Practical information

• Price: from S$33
• Opening hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Last admission is at 3 p.m.

For approximately S$48, I recommend that you don't miss the opportunity to book tickets for a Die Welt hot air balloon ride. Unless you're afraid of heights, this is one of the activities that children will remember most from the whole trip.

The balloon, held 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 view of the River Spree and see the Reichstag from a different angle.

Practical information

• Price: from 48
• Duration: approx. 15 minutes

If you're travelling with children and teenagers, don't miss out on booking tickets for Dungeon Berlin, where you'll discover the most terrifying history of the German capital. A very different and original family activity!

Your ticket will give you access to a total of 10 recreations of Berlin's most terrifying moments, accompanied by an expert guide and various actors and actresses who will entertain you throughout your visit. You'll meet key historical figures such as the Lady in White and the Dark Jester, take a raft ride and experience a fall from a height of no less than 12 metres in complete darkness.

There's a wide range of times to choose from so you can fit this activity into your holiday schedule. Please note that this activity is not recommended for children under 10 years old.

Practical information

• Price: from S$27
• Times: your ticket is valid at the time you booked. There are shows in English every day at 11:40 a.m., 1:40 p.m. and 3:40 p.m.

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 interactive experiences, optical illusions and wax figures that will leave them speechless. Here are a few options:

• Body Worlds exhibition in Berlin: Discover the most impressive aspects of the human body through more than 200 figures that perfectly recreate muscles, organs and tissues. A visit that combines science and curiosity in equal measure.
• Tickets for Illuseum Berlin: Experience a journey full of optical illusions, sloping rooms and the famous vortex tunnel that defies gravity. An interactive space where the whole family can have fun while exploring the limits of perception.
• Tickets for Madame Tussauds Berlin: Come and see more than 120 wax replicas of international celebrities and take the funniest photos. An original and entertaining plan for all ages.
• Spy Museum: Berlin was one of the world's espionage capitals. Although not specifically designed for children, they will have a great time seeing gadgets and secrets of secret agents.
• Video Game Museum: Discover the first video games and consoles and enjoy a collection that will delight young and old alike.
• Natural History Museum: one of the most popular museums for children of all ages. Its collection includes more than 25 million mineral, animal and palaeontological specimens. Oh, and dinosaurs!

Discover Museum Island with your children

When travelling to Berlin, even with children, a visit to Museum Island is a must. If the visit is well organised and not too long, you are sure to find many interesting things to see. It is therefore a good idea to take a look at the list of the city's best museums to find some that you will find most entertaining.

Anyone who has visited the German capital (even if you've travelled to Berlin in winter) will have noticed the large number of families who flock to its parks and gardens to spend time together. All you have to do is book a guided tour of Berlin to see for yourself. If you've brought children with you, it's best to do as the locals do 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, for example, the park located on the runways of the former Tempelhof Airport is the best option. There, they can ride bikes or skateboard without any problems.
• If you are a fan of fairy tales, there is no better place than Volkspark Friedrichshain, where you will find a fountain decorated with sculptures of 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 undoubtedly a place that could become one of your children's favourites during your trip to Berlin. Located in the Marzahn-Hellersdorf district, this area not only has a fantastic maze and a playground, but you can also discover different styles of gardens (from Chinese to British) and sample 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 equipped for locals and visitors to enjoy a swim and a picnic in the area.

• The most interesting urban beaches are Kinderbad Monbijou (more family-friendly) and Badeschiff, which has a more festive atmosphere.
• The lakes surrounding the capital, which can be easily reached by underground, are the Wannsee, the Grunewald Forest and the Müggelsee.

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

and if you're travelling in winter, take them ice skating

You could say that Berlin swaps swimming pools for ice rinks in winter. Especially if you visit Berlin at Christmas, you'll find rinks in several of the city's most important squares. One of the best is the one set up in Winterwelt, a kind of fair in the heart of Potsdamer Platz.

On the other hand, many Berliners head to the same lakes where they swim in summer, but this time to skate on the frozen surface.

One of the most interesting places to take your children while in Berlin is MACHmit! Opened in 1993 with the intention of being a mix between a playground and a museum, its activities are designed for children between the ages of 4 and 12.

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

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

Practical information

• Address: Senefelderstraße, 5.
• Opening hours: Thursday and Friday from 2pm to 6pm; Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm.
• Price: approx. £7.

One of the advantages of exploring Berlin's neighbourhoods beyond the city centre is that you'll find places you never expected to see. For children, for example, there are few places 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, where Robin Hood lived his adventures. The centrepiece of the park, which covers some 14,000 square metres, is a huge castle full of towers and houses. From here, crossing a bridge, you reach the tree houses where Robin Hood and his comrades lived.

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

More adventures for children: pirate ship playground

If Robin Hood doesn't appeal to you, perhaps a pirate ship will. This is located in a playground near Charlottenburg Palace, making it the perfect stop if you've decided to visit this splendid monument.

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

Practical information

– Robin Hood Spielplatz

• Address: Knesebeckstraße 81, 10623 Berlin.
• Opening hours: open all year round, free admission.
• Price: free.

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 provide lots of fun for children.

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

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

Practical information

• Address

  • Berlin Zoo: Hardenbergplatz 8, 10787 Berlin.
  • Tierpark: Am Tierpark 125, 10319 Berlin.

• Opening hours: both are open every day, usually from 9:00 to 18:00 (check for seasonal variations).

• Admission

  • Berlin Zoo: adults from £15, children from £7.50.
  • Tierpark: adults from £15.50, children from £8.

The attractions in central Berlin are almost endless, but you probably didn't expect to find a large aquarium with more than 5,000 marine specimens from 80 different species. Although children will really enjoy the visit, I'm sure adults will have a great time too.

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 environments. The structure of the place itself is spectacular, as it is a cylindrical aquarium with an internal lift that takes you up surrounded by a million litres of salt water.

As you would expect, the animals that tend to attract the most attention from children are the sharks, although the rays, octopuses, seahorses and catfish are also interesting.

Practical information

• Opening hours: every day of the week from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Price: adults over 15 pay around £19, while admission for children is around £15.

• Make a list of everything there is to see and do in Berlin: this way, you can explain each of the monuments and museums and make the visit more enjoyable for the little ones.
• Take advantage of the tourist bus: we all know that children tend to get tired quickly when walking around the city. Berlin's tourist buses are the perfect alternative for visiting the most important monuments in 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 6 travel free, while those aged 6 to 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 get around on two wheels. If you prefer something more organised, there are several interesting bike tours available.
• Museums: most museums offer reduced admission for children.