At first, you might not take your kids to a museum. What a shame! Amsterdam is home to many museums that cater especially for children. Here they can learn about history, art and science in an interactive way. 24NANNIES lists her favorite museums in Amsterdam for you.
Amsterdam Museum
Located in the former Burgerweeshuis in the heart of Amsterdam is the Amsterdam Museum, which tells the history of Amsterdam. Through the exhibitions, which include film material, your children will learn more about former life in Amsterdam in a fun way. The exhibition ‘The Little Orphanage’ has been specially set up for children. Here they can experience how things were in the orphanage. Small children up to 7 years old will experience this through various animals, while older children (from 7 to 10 years old) will learn more about the story of the orphan boy Jurriaan, who lived in the 17th century.
Address: Kalverstraat 92
Opening hours: every day from 10 to 17h
Tropenmuseum
The Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam-East explores the diversity of cultures around the world. Numerous objects, such as canoes, musical instruments and weapons, give you an insight into the special cultures of Latin America, Asia, Africa and much more. Especially for children there is also the Tropenmuseum Junior, where they are completely immersed in another culture. The children actively participate in the exhibitions and hopefully develop an open view of the rest of the world, as the museum aims to do. Please note that Tropenmuseum Junior is only open on weekends and during school vacations.
Address: Linnaeusstraat 2
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00, different times for Tropenmuseum Junior
Scheepvaartmuseum
Het Scheepvaartmuseum focuses on the maritime history of Amsterdam and the Netherlands. From a distance you can already see the best part of the museum: the rebuilt VOC ship the Amsterdam. The original ship perished during its maiden voyage in 1749, but this one is in better shape. On board you’ll get an idea of how things were back then. Your children can pretend to fire a cannon or discover spices in the hold. Or hoist crates with a pulley like a real sailor! In the museum itself, the exhibition ‘The Story of the Whale’ is worth seeing. In an interactive way your children will learn more about these impressive animals.
Address: Kattenburgerplein 1
Opening hours: every day from 9 to 17h (except some public holidays)
NEMO Science Museum
You can’t really miss the green building, which looks a bit like a ship, of the Nemo Science Museum. At this museum your children will discover science and technology in a fun and interactive way. For example, you can put on a white lab coat and do your own chemistry experiments or get to work with gears in the Workshop. On the roof of this special building you will also find the Energetica exhibition, which is free to visit. Here your kids will learn all about sustainable energy. On the Nemo website you can also do various experiments at home, such as extracting electricity from lemons.
Address: Oosterdok 2
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday from 10 to 17:30
