Berlin is a
great city to visit with kids. You will find plenty to do whatever the weather.
With hundreds of playgrounds, two zoos, two aquariums, leafy parks, lakes and great
museums, your kids will not be bored!
OUTDOORS
Playgrounds (in German Spielplatz or Spielplätze plural)
Berlin has
hundreds of playgrounds scattered around the city.
If your child
needs a break from sightseeing or shopping, you will not need to search long to
find a playground. Type in
Spielplatz into an online map service to find the one closest to you.
 |
| Spielplatz am Heinrich-Lassen-Park |
Some of the
best playgrounds in Berlin are
Hirschhof
Spielplatz (Prenzlauer Berg) – close to the Mauerpark.
Spielplatz
am Wasserturm (Prenzlauer Berg) – it’s very close to Kollwitzplatz; green and child-friendly
neighbourhood with lots of nice cafes.
Spielplatz
am Kollwitzplatz (Prenzlauer Berg) – visit the
market on a Thursday afternoon or on a Saturday.
Blauer
Spielplatz (Mitte) – inside the Weinsberg Park, where you can get a bite to eat
of a proper meal at the cafe/restaurant in the middle of the park.
Spielplatz
am Monbijoupark (Mitte) – close to Museum Island.
Tiergarten –
there are several playgrounds at different ends of the park; you could combine
it with a visit to the Reichstag, Potsdamer Platz, the Zoo or the Aquarium.
Volkspark
Friedrichshain (Prenzlauer Berg/Friedrichshain) – there are three playgrounds;
this park gets very busy at the weekend.
Gleisdreieck
Park (Kreuzberg) head to the Museum of Technology first and the stop off for
lunch or dinner at the Brlo Brewery.
Spielplatz am Heinrich-Lassen-Park (Schöneberg) – brand-new playground with a castle. It’s
right next to a swimming pool with a small outdoor pool and close to Volkspark
Schöneberg-Wilmersdorf. It’s only a short walk from Rathaus Schoeneberg, where John F. Kennedy gave his famous “Ich bin ein
Berliner speech”. Meanwhile, David Bowie fans might like to head to Hauptstraße
155, where the great artist lived between 1976 and 1978. There is a memorial plaque
outside the building.
On a hot
day, look for a Wasserspielplatz, a playground with water.
Swimming pools and lakes
Some of the
best outdoor pools (in German Freibad or Sommerbad) and lakes are
Kinderbad Monbijou (Mitte) – best for small children.
Sommerbad Pankow (Pankow) – good for all ages: there is a
paddling pool for the little ones, a swimming pool for older ones and a leisure
pool with slides and diving boards; it can get very crowded on a hot day and at
the weekends, but there’s plenty of space on the lawn.
 |
| Freibad Orankesee |
Strandbad
Weissensee (Weissensee) – good for swimming, sunbathing, having a drink and
hanging out with the locals.
Freibad
Orankesee (Hohenschönhausen) – good for swimming, sunbathing and avoiding
tourists. There is a spacious and shady Biergarten nearby.
Schlachtensee
(Zehlendorf) – beautiful lake surrounded by trees located in the posh area of
Berlin. There is a large beer garden and adjacent playground. It gets crowded at
the weekends, especially close to the S-Bahn station.
Parks
Tiergarten –
the city’s green lung. There are plenty of paths and hidden treasures to
discover, as well as two nice beer gardens where you can stop off for lunch or
a drink: Café am Neuen See and Schleusenkrug.
Volkspark
Friedrichshain – large park with playgrounds, cafes and a beer garden but gets
very crowded with local Berliners at the weekends.
Gleisdreieck
– former wasteland converted into a park. I’ve written about it in the past.
Tempelhof –
the old airport runway has been transformed into a huge park; very popular with
the locals. Read my previous entry.
Mauerpark –
get there early on a Sunday to avoid the crowds and visit the flee market; the
karaoke starts at 3pm and will keep your older kids entertained. I’ve also written about this in the past.
Schloss
Charlottenburg – visit the castle and/or walk, play, run in the grounds.
INDOORS
 |
| Labyrinth Kindermuseum |
Museum für Naturkunde (Natural History Museum)
Don’t miss
the dinosaurs! Tristan Otto is the only original skeleton of a T. Rex in Europe
to date.
Deutsches Technikmuseum (German Museum of
Technology)
The museum
has a huge collection of steam engines and is also a great place for plane and
boat lovers. Don’t miss the Rosinenbomber on the top terrace!
Spectrum Science Centre
The Science
Centre makes science fun for children. It is just across from the Museum of
Technology and tickets are valid for same-day visits to both the museum and Spectrum.
Labyrinth Kindermuseum (Wedding) – the former factory has been
converted into a spacious children’s museum, with a special focus on diversity.
There are different areas and lots of things to discover and to play with. Aspiring
chefs will love the large kitchen area.
Kindermuseum MachMit (Prenzlauer Berg) – housed in a former church,
the large museum offers endless opportunities for playing, climbing and learning
through play. There is also a cinema. The current exhibition, which has been extended
to June 2019, focuses on Native American culture.
Legoland – housed in a basement on Potsdamer Platz, it’s
noisy and expensive, with only artificial light. Parents hate it, but kids love
it. Best to avoid at the weekend.
Zoo – it’s
one of Berlin’s most popular attractions both with adults and children so it
gets very busy, especially at the weekends.
Tierpark – not to be confused with the Tiergarten. The
Tierpark is Europe’s biggest animal park and is in the Eastern part of Berlin.
Aquarium – the entrance is next to the Zoo. It’s a good
place for the little ones and for fish and/or reptile lovers. Don’t miss the
sharks! You can get a combined ticket for the zoo and the aquarium.
Sealife – it’s smaller and narrower than the aquarium.
The best part is the lift that takes you into the AquaDom at the end: the massive
aquarium inside the Radisson Blu Hotel lobby. It’s cheaper if you buy tickets
online.
Berlin boat trip – the one-hour boat trip along the Spree is
probably the best option for smaller kids. They tend to get bored after a
while!
