Berlin for the Family: Best Things to Do with Kids
Berlin may have a reputation for clubs and coolness, but Germany’s free-wheeling, cosmopolitan capital city, has a family-friendly side. The city is full of parks, museum and attractions that allow free rein for children to play — and are fun for their adults too. So plan on takung your kids along if you’re looking at a European capital city break.
Not sure where to start when it comes to finding family-friendly activities in Berlin? Read on for our selection of the best things to do with small travelers in Berlin.
Go on a Family-friendly Kids Tour with Insight Cities
Want to go on a tour of Berlin that’s reaches every member of the family? Insight Cities can make that happen! We offer customized tours that can cater to the ages and interests of the youngest members of your family. You’ll get a guide who’s perfected the art of helping kids explore the city of Berlin and its history at age-appropriate levels, with enough expert knowledge to satisfy your own curiosity. Write to us at info@insightcities.com and we’ll help you arrange it.
Outdoor Activities
Go cart at Tempelhof
Once a disused airfield known for Nazi rallies and the famed Berlin Airlift, Tempelhof is now a sprawling park attracting locals and tourists alike. Its wide, flat area makes Tempelhof ideal for cycling, rollerblading, and skateboarding. You can also rent go-karts! The Mobilcenter Berlin offers go-karts and bicycles to ride around the expansive park by the hour or for the day.
Berlin Zoo
The oldest zoo in Germany, Berlin Zoo has all the classic zoo animals you may know, as well as a few that are rarely seen in Europe, with over 20,000 animals in total. Divided into ten areas including a petting zoo, Berlin Zoo has a lot to see, so plan ahead to make sure you visit your kids’ favorite creatures before the day ends. You can also get more up close and personal with animals like orangutans, sea lions, and hippos by visiting at feeding and training time.
Tierpark Berlin
Berlin has not only one but two zoos within its city limits! Located in the eastern part of the city, Tierpark Berlin is the largest zoo in Europe, at over 160 hectares (about 395 acres). Tierpark is home to over 8,000 animals, including giraffes, polar bears, lemurs, tropical birds, snakes. Best of all for animal lovers, Tierpark also arranges special close-up encounters with select animals and kids can go on a puzzle hunt to find traces of prehistoric creatures in the zoo.
Mauerpark
After its fall, part of the former Berlin Wall was transformed into a place to unwind and gather with friends and family, complete with swings, sports fields, amphitheater and lounge areas for summer sunbathers. Take a walk along the East Side Gallery to admire the street art painted on the remnants of the Berlin Wall, then stop at a food truck for some snacks and drinks before parking on a bench or on a lounge chair.
On Sundays a flea market brings locals together in search of hidden treasures and unique bargains — and everyone is likely to find something they like! Or, if you’ve got any performers in the family, you can participate in outdoor karaoke at the Bearpit on a Sunday afternoon.
Walk along a tree-lined path out of the Mauerpark and you’ll arrive at the Jugendfarm Moritzhof, a kid-friendly farm that invites them to participate in the care and keeping of plants and animals. Kids can come meet and feed the animals, or help out in the garden, or just play on the playground. Adults can relax in Mauerpark or go on their own daytime outing to pick up your kids.
Indoor Activities for Kids in Berlin
Neues Museum
Showcasing over 9,000 historical objects from across the world and across time, young history buffs will find much to fascinate them as Neues Museum takes them on a journey through history. Children learning about ancient civilizations will find the Greek, Egyptian, and Roman collections especially fascinating, as artifacts that they may have only seen in textbooks, such as papyrus scrolls, sarcophogi, and the famous Nefertiti’s bust are on display here.
Pergamon Museum – das Panorama
While the main Pergamon Museum complex is closed for the foreseeable future, its special Panorama exhibition remains open, transporting visitors to the year AD 129, in the ancient city of Pergamon during the rule of Emperor Hadrian. Kids will be amazed to see history come alive as they immerse themselves in the ancient world.
Berliner Unterwelten
Beneath the city lie tunnels of bunkers, anti-aircraft systems and brewery cellars that belie an eventful and often fraught history. World War II and the Cold War in particular saw a proliferation of this underground network. Berliner Unterwelten has preserved the intriguing history behind these tunnels to tell its many secrets to younger generations. Young history buffs who can brave the dark will find the stories and technology behind this hidden underworld fascinating.
Rausch Schokoladenhaus
Chocolate lovers of all ages will find much to admire at one of the best and biggest chocolate shops in Berlin. On the ground floor, Rausch overs 250 kinds of chocolate, including the longest praline counter, and has awe-inspiring chocolate sculptures on display. Kids can try to spot the Berlin landmarks they’ve seen on their visit in chocolate miniature while admiring the show pieces.
Computerspielmuseum
If your family has gamers of any age, the Computerspielmuseum offers something for everyone: nostalgia for adults as they encounter games from their youth, and interactive exhibits for the kids – for what is a computer games museum without a chance to play some of the iconic titles released over its generations-long history? Play games in a 1980s-style arcade, a 1990s-style living room, or try your hand at the PainStation if you’re really feeling brave. Kids will get a kick out of playing games on a giant controller that’s part of the permanent exhibit.
ANOHA – Die Kinderwelt des Jüdischen Museums Berlin
Right across from the Jewish Museum in Berlin, ANOHA encourages children to learn about other cultures and respect for all animals and people. The museum’s centerpiece is an ark with 150 animal sculptures, from more familiar creatures like zebras and cows to less well-known ones like naked mole rats, as well as extinct animals like the wooly mammoth. Kids can take part in several play stations that encourage cooperation and care, and the various exhibits engage all five senses, including smell and touch.
The museum’s exhibitions were created in part with input from a children’s advisory council, consisting of actual children, so you know that this museum was created with children in mind. It hosts various workshops to engage children’s creativity and playful nature.
Tip: Special non-slip socks are the standard for the main exhibit areas, so make sure to get some before you go or you can buy them at the museum.
Tower Tops
Berliner Dom
At first glance, a grand cathedral like Berliner Dom may not seem like the most exciting place for kids, but even the littlest ones in your family will find the grand cathedral’s grand statues and paintings awe-inspiring. More active children will enjoy taking the stairs to the roof and marvel at the panoramic views of the city. The cathedral also has family-friendly sing-along concerts in the fall and throughout the Christmas season.
Berliner Fernsehturm
As the highest point in the city, Berliner Fernsehturm (Berlin TV tower) offers the most expansive panoramic views. Kids will love pointing out landmarks like Brandenburg Tor and the Reichstag from the observation deck. VR fans can go on a virtual odyssey showing the development and construction of the tower or through Berlin’s history from the Middle Ages to the present.
To get the most out of your family Berlin adventure, consider taking a custom tour with Insight Cities. We have gifted child-friendly guides who really connect to kids while also engaging adults at their level. If you’d like a tailor-made tour for you and your young ones, get in touch with us at info@insightcities.com and we’ll be happy to put together the perfect tour for your family.