The NEMO Museum in Amsterdam with kids

Written by Susan Payton on 23 December 2010

I think a lot of parents might hesitate to take their kids to Europe, but we’ve had a great time with our son, who is 6. I think 6 is a good age, since it’s old enough to walk for a long time (though he complains a lot) and appreciate the sights we see.

I would, however, recommend going with kids in the spring or summer. Yes, this was the harshest winter Europe has ever seen, but the snow and cold reduced obliterated the number of things we could do outside.

In Amsterdam, he’s enjoyed looking at the canals (which are frozen right now) and visiting the Winterland Christmas market. In the spring, kids can play in parks and just generally enjoy being outside.

What Max did enjoy is NEMO, which is a great, hands-on kids’ science museum (they provided me with one ticket for this review). They had something for all age groups, from little ones to teens (though the teen exhibits included one on sex, complete with dolls in various positions, so be aware of that if you go with kids you don’t want exposed to that!). Max is more into pushing the buttons and seeing what happens than reading all the science behind each exhibit.

There are four levels filled with activities, including:

Understanding DNA (this is a changing exhibit I think)
Skeletons and embryos of interesting animals
Chemistry
Space
Robotics and electronics

The staff speaks English, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. There’s a coatroom and a locker room to store your items. Admission is 12.50 Euro for anyone over 3 and free for under 3. There’s a cafe inside the museum, as well as a really good Chinese restaurant on the walk over from the Centraal Station.

All in all, it was a great way to spend on a super cold day in Amsterdam. It’s really the only museum good for younger kids (older ones might like Madame Tussaud’s or the Amsterdam Dungeon).

Susan Payton is President of Egg Marketing & Public Relations and writes the blog The Marketing Eggspert.