Telling your friends you’re taking your kids to Amsterdam doesn’t always garner the most enthusiastic responses. The scores of coffee shops and the red light district don’t necessarily give out a very child-friendly impression to parents. However, it’s a common misconception that Amsterdam is for adults only.

The truth is that there are plenty of family-friendly activities to do in Amsterdam – you just have to know where to look. After you’ve browsed through the Amsterdam hotels from Expedia, you should start thinking about what you’re going to treat your family to. For the sake of brevity, we’ve mentioned just a handful of the many things you can treat your family to in the city.

Vondelpark

Vondelpark seems to be Amsterdam’s reply to Central Park in New York. When the weather is good, it’s a great place to hang out with the little ones. It’s the largest park in the city, located just south of the Leidseplein. Over 110 acres, it’s absolutely huge, and you can spend the entire day exploring it on bike.

You’ll be genuinely surprised at how much stuff there is to do in the park. There’s an outdoor theatre that has live musical performances for free during the summer. Also, Amsterdam’s Film Museum is located at the centre of the park, which is an absolute must if you’re a film buff. It hosts over 35,000 films and all kinds of film memorabilia. If you’ve got time for a movie, check out their classic Dutch film screenings.

Pancake Boat Cruise

Yes, you read that right. This cruise takes you around Amsterdam while filling you up with all-you-can-eat pancakes. It’s very comfortable, and the pancakes are delicious. Keep filling your belly as you admire Amsterdam’s gorgeous skyline, as well as other great views of the city.

The Pancake Boat is docked in Amsterdam Noord, and the length of the trips is negotiable. You can choose to go for an hour or two and a half hours – depending on how hungry you are. If pancakes aren’t really your thing, there are other food-themed cruises, like the Mexican Wrap Dinner Cruise or the Brunch Cruise.

Nemo

Nemo is a science centre and museum that’s geared specifically towards kids and teenagers. The largest science centre in the Netherlands, it receives over 500,000 visitors a year, and is Amsterdam’s fourth most-visited museum. Its popularity is definitely warranted.

It packs in five floors of interactive exhibitions. Your kids won’t want to leave – it’ll be particularly difficult to tear them away from the giant domino contraptions and the DNA experiments. You’ll be glad you visited, and your kids are bound to thank you for it.

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Photo by bcnbits on Flickr