Welcome to our ultimate guide to the Netherlands with Kids (Holland with kids). The Netherlands is a wonderful country to visit. It has all the sophistication and quirkiness of Scandinavia but with its own unique flair. Whether you’re heading to the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague or Utrecht where history and fine dining sit side by side with great attractions for kids and the best frites and pancakes in the world, or you’ve got your sights set on the countryside for windmills, cobbled streets in tiny villages and beautiful scenery, you will soon become entranced by the Netherlands. We love our visits to this beautiful country. It’s perfect for family holidays as it’s packed with great places to visit, perfect food for kids and is really easy to travel around. After a number of trips to the Netherlands with kids (which includes Holland for kids – Holland is a small area of the Netherlands but not the whole country), we have built up a great list of places to visit and things to do. So here is our ultimate guide to the Netherlands for kids. Where to go, what to do and where to stay and eat. You can use the guide below to jump to different sections or read through the whole thing for a big, Dutch blast of inspiration.
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Table of Contents
About visiting the Netherlands with children
The Netherlands is one of those countries that effortlessly mixes so many different elements. With wild coastlines, cosmopolitan cities and historic villages, a trip to the Netherlands is a feast for all the senses.
It’s wonderfully family friendly too. Children are welcomed, encouraged in the museums, art galleries and restaurants. And it’s the perfect place to get kids out on their bikes and joining the locals in one of the world’s most bike friendly countries.
Feel Inspired
Amazing Trips
We have had some fantastic trips to the Netherlands with kids.
Perhaps one of our favourite ever was when we took a summer trip to the Netherlands. We stayed in beautiful Landal parks across the country, the children learnt to ride their bikes, the sun shone and we properly fell in love with the Netherlands.
We also took a spring trip to the Netherlands which was full of tulips and windmills creaking wildly in the swift breeze.
As well as exploring the countryside we love the cities in the Netherlands, including a fantastic summer weekend in Utrecht.
Top Holland Attractions to visit
The Netherlands is absolutely filled with gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage sites and some quirky, interesting places to visit.
Some of our favourites are the beautiful, historic windmills of Kinderdijk, the 16th Century witches weigh house in Oudewater, the Netherlands’ National Prison Museum and the beautiful flowers of Keukenhof. Children will adore wonderful world of Efteling, one of the country’s oldest theme parks which is quirky and endearing.
Interesting places to stay
We have stayed in so many places up and down the Netherlands, some of our favourite places that cater to families are staying in a wharf cellar in Utrecht, staying in the Hague’s tallest tower, staying in the old customs house in Rotterdam and The Albus Hotel in Amsterdam.
Read more:
The best family holidays in Holland & the Netherlands (on our sister site Family Hotel Expert)
Holiday parks in the Netherlands
We love staying in Landal Greenparks which are fantastic places for families.
They are very eco-friendly and blend perfectly into their local environment. Whether that’s set around a beautiful lake, a forest hideaway or built like a mini Amsterdam alongside the canals.
Some of our favourite Landal Greenparks are Landal Esonstad near Anjum, Landal Landgoed ‘t Loo and Landal Coldenhove near Apeldoorn.
Ultimate guide to the Netherlands with kids: Itineraries
We have a wonderful two week itinerary around the Netherlands which takes in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht & more.
The Netherlands for kids: Where to visit
The Netherlands is jam-packed with activities for families. And whether you’re simply going for a city break to Amsterdam or looking to explore more of Holland and the Netherlands we have all the best things across the country to keep everyone happy.
Amsterdam and North Holland – Netherlands with kids
Amsterdam is one of our favourite European cities with kids and it so family friendly that it surprises me that sometimes people think it wouldn’t be.
It’s easy to get around using public transport and there’s just so much to do in the city itself that kids won’t want to leave.
There are a number of little towns around Amsterdam and north Holland that are worth a trip out. These include Haarlem which is a beautiful town with plenty of stories of its own.
Read more on Amsterdam and North Holland:
- Our guide to Amsterdam with kids
- Top 10 things to do in Amsterdam with kids
- 10 of the best day trips from Amsterdam
- A history packed day in Amsterdam with kids
- Finding out about the amazing Corrie ten Boom in Haarlem
Rotterdam, The Hague, and South Holland
The Hague is a beautiful town in South Holland. Packed full of character with beautiful squares and a great place for a wander.
There’s plenty to do both here in the city and on the outskirts to make it a great place to visit with kids.
To the north of The Hague, Scheveningen is a beautiful stretch of sandy beaches with plenty of hotels, restaurants and attractions. It makes a lovely day trip from Amsterdam or The Hague but also a great short break on its own.
Rotterdam itself brings something very different to the usual Dutch look. Having been largely destroyed in the Second World War it has come in to its own now with cool style and so many great attractions.
The windmills of Kinderdijk are the jewel in South Holland’s crown. A breathtaking collection of old mills, still turning in the wind and just wonderful to visit.
The outstanding tulip gardens of the Keukenhof are also well worth visiting and there’s plenty to do there to keep children happy too.
Finally a visit to Efteling, the Netherlands most beloved theme park should absolutely be on your list. Based around fairytales and mythology it is a great trip out either for the day or overnight.
Read more on Rotterdam, The Hague, and South Holland:
- A trip to Mauritshuis and a visit to the ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring” in The Hague
- Madurodam, The Hague
- Staying in The Hague’s tallest building, The Tower
- Visiting Sea Life, Sheveningen
- Patagonia Beach restaurant, Sheveningen
- 10 things to do in Rotterdam with kids
- Staying in the Old Customs House, Rotterdam
- Staying at Rotterdam Marriott with kids
- Miniworld, Rotterdam
- Visiting the tulip gardens of the Keukenhof
- The windmills of Kinderdijk
Utrecht – Netherlands with kids
Utrecht is my favourite Dutch city. Full of wonderful character, it’s like stepping back in time, in a good way.
The home of Miffy and other lovely attractions there’s lots to do here when visiting with kids.
Read more on Utrecht:
- A summer’s weekend in Utrecht
- Staying in one of Utrecht’s canal cellars
- 10 things to do in Utrecht with kids
- 10 souvenirs to buy at the Miffy Museum, Utrecht
- Museum Speelklok, Utrecht
- A visit to a 16th century witches weigh house, Oudewater
Drenthe Province
This province is one of the most rural in the Netherlands. The towns are few and it feels very agricultural.
Read more on Drenthe Province:
Friesland Province – Netherlands with kids
In the top of the Netherlands is the beautiful Friesland Province. With an amazing stretch of untouched coastline and some sweet little towns and villages.
This is picture perfect Netherlands at its best.
Read more on Friesland Province:
Gelderland Province
Gelderland Province is the largest province in the Netherlands. It has the towns of Arnhem, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn within it.
This is a very traditional area and incredibly picturesque.
Read more on Gelderland Province:
Groningen Province – Netherlands with kids
The beautiful university town of Groningen heads up the offerings in Groningen Province which is packed full of character.
Overijssel Province
Another inland province of the Netherlands that is well worth exploring. Packed full of windmills and beautiful Dutch towns.
Read more on Overijssel Province:
Getting to Holland and getting around the Netherlands
Our favourite way to travel to the Netherlands from the UK is by boat as we then have our car with us.
We love Stena line from Harwich to the Hook of Holland, where you can travel overnight and be there for breakfast. Find all the option on taking a ferry from the UK to the Netherlands here.
We have also flown in to Amsterdam’s Schipol airport and hired a car from there. The airport is fantastic with numerous restaurants and facilities and a big European hub.
The Netherlands is great for its public transport with trams across the major cities and a fantastic train system so this is also a great way to get around.
It’s worth noting that many of the towns and cities are so pro cycling that they actively discourage cars. So you will find it necessary to park up and walk in many of them.
Read more on getting to and around the Netherlands:
What to buy – Netherland gifts – Netherlands with kids
The Netherlands have some amazing food stuffs you can bring home from inexpensive stroopwaffles to whole rounds of Dutch cheese.
After seeing Miffy around everywhere you might find yourself needing to take one of these little rabbits home with you (the Miffy Museum shop in Utrecht is the best place for Miffy souvenirs).
Read more on what to buy – Netherland gifts:
Top Tips for visiting Holland with kids
Not many places take Visa in the Netherlands including those that you think definitely would like supermarkets and department stores. We got cash out and paid that way whenever it wasn’t accepted.
Watch out for the radio in the Netherlands. There is often very explicit swearing in the songs which can be quite shocking, especially if you have young children in the car.
Wherever you visit, look out for the small bronze plaques on the floor. These are the sign that a Jewish family used to live there before being violently removed by the Nazis. We always stop when we see them and talk to the children about this terrible part of history which it’s important to never forget and wonder about the residents that would have lived there.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our guide and are ready to start your trip to the Netherlands with kids.
What a fantastic resource! I’m taking my ‘kids’ (they’re 17 and 15!) to Amsterdam on a mini cruise next month, so I’m definitely going to look at your info on Amsterdam before we go.
I’m so sorry I’ve only just seen this! I hope you had a great time, Amsterdam is such a wonderful city!