Best things to do in Brussels with kids: Brussels is a great city for wandering on a family trip. When you’re looking for what to do in Brussels for kids there are plenty of options from activities, parks and great snacks along the way. We have rounded up the top kids activities Brussels has on offer including some rainy day options too. Check out our list of the best things to do with kids in Brussels which adults will love too here.
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Eat chocolate in the home of the best
Belgium is home to the world’s best chocolate and one of the best things to do in the city is to wander around sampling some of the different choices.
For something so universal it is amazing how different the chocolates can taste.
Brussels is absolutely jam packed with various chocolate cafes and little boutique artisanal shops. A rainy day, or in fact any day, is made for wandering through the city trying out the different choices and picking your favourite.
Definitely one of the things to do in Brussels with children which all the family will love.
Rainy day option
See a tiny continent at Mini Europe – things to do in Brussels with kids
Mini Europe is a wonderful park featuring 80 cities from across the continent.
Located close to the Atomium (see below) this is a lovely place to visit with kids and one of the great things to do with children in Brussels.
There are reproductions of monuments across Europewhich are amazing to see in miniature.
Visit the whole of Europe in a couple of hours.
Find out more about the park here and get discounted entrance with a Brussels card you can pick up here.
Discover more about the world at the Museum of Natural Sciences
Find out more about the world at Brussels’ Museum of Natural Sciences, a huge space dedicated to the natural world.
Its most exciting exhibit is 30 fossilised Iguanodon skeletons, which were discovered in 1878 in Bernissart, Belgium and which are in Europe’s largest Dinosaur Gallery.
Every year new exhibits are added making this an ever-changing collection.
This is a really interactive museum making it a great trip out with kids. Find out more here.
Rainy day option
Skip-the-line and get free entrance with a Brussels card you can pick up here.
Visit the iconic Atomium
A trip to the Atomium is one of the highlights of a visit to Brussels.
Built for the World Exhibition of 1958 it is full of retro cool.
The nine spheres represent an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times.
Today you can wander along its walkways in the form of tunes and visit many of the spheres which each hold different themed exhibitions.
There are fantastic views across Brussels and the Belgian countryside and there’s is a a wonderful restaurant here in one of the spheres.
Find out more about visiting here, read our full review of visiting the Atomium and book your skip-the-queue tickets in advance here.
Rainy day option
See the classics at Belgian Comic Strip Museum
The Belgian Comic Strip Museum is a fun place to see some of the Belgian classic comics like the Smurfs and Tintin.
See the process of putting together a comic and some of the famous pieces that have put Belgium on the map for this art form here.
There are many other characters to discover and love here too.
They also run events and have a workshop for kids on a Saturday (only in French).
Find out more about visiting here.
Rainy day option
Burn off energy at the quirky Rouge-Cloître – things to do in Brussels with kids
If you’re looking for the best park in Brussels or playground to take kids to then Rouge-Cloître is a great choice.
Set within the grounds of an ancient abbey it is now part art installation, part green space.
There’s a fantastic adventure playground here, animals to visit as well as lots of space to run around.
It’s a great escape from the city buzz and there are lots of temporary art installations alongside a restaurant too.
It’s easy to walk to from Hermann-Debroux metro station on line 5.
Take a wander through the city and enjoy the street art
Brussels is known for having a vibrant street art scene and if you’re visiting with kids (or even if you’re not) it’s really fun to take a wander to see some of it.
Nearly every street has something to see and it’s wonderful to just come across different, vibrant pieces as you go.
Some of our favourites are Maternity by Polish artist Sainer, De Wand tram stop (Tram 3-7-19) and Facade HMI – Manneken Peace.
Find out more about the city’s street art and where to find it here.
Enjoy the ancient locomotives housed within Train World
There’s nothing better than experiencing the world of trains in a country that has the oldest railway network on the European continent.
Train World is filled with delights from the Pays de Waes, the oldest seam train to the fastest steam locamotive from 1939.
This is a fun visit for all ages and if you’re visiting with kids they have lots of fun, interactive activities to keep everyone occupied.
Get your skip-the-line tickets here.
Rainy day option
Indulge in the Belgian delight of waffles – things to do in Brussels with kids
Belgium is the place to try waffles and they are available all over the city.
They make a great street snack to grab and go when you’re out sightseeing but there are also some amazing, high-end waffles that shouldn’t be forgotten either.
Rainy day option
Take a day trip to beautiful Bruge
Belgium is packed with many beautiful towns and cities and while there’s plenty here to keep all the family occupied if you do fancy a day out you can’t go wrong with Bruge.
This stunning town is the capital of West Flanders and absolutely packed full of canals and cobbled streets.
It really is one of the most picturesque towns in the world and there’s plenty to do here.
Take the train from Brussels or take a full day guided tour of Bruge from Brussels for a really easy way to do so.
Get your shop on at the stunning Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
This absolutely stunning shopping mall came in to life in the 1830s and is the perfect place for a walk through.
Packed full of lovely shops and boutiques there are plenty of places to stop here for a bag of chocolate, what else, and rest feet at one of the cafes.
When it opened this was the place to be seen and it is still the perfect place for a walk through.
Rainy day option
Find out more about the history of the sweet stuff – things to do in Brussels with kids
With all the chocolate eating you’re sure to do in this historic city it’s good to find out more about the history of chocolate. The Het Museum van Cacao en Chocolade is the perfect place to do it.
Here you can wander past exhibits showing how chocolate is made and implements that were once used to help consume it including some beautiful hot chocolate pots.
You’ll even get to try some samples too.
Take a trip to nearby Mechelen
Another great day out if you’re looking to see another nearby city is to visit Mechelen.
This is a great day trip and an easy visit on the train. There’s lots here for families including Technopolis, an amazing science centre and canals to take boat trips down.
You can also find out the legendary story of the moon extinguishers here.
Read more of our family trip to Mechelen here. We hope you’ve enjoyed our roundup of the best things to do in Brussels with kids. It’s a wonderful city and perfect for a family visit.
We took the Eurostar from London to Brussels and you can read all about how we got on here.
As always do leave us any questions or comments or let us know anywhere we’ve missed out. Have a great trip!
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