A bit, or even a lot of rain doesn't need to be an excuse to stay home with the children. There are many options for things to do with the children on rainy days in Berlin. Here are my top tips for good (indoor) places to go on rainy days to keep the children entertained...
- Eltern-Kind-Cafe's For those of you with babies and toddlers this is a good option. Eltern-Kind Cafe's (parent-child cafe's) are cafe's specifically designed for babies and young children. They are scattered throughout the city and feature a large selection of toys as well as indoor sandpits, slides, indoor soft climbing frames and ball pits. The cafe's all sell food and drinks and often have good baby changing facilities. Some of the cafe's are completely free (you are of course expected to purchase a drink or food whilst there), others charge a small amount per child, usually around €1. I have a comprehensive list of the family cafes in Berlin, listed by area.
- Labyrinth Kindermuseum Actually not really much of a museum at all, this fun indoor play area in Wedding offers lots to keep children entertained with climbing, riding, building and much more. Check out my review here.
- FEZ Based in Wuhlheide Park, FEZ is a massive building that holds lots of events and activities for children. In the foyer of the building there is both a soft play area for the babies and younger toddlers and a large indoor climbing frame for the slightly bigger children. Here's my review of FEZ.
- Bowling in Berlin If you have older children to entertain, why not try your hand at a few rounds of bowling. Here is my list of the Family-friendly bowling in Berlin.
- Jumphouse Berlin if your kids love to bounce, this is the place for them. Jumphouse is a large indoor trampolining centre in Berlin aimed at both adults and kids.
- Indoor Playgrounds For the children who are a bit too old for the Eltern-Kind-Cafes there are a number of indoor playgrounds in the city. Many feature slides, bouncy castles, large ball pits and more. Here is a list of some of them, linking through to their websites for more information:
- Tommys Turbulente Tobewelt
- Ritterland
- Bim & Boom Kinderspielland
- Kinderkiste Lankwitz
- Jolos Kinderwelt - Legoland Discovery Centre Not one of the cheapest options but fun for kids big and small is Legoland in Potsdamer Platz. You can find out more about it on their website here.
- Science Center Spectrum A brilliant day out for children of all ages and especially good for parents of children of differing ages. Here's my review of Spectrum.
- Rainy day Sightseeing in Berlin Do you want to do some sightseeing but keep dry at the same time? Why not head up the TV Tower (Fernsehturm) or in to The Reichstag.
- Berlin Aquarium A bit pricey but there is plenty to see within this aquarium next to the Berlin. Check out their website.
- Go 3D Another one for those with older children, you could head to Prenzlauer Berg and try your hand at 3D printing in Berlin's first 3D printing cafe run by Expat parents.
- Swimming Pools There are plenty of swimming pools throughout the city and I have a list of the best indoor swimming pools for babies and children in Berlin.
- Natural History Museum This popular Berlin museum houses the largest mounted dinosaur in the world and much much more. More information and photos here.
- MACHmit Museum This is a non-profit museum that encourages children to learn through play and fun arts and crafts activites. More information can be found on their website here.
- Tropical Islands Just outside of Berlin you can find a giant dome housing a tropical rainforest, live creatures, hot air balloons, a beach and pools and more, all under cover. Here's my review of Tropical Islands.
Free Alternatives
If you are looking for cheaper regular alternatives, there are plenty of options out there including Ikea, with it's cheap tea/coffee for the parents and play areas in both the cafe and in the kids bedroom sections. Karstadt at Hermannplatz includes a pet shop on the ground floor which I used regularly to entertain my kids in the early years as you can see a range of animals from fish to birds, rabbits to reptiles. The toy section of many of the Karstadt and Galeria Kaufhof shops include free play sections for the kids such as marble runs and small train sets. From the ground floor of the large shopping mall Bikini Berlin near Zoologischer Garten you can sit next to the giant glass window that has a view of the Baboon enclosure from the Zoo and you can watch the Baboons running and playing around.
So those are some options for things to do in Berlin with children on a rainy day. I hope the list comes in useful to you!
Berlin for all the Family can also be found on: