Barcelona with Kids! Things to see and do.

City breaks are not just for the adults! Barcelona is such a diverse city, there’s lots to do for all ages so it’s the perfect "child friendly " city break no matter what time of year. There are lots of activities, places to go and things to see so here’s my list of the best things to do with the kids in Barcelona…..

Tibidabo Amusement Park

As well as having amazing views and a beautiful church at the top, Tibidabo also has a fairground which first opened in 1908. The original part of the fairground is still open and you can go on the rides including “Avió” Tibidabo's most symbolic ride and history's first flight simulator, it has been flying since 1928! The park as a whole is quite large so you can spend all day there if you wish. There are plenty of restaurants including picnic areas too. A full adult ticket is €28.50 (2016) and kid’s prices are dependent on their height as is the access to some of the rides. The full tickets gives you unlimited access to all the rides. The park is open most weekends throughout the year and most of the summer. It really is an amazing fun day out for all the family! You can find out more info here on how to get there and further opening times.

The Avio at Tibidabo

CosmaCaixa

CosmoCaixa is Barcelona’s science museum. This is a hands on, interactive museum exhibiting the science behind nature, the environment and space. There’s also a devoted interactive kids area for the young ones. The highlights of the museum are undoubtedly the Planetarium and its very own patch of real Amazonian rain forest. The museum is located in the Tibidabo area and can be reached via public transport. CosmaCaixa is open Tues- Sun from 10am-8pm and tickets can be purchased in advance via Visit Barcelona where you will find more detailed info.

The Zoo and Parc Ciutadella

The Zoo is located inside Parc Ciutadella, so this makes for a great family day out. The park is situated on the edge of the trendy El Born district close to the Port. You can also enter the zoo without having to go into the park from the east side. The park has several play areas, a boating pond and lovely areas to walk around and sit in where you could enjoy a picnic with the kids before heading into the zoo. The zoo has mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, there are also play areas and picnic spots, or restaurants. Highlights include ponies and a train too! A great day out for everyone! If you book tickets to the Zoo in advance you can get a discount, prices start at €19.90 for adults, 3-12 yrs. €11.95 and under 3 yrs. free. Find out more here.

Parc Ciutadella

Beach

Who doesn’t love the beach?! Paddling in the warm water and building sandcastles ? Barcelona has 4.2km of sandy beach and a wide range of beach bars and restaurant’s. The main beach at Barceloneta is very well equipped too with First Aid help, toilets and play areas for the little ones, there’s even free Wi-Fi! There’s a variety of water sport activities too so you can hire paddle boards or surf boards if that's your thing! If you prefer less hustle and bustle though, you can head to the quieter beaches of Bogatell and Nova Icaria at Port Olympic. There are plenty sun-beds to hire but make sure you get there early!

Barceloneta Beach

Aquarium

If you happen to be visiting out of season – this is a great rainy day activity. The Aquarium is at Port Vell next to the Maremagnum shopping centre and has 35 tanks, 450 different species of marine life and the highlight has to be the Oceanarium and a moving underwater tunnel 80 metres long. The Aquarium is also home to some Humboldt penguins! There’s a common area where kids can explore, learn and play. You'll find a restaurant here too. You can find out more info on opening time here and also book tickets in advance for a discount.

Chocolate Museum (Museu de la Xocolata)

Perhaps visiting this and the Aquarium on the same day is a good idea as they’re close by one another. The Chocolate Museum is a good bit of light-hearted fun where if you want to, you can participate in workshops e.g. – being a chocolate artist, where you can learn the basic techniques for handling chocolate! (Book in advance) Aside from all the chocolate making the museum has some very cool sculptures made completely from chocolate! Buy your “chocolate bar” tickets for €6 and enjoy it as you stroll round the museum! More info here.

FCB – Camp Nou

So if you have some football fans in the family then no trip to Barcelona would be complete without a visit to Camp Nou! The ultimate visit to the stadium would be for a game but if you are visiting out with the football season, the team are away from home or the match is sold out then the Camp Nou Experience is still a really good one. The museum has been completely modernised and is interactive now, a football fans heaven! Enjoy walking around the grounds, changing rooms, press areas, commentary boxes and museum, get your photo taken with your favourite player (CGI imposed of course!) and then treat yourself to something from the shop when you leave! You can book in advance here and avoid the queues.

FCB Fans

Out of Town

Illa Fantasia is a water park around half an hour’s drive from Barcelona. It can be reached via public transport but they provide a free return bus service which leaves from a central meeting point in the city. You can buy tickets for the water park in advance or buy when you board the bus. It’s not a huge water park but there is plenty to amuse everyone for a whole day. There are restaurants and bars as well as picnic areas. The website is in Spanish but the “how to arrive” information is in English here.

Other notable things to do in Barcelona with the kids are the Cable Cars to Castell Montjuic, the Maritime Museum and the Magic fountains. It’s also worth checking out the City Hall website to see what local festivals are on at the time of your holiday as these are great entertainment and there are quite often activities for the kids to participate in. Take a look here.

Enjoy your holiday with the kids!