Besides the typical touristic places that most of the children get tired of after half an hour, there are also many thing to do that both kids and parents will enjoy! Barcelona with kids can also be amazing! Here we have a sum of our recommendations:
Daytrip trip CosmoCaixa
Said to be the biggest science museum in Europe, CosmoCaixa doesn’t, perhaps, make the best use of its space. A glass-enclosed spiral ramp runs down an impressive six floors, but actually represents quite a long walk to reach the main collection five floors down. Here you’ll find the Flooded Forest, a reproduction of a flora- and fauna-filled corner of Amazonia, and the Geological Wall, along with temporary exhibitions. From here, it’s on to the Matter Room, which covers ‘inert’, ‘living’, ‘intelligent’ and then ‘civilised’ matter: in other words, natural history. However, for all the fanfare made by the museum about taking exhibits out of glass cases and making scientific theories accessible, many of the displays still look very dated. Written explanations often tend towards the impenetrable, containing phrases such as ‘time is macroscopically irreversible’, and making complex those concepts that previously seemed simple.On the plus side, the installations for children are excellent: the Planetarium pleases those aged five to eight, and the wonderful Clik (ages three to six) and Flash (seven to nine) introduce children to science through games. Toca Toca! (‘Touch Touch’) educates children on which animals and plants are safe and which to avoid. One of the real highlights, for both young and old, is the hugely entertaining sound telescope outside on the Plaça de la Ciència.
Walk trough Poble Espanyol
The Poble Espanyol brings together reproductions of buildings from all over Spain, but it’s more than an architectural curiosity. You can sign up for one of their many workshops – from gardening to pottery – or take part in their family gymkhana, a treasure hunt with clues that will send you out to discover all the village’s secret nooks and crannies.
Check out the Zoo of Barcelona
The dolphin shows are the big draw, but the decently sized zoo has plenty of other animals, all of whom look happy enough in reasonably sized enclosures and the city’s comfortable climate. Favourites include giant hippos, the prehistoric-looking rhino, sea lions, elephants, giraffes, lions and tigers. Child-friendly features include a farmyard zoo, pony rides, picnic areas and two excellent playgrounds. If all that walking is too much, there’s a zoo ‘train’.
MIBA
Even though the Museum of Inventions and Ideas was originally designed for adults, you won’t be able drag your kids away. Wacky ideas and ingenious inventions suggest a future where anything is possible. And at the Minimiba, 5- to 12-year-olds can submit their own ideas: every month three of the best are turned into prototypes by a team of builders.
Enjoy your stay in Barcelona and you’ll see how happy your children will be in these places we just mentioned. For firther information on Barcelona city and surrounds check out our blog posts. We can also help you to find accomodation for your entire family.
Here you can learn more about our rentals offers for villas in Barcelona.