Buenos Aires with Kids

Family is a big part of local life. Porteños definitely believe kids should be seen and heard, and local children keep pretty much the same schedule as their parents. Don’t be surprised to see local kids out until the wee hours.

It's completely normal for kids to sit through adult dinners, and restaurants (and other diners) are fine with them dozing at the table. Children's menus aren't common in Buenos Aires: local kids usually eat the same as adults, in smaller portions.

When it comes to rewarding—or bribing—their kids, porteño parents are unanimous: helado (ice cream) is the way to go. There are shops on nearly every block, but classy chains Freddo, Un'Altra Volta, and Persicco do the creamiest scoops.

There’s not much of a language barrier when it comes to entertainment geared toward younger members of the family. You don't need Spanish-language skills to enjoy circo (circus), títeres (puppets), and rock para chicos (kiddie rock). Listing for these and other events are in the local newspapers.

Best Museums

Kids can go to the bank, shop at a supermarket, and play at adult jobs in the Museo de los Niños (Children's Museum) in Almagro. Although the museum is entirely in Spanish, activities like crawling through a large-scale plumbing system and operating a crane on a building site have universal appeal.

The motto of Recoleta's Museo Participativo de las Ciencias (Participative Science Museum) says it all—"Prohibido No Tocar," or "Not Touching Is Forbidden." The colorful interactive displays—which explain how music, light, and electricity work—are hands-on enough for most kids to enjoy them despite the Spanish-only explanations. Better yet, it's on the first floor of the Centro Cultural Recoleta, so you can squeeze in some adult cultural time, too.

The gloriously retro building of the Planetario Galileo Galilei is alien-looking enough to attract your kids’ attention. So does the state-of-the-art night-sky projection room, with seats that vibrate during meteorite collisions. Cotton candy and popcorn machines near the asteroid collection outside make for more earthly postmuseum treats.

The Great Outdoors

The best place for unbridled running and jumping is Palermo's Parque Tres de Febrero. There are acres and acres of well-maintained greenery, and you can rent bicycles of all sizes (including ones with child seats), in-line skates, and pedal boats. There are also hamburger stands, balloon sellers, and clowns.

The gross factor is high at the Jardín Japonés, where your kids can pet the slimy koi carp swimming in ornamental ponds (and you might manage to sneak some sushi). Even more back-to-nature is the unkempt Reserva Ecológica—guided moonlight walks are an extra thrill.

The Zoo de Buenos Aires is home to pumas, tapirs, llamas, aguarrá guazús (a kind of wolf), and yacarés (caymans). And these are just some of the South American animals here that your kids might never have seen.