amsterdam and kids?
 

we are going to amsterdam next week with 13 yr old boy and 14yr old girl for 3 days- thinking of staying at Crowne plaza Hotel- any suggestions for things to do with the kids and other ideas for hotels? Thanks!

some things to do with kids:

http://www.travelforkids.com/Funtodo.../amsterdam.htm

Can you tell us anything about the kids? At that age they might still be little kids - or they might be quite sophisticated - and have different, specific interests. (I remember at that age my brother was a WWII buff - and fascinated by anything to do with it.)

Or a kid fascinated by technology might love to see some windmills and the giant dams (?) used to reclaim land from the sea.

And I would think some of the standards - canal boat cruise, Anne Frank's house, would be good for everyone.

The local Madame Tussauds is one of Amsterdam's top ranking tourist sights - i've never been in because of the steep admission fee and it doesn't appeal to me - but it may be great for your kids - kind of aimed at that age i think. And there the Amsterdam Experience, a multi-media re-creation of Amsterdam's history and the Science Center overlooking the Harbor - can't think of its name but a huge green thing producing from the ground like a ski lift. They may like renting a pedalos - small boat and going around the canals. Anne Frank, of course, will spellbind them if they've just read the book. Hop a train to Zaandvort-on-Zee, Amsterdam's favorite beach - wide sandy beach with roving frites and hering stands! (But on the southern edge is an official nudist beach so beware of that end!) Take the free ferries from behind Centraal train station up the harbor to Javalaan area - or the new Ijs Tram from centraal station that moves along the harbor and then via a tunnel and bridge across the harbor to new urban developments. The old Amsterdam trams are also fun - they go everywhere from Centraal Station. The zoo - are they too old for that? The Troppen Museum near the zoo is a fun museum of third-world cultures with many displays re-creations of street scenes in other countries - certainly would take my kids that age there. And a rijstaffel meal in an Indonesian restaurant - all over Amsterdam - this big feast of rice served with a mind-boggling array of different condiments and prepared dishes is fun for anyone any age. You may want to keep them out of the Redlight District - on most tourists routes - but i'm sure they'd find it inetersting and something to talk about back home! And rent a bike and ride into the countryside or just in Vondel Park with all the other zillions of Dutch bikers. And of course the canal boat tours - the de rigeuer thing for all first-time A'dam tourists to do.

Speaking of windmills above - yes hop the train and take them to Zaans Schaans (sp?) 20 minutes away (Koog Zanndijk station then short walk) - an open-air museum of old Dutch life in and around the Zuider Zee - windmills and demos on old way of doing things in a bucloic zee-side setting.

NIMROD: Are you from Watersmeet?

wow! my first time posting on Fordors and everyone has come thru- many thanks with great suggestions- a couple of hotels thoughts-
have checked fosors and tripadvisor and am now looking at the following hotels- any ideas?
The Fita
The College
Hotel Amsterdam
Hotel Torin
marriot amsterdam-

many thanks-
to answer an earlier question for one of you, kids are athletic, anne frank is a must, will skip red light, vondel park sounds good-

PalQ,

No, not from Watersmeet.

My screen name was adopted from the muscians <u>Green Day</u>.

We loved Amsterdam this past June, with our two older teens along. If you click on my screen name above, you will find my trip report of London-Paris-Amsterdam, with specifics about our hotel there, some great restaurants, shopping for teens, and activities. It's a wonderful city, and felt very safe, too. Have fun.

Here's the link to MaureenB's trip report .....

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34635736

Peace, Robyn :)&gt;-

eddh-
We recently spent 2 days in Amsterdam with 2 10 yr old boys &amp; 16 yr old daughter. We didn't do as much as I would have liked because of jet lag &amp; rain. I just asked them what they liked best &amp; all seemed to think just walking around. At the time, they liked the canal boat tour. We did stay at Hotel Toren, you can get my comments on that on my posting (Benelux, kids, no Lux). It was ok, in a good location. You might check out the Canal House Hotel. That was right next door &amp; had good reviews. We stayed at Hotel Toren mainly because thay had a/c but wasn't needed.
Go to the Ann Frank house (right around the corner from Hotel Toren) in the evening, the lines were incredibly long in the daytime. They may like the Rijksmuseum &amp; Van Gogh museum, if only a quick walk through. We ate lunch at the Van Gogh museum.
I regret that we missed Zaanse Schans, really wanted to go there. Also, Volendam &amp; Markum. Have a great trip!
Betsy

How about a Yellow Bike Tour. They took us all over Amsterdam and it was great!

If the weather is good you can always do paddle boats along the canals, and make sure to rent bikes at some point to really go Dutch! There are tons of unusual things to see, like the Beinhof (sp?), Regulierstraat, the Rembrant House. If there's something interesting at the Concertgebouw or the Theatre Carre, that might be a fun evening. It stays light pretty late so you can pack a lot into one day. Take the train to Haarlem or Delft; they're both easy day trips from A'dam. Enjoy!

Eddh - I think it was at Zuider Zee on the way walking from the train station to the Windmills that we went past a chocolate factory. The entire town smells like brownies ready to come out of the oven. Quite amazing! I wonder if they do tours...