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What can you do in Hamburg with kids?

An image of the Hamburg skyline with the river, church and concert hall.

Tips

What can you do in Hamburg with kids?

Family ambassador Nadine Ratajczyk lives in Hamburg with her husband and four sons. Here are her favorite activities to do in Hamburg with kids of all ages.

Nadine Ratajczyk is a nursery school teacher and digital creator living in Hamburg with her family. She loves exploring the city and finding lesser-known outdoor spots and exciting child-friendly eateries.

In Hamburg, there is no limit to fun kids’ activities – it’s just a matter of finding them. From trampolining to rollercoaster restaurants, Nadine has gathered this list of her favorite kids' activities for families living in Hamburg.

Things you can do in Hamburg with kids:

Build sandcastles on the beach by the Elbe River
Go for a jog in Planten un Blomen park
Check out a new exhibition at the Klick Children’s Museum
Watch a kids’ performance at the Schmidts Tivoli Theater
Eat brunch at a beach restaurant
Visit the animals at the organic Hof Eggers Farm
Watch your plates whiz around at the Schwerelos roller-coaster restaurant
Ride ponies at the Niendorfer enclosure
Bounce on an indoor trampoline
Feed animals at the Kirchdorf children’s farm

Elbe River beach

I find it very special with the children here on the Elbe. Here the children can play…and climb and swing on the large trees. Especially in the evening this place is very magical with the sunset.

Nadine

Elbe River beach with the view of the docks in the distance.

The river Elbe runs right through the city of Hamburg and is a popular spot for locals. In the summer, you’ll find people grilling sausages and soaking in the sunshine. In the winter, most people will head there for a riverside jog, or to walk their dogs. It’s the perfect place to go with kids for a picnic or to build sandcastles.

It’s important to note, while it’s great for getting sand between your toes, it’s not recommended to go swimming in the water. The shipping traffic and strong currents don’t make it the ideal bathing spot – but perfect for a relaxing day out. But if you go further out of town by the river Elbe, there are more spots for swimming.

(In this picture: The Elbe River beach. Photo credit: Cornelius Kibelka licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

Planten un Blomen Park

In the big city we love the Planten un Blomen Park. We like to go for a walk there at any time of the year. It's also great for jogging with a stroller.

Nadine

Planten un Blomen Park is a 45-hectare park right in the middle of the city – and it delivers on its promise – the plants, flowers are beautifully curated.

There are also lots of places for kids to keep busy. For older, more adventurous kids, there is a jungle gym to climb and swing from. The park also has a minigolf and human-sized chess board. The fun doesn’t stop in the winter, Planten un Blomen is also home to Germany’s largest open-air ice rink for kids to practice their skating skills.

(In this photo: A pond at Planten un Blomen. Photo by: Berndt Andresen © hamburg.de)

Klick Children's Museum

I think the Klick Children's Museum is really great.

Olesia

The goal of the Klick Children’s Museum is to teach kids new things with fun, interactive exhibitions that are completely catered to children. Some of their exhibitions include Grandma’s Everyday Life where kids can see what life was like in the post-war period, complete with radios, washboards, and other old-timey items. The idea behind the exhibition is that grandparents can go with their grandkids and share their childhood experiences.

Other exhibitions teach children about the body and the stone age. These creative ideas and interactive elements make the exhibitions exciting for curious kids.

Schmidts Tivoli Theater

And always in winter we visit the Schmitz Tivoli Theater, there are always nice performances for children.

Nadine

The facade of the Schmidts Tivoli Theater at night.

Schmidts Tivoli has many performances for kids. Unlike most other places in town, Schmidts casts the same actors for the kids’ performances as the shows on the big stage. This ensures the performances for children are still at a high level.

From The Jungle Book to Alice in Wonderland, the theater offers new takes on the classics or shows of their very own. Schidmts Tivoli also makes their performances as enjoyable for parents as they are for kids, so you’ll have a fun night out too.

(In this photo: Schmidts Tivoli theater from the outside. Photo by: Morris Mac Matzen © Schmidts Tivoli)

Beach Hamburg

I love the Beach Hamburg. You can have great brunch there at the weekend and the kids play in the sand like on the beach.

Nadine

Outdoor seating at the Beach Hamburg restaurant.

As far as kid-friendly restaurants go, Beach Hamburg has pretty much everything you want. With tables, sunchairs and fake palm trees all placed on a thick layer of sand, this restaurant is an exciting place for kids to go to pretend they're by the seaside. The restaurant offers birthday parties for children, and every Sunday from 10 am offers family brunch with lots of kids’ options.

(In this photo: Outdoor seating at Beach Hamburg.©Beach Hamburg)

Hof Eggers Farm

If you love nature there is a great family café at Hof Eggers farm here on the Elbe. Our kids love to visit the animals, so this is our favorite place.

Nadine

Hof Eggers is an organic farm with pigs, ponies, sheep and cows and a cozy courtyard café. Head there for one of their filling breakfasts and then explore the farm or go for a walk on the hiking trail that encircles the area. They also have holiday apartments for families that are looking to get away from the bustle city life.

The farm lies outside of town, about a 35 minute drive from the city center.

(In this photo: The courtyard café © Hof Eggers)

Schwerelos Roller-coaster Restaurant

The Schwerelos restaurant is very exciting for young and old guests.

Nadine

The winding tracks where the dishes whiz around the Schwerelos roller-coaster restaurant.

If your kids love roller coasters – and even if they don’t – most children will appreciate the Schwerelos roller-coaster restaurant.

Here, an extensive rail system winds its way around the restaurant, high above the heads of guests. No waiters needed, this is the transport system for all the food! Parents and kids alike can marvel at the pots, dishes and glasses zooming around the room before landing on your table.

(In this photo: The winding food roller-coaster at Schwerelos © Schwerelos)

Niendorfer Enclosure

The Niendorfer enclosure is great with children, with mini golf and many trampoline halls in the area for the kids to play and jump about.

Nadine

The Niendorfer Gehege is a local wood in the north of Hamburg that covers about 150 hectares and is home to beautiful 200-year-old beech, oak and spruce trees. It’s a relaxing green spot where families can get away from the rush of everyday life, with hiking trails for dog-walking, jogging or cycling.

Kids can even ride a pony through the park, and sometimes – if you’re lucky – you might catch a glimpse of the deer that live in an enclosed forest clearing. The minigolf range is also a highlight for children and parents.

(In this picture: Fallow deer at Niendorfer. Photo credit: Robert Katzki licensed under CC0 1.0)

Trampoline halls

…There are many trampoline halls for kids to play in and jump about.

Nadine

UMP House Hamburg-Stellingen lies close to the Niendorfer nature reserve mentioned above. This trampoline park has 9 different attractions including so-called “ninja courses”, virtual reality games, and classic trampolining areas.

Jumping around is a great activity for older kids, and lets them release any pent-up energy. JUMP House also offers deals for kids’ birthday parties, holiday camps and more.

Kirchdorf Children’s Farm

The Kirchdorf Children's Farm is also very nice for children.

Nadine

Geese and goats next to a small pond at the Kirchdorf children's farm.

The original idea behind the Kirchdorf Farm was precisely to provide city kids with the chance to learn more about animals and farmlife. The farm offers a wide range of age-specific classes that teach kids about animals, ecology and nature. Children also get the chance to feed and pet certain animals.

The farm lies on the outskirts of town, about a 20 minute drive from the city center.

How does Nadine get around the city?

We like to use the Thule Chariot bike trailer here in nature because we can explore many beautiful places as a family. Walking in the big city is most comfortable with a Thule Spring compact city stroller.

Nadine

Thule ambassadors in this article:

Nadine Ratajczyk is a nursery schoolteacher and digital creator living with her four sons and husband in Hamburg. She loves to discover new countries with her family, and check out fun places at home. Find out what she is up to on her Instagram.