Brussels with children

There are lots of children’s activities in Brussels, especially designed to capture their imagination. Here are just a few.

• Children's Museum (Ixelles): gives children the opportunity, through exhibitions involving their participation by way of play, to learn how better to know themselves and others.
• Belgian Comic Strip Centre and the comic strip trail (Rue des Sables): Brussels has world-class comic strip credentials, just look at the number of characters that brighten up the Region’s walls.
• Museum of Natural Sciences (Wiertz): as well as its famous collection of dinosaurs, you’ll also enjoy lots of interactive exhibitions.
• Aquarium of Brussels (Aquarium Museum or Aquatic Study Center) (Koekelberg) : a trip along warm seas and continents with small species from all over the world.
• Atomium (Heysel): the nine spheres of the Atomium represent the nine atoms that make up an iron crytal.
  Take the lift to the top for a bird’s-eye view of Brussels.
• Autoworld (Parc du Cinquantenaire): lots of different cars from the past and the present.
• Royal Museum of the Army and Military History (Parc du Cinquantenaire): while you’re in Parc du Cinquantenaire, get up close to tanks, bombers and more.
• Bronks, theatre for young audiences (FR/NL) (Sainte-Catherine): if you’re looking for a performance that will keep the kids interested, Bronks is sure to have something to see (in Dutch).
• Théâtre de la Montagne Magique (FR) (Rue du Marais): theatre for children and young people, hosting original programming and top quality festivals.
• Royal Peruchet Theater (FR) (Ixelles) : a string puppet theatre and its International Marionette Museum (in French)
• The maze in the garden of Van Buuren Museum (Uccle): when the weather’s fine, lose yourself in the magnificent Van Buuren garden.
• Each year Les 3 Heures Trottinettes (3HT) (FR) holds a scooter relay race for the youngest groups of the youth movements (usually 5- to 8-year olds). During the 3-hour race, which is held on the same weekend as the 24-hour cycling event at the Bois de la Cambre and the 5-hour cross-country event, there is a host of activities for families and children.

On the website of the Brussels Museums Council you will find an overview of the special programmes and workshops for kids offered by the Brussels museums.

• Kidsgazette is a free cultural quarterly calendar for Brussels children aged 0 to 12 years old.
• The website of ideji asbl, Le Kid (FR), provides the list of all workshops for children aged 2 to 18 years old.
• jonginbrussel.be is an initiative of the youth service of the Flemish Community Commission (VGC). The website gives an overview (by theme or location) of the Dutch-speaking leisure activities for young people in Brussels.

The page over child care also provides information about leisure activities for children.

The website of visit.brussels also gives an overview of activities and attractions for children.

Most attractions and museums have reduced prices for children. Visit the individual websites for up-to-date admission prices. Brussels also organises lots of free activities. See the pages "Brussels for free".for more details.

If you plan to criss-cross Brussels all day, you might be better off taking public transport. Children under 6 travel free on the STIB network if they are accompanied by a paying person aged 12 or more. Kids between 6 and 11 can get a free J pass at STIB Bootiks.

• At Resto.be, you can set your own search criteria to find a restaurant with a play area or a kids’ menu.
• Brussels has a huge number of parks and green spaces, typically with a children’s play area.