I have been meaning to do this list for so long and will be adding to it through our 3rd Berlin winter I promise. If you’re like us, with a busy 3-year-old, you need a LOT of rainy day activities for your kids this winter.
This will be our 3rd winter in Berlin and I can now honestly hand on heart say, I’m ready! Having come from slightly warmer climates…(our Central America posts link in case you were wondering HERE.) Berlin in the winter was a shock to the system. We have been lucky to have surrounded ourselves with some very resourceful friends and sharing our top fun winter activities with you would only be fair 😉
5 Fun Winter Activities in Berlin
VISIT A KINDER CAFE
I literally thought this was an urban myth but after my third Kinder Cafe, I just couldn’t believe my luck. Coffee and endless children’s entertainment? Yes, it exists, and is truly a very fun activity. The cheap rent and large urban sprawl have meant that Berlin has numerous Kinder Cafe’s, however, we have already seen some close down so ladies, get out there and support your local. Buy endless cups of coffee, go with friends, eat cake and donate toys. These are a Berlin godsend in the winter months and if you can drown out the noise an almost bearable way to spend an entire afternoon! I recently came across this handy website KINDALING listing all the cafes in Berlin. In no particular order here are a few of our favorites.
KIEZKIND (Prenzlauer Berg) – Pictured above, hard to believe no one thought of this before. I giant indoor sandbox. The cafe is very small but has a small selection of food, drink and decent coffee.
DAS SPIELZIMMER (Prenzlauer Berg) – Next level kindercafe, a jungle gym with slides, mazes and ball pool for bigger kids and an adorable toddler and baby ball pool and soft play for the little ones. Service is shocking, don’t go looking for sympathy and a smile here, entertainment though is ON.
AMITOLA (Friedrichshain) – There is a cafe, second-hand shop (for more of these CLICK HERE) very good food and frequent extra activities like plays and baby yoga. Be sure to check their site for schedules. You can also visit Shakespear and Sons the excellent English bookshop when you’re in the neighborhood.
CAFE BLUME (Neükolln) – I mentioned this place briefly in our “Why you should visit Berlin with kids” guide. The brunch here in a Sunday is all you can eat and fantastic. It does get very busy so be sure that you book in advance. The play area is small but perfectly formed, Playhouse, books, slide and little toys. The pianist on a Sunday is also a nice touch and fascinated Oscar for hours. The cafe is also open during the week and is right on the edge of the beautiful Hassenheide Park. We wrote a whole guide to Neükolln HERE too. Goodness, I seem to write a lot of guides HA!
5 Fun Winter Activities in Berlin
INDOOR CLIMBING CENTRES – BoudlerKlub Kreuzberg
Ok, don’t be scared mums, even if you are not “outdoorsy” you can enter these establishments. Trust me I wore heels the last time and they even let me in. Our local center has a very fun, slightly lopsided pirate ship, small climbing walls, a slide and fireman pole. The floor is soft and bouncy and there are designated “bring your kids” days. This is a sure fire way for your little one to burn off some steam and a nice way to get some exercise in for yourself if you are that way inclined. Or just drown yourself in coffee and date and coconut powerballs. It feels healthy too 🙂 In case you are wondering what to search in google the German word is “Kletterturm”. I have included it on our map below too.
In case you are wondering what to search in google the German word is “Kletterturm”. I have included it on our map below too.
5 Fun Winter Activities in Berlin
GO TO A MUSEUM
There are a ton of museums in Berlin, over 170 to be precise. Suffice to say there is something for everyone and every age group. I rounded up our absolute favorites so far in our “Top 5 child-friendly Berlin museums” post but will be sure to write another guide later this autumn as I have been recommended so many more over the summer. Please feel free to post in the comments if you have a recommendation too.
5 Fun Winter Activities in Berlin
EAT AT MARKTHALLE NEUN
A 125-year-old railway market might not seem like a top choice for a child-friendly activity but this beautifully restored building part of 14 markets originally scattered around Berlin is an exception. The space is dotted with vendors from every corner of the globe and the food here is exceptional, we visit on a Thursday evening from 5-10pm when the food hall is in full swing. Be sure to say hi if you see us there. The space curates various events weekly and monthly from locally sourced produce markets to wine tasting, pasta making and even children’s cooking classes. There is a great article about it on Berlin Food Stories a blog I often refer to for good Berlin eats. One thing worth searching out if the children’s play area. There are tables here surrounding a slide and very entertaining ball mazes. Guaranteed to keep your little ones happy if the pizza and ice cream wanst enough. A small tip, wrap up warm, it does get chilly here if you’re not hitting the mulled wine.
5 Fun Winter Activities in Berlin
JOIN A SPORTS CLUB or FACEBOOK GROUP
This is aimed towards more long-term Berlin residents, although if you are slow traveling there is no harm in doing this too. It’s a fantastic way to meet people and get involved in local life. We did this in both Mexico, Croatia and England while on our travels. An honorary mention to the Expat Berlin Babies group who are an endless source of knowledge support and encouragement. Berlin also has a wide variety of gymnastics, music classes, and football clubs organized by various neighborhood and government initiatives, I can’t recommend the KINDALING site enough for these things. We also found another fantastic group on FACEBOOK that meets up in the park Thursday for a game of kick about. The internet can sometimes be a wonderful thing, just avoid the news!
Please do share your tips on fun winter activities and places to see in Berlin as the cold sets in. Also, join us on FACEBOOK for more updates and family travel related bits and bobs.
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