In most cities it might prove difficult to keep your kids busy throughout the entire holiday. Copenhagen is not one of them. The small ones take centre stage here: from climbing parks to roller coaster rides and discovering the fascinating underwater lives of exotic fish, here are our favourite spots on your next trip to Copenhagen with kids.
Copenhagen Zoo
The polar bears are a popular sight at the Copenhagen Zoo
Home to 3,000 animals, the Copenhagen Zoo is the perfect spot for your kids to roam around for a day of fun.
Enjoy a stroll underneath the The Arctic Ring and get incredibly close to polar bears and seals both above and below the water surface via an underwater tunnel.
Appreciate the tigers, leopards, muskoxen, chimps and gorillas – and the only Tasmanian Devils you’ll find outside of Australia. Get close to the majestic elephants in the Elephant House, designed by world famous architect Norman Foster, and watch them bathe in a water tomb deep enough for their entire bodies to be covered.
Where: Roskildevej 32
Tel: +45 72 20 02 00
Getting there: Bus 6A at Zoologisk Have bus stop
Bredegrund Playground
Kids are totally in their element at Bredegrund Playground
Built in solid plank wood and painted in various colours, The Bredegrund Playground is a playing paradise where kids of all ages are invited to cut loose and run off some steam.
Let your kids climb aboard a pirate ship, play badminton or do some fast laps in a go-kart. Watch out for the secluded area of the playground where water fights are encouraged – most parents don’t realise this in time to avoid their kids getting soaked and/or covered in mud.
To relieve parents and prevent accidents, kids are supervised by staff Monday through Friday.
Where: Bredegrund 8
Tel: +45 32 59 81 86
Getting there: Lergravsparken st.
Klatreskoven
Looking for a playground dedicated to climbing? Head to Klatreskoven!
Trying to get your kids away from handheld devices? Take them to Klatreskoven.
This climbing park in Vesterbro promises plenty of adventure for brave youngsters that don’t flinch when suspended mid-air. The park has five different levels – depending on your child’s skill and fearlessness – a long zip wire, and obstacle courses stretched out between treetops.
Not to worry, kids are, at all times, equipped with both safety harness and helmet. All you need to worry about is how to get them to come back down.
Where: Pasteursvej 8-10
Tel: +45 28 94 46 48
Getting there: Enghave st.
Tivoli
Dare to go on ‘the Demon’, Tivoli’s impressive roller coaster?
Upside down, sideways, thrown towards the ground or swung around in the sky – there are plenty of new perspectives to gain when you visit the old amusement park, Tivoli.
Since 1843, people have been flocking to the premises looking for endless amusement, cheerful company and sugary treats. Among the adrenaline-pumping highlights are: the oldest still-running wooden roller coaster in the world, a sky carousel that lets you swing 80 metres above the ground and the devilish three-loop roller coaster named ‘the Demon’.
Tivoli doesn’t leave anyone out of the fun; the park also features activities fit for toddlers, who will love the playground and activity area centred around the Danish cartoon figure, Rasmus Klump.
Where: Vesterbrogade 3
Tel: +45 33 15 10 01
Nearest station: København H
Skydebanehaven
Once at Skydebanehaven, your kids will never want to leave
Does sliding down the back of a parrot sound like fun? In this small, local playground and park, hidden away behind a massive gateway, your kids will have the opportunity to do so. A green oasis in the middle of the densely populated Vesterbro, Skydebanehaven has since 1947 been one of the most popular playgrounds in the city. The locals refer to it as Papegøjelegepladsen (The Parrot Playground) thanks to the all-reigning brightly coloured parrot that comes complete with a slide and a climbing ladder.
There are endless opportunities for playing here: a massive sandbox, a paddling pool, Indian tipis, small campfire areas, tunnels, a basketball court, a football pitch, table tennis, swings, cable cars, a music room and a climbing tower. There are also scooters, tricycles and go-carts.
Relax on the vast green area while your kids go wild.
Where: Absalonsgade 12
Tel: n/a
Getting there: Bus 6A at Vesterbros Torv bus stop
The Blue Planet
Stroll through the underwater tunnel and ‘meet’ the sharks © daniel0685
Inspired by the currents of a whirlpool, the swirling architecture and design of The Blue Planet is impossible to miss.
With more than 20,000 animals, The Blue Planet is the largest aquarium in Northern Europe. Experience exotic fishes, the Coral Reef, sea otters, and hammerhead sharks. The aquarium has 53 tanks that are divided in different geographies: visit anacondas and exotic butterflies in the ‘Amazon’ or the large halibuts in the ‘Faroe Islands’.
One of the unique experiences setting this aquarium apart is the underwater tunnel, in which children and grown-ups alike gasp with excitement – being just in spitting distance from the sharks.
Where: Jacob Fortlingsvej 1
Tel: +45 44 22 22 44
Getting there: Kastrup st.
Tower Playground
Kids will fall in love with the Tower Playground ©Ursula Bach
The interactive Tower Playground has won quite a bit of local fame, and bringing your children here is a safe success. The playground is built around miniature versions of Copenhagen’s most notable towers – Our Savior’s Church, City Hall, Round Tower, the Marble Church and the Exchange Tower.
Let your kids climb the miniature corkscrew spire of Our Savior Church, and swing their way to the tower of Copenhagen City Hall – before running the rope bridge to the Round Tower, and sliding down the huge chute.
Add in the electronic tag game around the Exchange Tower, the picture puzzle, and a world of swings – and it is enough to keep your children happily occupied for hours.
Where: Frederiks den V’s vej 4
Tel: +45 33 66 34 72
Getting there: Bus 1A at Trianglen stop
Tycho Brahe Planetarium
What kid wouldn’t enjoy space travelling?
Throw yourself full speed through a galaxy of stars. Travel to the end of the world. Immerse yourself in dreamscapes from the deepest seas through the jungle and all the way across the solar system. The world knows no limits when you settle yourself in the comfortable seats of the Tycho Brahe Planetarium.
The gigantic dome-shaped screen is the first and largest space theatre in the country. It provides one of the most colourful and dynamic ways of experiencing astronomy and space science.
For English narration, headphones are available for a small fee when you purchase tickets.
Where: Gammel Kongevej 10
Tel: +45 33 12 12 24
Getting there: Vesterport st.
