Valencia is a beautiful and family-friendly city. If you’re looking for fun activities to do with kids while visiting Valencia, I have some great ideas for you.
When my niece and nephew (5 and 12 years old) came to stay with me for a month, I put together a list of things to do in Valencia with kids to keep them entertained. Here I’m sharing all the kid-friendly activities that were a big hit with them, so you can also have a blast when visiting Valencia with children.
In This Article
1. Learn about life underwater at the Oceanogràfic
A visit to the Oceanogràfic is one of the most fun things to do in Valencia with kids. Located in the highly-acclaimed City of Arts and Sciences, Oceanogràfic is the largest aquarium in Europe.
While the avant-garde architecture might or might not be of much interest to your kids, depending on their age, all the colorful fishes surely will.
Oceanogràfic is home to hundreds of marine species and a wonderful learning opportunity for the little ones. Although, to be honest, adults will likely learn a thing or two as well.
The most enjoyable part of the visit, without a doubt, is the dolphin shows. They are organized twice a day, one in the morning before 12 am and one in the afternoon around 4 pm. I recommend checking out the exact times before going, so you don’t have to wait for hours.
Oceanogràfic also organizes shark sleepovers, which can be quite a unique experience for the whole family. While sleeping with sharks is something kids might be the most enthusiastic about, parents might be surprised to discover this is one of the best things to do in Valencia regardless of age.
2. See African animals at Bioparc
Bioparc is another amazing attraction you should check out when visiting Valencia with kids. This state-of-the-art wildlife park is halfway between an African safari and a zoo and can be a great day out for the whole family.
Bioparc is home to a huge number of animals, from elephants and giraffes to gorillas and lions. Each animal’s habitat is painstakingly recreated and there are no cages. Instead, the habitats have natural borders and the animals have plenty of space to move around.
This is a great place for kids to learn about different animals and see them carry out some of their normal activities. The elephants’ dust bathing session can be particularly entertaining for youngsters.
Another not-to-be-missed activity is the bird shows organized in the outdoor auditorium.
Bioparc is constantly ranked as one of the best zoos in the world. Actually, a few years ago, Tripadvisor ranked it #1 based on all the stellar reviews it received. I highly recommend it when visiting Valencia with children.
3. Explore Turia Park on two wheels
Valencia is a health-conscious city with an extensive network of bike lanes that reach all neighborhoods. This makes cycling an excellent way to explore the city and keep the kids entertained.
The best and safest place to go biking in Valencia with kids is the Turia Gardens. This 9 km long park stretches from Oceanogràfic to Bioparc and it has bike lanes on both sides.
Depending on your children’s age, you might want to stop at one of the playgrounds along the way or enjoy a picnic surrounded by all the greenery. This is also a nice way of breaking the day into several parts so the kids don’t get tired.
The local bike-sharing system is called Valenbisi but I don’t recommend their bikes for kids as they are very heavy. Luckily, renting a bike in Valencia is quite easy and there are plenty of specialist shops to choose from. This way you can rent a smaller bike for your kid or a child seat for your toddler.
Another interesting experience for kids eight years of age and above might be touring the park on an e-scooter or segway. Close to the City of Arts and Sciences, you can also rent a four-wheel bike or take the small tourist train, both super fun things to do in Valencia with children.
4. Do some hands-on experiments at the Science Museum
Príncipe Felipe Science Museum is an interactive science museum mostly suitable for kids eight years of age and above. While there are a couple of activities meant for smaller kids, such as building an unfinished house and doing some water play, most of the activities are actually meant for older kids.
This museum is part of the City of Arts and Sciences and it can be a fantastic option for a rainy day or a particularly cold day if you’re visiting Valencia in winter. The building in itself is absolutely mind-blowing, as it resembles the skeleton of a whale.
The exhibits are very entertaining and educational and range from memory experiments to a space simulation and many interactive tasks the kids can complete. For adults, they might be a bit boring, but kids tend to find them fascinating.
What I find really cool about this museum is that it aims to enhance the mental development of children by encouraging critical thinking. Also, the activities are quite diverse and offer great family fun with the help of hands-on science.
5. Discover the rice fields and pine forests of Albufera
Another fun outdoor activity to do with children in Valencia is a visit to the Albufera Natural Park, some 10km south of the city. This shallow lake is surrounded by some of the most extensive rice fields in Spain and separated from the sea by lush sand dunes.
Albufera is one of the best day trips from Valencia and there are many activities suitable for children here. You can spend some time on the beach, follow the paths through the pine forest, go on a boat trip on the lake, or bike through the rice fields.
At the south end of the lake, the tiny village of El Palmar gained its place in the culinary history books for being the birthplace of paella.
Enjoying lunch in El Palmar can be a relaxing experience for the whole family. Most restaurants have outdoor terraces with rice field or canal views. And it’s generally safe for the kids to play nearby as there aren’t many cars around.
To visit Albufera with kids, you can either rent a car or, if your kids are older and used to biking, you can rent a bike and cycle all the way from Valencia. The terrain is flat and there are bike lanes you can follow. If you’re looking for a more convenient way, you can join a tour that offers hotel pickups.
6. See a really cool documentary at Hemisfèric
The Hemisfèric is a fun IMAX cinema and planetarium with a digital 3D screen where kids can enjoy fun educational movies and documentaries. The movies are not super long – usually around 40 minutes – so it’s easy to stay focused even for smaller kids.
This cinema is part of the City of Arts and Sciences complex and it has the shape of an eye. It’s quite a stunning building and the projections are held inside the large sphere in its interior.
The Hemisfèric has comfortable, nearly horizontal seats, and the projections are in both English and Spanish. When you arrive, you are handed a pair of 3D glasses (if applicable) and headphones so you can select your language.
The documentaries range from dinosaurs and space explorations to jungle adventures and the underwater world. Some of them are animations, while others are with actors, but all of them are rated “for all audiences”, so kids of all ages can enjoy them.
7. Have fun at the beach
Spending a day at the beach is always a great idea when traveling with kids, and in Valencia, this couldn’t be easier.
Some of the best beaches in Valencia, such as El Cabanyal and Malvarrosa in the city as well as El Saler and La Dehesa to the south are recognized Blue Flag beaches. This means they have clean waters and coastlines and are safe and easily accessible for all.
Just half an hour by metro from the city center, the beaches of Valencia are ideal for the kids to play and build sand castles. They also have playgrounds right in the sand where children can have fun without parents having to worry about them getting injured.
On the miles-long promenade, you’ll find dozens of restaurants, shops, and even a street market. The market is organized during the summer months only, but it’s the ideal place to buy inexpensive toys, beach towels, and all kinds of trinkets to keep the kiddos entertained.
For little girls, it might be fun to have their hair braided by one of the ladies at the market. Older kids, on the other hand, might be interested in getting scuba diving lessons or going on a cruise.
8. Learn about plants (and cats) at the Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden is situated on the outskirts of the Old Town, so if you are staying in the city center, it’s super easy to reach. This is a walled garden with lots of pathways and it’s safe for kids to run around.
Like all botanical gardens, this is a great opportunity for kids to learn about different plant species. Besides palm trees, greenhouses with exotic plants, and an impressive cactus garden, they also have some carnivorous plants that kids in particular can find very interesting.
Towards the end of the garden, there’s also a vegetable plot for educational purposes.
A peculiar thing about Valencia’s Botanical Garden is that it’s also home to a colony of cats. Some 50 kitties live here at all times and they are taken care of by a group of volunteers who leave them food and water and take them to the vet when needed.
Some of the cats can be friendly when they want to be, but most will maintain their distance. At the end of the day, they are still feral cats even if they are used to having humans around.
For older kids, it can be tons of fun to watch the cats sleeping among plants. This can also be a good opportunity to teach the kids to respect animals and their personal space.
9. See thousands of tin soldiers at L’Iber
This museum is a tin soldier galore. With over one million pieces, out of which almost 100,000 are on display, it is considered the world’s biggest museum of historical miniatures.
L’Iber is hosted in a Gothic palace not far from the Cathedral, in one of the best areas to stay in Valencia. The museum is a journey through the history of Spain and the world, from the Jurassic Era to Napoleon.
Most exhibits reenact famous battles, but there’s also one room dedicated to contemporary pop culture. Here, characters such as the Little Prince, Tintín, Asterix, Robocop, or Neo from Matrix are on display.
The Tin Soldiers’ Museum is a look-but-don’t-touch kind of museum, with displays behind glass. But most kids will be thrilled to see all the colorfully painted tin soldiers while they feel like giants walking through history.
Visiting this unique museum with beautifully detailed figurines is a fun thing to do in Valencia for families. Unfortunately, the museum doesn’t have much information in English, although it’s obviously made with love and painstaking attention to detail.
10. Eat delicious churros any time of the day
While trying typical Valencian foods might be high on the list of things to do for parents, that might not always be true for the kids. But in Valencia, there’s one food children will never tire of, and that is churros.
Crispy churros dunked in thick hot chocolate are a delicacy that can be enjoyed any time of the day in Valencia. Here, it’s perfectly normal to have churros and chocolate for breakfast as well as in the mid-afternoon.
Among the best places for churros in Valencia is Chocolatería Valor. They have two locations in the city center and their thicker churros, somewhat between churros and porras, are incredibly delicious.
If you’re visiting Valencia with a toddler, the thick Spanish hot chocolate might taste too strong for them. In this case, you can ask for Cola-Cao. This is a delicious chocolate-flavored milk similar to Nesquik. It is super popular in Spain, since it’s a Spanish brand, and you can basically order it in any cafeteria.
In summer, you can also order a Choleck, a cocoa shake typically served cold.
11. Have horchata at Horchatería Vida
If you’re visiting Valencia in summer, you must try the horchata. This gluten and dairy-free drink made from tiger nuts is a favorite among Valencians during the hot months.
Horchata is sweet, has a milky texture and all my friends’ kids love it. So if you’re visiting Valencia with children, I highly recommend you check out Horchatería Vida.
Horchatería Vida is situated on the outskirts of Valencia, among the tiger nut fields of Alboraya, and it’s a wonderful place to escape the heat. But that’s not even the best part.
The reason I recommend this as one of the best things to do in Valencia with kids is because here the little ones can play safely while the adults enjoy a bit of downtime. They also have quite a few farm animals, such as ducks and peacocks, that kids love to watch.
If your kid doesn’t like horchata, they also have over a dozen ice cream flavors to choose from. To get to Horchatería Vida you can either drive or bike – there are bike lanes all the way from the city center to this horchatería.
Also read:
Final thoughts about visiting Valencia with kids
I hope this list of places to visit in Valencia with children has given you plenty of ideas of things to do with the little ones in this beautiful city. While not every single activity might be suitable for your kids, depending on their age, Valencia still is, without a doubt, one of the most family-friendly destinations in Europe.
This is such a great article! I really enjoy reading your posts! Do you have some information about what is the best neighbourhood to raise kids in Valencia? With a lot of kid-friendly, green parks and schools? :)