Are you getting ready to visit Barcelona with a toddler or a baby? Looking for little-one-friendly things to do? We’ve been to Barcelona several times and absolutely love it, but not everything there is ideal for doing with little kids. In this guide, I break down the top ten things to do in Barcelona with a toddler!
Visit La Sagrada Familia.
This is definitely the most iconic building in Barcelona, and for good reason. You could just go walk around the outside and admire it, and you’d have a great time. In fact, depending on the energy level of your toddler, this might be preferable. But the inside is a sight to behold, and has so many interesting things for little eyes to see. If you want to go inside, book ahead of time. In the summer, you will need to book usually about two weeks (sometimes more!) in advance.
If you do go for the tour, know that kids under 6 are not allowed to go up in the towers. But you didn’t want to walk the 300 steps anyway.
While you’re there, check out the cool playground just across the street, in the Plaça de la Sagrada Familia.
Spend a day at the beach.
Barcelona is known for it’s amazing beaches. The most popular is Barceloneta Beach, which has all the amenities you could ask for and is surrounded by amazing restaurants. It’s right in the heart of the city, and easy to access by public transport.
If you’d like something a little quieter, try heading farther north. These beaches, like Nova Mar Bella and Llevant, are hard to reach by public transport, but perfect if you’ve got a car – they have parking!
Barcelona does have a few nude beaches: Mar Bella (just south of Nova Mar Bella) and Sant Sebastia. You’ll see a mix of people at these beaches – naked, clothed, singles, families – nothing to fear if you accidentally stumble onto one! Mar Bella even has a kids’ play area on one side.
Be sure to check out these baby beach essentials before you go!
Take in some science at CosmoCaixa.
This science museum, which has exhibits that cater to adults as well as family exhibits, has tons of interesting stuff to see! There are interactive exhibits that allow kids to learn through play, and even a hands-on animal exhibit.
I wasn’t sure if this would be a great toddler activity, but it really is. There are so many interactive, playful exhibits that even the youngest learners can enjoy, including lots of dinosaurs, animals, and a surprisingly fun interactive math room. Plus, which toddler wouldn’t enjoy walking through a 1000-square-meter recreation of the Amazon rainforest, complete with piranhas and crocodiles!
You can purchase tickets online ahead of time or when you arrive. Here is the CosmoCaixa website.
Pick up lunch from La Boqueria.
…Or any of a number of other fresh food markets, but this one – right off La Rambla – should not be missed! Rated the best food market in the world by CNN, this sprawling market features several small restaurants and hundreds of food and craft stalls.
Stop into one of the iconic restaurant stalls – many of which are 4th or 5th generation-owned – and then pick up all the fresh fruits, veggies, seafood, and meat that you could want for the rest of your stay.
Stop into the LEGO store.
I know, you can probably find a store with LEGOs close to where you live, so this might not sound that exciting. But the Barcelona LEGO store is the coolest one I’ve seen… and we’ve been to quite a few! They have massive LEGO reconstructions of the famous sites in the city, including the Sagrada Familia. They also have interactive play areas for little ones.
Not to mention, it’s a great opportunity to purchase some bricks to keep your toddler entertained back at the hotel.
Just know that during busy times, they limit the number of visitors in the store. You may be asked to wait in the line outside across the street, but in our experience it moved faster than anticipated, and was totally worth it.
The Barcelona LEGO store is located very close to the Plaça de Catalunya.
Take the funicular or cable car.
Barcelona has a great selection of cable cars and a funicular to get you all around the city. In addition to being a great transportation option, they offer amazing views of the city!
Keep in mind that the cable cars, in particular, might be a bit scary for some toddlers.
This website has really good info about the cable car routes!
Check out the Zoo de Barcelona.
What toddler doesn’t love the zoo? The Barcelona zoo is a large one, with a great variety of animals. Your toddler will enjoy chasing the free-roaming peacocks, and there is a really great play space in the middle of the zoo.
While most enclosures at this zoo are appropriately-sized, you may be off-put by the dolphin enclosure and a few others. This is an area where this zoo could stand to improve.
The zoo is also located very close to the beach, if you want to plan a full, fun day out!
Wander through Park Güell.
Your toddler might just think you’ve wandered into a life-size version of CandyLand! The vividly colorful park and gardens, a masterpiece of the architect Gaudi, are like no other place you’ve visited.
Bring your babywearing equipment, though, and prepare to walk a lot. There are lots of stairs and challenging terrain for little feet to navigate. Make sure you enter the entrance near the Casa del Guarda, and not the entrance by the bus lot. Unless you want to take on the steep hills to get down to the more interesting areas.
Note that if you are planning to use the hop-on-hop-off bus to get there, you will have a lot of walking (and again, up a steep hill) from the bus stop to get to the entrance. Catching a taxi would make the whole thing much easier with a toddler.
Wondering how we handle taxis and getting around safely when we travel? Check out this post about safe transportation on vacation.
Need a book break? Check out this adorable English book shop.
I have to admit, we did not expect to find an English-language bookshop in Barcelona. After all, we live in Spain, and our city certainly doesn’t have any! But we actually happened upon Backstory Bookshop completely on accident passing by it on the street, and we were so happy to find it!
In addition to having a great selection of books for young kids (we picked out a particularly beautiful encyclopedia of mythical monsters), they have a fun little reading nook area that kids can climb up into and through the tunnel below. This shop feels like it was built for you to bring your toddler for a quiet break from the hustle and bustle of the city, to read a couple books while relaxing in the tree-fort style reading nook, or on the fun, comfy stools throughout the store.
The neighborhood around the shop has tons of little playgrounds, too. It’s a few blocks from the Sagrada Familia, and would be perfect combined with your trip to see the monument.
You can find them at Backstory Bookshop for more info.
Explore the Gothic Quarter.
The Gothic Quarter, the heart of the old city of Barcelona, is one of the most interesting neighborhoods I’ve ever wandered around. A labyrinth of winding streets surrounded by towering Gothic architecture, this whole area is an absolute feast for the eyes.
Many streets are pedestrian-only, but even those that allow traffic are not very busy. As you wander between the hidden squares, you’ll come across Roman remains, artisans selling their crafts, a spectacular Gothic cathedral, and lots of incredible local restaurants.
There are also little playgrounds (perfectly toddler-sized!) scattered throughout the Gothic Quarter. You could wander the neighborhood, hopping from playground to playground, stopping for ice cream and drinks along the way. It’s the perfect way to spend a day in Barcelona with a toddler.
Finally, check out these great books to prepare for your trip!
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Originally published March, 2019. Updated February, 2025.
1 thought on “Top 10 with a Toddler: Barcelona!”
Hi there,
I love your list of which beaches to go to Barcelona. You have some really good ideas about where to go, you did a great job. If you are ever back in Barcelona I would love to show you some amazing places to eat in the city. I run a food tour company called Eye on Food Tours drop me a line some time.
all the best,
-A