By Guest Author, Becky Scholes
Owner of Planes Trains & Buggies
Madrid is a wonderful place to visit with toddlers, with more than 300 days of sunshine per year, huge tree-filled parks and world-famous cuisine – you’ll never be short of things to entertain you.
Spain’s Capital City is famed for its world class museums, culinary delights, pavement cafes and stunning architecture. The Spanish are notoriously family-friendly and children are welcome in pretty much every restaurant or café, day or night.
Here are the top things to do with a toddler in Madrid!
Spend an afternoon exploring the Plaza Mayor
One of the best-known plazas in Madrid, this beautiful square is flanked by restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating perfect for soaking up the sun. The square is an excellent place for children to run around and burn off some steam.
Over the years it has been the setting for many public events, from fiestas to processions and theatrical productions. There are many traditional shops within the arcades.
Some of the most notable buildings on the square are the Casa de la Panadería and the Casa de la Carnicería, which are both municipal buildings with several hundred years of history.
Rent rowboats in el Parque de Retiro
Over 125 hectares in size, and with over 15,000 trees, el Parque de Retiro is the green lung of Madrid. The park is home to a large artificial lake where you can hire a rowing boat.
The boats cost €6 during the week, and €8 on the weekend or public holidays. They can be reserved on the Madrid Movil app.
There are also numerous playgrounds which will keep children very happy! Or if they prefer a different sort of entertainment, you will often find puppet shows in the park. In May through October, consider visiting on Sunday at noon, to catch free concerts in the park!
A lot of people visit there to picnic under the shade of a tree, which we also did whilst there. It can be much more pleasant than wrestling a hungry child into a seat at a restaurant! There are ducks and turtles aplenty, which provides endless fascination for the younger members of the family.
Game on at the Parque de Atracciones
Easily reached by metro, car or bus, the Parque de Atracciones is Madrid’s amusement park. With a good range of rides suitable for very tiny ones, children and adults, there is something for everyone here. There are also shows for children of all ages and loads of places to eat and drink.
The park is split into 5 zones, one of which is Nickelodeon Zone. Whether it’s Rugrats bumper cars or Dora’s Adventure, toddlers will find lots to love in this park.
The online price for adults and children over 100cm is €22.50. Children under that height (and seniors over 65) are free.
Opening times vary between 12:00 to 7:00 or 12:00 to 8:00, depending on the time of the year.
Explore the Railway Museum
If your toddler is a fan of trains, then the Museo del Ferrocarril is not to be missed. Located just outside the Delicias metro station, this small museum is full of trains to explore. There is a small café and restaurant. The museum has events such as family tours, family workshops and family theatre. You can find details and suitable age ranges for the activities on their website.
The best time to visit is on Saturdays between 11:30 and 2:00, when the garden trains are running. This is a small train that adults and children can ride on, that reproduces all the features of a real train but on a small scale.
General admission is €6, and children under 4 go free.
Learn a new fairy tale at the Ratón Perez Museum
You may recall, as a child, losing one of your teeth and waiting for the Tooth Fairy to visit. In Spain, the Tooth Fairy isn’t a fairy at all – it’s a small mouse, and his name is Raton Perez.
Raton Perez Museum is a unique place that welcomes all the visitors who come there with the desire to meet this fairy tale mouse.
Tickets cost €5 for adults and children. Under 3’s go free. The tours are only in Spanish and designed for children 5 and older, but toddlers will still enjoy seeing the mouse (who hosts the tour) and exploring his wacky home.
Escape the heat in a popular pool
Better known as Piscina Lago, the Centro Deportivo Municipal is a fantastic open-aired swimming pool complex in Casa de Campo, which is the largest park in Madrid. There is an Olympic-sized pool as well as one dedicated to children. It is extremely popular with locals and an ideal place to escape the summer heat.
It is located near Lago metro station. Come early if you want to snag one of the limited spots on the grass – otherwise, you’ll need to set up your towel on the concrete. Plan accordingly!
In the winter, it is only open Monday – Friday. In the summer, it is open 7 days a week, from 11:00 to 8:30.
Check out the Robot Museum
If you have a robot fan in the family then the relatively new Robot Museum is a must see in Madrid. There are tours in English, and you might even get to play with a robot or two!
There are interactive androids, retro 80s robots, and replicas of famous movie robots. You can also see the largest collection of robot dogs in Europe, and the second largest in the world. Your toddler will love being able to interact with many of these awesome robots!
The admission cost for adults ranges from €5 to €7.90 depending on the day, while children (0-11 year old) are €1 less. There are family packs available for a discount.
This museum is only open Tuesday – Friday in the late afternoon, and Saturday 12:20 to 8:20… so check the time that you want to visit carefully!
Eat your way through the San Miguel Food Market
If you have a little foodie in your family (or indeed, if you enjoy food yourself!) then this 100-year-old food market is not to be missed. Filled with everything you can imagine; you could spend hours strolling around sampling the delights on offer. Don’t miss the Iberian ham (a must in Madrid) and fresh shellfish.
Bear in mind that it can get busy and strollers can be hard to navigate around, so a baby carrier might be the better option for this visit.
The market is open from 10:00 – midnight on Sunday-Thursday, and 10:00 – 1:00am on Friday and Saturday.
Splash it up at the Aquopolis Water Park
A water park within 30 minutes of Madrid by car or bus, this place has something for everyone. From toddler-friendly slides and splash pools to high excitement slides for the bigger members of the family. If you visit in the hotter months, this could be just what you need to cool off. There are places to eat within the park, and a shop for any essentials you might have forgotten.
If slides aren’t up your little one’s alley, there are pools and white sand play areas as well!
For adults and children over 90 centimetres, it costs €16.90 to enter (if purchased online beforehand). For children under 90 centimetres it is free.
Rent a bike or cart to explore Madrid Rio
Choose from a huge array of ways to explore the city: bikes, electric bikes, karts, inline skates, trikes, tandems, Segways, and electric scooters. Madrid Rio is a large park – over 100 acres in size. Eco Moving Sports can be found on Avenida del Manzanares.
We’ve done these a few times in cities all over Europe (including Madrid) and it’s a great way to see somewhere, and children love it!
Eco Moving Sports is open every day of the week, including bank holidays.
If you are visiting Madrid with a toddler, there are so many fun ways to get out and explore this historic city. From kid-friendly museums to outdoor excursions, I hope you have found some ideas for your Madrid trip with a toddler!
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Becky Scholes is the owner of Planes Trains & Buggies and has been traveling with her two young children to 71 countries and counting! Check out her website for travel tips and destination guides with kids.
