Well, it’s possible and Amsterdam is one city you won’t regret you’ve visited with the kids. The things to do in Amsterdam with kids include visiting the Science Center NEMO, discovering the world of music at the Sound Garden (workshops are in Dutch), enjoying the nature in Amsterdam Bos, visit the Anne Frank house, see the replica of The Amsterdam (which is the ship that sailed from the Netherlands to the Far East with cargo for the VOC settlements) or learn about the tropical parts of the world at Tropenmuseum Junior.

Convinced yet? Then maybe one of the free things to do in Amsterdam will make you start looking for hotels and cheap tickets to Amsterdam . Spend some time in the flower market or walk through the Jordaan neighborhood. Vondelpark is also a good destination to enjoy some nature and just relax after a day of sightseeing.

Amsterdam is definitely not a place for small children, but once they are old enough to read and write, don’t hesitate to bring them here. Visiting a foreign country is the best way to learn history and geography without even trying too much. When they have fun, children don’t even realize they learn. But it sure pays off in the long run.

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“I came across your bio randomly as I was trying to plan a trip to the Netherlands at the end of August. I have three kids–16,12, and 8.

What kind of suggestions can you offer me for my travel plans? Any must-see places, any off the beaten path surprises–the kids have gotten rather fond of my penchant for doing that kind of stuff. Thanks for whatever help you can offer.”

Once I responded, I thought that I might as well put the same information here that I gave to him:

I haven’t been to the Netherlands in a few years, but we lived in the southern part of the country, down near Maastricht, which is easy to get to by train or car.  Ryanair flies into Eindhoven, too. This Zuid-Limburg “Dutch Alps” area is very pretty (its caves are cool – Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch” was hidden in local caves during World War II) and the pace is slower, so it’s great for families.

Look for the VVV (Vereniging voor Vreemdelingenverkeer, the Dutch tourism agency) signs in each town or city – they usually have English-speaking tourism experts and printed guides in English. You’ll pay a few euros for printed information; they aren’t as big on freebie handouts as American tourism offices.  Some would say that’s just the thrifty ways of the Dutch.

Ride bikes whenever you can, even if it’s just hotel-provided clunkers around town – it adds a whole new dimension to your travels to get around as the Dutch do.  I often tell people about seeing a young couple on bikes in Amsterdam, holding hands and talking on cell phones at the same time….yes, no one was touching any handlebars!  Not recommended for your children to try, of course.

Our favorite guidebook was Here’s Holland by Sheila Gazaleh-Weevers . Its level of detail makes it well worth trying to find a copy.

Amsterdam – love it – there’s the BootsnAll Amsterdam Logue, plus an older post of mine, Travel with kids to Amsterdam.

Waddenzee Islands are great for families – we visited Texel and Terschelling for some serene beach time, wide open spaces and seafaring heritage.

The maritime city of Rotterdam has fab architecture that’s good eye candy for kids. Go to the Kubuswoning or Cube Houses and take the more-interesting-than-you’d-think cruise tour of the giant harbor and port facilities.  Consider going in September for the very family-friendly Wereldhavendagen or World Port Days maritime festival; my kids had a blast seeing all the waterborne demonstrations and fireworks.

For local perspective, say hello to Guido at his blog Happy Hotelier: he runs the Haagsche Suites hotel in Den Haag or the Hague – don’t miss the Corrie Ten Boom house, for her inspirational story of Holocaust bravery. There’s also Daily Photo from the Netherlands blog and the expat-written, usually irreverent Curious Orange.

You can even hang out on the Hyves.nl Dutch-based social network.

Lots of good news, blogs and sites all on one page at the Netherlands Alltop Page.

I’d return to the Netherlands in a second!

One of the most lovely places in the world to admire the colors of spring is the expansive Keukenhof Gardens, where 4.5 million tulips (100 varieties) are only a part of the natural wonders on display.

It is located in Lisse, just outside Amsterdam in the Netherlands between Amsterdam and Den Haag (The Hague.)

In 2008 they are open from 20 March to 18 May, 8 am to 7:30 pm daily.

There are acres and acres of beautifully-landscaped and designed flower gardens to wander through, plus a sculpture park called Art Keukenhof.

My family and I were awestruck by the gorgeous colors and creative arrangements; certain sections were planted to look like rivers of colors flowing into each other.

The main theme for 2008 is China, so there are special gardens and outdoor rooms inspired by this theme.

There is an orchid display in the Beatrix Pavilion — I’m not a big gardener by any means, but the kids and I were fascinated by the elaborate arrangements and stunning pinks and purples.

I’ve never seen that many orchids in one place.

For children:

“We have a large playground with jungle gyms, an animal paddock, a maze and a giant chess board. There is also a Bollebozen route….”

Ask at the entrance for the booklet with the Bollebozen special exploration route for children.

The Keukenhof is a terrific way to welcome in the season.

Related posts:

• Travel with kids to Amsterdam
• Great botanical gardens for kids in the U.S. (my article on Education.com; includes Atlanta, St. Louis, Chicago, Brooklyn and Huntington CA)

Like most people in the U.S., however, I really didn’t know very much about the country beyond Hans Brinker’s silver skates and the whole wooden-shoe-and-tulip shtick, plus people apparently smoked weed whenever they wanted and lived in teensy houses. Doesn’t sound like much of a place for families, does it?

Actually, it’s a wonderful family travel destination.

Let’s take a look at the biggest city, Amsterdam….

It’s so much fun to visit a city that’s human-scaled and walkable; you can see a lot without spending a ton of money and time on transportation, and you don’t feel so overwhelmed while trying to juggle kids and sight-seeing. Amsterdam is a city built on basically concentric/circular canals, so it’s possible to walk, ride rented bikes or hop the tram/bus/canal transport to get to places, and you can cut across canals to shorten the journey.

If you rent a bike, pay attention, because these guys are pros. I saw one couple riding their bikes holding hands and each talking on cell phones with the other hand, yet still somehow managing to steer without a single finger occupying the handlebars.

So much of the city is, well, unbearably cute and charming. Houses really are tall and skinny, with incredibly narrow staircases, because people were taxed on the width of their buildings, so they made them as narrow as possible. The stereotype of national tight-fistedness is somewhat true (remember “Dutch treat” dates?) because the Dutch do take pride in thrift and lack of ostentatiousness. They are also big on openness; that’s why their houses have large windows in front, to show passers-by that they’ve nothing to hide. (By the way, we also learned while living there that you must keep that window sparkling, and regularly scrub your front door and front stoop, or be considered the neighborhood slobs.)

An urban area near water like Amsterdam is always appealing to me; it’s such a stimulating mix of city life and nature. If you and the family need more open area for running around, there are several parks, including Vondelpark, het groene hart (the green heart) of Amsterdam. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra sometimes gives open-air concerts in Vondelpark, usually free in the summer, and there are playgrounds to burn off all of that energy. You can grab a snack — try the frites (French fries) which will come with mayonnaise, not ketchup (if you ask for ketchup, you’ll get an Indonesian version with curry.)

The art museums are a big draw, and will work with kids if you are willing to go through them pretty quickly. Even smaller children can enjoy Van Gogh‘s colorful sunflowers, created with his characteristically thick daubs of paint. Although it’s under significant renovation until mid-2008, the stunning works at the Rijksmuseum are worth a visit. Don’t miss the massive “Night Watch” by Rembrandt — it’s beautifully displayed/lighted and quite breathtaking. You can even cycle with Rembrandt, riding bikes through the places that he lived and painted, or go visit his house.

As I found when taking kids to the Louvre, just keep moving, and enjoy what appeals to you and the kids without worrying too much about the “arty stuff” unless you’re/they’re interested.

The Anne Frankhuis (Anne Frank House, the “Secret Annexe” of the World War II Jewish teenage diarist) is a must-see, although the crowds can be huge. Try for an evening visit, since on some days they’re open until 9 p.m. My older daughter, a pre-teen at the time, was glad that we had taken her there when it came the inevitable time to read the book in middle school. It’s very sobering to try to explain the Holocaust to a child, that’s for sure, but I think it’s important if yours is ready. If you visit the nearby town of Haarlem, you can also see Corrie ten Boom’s house, the Hiding Place, where she and her Christian family sheltered Jews during the war, at great personal sacrifice.

Don’t worry too much about the famed Amsterdam red-light district; we accidentally wandered through a few blocks of it and had to figure out how to explain to my son why the ladies in the windows were waving at him (my daughter figured it out pretty quickly) but no apparent harm was done. My daughter was quite embarrassed at a couple of randy postcards she found at tourist kiosks; they portrayed, um, erect male members with colorful wooden clogs hanging off of them. I just kept picturing the photo shoot for that postcard, and cracking up. The sale of marijuana in the “coffee shops” is actually quite regulated, and you won’t really see many stoned people wandering around, contrary to legend.

The New York Times has tips for making Amsterdam more affordable, and for hotels I always look at the Frommer’s listings. Try for a place near Museumplein/Vondelpark, since that area tends to be quieter and better for families. There are nice markets where you can pick up broodje (sandwich) fixings for picnics (we always gorged on kaas, or cheese, in the Netherlands.) The Concierge.com site, which is basically Conde Nast Traveler, has some good links and stories about Amsterdam, and the Amsterdam official tourist Web site is always helpful. The Dutch tourist offices are called the VVV, with a distinctive blue and white logo, and they also have material and suggestions.

Side trips are worth considering, because the country is so compact. The LA Times has a good article on cycling tours, “Taking Holland for a Spin,” and you really shouldn’t miss the nearby Keukenhof gardens. A barge cruise (taking a slow boat to Delft) is a little grown-uppy and staid, but older kids might enjoy a slower pace and plenty of time to experience canal life.

Finally, it’s a bit PG-13 for a family site, but you really must read Agent Orange, one person’s hilarious encounters with the Dutch in all their glory.

Related posts:

• Waddenzee Islands with kids
• Ahoy, it’s Rotterdam!

Technorati tags: travel, family travel, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Holland

I just have to post a link to it….even though it doesn’t really target families or kids, there’s lots of good info for everyone.

We lived in the Netherlands for several years with our kids, so I’ve been meaning to put up some posts about places to go and things to do. This should motivate me to get hot….