10 Best Things to Do with Kids in Madrid

Madrid has 2 main stadiums for live football matches, namely Santiago Bernabéu and Wanda Metropolitano. Great for the football lover in the family, these venues are the home stadiums of the city's biggest teams – Atlético Madrid (Wanda Metropolitano) and Real Madrid (Santiago Bernabéu).

Visit their museums, trophy rooms, grandstands, and even the pitch on which many great games have taken place over the years. If your visit coincides with a match, get your tickets as soon as possible. The excitement of catching a big match together with passionate fans is quite unforgettable.

Maravillas Theater hosts world-class comedy and performances for kids in Madrid. Located along Calle de Manuela Malasaña, the venue is just north of the historic Plaza del Dos de Mayo. 

Maravillas Theater offers modern comfort and excellent acoustics to complement its carefully selected productions. It's a great live venue for introducing the youngest family members to the theatre. 

The Royal Palace is a must-visit in Madrid, but we highly recommend timing your visit to coincide with the changing of the guard ceremony. The biweekly spectacle takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays, during which 4 uniformed guards are relieved of their positions outside the Puerta del Príncipe gate.

The Solemn Changing of the Royal Guard is a large event on the first Wednesday of the month in the Plaza de la Armería. During the ceremony, 400 soldiers parade with artillery and munitions, just as they did during the reigns of King Alphonse the 12th and 13th, culminating with a concert by the Royal Guard's Music Unit.

Parque de Atracciones de Madrid is the city's most popular amusement park, spanning 500 ha of recreational space in Casa de Campo. It has dozens of rides and attractions for all ages, from horror-film experiences to greeting sessions with your favourite Nickelodeon characters, as well as exclusive events throughout the year. 

Parque de Atracciones de Madrid often offers special offers and discounts, so you don't have to make a huge dent to your wallet to have fun with the whole family. The park hosts 9 restaurants and 7 booths selling ice cream and Spanish treats.

Chocolatería San Ginés, located just off the central Calle Arenal, famous for its trays of freshly prepared churros and porras. The shop has made a real name for itself, appearing in major Madrid tourist guides for many years. 

A delicious plate of churros dipped in hot chocolate is a great way to start the day or to recharge your batteries after hours of sightseeing. This crispy fried dough pastry can be enjoyed for breakfast, dessert, afternoon pick-me-up, and even a late-night snack. 

Platform 0 (Andén Cero) is a museum occupying the former Chamberí Station, which operated between 1919 and 1966. Next to Plaza de Chamberí, you will find the steps that lead down to one of Madrid's oldest metro lines. 

This unique space became a museum in 2008, giving you access to the original station. You can see advertising panels and period furniture from the 1960s, as well as learn about the metro's history through audiovisual displays. 

Wow is an outdoor leisure space at Plaza Río 2, a modern shopping mall next to Madrid Río Park. It has a spectacular hanging bridge and a vertical labyrinth leading you to climbing ropes and ramps – a real adventure for kids aged 7 to 12. 

Toddlers can have fun at Wow's playroom, which is equipped with colourful toys and interactive programs. Best of all, you can enjoy everything at Wow for free.

Madrid's National Museum of Natural Sciences has over 6 million objects related to natural sciences. Through interactive exhibitions and activities, children can stimulate their curiosity for Earth and its inhabitants. 

Standouts at the museum are undoubtedly the dinosaur and whale skeletons, as well as those of the great mammals like the African elephant. The National Museum of Natural Sciences is a great place to learn what biodiversity really means and why it is so important to preserve it.

Madrid Planetarium has a series of permanent exhibitions focusing on a wide range of themes, such as technology and the European Space Agency. There are also photographs of galaxies and astronomy in children's literature. Its main attractions are the full-dome projections of educational films and live projections of the night sky with high-definition optical resolution.

You can find Madrid Planetarium in Enrique Tierno Galván Park. It's easy to find as it stands on a hill, with its dome visible from almost anywhere in the city centre.

Casita Museo de Ratón Pérez is a house-museum which has brought together innumerable figures, paintings and books related to Ratoncito Pérez, a popular character in Spain. This charming little mouse who plays the same role in Spain as the tooth fairy in other countries. 

Exhibits include milk teeth that belonged to celebrities like Beatrix Potter, Beethoven, Isaac Newton, and Rosalía de Castro. Guides are happy to answer children's questions, like where he lives and with whom, what he does with the teeth he collects from under pillows, who helps him in his work, and many others.