Things to Do in Barcelona with Kids: 7 Family Activities (2026)

Quick answer: the best things to do in Barcelona with kids are CosmoCaixa for hands-on science, Poble Espanyol for crafts and treasure hunts in a car-free village, Tibidabo for rides with a view, Museu Blau for dinosaur fans, the Aquàrium for rainy days, and the Creueta del Coll and Joan Brossa parks for outdoor play. Pick according to your children’s ages and the weather.

Barcelona with kids can be a perfect day out or a race through traffic and queues. This guide picks activities designed for real families: with a stroller, with a 3-year-old or a 12-year-old, in the rain or in the heat. We write from Poble Espanyol, so we’re on the list ourselves, but we’ve included the places we’d recommend to our own families.

1. CosmoCaixa: science you can touch

CosmoCaixa is the safest bet for a rainy or very hot day. It sits in the upper part of the city, and the house rule is that everything can be touched.

• Don’t miss: the Flooded Forest, a recreation of more than 1,000 m² of Amazon rainforest with giant fish and tropical rain behind the glass.
• Best for ages: 3-14
• Time needed: half a day.

2. Poble Espanyol: treasure hunt, craft workshops and a car-free space

Poble Espanyol is an open-air village covering more than 40,000 m² on Montjuïc, completely closed to traffic. Kids can run around its squares while adults stroll among 117 buildings that recreate architecture from all over Spain.

Family treasure hunt “Aventura Arqueológica” (Archaeological Adventure)

Families pick up an explorer’s kit at the entrance and solve clues through the streets of the village, with stops at the giant slides and interactive exhibitions along the way.

• Price: from €15.75 (admission to the village included)
• Ages: 4-12, with adults · Duration: 1-2 hours · Available: every day of the year
• Languages: Spanish, Catalan, English, Italian, French and German
• Find out more HERE

👉 Book your family treasure hunt tickets online

Kids’ workshops “Create your own souvenir”

At weekends, kids make their own souvenir by hand, guided by the village’s artisans. The workshop is included with admission and you choose it when you arrive.

• Ceramics: paint a handmade clay piece that has already been fired.
• Wood: assemble and paint a natural wooden toy (the best choice for little ones).
• Trencadís: decorate a figure using the mosaic technique made famous by Gaudí.
• Opening times: Saturdays and Sundays, 11:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 18:00
• Duration: 30-60 minutes, materials included.
• Best for ages: 4-12 · Time needed: 2-3 hours · Stroller-friendly: yes, pedestrian-only site.

👉 Book your ticket with a craft workshop included

Also: more than 20 artisans work with glass, leather and ceramics in front of visitors, the Fiesta multimedia space brings Spain’s traditional festivals to life, and the Fran Daurel Museum (Picasso, Dalí, Miró) is included with admission.

More about Poble Espanyol

3. Tibidabo: rides with the best views

Tibidabo Amusement Park, at the top of Collserola, is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world that’s still running.

If you don’t want the full park: the Panoramic Area lets you ride the most iconic attractions in a shorter format.

• Best for ages: all
• Time needed: a full day.

4. Museu Blau: dinosaurs, fossils and nature

The Barcelona Natural Science Museum, in the Fòrum building, is the top choice for kids who love dinosaurs and animals.

• Don’t miss: the permanent exhibition “Planeta Vida”, a journey through the history of the Earth with skeletons, fossils and minerals.
• For under-6s: the Niu de Ciència, a space for exploring nature through the senses.
• Best for ages: 2-10 · Time needed: 2 hours.

5. L’Aquàrium: the rainy-day plan by the sea

L’Aquàrium de Barcelona, in Port Vell, works for any age and any weather. It’s easy to combine with a walk around the harbour or Barceloneta.

• Best for ages: all
• Time needed: 2 hours

6. Parc de la Creueta del Coll: water and free play

In the Gràcia district, this park has picnic areas and a large central pond that becomes a shallow public pool in summer.

• Best for ages: all
• Price: free entry to the park

7. Jardins de Joan Brossa: adventure on Montjuïc

Near Montjuïc Castle, these gardens sit on the site of a former amusement park. Today they have zip lines, sound games and wooden climbing frames surrounded by nature.

• Best for ages: 4-12
• Price: free entry.

A day on Montjuïc with kids

Montjuïc brings culture, nature and space to run around together on a single hill. A suggested route for a Saturday or Sunday:

1. Morning, Poble Espanyol: “Aventura Arqueológica” treasure hunt and a craft workshop (weekends from 11:00).
2. Lunch: at the village’s restaurants and terraces.
3. Afternoon, Jardins de Joan Brossa: zip lines and free play.
4. Early evening: head back towards Plaça d’Espanya and the Magic Fountain, just a short walk from Poble Espanyol.

Discover everything you can do on Montjuïc HERE

Free things to do in Barcelona with kids

• Jardins de Joan Brossa and Parc de la Creueta del Coll (free entry).
• The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, on show days.
• Municipal museums with free-entry days, such as Museu Blau.
• The Barceloneta seafront promenade, flat and easy with a stroller.