Although many of you probably wouldn't bet it, kids love to play with me. After all, showing off with a real dwarf is definitely a bigger flash among colleagues than showing off a new doll or teddy bear. This fact is very often used by my friends, who regularly entrust me with their children to look after. I do not hide that I like these moments. During my childhood, the biggest attraction was kicking a rag pretending to be a ball. So today, when I visit well-equipped playgrounds or institutions designed for the youngest, I make up for this irretrievably lost time. Today I will tell you about places in Cracow that are perfect for a trip with children. Their common feature is the fact that visiting them brings a smile to the face of not only our little ones, but also us adults, so all together we can easily call them a family friendly attractions.
All of the following attractions for kids can be found on this map.
Stanisław Lem Garden of Experiences
We start from a place where many a small creature can catch its first engineering teaser. The garden, realized by a team of Krakow experts representing various fields of knowledge, such as architecture, physics or didactics, promotes science in the most accessible way. I am ashamed to admit, but I found out about some things only during my visit to this place. What do we not have here? At the outset, a prism awaits us, turning sunlight into a rainbow. I always have a problem here because of a rumor that suggests, that the leprechaun at the end of the rainbow should have gold. Fortunately, I draw conclusions and after the first visit I always have chocolate coins with me and use them to give away to treasure hunters. I also like visiting a kaleidoscope, an object consisting of mirrors arranged at an angle of 60 degrees. Being inside it, we ourselves become a repeatedly reflected model. When visiting, I always check, how I am cut in the back, I use fairly cheap hairdressers, so such control is advisable. It takes a long time to write, why it is worth visiting the Garden of Experiences, the most important for me is that in a very accessible way, there will be an explanation of popular physical phenomena, e.g. we can create a whirlpool or acoustic waves ourselves. I love this vortex especially, every time my accompanying children trigger it, I imagine that a beautiful woman bursts into it and I save her. Be sure to go here for family outdoor experiments.
Playground Dragon Square in the Park of Polish Aviators
An entry about Krakow without a dragon element? It's a bit like Jurassic Park without Dinosaurs or a Fairy tale about Sleeping Beauty without dwarfs. Dear readers, you should not be surprised by the fact, that I often gather children I know in Krakow, to the playground, where the Wawel Dragon is the main protagonist. It is a multifunctional beast and in order to overcome it, i.e. to pass, you have to deal with numerous obstacles. There are fiery flames from the ropes it breathes, bridges between the wings or ladders that you have to climb. For those, who are more fearful, the facility also has other attractions, such as swings or a zip-line. The ground of the square reminds me of the beaches in my beloved Gdańsk, because it is all sandy. Of course, I'm less sentimental when, at the end of the game, I have to make sure that I sprinkle the sand out of the shoes of the accompanying children. As you know, the dwarfs are friends of Mother Nature, so I am glad that all attractions in Dragon Square are made of environmentally friendly materials.
If this playground is too far away, nothing is lost. There are already a dozen or so Dragon Squares for families with children in Krakow. These are the best playgrounds in Krakow guaranteeing great fun. Choose the one that suits you best. Here you will find their description and location on the map of Krakow.
Museum of Engineering and Technology
'An institution of the City of Krakow, which deals with the collection and sharing of collections on the history and development of technology'. Doesn't that sound like a kid-friendly place? In Krakow, they once again show, that they have an idea how to convince kids to go to the university in the future. This time for architecture. All this thanks to the Creativity Zone, where the youngest can build objects of their dreams using huge blocks (I will add - not Lego blocks). Don't misjudge me, but sometimes to feel like a king, I ask my little comrades to build a castle for me. Unfortunately, I usually end up like a fakir, because when I want to lie down in my royal bed, bricks stick in my back. You can check the opening hours and the current exhibition on the website of the Museum of Municipal Engineering.
Villages of the World
It is like a visit to one place, and a man, that is a leprechaun, has a feeling, that he has traveled around several continents. On 3 hectares, residential buildings from various regions of the world were built. We can find here, among others, Indian teepees, igloos or Peruvian houses on stilts. Each house has been reproduced with precision to detail. It has a huge educational value and shows children the intercultural differences, that exist all over the world. For example, one of the first questions kids ask me when I take them there is "Where are they charging their phones?" However, electronic equipment is quickly forgotten, because there are plenty of attractions for the youngest to understand better, what challenges the inhabitants of less industrialized regions are facing. So in a Mongolian village we will have to milk a Yak, in an African village we will meet local warriors, and we will also be able to play with toys made by children from this continent. In Australia we will play drums and in South America we will not only meet the most charming llamas, but also have the opportunity to listen to the noise of the waterfall. The advantage after such a trip is that the kids fall asleep quickly. I know from their stories that they dream about interesting journeys to distant places. This attractions is like a bow from Krakow for kids.
You can read more about this project here.
Jordan Park
This is an absolute classic of the genre, founded by Henryk Jordan, a doctor from Krakow, who, however, went down in history as a promoter of physical culture. It can be said, that he was ahead of Anna Lewandowska or other fit influencers in this respect. Apparently, he was the first to bring a leather football to Krakow (and maybe even Poland?), thus creating a fashion for football. Due to the biggest attraction of the Park - the water playground - I recommend visiting it in summer on warm days. Chasing each other and splashing each other with water is always a lot of fun. It is a bit worse, when children organize a water dwarf hunting, but although I am a sweetie, I am not made of sugar and I am not afraid of water. For those who prefer to play on dry land, there are conventional playgrounds, climbing walls and roller skating tracks. I also like to visit the Wojtek Bear statue. The story of this bear, who was a member of the Polish army, always impresses my little companions. It is a very popular place, especially during the summer holidays, probably more tourists are attracted by Wawel, but the inhabitants of Krakow (especially young people or adults with children) definitely prefer this green corner. To sum up - a definite family friendly spot.
Aviation Museum
Have I mentioned to you that I once dreamed of becoming a pilot? This freedom, space, travel, uniform, women's eyesight when I pass through the airport ... Well, unfortunately ... too short hands to reach the bar and too short legs to uniform. The only thing left is the passion for travel, and I will immodestly say - the eyes of women;) Anyway, whenever I'm in Krakow, I like to visit this unique museum, full of various flying equipment. It is a great place not only for parents of aviation lovers, but also for children of all ages, that sightseeing will be great fun and a dose of knowledge.
If you don't have time to visit the museum with your child, we recommend showing the inside of the planes during a virtual walk available here.
Wieliczka Salt Mine
It may seem that the oldest enterprise in Poland may not necessarily be attractive to children. However, it is with them in mind that the Discovering Soilandi route was created, i.e. a dedicated exhibition, or rather a route for the youngest. Thanks to it, they can learn the role of the Treasurer, the miners' protector and his helpers, i.e. my relatives from the salt mine. It happens, that when a foreign child sees me while sightseeing, it tries to lick me and then screams, that I am not salty at all. Here, of course, no surprise, because as I wrote earlier, I'm rather cute. During the trip, we have to climb about 800 stairs, and we still have to be vigilant because our task is to look for soiloni eggs, i.e. local dragons. We are constantly accompanied by a guide who skillfully and accessible to children, weaves stories about salt mining. Such a walk during which we take a kind of "brine inhalation" has a positive effect on the respiratory tract of our little ones.
The underground of the Krakow main market square
Maybe there is no metro in Krakow, but that doesn't mean it's boring below the surface. A walk in the basement of the Krakow Market Square is a real time machine and a journey into the city's past. Children are greatly impressed by the mysterious atmosphere of this place. In addition, over 700 exhibits are waiting for them, presented in a very modern way, and presenting the old life of the city. My pupils were most impressed by the room presenting the work of medieval craftsmen, among others blacksmith, shoemaker or goldsmith. I tried to check, if the gold was left there somewhere, but unfortunately without success. In addition, I recommend the educational room and in it - a performance devoted to the beginnings of Krakow in which we meet the Wawel dragon. How realistically it is made, is best evidenced by the screams of terror accompanying the appearance of the monster on the stage and the prints on my frail hand from my fearful companions squeezing them. The underground market square is a monument worth visiting with children, but certainly also interesting for adults. You can check the opening hours here, but if you are already in the old town you want to visit a little more, here you will find places that I can recommend with a clear conscience.
These are my suggestions for a trip to Krakow with children, let me know if you like something. I will also be curious if you recommend other places, where you take your kids while visiting the city of Krak. And of course, do not forget to buy a classic Krakow 'obwarzanek' for your children, while you are somewhere in the center.
If you want to take a romantic walk in the evening, here are some ideas.
I would like to take this opportunity to recommend routes in the guideU application, which can be helpful when you are looking for interesting ideas for a family trip in Krakow with kids or maybe without them. Of course, visiting Mary's basilica or Wawel Castle maybe a thrill and an attraction for children in Krakow as well!
The Old Town in Krakow (in Poland we call it 'Stare Miasto') - The free route by Mateusz Tomaszczyk consists of 21 stories that make up a complete picture of Krakow's Old Town. If you want to get to know them from the perspective of a Krakow enthusiast, you couldn't find a better place.
The route is available for free after DOWNLOADING the City Guides application on Apple phones and Android devices.
If you would like to get to know the author of Mateusz's tour, here you will find my conversation with him about Krakow's Kazimierz
On the trail of ghosts, phantoms and alchemists - a truly "terrifying" route by Anna Kryszak, which allows you to get to know the darker face of Krakow. Emotions and great fun are guaranteed for children !!!
