Check out our list of essential children’s sites at Children’s Jerusalem Must Do Sites – you get the “tourist” points for having been there but they are all fun.
Here are some more ideas of keeping children busy in Jerusalem. This is a mixture of good tourism and things that children enjoy anywhere in the world.
Jerusalem Science Museum
A simply amazing place – lots of hands on and you can get by without Hebrew. Great on a hot day with amazing air conditioning. It can be mobbed during the chagim. Science Museum site
Israel Museum Youth Wing
Highly regarded and the museum is newly renovated. During chagim there are normally children’s arts & crafts groups for a few shekalim. Great activities include “Selfie in the Israel Museum” — a photography route in the Art Garden that usually ends up on Instagram. Guests consisting of families can use a map with a game and a quest in the Shrine of the Book, the Art Garden and the Exhibition galleries. There’s also an animated film which tells the story of the Dead Sea Scolls. Take a few minutes to go and see the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Model of Jerusalem in the Second Temple era.
Visit the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo
One of Jerusalem’s treasures. It is a 62-acre zoo with a lake at the center and encompasses two levels, interconnecting pools and waterfalls. The zoo is also surrounded by green hills, dotted by grassy lawns and trees providing lots of shades for the animals. Kids especially love the Noah’s Ark visitor center, which consists of an ark-shaped wooden structure offering a great combination of education and fun games pertaining to all the animals mentioned in Noah’s Ark in the Bible. See Jerusalem Zoo
Ein Yael
A “hands-on” museum with a focus on ancient times and with an amazing hands on arts and crafts program. See Ein Yael
Talpiot
Standard 21st century entertainment – not exclusive to Jerusalem but in the Talpiot Industrial Area you can see a film, go bowling, drive go karts and play mini-golf.
Time Machine
A white knuckle ride through Jerusalem’s history Jerusalem Time Machine
Cool down with some ice cream
Cool down with some ice creamOnce upon a time, ice creams in Israel were a sad affair — laden with vegetable oil and too bright colored scoops of ho-hum generic flavors. Thankfully, those days are gone. Nowadays, children and adults can enjoy high-quality and exciting ice flavors in shops and vendors all across Jerusalem. While it’s true that you can eat an ice cream in almost any city in the world, but after all the touring they deserve it. Maybe combine it with Hanging Out in Emek Refaim and keep all ages happy.
Take the 99
Why make them walk when you can all ride and enjoy the views from this bus tour. See 99 Bus
Go play
Take them to hang out or run around in some of Jerusalem’s Playgrounds.
Dig for a Day
Kids love to get dirty and dusty. While you have to be at least 16 years old to participate in most activities on actual excavations on this site, Dig for a Day is geared towards families. This is also a good activity during the summer, since the excavations are done underground. We repeat, these are actual excavations — not some playground made up of tunnels of mock sands and rocks. So if you’re looking for ancient artifacts and wish to get first-hand archaeological experience, Dig for a Day will make your digging dreams a reality!
Get wet and dazzled at Teddy Kollek Park
Named after the former mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Kollek, the park offers many things to do for the young ones. It includes the Hassnefield Family Fountain, which boasts computerized water performances during the evening complete with colorful lights and music (played by New Jerusalem Orchestra) which will surely dazzle not just children, but everyone as well. Everyone is welcome to stomp on, make a splash, and play with water jets to beat the summer heat.
Board the “flower train”
Go to Jerusalem Botanical Gardens and hop in to the flower train! Wander along the charming paths adorned with the gardens’ lush leaves and colorful blooms.
Leave town
See Kift Zuba, Stalectite Cave & Sataf for ideas of children friendly things to do near to Jerusalem.