Tilburg with kids, the complete guide

Are you living in Tilburg with your children or visiting Tilburg with your kids? On this page I’m sharing all the best kid-friendly spots in Tilburg. From restaurants with high chairs and play corners, to the best activities to do with your offspring, cousins, babysitter kids or any other kids you’re visiting Tilburg with. On this page you’ll find the complete guide to Tilburg with kids.

Click here for my tips for Tilburg with a baby.

Spoorpark

My first tip for Tilburg with kids is a completely free activity: visiting the Spoorpark. This park, within walking distance of the central train station, is great to visit with children. There’s a big lawn where you can do all kinds of activities or have a picnic. And the shallow water is great to play in on sunny days. There’s a restaurant (T-Huis) for lunch or drinks indoor or on their terrace, and at the Spoorpark Kiosk you can get food and drinks to-go. On sunny days there’s often an ice cream van at the entrance.

Wandelbos

Another recommendation that’s completely free: the Wandelbos. This small forest has nice walking paths, but also a fenced playground and a petting zoo. If you’ve got a good eye you can spot chipmunks and squirrels here.

Click here for all my tips for Tilburg on a budget.

Natuurmuseum Brabant

The Natuurmuseum Brabant is a great museum for kids and families that focuses on nature. You can find it right across the central train station in Tilburg. It’s an interactive museum that’s already fun to visit for kids aged 18 months and up. There are several different areas that all have their own theme. Some are nice for the little ones, like the area inspired by the Dutch childrens book figure Kikker (‘Frog’). And some areas are nicer for the older kids or teenagers, like the OO Zone where you can be a nature researcher. There’s also a cafe that serves simple lunches and snacks. The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 to 5pm.

Ontdekstation 013

The Ontdekstation 013 in the Spoorzone, is great for curious kids and teenagers. Here they can discover everything about technique and science. There are all kinds of areas at Ontdekstation 013 like a Flim Studio where you can make your own Green Screen clip. Parents can enjoy a drink at the bar or drop the kids off and pick them up again later. The entrance fee is 9 Euro per kid (age 4 and up), if you want to enter the bar area as an adult you pay 2,50. They’re open on the weekends and on school holidays from 1 to 5pm.

Safaripark Beekse Bergen

The Beekse Bergen is a wonderful safari park close to Tilburg. Calling the Beekse Bergen a zoo would be an understatement. Here the (wild) animals have a lot of space to move around. You can walk around the park to admire the elephants, lions, tigers, zebras, giraffes and more. Or you can take the car and drive around as if you’re at a game drive in South Africa. You can also go on a boat safari (included in the entrance fee). You can also stay the night at one of their accommodations, including the Safari Resort where the animals walk around your cabin!

Speelland Beekse Bergen

Right next to the Safari park, you can find Speelland Beekse Bergen. It’s hard to define Speelland; it’s something in between a playground, theme park and beach. There are playgrounds for different ages, several attractions like buggy car riding, and there’s a big beach at the lake.
Kids until 3 are free of charge, for everyone older a day pass is 10,95 if you buy it online. A subscription for the whole season is only 35,-. You can also buy a combination subscription for free access to the Speelland and the Safari Park for 75,-.

Efteling

The Efteling is my favorite theme park in the world. It has all the rides like any other amusement park, like merry-go-rounds and rollercoasters; but it’s so much prettier! Every ride in the Efteling is based on a story, and you’ll see that theme in all the details. Even the waiting areas are beautifuly decorated. The fairytale forest is great for the little ones, and for teenagers there’s a whole area with more adventurous rides like the rollercoasters. There are great food options all around the park and the Efteling is open year-round.

Click here for healthy and vegetarian food at the Efteling.

Dierenpark de Oliemeulen

The Oliemeulen started as a ‘reptile house’ 30 years ago, but has grown out to a complete animal park with over 150 different kinds of animals. No longer just frogs and spiders, but also meerkats and birds of prey for example. Most of the Oliemeulen is indoors, so it’s great for when it rains. And also nice: they’re open on Mondays.

The Gaming Factory

Looking for a nice activity for kids in Tilburg on a rainy day? Then the Gaming Factory is the place to go! You buy a ticket for 2 hours of unlimited games at the arcade. It’s 1500 square meters of old school and modern arcade games. It’s especially nice for teenagers.There’s a bar where you can get drinks and snacks. They’re open from Wednesday to Sunday.

Voltkids

Voltkids is a 2.000m2 indoor playground. For kids age 4 and up there’s a big castle where you can climb up and slide down. And there’s much more to do like arcade games and building blocks. There’s a special area for kids up to the age of three where they can safely play.
A ticket is only 8,50 per kid and up to two adults per child can enter for free. You can also book extra upgrades, for example to go laser gaming, karting or to do a kids escape room.

Lochal

The Lochal isn’t only a beautiful, industrial building, it also houses the library. The kids’ corner of the Lochal is designed together with the Efteling and is a great space for children. There are larger than life pencils for book cases, there’s a giant book where the kids can climb on to sit or lie down and there are free puzzles that the kids can do at one of the tables. Every Wednesday afternoon there are reading sessions for kids aged 3-6. All kids in Tilburg can become a library member for free.

De Zeven Geitjes

De Zeven Geitjes is a playground where the kids can play for hours, and in the summer they also have a water playground for extra fun. The great thing is that they’ve got a nice restaurant with a big terrace next to it so that the parents can have a drink and a snack in the sun, while the kids are enjoying themselves.
De Zeven Geitjes also has a lasergame area and a miniature golf court. It’s right across from the Wandelbos, which I’ve told you about at the top of this page.

Outdoor Playgrounds in Tilburg

Besides De Zeven Geitjes and Het Wandelbos, there are several other nice outdoor playgrounds in or nearby Tilburg.
* Karen Weening Speeltuin, Tilburg West
* Speeltuin de Gerrithoeve, Oisterwijk
* Speelbos, Gilze
* Speelnatuur van OERRR, Oisterwijk

Click here for the best playgrounds with cafe in Tilburg and surroundings.

Indoor Swimming pools in Tilburg

Want to go swimming in Tilburg? There are three indoor swimming pools that are open year round; Stappegoor in the South, Reeshof in the West and de Drieburcht in the North. The swimming pool in Stappegoor is especially nice as it also has a slide and a rapid. There’s also an outdoor pool and a field where you can sunbathe on your towel. There’s a bar that serves snacks and drinks.
Just outside Tilburg you can also find some nice indoor swimming pools like Laco Waterspoor in Goirle and De Vennen in Dongen.

Outdoor swimming in Tilburg

There’s no outdoor swimming option in the city Tilburg itself (except for the shallow water at the Spoorpark) but there are different swimming lakes in the area. They can easily be reached by bike or by car from Tilburg.
My favorite is Strandbad De Rauwbraken in Berkel-Enschot. It’s super close to Tilburg and it has Arbie’s beach house next to it. A restaurant with big terrace where you can enjoy lunch, dinner and snacks. The lake itself has a nice sandy beach where you can lay on your towel.
Other nice outdoor swimming options for kids in Tilburg are:
* Laco Waterspoor, Goirle
* Groene Wellen, Udenhout
* Spartelvijver, Hooge Mierde
* De Warande, Oosterhout
* Recreatieplas ‘t Zand, Alphen

Gianotten bookstore

Gianotten is a bookstore in the city center of Tilburg. You can find the beautiful store at the Emmapassage. There’s a nice area for the children’s section. There are carpets where the kids can read all the books. And the main attraction is a big fire truck from the children’s book Puk en de Petteflet.

Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame is a venue that often hosts concerts and other creative events. But it also houses the Ladybird Skatepark. An indoor skate park for all the sporty kids. Grab your skateboard, rollerblades or inline skates and enjoy the organic shaped wooden skate park. You can also rent a skateboard at the Hall of Fame if you didn’t bring your own. The skate park is open for all ages, but for kids under 8 adult supervison and protective gear is mandatory.

Kid friendly restaurants in Tilburg

Happy Italy
Happy Italy is very accommodating to kids. They’ve got high chairs for the little ones, affordable pizzas and pastas and a big play area on the first floor. They’ve got a Happy Kids Menu for 9,95 where your kid gets a pizza or pasta, ice cream for dessert and a coloring page with pencils.

BAM
BAM is open for lunch and cake or snacks, and it has a nice play area for kids. There are books, toys and a little kitchen to play with. It’s nicely decorated with curtains and lamps. They’ve got a few high chairs and there are kid portion pancakes and grilled cheese on the menu.

Gianotten Boekcafe
Gianotten, the bookstore I told you about earlier, also has a nice cafe that welcomes kids. They’ve got a high chair and a small chair for toddlers. There are books that they can read and they’ve got kid-sized cupcakes.

De Financien, Loon op Zand
At De Financien is a nice outdoor playground and an indoor play area. On the menu are many kinds of pancakes, but also savory sandwiches and salads.

Het Boscafe, Oisterwijk
Het Boscafe in Oisterwijk has a big outdoor playground for the kids and a sunny terrace where the adults can enjoy a drink, snack or lunch. In the winter they’ve also got an indoor playcorner for the kids.

Ketelhuis, Tilburg
Located at the AaBe fabriek shopping mall, the Ketelhuis has a small playground and a large terrace. They’ve got a very kid-friendly menu and staff.

Click here for all top activities in (or near) Tilburg.