
Nauthólsvík, the beach park of Reykjavík, on what seems like a warm day
The family guide to Reykjavík
Where is the tallest waterslide in Reykjavík? Are the Viking helmets for viewing only? Is ice cream the national diet of Iceland? It is time to answer some pressing questions with the youngster's guide to Reykjavík.
Circuleight at Harpa

The immersive show runs from 11am-6pm every day.
The Harpa Concert Hall has partnered with the New York based Artechouse to create a multi-sensory immersive show well suited for all children over the age of four. The 30-minute show is titled Circuleight
The show is 20 minutes long and can be accessed every thirty minutes from 11-18 every day. Tickets are available online.
Fjölskyldu- og húsdýragarðurinn

The Reykjavík Botanical Garden is nearby the popular zoo.
The Family Park and Zoo
The zoo includes foxes, seals, pigs, reindeer and horses along with the exotic showroom: spiders, cockroaches, snakes and turtles. Another delight is watching the zookeepers give herring to the seals around 11am and 4pm each day.
Further into the park is the amusement park of Reykjavík. Funfairs such as the carousel and the drop tower are open only over summer but the park itself is yet for all seasons, with a playground boosting of a giant pirate ship and a tree house resembling the home of some Astrid Lindgren character.


Whale watching
On whale watching tours people see flukes, flippers, and fins but hardly ever the entire whale. For children, this tiny glimpse captures their imagination and provides scale to these ocean giants. Just consider this: the blue whale beats the length of any dinosaur ever lived and has a heart the size of a mini car.
But check the forecast. Children over the age of six have hypersensitivity to motion sickness compared to adults. Studies suggest the sensitivity peaks around the age of nine. But if the weather conditions are good, like most summer days, there is no reason to worry.
For backup, the exhibition Whales of Iceland
The open-air museum
All museums welcome children – even the famous penis museum – but some try harder than others.
To get children to run around, visit the open-air museum Árbæjarsafn
Close to the city center, the National Museum

Children in a swimming pool in winter
The (kid-friendly) public pools of Reykjavík
Reykjavík makes up for the lack of interesting playgrounds with its selection of outdoor public pools. The best of pools are, in fact, like neatly structured playgrounds with waterslides of various heights, shallow leisure pools, and balls to play with.
Meanwhile, parents can enjoy a soak in the ‘hot pods’.
In Reykjavík, the Laugardalslaug Árbæjarlaug Lágafellslaug
Around here, any weather is good for ice cream

Hard at work, digging down the bragðarefur
One of the hidden pleasures of Icelandic life is the possibility of having ice cream whenever you want
The Nordic House

Local libraries are great for rainy days
An architectural landmark by the University of Iceland campus, designed by the acclaimed Finnish modernist architect Alvar Aalto, the Nordic House
Libraries are also popular among local parents. Borgarbókasafnið Grófinni
‘The Wonders of Iceland’ at Perlan

The Wonders of Iceland exhibition is inside the iconic Perlan
The Wonders of Iceland
The exhibition is located inside Perlan, an iconic building originally made from old water tanks, with a great vista on top. And hot chocolate.
The Rush Trampoline Park

The Rush Trampoline Park is in town of Kópavogur
On a rainy day, the Rush Trampoline Park
Getting around with kids
City buses, known as Strætó, are free for children under the age of twelve. Strollers and bicycles are allowed on board.
Buses no longer accept cash or bank cards on board; riders have to pay with special KLAPP tickets