8 play-dates parents will enjoy as much as their kids

When kids come on the scene, it can often seem like there’s no escaping the endless, loud, multi-coloured, overly enthusiastic whir of children’s entertainment. Here are eight suggestions for kid activities around Brussels that you’re likely to find yourself enjoying just as much as they are.

1. Planckendael

Lions, koalas and penguins, oh my! Planckendael has long been amongst the top standing animal parks in Belgium. Divided by continent, children and parents can wander a route that takes them over the seven seas, to see a vast array of exotic wildlife from every corner of the earth. With 42 hectares of terrain, visitors can traverse rivers balancing on logs, pull themselves through swamp marshes on standing boats, and navigate ravines and tree forests.  

2.  Haricot Magique

Haricot Magique and its counterpart Café Poussette are a charming boutique and tearoom in Schaarbeek aimed at making shopping for kids a fun experience for the whole family. The space has something for everyone, large and small, including a children’s playroom and cosy café serving homemade sweet and salty pies, soups made from organic produce as well as treats for younger palettes. In the boutique, they sell children’s clothes and bibs made from organic cotton, toys, and accessories. They also organise ateliers for kids and parents, from practical lessons on how to properly wrap a scarf baby carrier to music workshops for kids.

Avenue Louis Bertrand 22
1030 Bruxelles

3. Houtsiplou

If you are looking for a kid-friendly yet tasty lunch, head to Houtsiplou in Brussels city centre. This brightly coloured brasserie specialises in serving up hamburgers, but have a full more Belgian-oriented menu as well. With a large front terrace flowing out onto Place Rouppe, the laidback Houtsiplou is popular both with families and children-less crowds, and provide toys, books and coloured pencils for all who desire them, as well as high chairs and changing tables.

Place Rouppe 9
1000 Brussels

4. Marie’s garden

A short 10-minute drive past Brussels’ city limits delivers you into the bucolic fields of Marie’s garden (pictured), a farm in Overijse growing organic-certified fruits and vegetables. From May through November, the farm invites young and old to come and pick their seasonal wares. Entrance to the farm is free and when you arrive, you’ll be handed a wheelbarrow and harvesting tools with which you can comb row after row through 30 varieties of fruits, vegetables and flowers, picking the freshest seasonal delights. At the end, you’ll pay per kilo for what you harvested.

5. Caves of Han

The Caves of Han, lying one hour from Brussels at the start of the Ardennes, are among the most spectacular sights in Belgium. Enormous caverns buried deep beneath a hill let you see what lies beneath the flat-to-rolling Belgian landscape. The caves, carved out over millennia by the Lesse River, have been a tourist attraction for over 250 years and remain perfect for a rainy-day adventure in the nature. Today, there is also a wildlife reserve just next to the caves that you can tour by trolley or foot, perfect for a long Saturday outting. 

6. Domein Hofstade

A half an hour drive from Brussels near Zemst, and just below the Planckendael animal park, Domein Hofstade is a large artificial lake located in the middle of a 172-hectare nature reserve. The 650-metre-wide, lifeguarded beach has plenty of space for both parents and children to relax. The park offers all kinds of water and outdoor activities, including swimming, boating, mountain biking and hiking trails. When everyone is tired out from play and sports, you can also enjoy the three taverns on the grounds. It is also possible to stay in the nature reserve overnight.

7. Red Cloister

Nestled within the quiet of Brussels’ Sonian Forest, as its name suggests, the Red Cloister is a former priory from the 15th century. Today the recently renovated historic buildings are used chiefly as an art centre displaying works by contemporary Belgian and international artists. The idyllic grounds are perfect for a autumn picnic, or one could grab a meal or drink from the small brasserie operating out of one of the buildings. Beyond exploring the grounds and the peaceful woods surrounding the cloister, visitors can also rent horses to ride.

8. Pele Mele bookshop

Alas, in Brussels fairly often the weather does not permit you to take your kids to roam the great outdoors. On rainy days, when you feel like you need a break from Brussels’ many kid-friendly museums (such as Brussels’ Children’s Museum), a perfect solution is to head to Pêle-Mêle bookshop. In two locations in the city centre and Ixelles, sifting through this second-hand bookshop and book exchange can be literal hours of entertainment and absorption, as kids read and play with a wide selection of children’s materials and you pour through shelf after shelf of books in every language. And with prices of often a euro or less per book, everyone can walk out with something new.

Bd. Maurice Lemonnier 55
1000 Brussels

and

Ch. de Waterloo 566
1050 Ixelles

Photo courtesy Marie's Garden