Amsterdam offers several quality children's activities and attractions. Many of the city's excellent museums are aimed at families with children and offer popular interactive exhibits that will keep kids happy for hours.

Artis Zoo
The Artis Zoo is one of Amsterdam's oldest and best attractions, dating from the 1830s and housing over 6,000 animals. The zoo is very well laid out, with outside animal enclosures, a nocturnal house and a large aquarium. Also on site is a zoological and geological museum.

Aviodome - National Aeronautics and Space Travel Museum
Children will be enthralled with the Aviodome, which is located at Schiphol Airport and features a collection of aircraft as well as a spacecraft exhibit. Kids will particularly love the hands-on airliner cockpit. Website: www.aviodrome.nl

Boats & Bicycles Amsterdam is a joy to explore by way of boat and bicycle and both are fun for the whole family. Boat tours cruise along the many canals, passing historical buildings, tree lined streets and flowering parks. Rent a bicycle from almost anywhere and cross the canals over bridges, take a rest in a spacious park and discover windmills in vibrant tulip fields.

Madame Tussaud's Scenerama
A whole host of famous faces, past and present, are represented at the world famous Madame Tussaud's wax museum. Characters range from prominent Dutch figures, including Queen Beatrix and Rembrandt, to renowned international figures such as Winston Churchill and Gandhi, and famous pop stars, actors and other royalty. The Hall of Mirrors is the highlight, while children can see how the models are made in another part of the museum.

NINT Technology Museum
This interesting museum is also a great educational facility for children who are interested in how technological things work, with many interactive exhibits. The museum is housed in an old diamond-cutting factory and features sections on computers, electronics, telecommunications and optical illusions.

Amsterdam is one of the great cosmopolitan centres of Europe and its numerous cultural attractions and brilliant museums and art houses tell the story of Holland's rich history. Amsterdam is home to some of the world's finest art collections and its love of the performing arts can be seen in the unforgettable Concertgebouw.

Anne Frank House
The Anne Frank House is one of Amsterdam's and indeed Holland's most popular attractions. Anne Frank spent over two years hidden in the small house with her Jewish family and friends during WWII. During Anne Frank's time hidden in the house, Holland was under Nazi occupation. She spent this time writing her famous diary, recording her life and events – the diary was later translated into 50 languages and sold worldwide. Eventually the family were found and shipped off to concentration camps, where Anne Frank and her sister contracted typhoid and, sadly, died. As the museum is so busy, it is best to get here as early as possible. Website: www.annefrank.org

Concertgebouw
The Concertgebouw is one of the world's foremost concert halls, much revered for its brilliant orchestra and its superb acoustics. The building is located on Museum Square and stages regular performances of classical music. Other music can also be heard here, while the Kleine Zaal (Small Hall), situated in another part of the building, also hosts many excellent performances.

Erotic Museum
An apt addition to the collection of Amsterdam museums, the Erotic Museum takes a look at erotic pleasures and arts. The building covers five floors and has a huge collection of images in the form of books, photographs, postcards and videos.

Hash Marijuana Hemp Museum
Another fitting attraction for Amsterdam and unique in Europe, the Hash Marijuana Hemp Museum takes a look at the history of marijuana in Amsterdam as well as covering the more practical side of hemp usage for the Dutch shipping industry. One display shows visitors how the plants are raised and there are several pipes and bongs exhibited.

Madame Tussaud's Scenerama
Madame Tussaud was an 18th century French modeller who made wax masks of victims of the French Revolution and eventually opened a waxworks exhibition in London. There are now Tussaud's museums all over the world carrying on her life's love of modelling prominent world figures including politicians, royalty, celebrities and criminals. The Amsterdam Madame Tussaud's is one of the best and includes many models of famed Dutch figures and visitors can see how the models are made in a special modelling room. Website:www.madametussauds.nl

New Church (Nieuwe Kerk)
Situated next to the Royal Palace (Koninklijk Paleis), New Church is one of Amsterdam's oldest structures. It is mainly used as an exhibition centre and concert hall. The church was built in the Gothic style and is also used for important state occasions.

Rembrandt House (Rembrandthuis)
Rembrandt House is another cultural highlight in Amsterdam, with a collection of some of the master's drawings and etchings as well as pieces from his teachers and pupils on display. Rembrandt spent 20 years of his life living here. Website: www.rembrandthuis.nl

Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum is one of the world's finest museums, with prominent works by many world artists and a good look at Dutch history. The Rijksmuseum is huge and features many celebrated pieces from the 15th to the 19th century by the likes of Rembrandt, Vermeer and Rubens. Also on display are many drawings and prints as well as handicrafts and sculptures. Website: www.rijksmuseum.nl

Van Gogh Museum
Celebrating the genius of Amsterdam's most famous artist, the Van Gogh Museum has been open since the early 1970s and is also a must-see cultural highlight. The collection features a huge range of paintings, drawings and letters by the master and is the largest Van Gogh collection in the world. Also featured in the museum are works by other prominent artists such as Monet, Pissarro and Gaugin. Website: www.vangoghmuseum.nl

West Church (Westerkerk)
Affording outstanding views over the city and dominating the Amsterdam skyline, the 17th century Renaissance West Church stands 276 feet tall and sports a gilded weathercock atop a blue orb and crown. Holland's Queen Beatrix was married here in 1966 and it is also supposedly the site of Rembrandt's grave.

Amsterdam has over 700 restaurants, where most of the world's major cuisines can be sampled. Asian eateries feature heavily, owing to the influx of immigrants from present and former Dutch colonies, with one of the best of these being Indonesian.

Falafel bars, where you can sample cheap, all-you-can eat salad, can be found scattered all over the city. Vlaamse frites (large French fries) served with mayonnaise are a delicious Dutch dish that is great snack fodder. Other Dutch specialities include local cheeses, bitterballen (fried meatball), kroketten (sausage-shaped fried meatballs) and broodje haring (herring sandwich). The latter can be had at the many fish stalls all over the city and if you fancy a beer with your food, look for a sign saying 'Eetcafe'.

The best area to find a good variety of restaurants in Amsterdam is among the small streets of Haarlemmerstraat and Haarlemmerdijk, while Rijnstraat in Rivierenbuurt is also a good choice. Utrechtse straat has many upper-crust dining establishments. For Surinamese restaurants, head for Albert Cuypstraat, while lovers of Chinese food should try the Zeedijk/Nieuwmarkt area.

Amsterdam is home to some quality shopping centres and unique independent stores, where high-fashion, antiques and jewellery are well represented. Leidsestraat, Nieuwedijk, Kalverstraat, Damrak and Rokin are some of the city's best shopping streets, where glitzy department stores and fashionable boutiques reside, while the Jordaan area of the city is home to many second-hand shops and craft studios.

Amsterdam's best antique shops can be found on Spiegelstraat, with its diamond cutters and polishers being some of the best in the world. Amsterdam is also home to many diamond factories where you can purchase a stone that is cut and set to order.

Sports lovers, both spectators and participants, are well catered for in Amsterdam. Popular spectator sports such as football and athletics are a pastime in Amsterdam and quality stadiums and facilities make watching big games here a great experience.

Olympic and Ajax stadiums
Many sporting events can be watched at Olympic Stadium, which was built for the ninth Olympic Games in 1928 and has since been extensively restored and now hosts major sporting events. In addition, Amsterdam is home to the Ajax Stadium, which hosts major football matches of the famous local team. This 52,000-seat stadium also hosts concerts and athletic events.

Ice Hockey
Ice hockey is hugely popular in Amsterdam, with games held at the Jaap Eden baan ice rink, named after the famous Dutch ice skater. The stadium sees the Amstel Tijgers play regular matches in the premier league.

Cycling
Cycling can be done anywhere around the city, along its myriad of biking paths. The majority of Amsterdam residents own a bicycle and regularly cycle their way to and from destinations across the city, ensuring the city's low pollution levels. The city's bike paths are excellent and they often have their own separate sets of traffic lights, making cycling in Amsterdam much safer than in most cities.