Schools reopen and the January slope lengthens, while many parents are wondering what to do for free with children in Madrid this year. Museums are always a cultural haven, and even climatic, but also have specific programs for the little ones of the house and sometimes for free. In addition, the city offers playgrounds, cultural centers and other spaces with free admission for children.
1. The best parks in Madrid
One of the first answers to the question of what to do for free with children in Madrid is a classic: go to the park. But the parks of the Community in many cases have left behind the idea of the rusty slide and a couple of swings, now are constructions, which in addition to imaginative, are inclusive and designed to fall and not make the classic scrape on the knee.
In addition to the capital, in the Community of Madrid some municipalities seem to compete in creating the most spectacular playground, for the benefit of children (and parents). In Alcobendas there are those inspired by the ocean, space or an anthill. There is another one in Boadilla del Monte with a free 100 m inflatable bed and even the best playground in Spain according to the Parques Urbanos awards, and in turn, the largest playground in Europe: the castle of Leganés.
📍Location: several locations
2. Quinta de los Molinos Open Space
Espacio Abierto Quinta de los Molinos is a cultural center to foster creativity for children and families. In addition to having specific activities, usually paid, including theater, music, film, dance and other activities that fill the days of this innovative institution, there are also different free rooms for each age range.
La urbanoteca, is a playroom for children from 0 to 12 years old; while in the #PalayQuinta room, designed for an age range from 13 to 18 years old, there are spontaneous activities and artistic proposals are also programmed.
📍Location: Juan Ignacio Luca de Tena Street, 20 (San Blas)
3. Burrolandia
Getting out of the city and enjoying nature is one of the most popular family plans.
An ideal destination to disconnect from the city is Burrolandia, an animal protector whose objective is to prevent the extinction of the donkey. It is located in Tres Cantos and opens its doors free of charge upon reservation every Sunday in two shifts: from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon and from 12:00 noon to 2:30 pm.
Tickets are made available on Mondays and Fridays at around 9:00 a.m., and reservations are made weekly. They can be obtained exclusively through the website. At the entrance door, you must show your reservation confirmation email.
📍Location: Cam. de la Moraleja, 147 (Tres Cantos)
4. Geominero Museum
One of the plans with children that you can not miss in the capital is to visit the Geominero Museum: the visit is worth it just for the impressive architecture of the building, crowned with stained glass windows of the legendary Casa Maumejean, but its extensive collection of rocks, stones, minerals and fossils will arouse curiosity and catch the attention of the little ones.
Just like its T-Rex replica, which “is one of the favorite pictures of the little ones”, according to what the museum director told us during our visit. In addition, activities and workshops are organized throughout the year.
Location: Ríos Rosas Street, 23 (Chamberí)
5. Hiking trails
Going out to the countryside, feeling the wind in your face, not seeing even a modern building on the horizon. All that is something recommended for any human being, but for children this plan is a must. The Sierra Norte de Madrid offers routes of all levels, such as the Schmidt path or the ecological path of Canencia. Another less mountainous option, 20 kilometers from the center of the capital, is the Laguna del Campillo trail in the Southeast Park. And one to learn to birdwatch and walk through a canyon is the route through the Hoces del río Duratón.
📍Location:various locations: Sierra de Guadarrama, Segovia and more.
6. Free City Hall Workshops
The Madrid City Council has all kinds of free workshops and activities that also change every month. Storytelling, puppets, theater, music; the diversity of proposals is huge. You just have to be attentive to the news and get a place before they run out. The locations vary in the different districts of Madrid, although the usual places are libraries and cultural centers.
📍Location:various venues in Madrid