The last two weekends have some crazy moments of heavy rains and strong winds and generally a bit of a wet Easter holiday. Pretty dramatic and didn’t last long, but generally a bit of a washout. For those of us who had visitors with kids, it can be a disaster though. I had the fun of being the chief party organiser and had to figure out how to occupy 8-14 year olds through the rainy weekend, and still giving them a memorable time in Frankfurt.

Adults are relatively easy. At the bare minimum we can always appreciate good food and drink, a nice view, and maybe a stroll around a gallery or museum. Problem solved. With kids, there is always the easy way out of going to see an English language movie at the cinema, but that is cheating. (If you do want to cheat though, its the CineStar at Eschenheimer Tor). I did turn to the Facebook community for some ideas on this one and I can highly recommend this expat group – anything you don’t know and there is probably someone there who can help!

Here’s what I came up with:

1. Senckenberg National History Museum – hardly a secret, but this place is perfect for the whole family. Dinosaurs, evolution, interactive elements, awesome architecture, and a very respectable café/restaurant on the top floor. This is just a must on my list irrespective of the weather, but easy to spend half a day here.
   
   
   
2. Frankfurt Zoo or Opel Zoo if you have a car to drive to Kronberg. Both are good options inspite of rain. Admittedly it is more fun in the sun, but with an umbrella there are still plenty of animals who don’t mind a little shower to enjoy. Frankfurt Zoo is probably the better of the two options, not just because of public transport but also because they have the better selection of indoor animals. And definitely check out the newly arrived rare golden pythons
   
   
3. TimeRide Virtual Reality experience – I was a little unsure about this one at first, but turned out to be a great option especially as there is a full English language option. It will take up the best part of an hour and is located right in the city centre next to the Paul’s Kirche. You will be given a VR headset and seat in a carriage before being taken on a tour of Frankfurt in 1891. If you or your visitors are new to Frankfurt though, I highly recommend walking the route of the tour before hand. From the main trainstation, along Kaiserstrasse, down to the river at Main Nizza, along the river to the Eisenersteg and up to the Paul’s Kirche. The whole VR tour will be a lot more interesting if you know how it currently looks.
   
   
4. Experimenta Science Center – a really great way to spend a day with the kids. Maybe not on the level of science museums like London, but really fun and interactive exhibits. A really nice plus is that you can bring and consume your own food and drink! It can get really busy on the weekends, so if you have a choice, think twice.
   
   
5. Indoor climbing halls are a great way to burn off some energy and needing minimal equipment. For a more fun version for kids, try the Hapik Clip ‘n Climb centre or Boulderwelt for something a bit more serious. The proper bouldering hall was great for all ages if you don’t mind really sore fingers and arms. It’s definitely more about the sport though than Hapik which reminds me more of a game show style assault course.
   
   
6. Schwarzlicht Mini-Golf – basically fluorescent mini-golf in the dark. Minigolf doesn’t need any explaining and this adds a fun new twist to the experience. But if you don’t like minigolf to start with, this is going to make it worse!
   
   
7. Halli Galli – a padded, indoor play area covering 1700sqm in Kelkheim. Don’t be fooled by the google maps listing for the venue at Hauptwache, it has moved and thankfully significantly improved! A good option for kids up to about 10 years old.
   
   
8. Lasertag – an international option with no need for a translation. Two main options both in the east of the city, LaserTag near to Ost Bahnhof and LaserZone further out along the U7.
   
   
9. SuperFly Trampoline – Trampoline Halls are all the rage now, but if you opt for this choice be warned: the kids will love it but there are plenty of injury stories, often involving the parents. We don’t seem to understand what our bodies can’t do anymore!
   
   
10. Dialog Museum – one of the more interesting options is a tour in pitch black to simulate city life for the blind. Really easy to get to now they are located at Hauptwache main station. They moved since I last wrote about them. Some adults really struggle with the darkness and have to exit early, but kids seem to cope a lot better. E-mail in advance though to book an English tour, German in the dark can sound even scarier 😉