Tel Aviv is truly an amazing city to visit with kids! While all of Israel is generally family and kid friendly, Tel Aviv is imminently walkable, and buses will get virtually everywhere, so getting around with little ones is a breeze.
The city on a mound (Tel Aviv literally means “mound of spring”) is filled with parks, beachside attractions for kids, and so much more. Read on for our best recs!
Outdoor activities:
Shuk Ha’Carmel
The Carmel Market — Shuk HaCarmel, in Hebrew — is the main market in Tel Aviv. It’s full of delicious produce, as well as stands selling clothes and other items at bargain(ish) prices. A market may be a source of anxiety for some young kids — especially on Friday mornings when the market is filled to the brim — but other kids be enraptured by the sights and sounds. One Kveller reader recommends giving your (older) kids a budget of 20 NIS (approximately $5.65) to purchase things in the market as a way to teach them to interact independently with the locals!
Right outside the market, you can find Nachalat Binyamin, which hosts an art market every Tuesday and Friday, where you’ll find things like dolls and other adorable tchotchkes. There are also has coffee shops and restaurants with inviting outdoor seating.
Neve Tzedek
Neve Tzedek, the oldest existing Jewish settlement outside of Jaffa, is truly a sight to behold. Explore the streets and buildings, check out delicious restaurants, including some great Georgian and French kosher food, and the pastry shop and ice cream shop Anita. Explore Sipur Pashut (Simple Story) an enchanting local book store, and check out the Nachum Guttan Museum of Art, where kids get in for free!
Sarona
This restored German colony has become a booming neighborhood, drawing tourists and locals alike. Outside, you can find restaurants and kiddie activities, like a carousel and sprinklers. There are also a bunch of restaurants, bars, and beer halls on the premises. You can also find one of Israel’s only Cheesecake Factory franchises, if you’re feeling homesick.
Old Jaffa City
Old Jaffa City is perfect for kids! There are beautiful parks to run around, like Abrasha Park, HaPishga Park, and HaMidron Park, with beautiful statues and a charming wishing bridge. Kikar Kdumin, where you can find snacks and drinks, often has fun outdoor activities for children, but the real attraction is the Jaffa visitor center, which is literally underneath the square. The center — which showcases archeological ruins — holds guided tours in English, including an innovative audiovisual film experience that makes the history and the significance of this old port city come alive.
Visit the clock tower square and stop at the nearby flea market at Olei Tzion street, which is open 6 days a week and closed for Shabbat. There you can find surprising antiques and tchotchkes, and also wonderful coffee shops and restaurants.
The Tayelet
Tayelet is the Hebrew word for promenade — which you can find all along the Tel Aviv coastline. The tayelet stretches for nearly nine miles along the coast, from Jaffa to the north of the city.Take a leisurely walk down parts of it.
Stop to eat at one of the seaside restaurants, where you’ll find chairs embedded in the fine Mediterranean sand. Plenty of these eateries have kids’ meals, and lovely refreshing limonana (that’s a lemon mint drink that’s the perfect beachside refreshment) as well as fresh watermelon, and plenty of Israeli ice cream bars and popsicles.
Bring sunscreen, towels, and swimsuits and enjoy the one of the many fabulous beaches, like Gordon Beach, Banana Beach and Metzizim Beach.
The Namal
The Namal, Tel Aviv’s gorgeous, recently renovated port, is full of kid-friendly spaces — there are sprinklers, things for kids to climb on, a gigantic carousel, and thrilling playgrounds. Get a bite to eat at the market, which offers delicious produce and fruit shakes for the little ones.
Malls:
Dizengoff Center
Israel’s first shopping mall is probably one of the most inventive and delirious malls you will ever set eyes on, which is definitely why it’s worth a visit! There’s a fun indoor playground, with a slide that comes out of an elephant’s butt! Your kids are sure to get a laugh out of that.
On Fridays, there’s a delicious food market with all kinds of cuisines.There are also plenty of kid-friendly shops to keep your brood entertained, like a toy store, a comic book store and big spacious book store where you can sit and read. Make sure to keep an eye on the kids though — with its winding corridors, Dizengoff mall is extremely easy to get lost in, even for adults!
Azrieli Center
Azrieli Center, the unique structure in by the train station, is a mall full of shops, coffee shops, and restaurants. But the great attraction for kids in a huge open space playground on the roof. Take them up to the observatory, where they can get a magical view of the entire city.
Parks:
Yarkon Park
Sometimes, kiddos just need to roam outdoors! Tel Aviv’s biggest park is the perfect place for that. The park has a botanical garden, an animal corner, an aviary, a boat rental, a rock garden, and even a hot air balloon rental!
Kid-centric attractions:
Luna Park
When you’re on vacation with the kids, some things are always sure to work, like a trip to an amusement park! Israel’s Luna Park has three roller coasters, and a host of the usual rides and attractions — like spinning teacups — as well as a toddler gym and a ball pit for younger, less intrepid guests.
The Meymadion
When it’s hot outside, what’s better than a water park? Nothing! Open from June to the end of September, the Meymadion is a big water park in Tel Aviv, with many enjoyable slides, a wave pool, and other attractions ranging from heart-thumping to leisurely thrills. There’s a pool for toddlers (perfect for ages 3 or so) and a pool for kids meant meant for kids 10 and younger. The re’s also a designated pool for swimming if a parent wants to get a workout (or, you know, just be left alone).
The entrance fee is around $35 a person for the day, and children under 2 get in for free.
Museums:
The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History
This very new museum can be found in the Tel Aviv University campus and it is incredible. Five whole floors of fascinating natural life await you and your family, including bugs, birds, and some taxidermied rare species, like the last cheetah (!) found by the Dead Sea. The museum also leads tours in the university’s botanical and geological gardens.
Beit Hatfutzot: The Museum of the Jewish People
With two permanent interactive exhibits — one about the heroes of the Jewish people and one about synagogues — the Museum of the Jewish people is a great place to get your kids to appreciate their Jewish heritage, and have fun at the same time! The museum also has fabulous rotating exhibits; a recent one explored Jewish humor.
The Tel Aviv Museum
An art museum isn’t always a draw for kids, but the Tel Aviv Museum is also a great space with a sculpture garden, lovely classical music concerts, and other shows and activities for kids. The permanent collection has artwork from all the greats, from Chagal to Van Gogh. The museum also has an audioguide for kids and children’s activities, including a special art activity for kids on Tuesday afternoon.
The Israel Museum
The museum has a planetarium and kid-friendly historical exhibits, plus a lovely outdoor space for your kids to run around and shake out those shpilkes.
Check out the rest of Kveller’s Israel family travel guide
