Who thinks that entertaining the kids is, quite often, a real problem?

Whether it’s a birthday celebration, a study visit, or even a day of family fun, the dilemma is always the same: where to take them.

Let’s play in the park “No, because it’s raining.” How about a theatre play or a visit to a museum? “That’s boring!” This is often the answer.

If you’re fed up of seeing your children locked inside four walls, just able to entertain themselves with electronic games, do not be discouraged. We have fun and educational suggestions for you and your little ones, even on rainy days!

• Kidzania

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” If your child hesitates to answer, bring him to KidZania, at Dolce Vita Tejo.

This theme park is an authentic city in miniature, where children can “play grownups” in a highly realistic environment.

It offers the kids the possibility of incarnating a profession, amongst 60, and living other experiences common to the “world of adults” in places such as factories, shops, restaurants, fire brigades, police stations, soccer stadiums and even the airport.

• Tuk Tuk tour

Visiting the emblematic neighborhoods of Lisbon is always a fun experience for the little ones, and you can do it any time of the year.

Even in greasier days, the Tuk Tuk tricycle features a removable top that protects passengers from rain and cold, providing a unique and original ride that fascinates kids and adults alike.

Know the routes available on the website (link) and enjoy a great tuk tuk our.

• Lisbon Oceanarium

Few things attract children’s attention more than seeing and being close to animals. In particular, distinct species such as sharks and sea lions.

The Lisbon Oceanarium, located in Parque das Nações, is the fourth largest oceanarium in the world. It contains 7 million liters of salt water and houses 8 thousand animals and plants of 500 different species.

Besides being a space of leisure, it is also an educational place that stimulates learning.

• Cinemateca Júnior

If the plan is to avoid the cold and rainy weather, without resorting to shopping centers, we suggest the Cinemateca Júnior, in Praça dos Restauradores.

A movie session is a great way to captivate children, and it can also be a moment of didactic leisure that will be recorded in their memories.

From Monday to Friday, Cinemateca Júnior works mainly for schools, providing workshops and guided tours to the Cinema Museum.

• Calouste Gulbenkian Planetarium

“There are no stars in the sky to gild my path …” but there is in the Calouste Planetarium, where projections of the night sky take place every day.

Take the kids to see the constellations, moons, planets, nebulae and galaxies through a 23 meter dome.

After visiting the various temporary and permanent exhibitions, you can enjoy a stroll or relax in the beautiful gardens of the foundation.

• Vertigo Climbing Center

If neither of these suggestions is ideal and you are about to “climb walls,” we tell you that you can do it, literally. The Vertigo Climbing Center is Lisbon’s first climbing wall and is dedicated to indoor climbing. It has a scalable area of 300 m2 where you can entertain children and even join them.

Vertigo has programs for schools and birthday parties “in a safe environment and closely monitored by professionals”.