What’s On in Barcelona for Kids

Poble Espanyol turns spooky, with 30+ costumed characters, a clue hunt and mystery tunnels. The ticket includes entry to the whole village.

A Jumanji-inspired escape room: teams of 4 to 9 have 60 minutes to solve puzzles and challenges in a jungle. In English, Spanish or Catalan.

Weekend lunch at a submarine-themed restaurant. Children aged 3 to 12 get two hours of games, crafts and painting with an entertainer, and a kids' menu with burger or chicken fingers.

Dalí as artist, scientist and designer, with a large immersive room, a virtual reality metaverse and interactive rooms. Pieces include his 1958 golden astronaut suit.

Hundreds of drones tell a space story in the sky, with music and narration. Also Christmas activities, fairground rides, face painting and food.

Six Christmas worlds with around 20 characters and shows in the main square. Children can hand their letters to Santa, or later to the Three Kings from 26 Dec.

A €3 add-on at the entrance: children find six Castanyada and Halloween characters among the illusions and get a gift from the shop. Not scary.

Bake butter cookies and decorate them with chocolate, Halloween style. 90 minutes, with a tasting and museum entry. Adults need a ticket too.

Walk among life-size dinosaurs in a 90-minute immersive exhibition, with large-scale projections, virtual reality and interactive installations. Reduced prices for under-12s and on Mondays.

Cinderella told through ballet, with dancers in light-up costumes. The one-hour show is at Auditori l’Illa and is recommended for ages 5 and up. A great autumn or Christmas treat.

The hilltop park goes spooky, with a new zombie show at dusk, the Hotel 666 walk-through, photos with horror characters and Halloween decorations.

A Halloween parade, trick-or-treat and Day of the Dead shows across the park. This day trip from Barcelona includes the coach and park entry.

A virtual reality climb that retraces the first ascent of Everest in 1953, with a Sherpa guide, Himalayan temples and storms near the summit.

A CosmoCaixa exhibition from the Australian Museum, with ten life-size sharks, a megalodon jaw, shark skin to touch and its own aquarium.

A Rock Museum exhibition that starts from Back to the Future to look at musicians ahead of their time, from Chuck Berry and the Velvet Underground to David Bowie.

An immersive exhibition on how Gaudí worked, with virtual reality visits to buildings he designed but never built, such as a hotel for New York.

Skate on FC Barcelona’s own ice rink, near Spotify Camp Nou. Skate hire is included in the ticket, and there are morning, midday and afternoon sessions. Children’s tickets cover ages 4 to 10.

A free-roaming virtual reality visit to the International Space Station, with NASA footage of life on board and the first spacewalk filmed in VR.

A 45-minute candlelit concert for parents and babies up to 36 months, with classical music at a volume suited to little ears. Families sit on cushions on a padded floor.

1,200 drones recreate scenes from the Harry Potter films in the night sky, with the soundtrack and a live violinist. One hour, outdoors.

Els Llums de Sant Pau: an evening light trail through the Modernist pavilions, with Little Prince projections and characters.

An evening open-top bus tour past the Christmas lights on Passeig de Gràcia, Sagrada Família and Casa Batlló. The guide on board explains local Christmas traditions in English, Spanish or Catalan.

Light installations go up across the city centre, including Passeig de Gràcia, Portal de l’Àngel and Plaça de Catalunya. The season opens with a free switch-on show.

Barcelona’s oldest Christmas market, held in front of the Cathedral since 1786. Stalls sell nativity figures, moss, Christmas trees, caganers and Caga Tió logs.

The hilltop park adds a giant Christmas tree, an ice rink with city views and a puppet show. Santa visits before Christmas.

Christmas shows, a parade and festive decorations across the park. This day trip from Barcelona includes the coach and park entry.

A Christmas market in the square beside Sagrada Família, with stalls selling decorations, nativity figures, toys and Christmas food.

A Christmas fair on Moll de la Fusta with a 65-metre Ferris wheel, an ice rink, a carousel and food stalls, open from late morning until late evening.

A toy and gift market along Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, open until late on 5 January for last-minute presents from the Three Kings.

An indoor play fair in the Montjuïc exhibition halls, with games, sports, crafts, workshops and stage shows for children.

An evening visit to the Kings’ toy workshop, where children watch the royal pages at work and hand over their letter. Free tickets are released in December.

Barcelona’s free New Year show on Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, below the Magic Fountain, with music, lights and fireworks at midnight.

The Three Kings arrive at Port Vell in the afternoon, then parade through the city in the evening with floats, music and sweets thrown to the crowd.