Here’s our list of the best activities for kids in Jerusalem – the ones we and our friends enjoy the most: Bible HistoryTo make Bible history come alive in a concrete way, take the kids to the City of David and go down Hezekiah’s tunnel. This has got to be my kids' all time favorite excursion, especially when they imagine themselves smuggling water into the city through this tunnel during the Assyrian siege.
under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License The Jerusalem Time Elevator is a full-body-experience movie starring Haim Topol (of Fiddler on the Roof fame) that traces 3,000 years of Jerusalem history, complete with the occasional water spray and moving chairs that make you feel as if you were flying. A word of warning – although you can supposedly adjust the motion of the chairs, the Time Elevator isn’t for kids (or adults) who get motion sick! The movie is about 40 minutes long and is shown daily from 10:00 to 17:00 Sun-Thur and 10:00 to 14:00 on Fridays. 37 Hillel St., Tel: 02-624-8381. Fee: 49 nis. (Rather expensive for a short movie, but a unique experience older kids seem to enjoy.) Other Kids Activities
under Creative Commons license After trailing their parents through historical sites, children may appreciate an afternoon at the Tisch Family Biblical Zoo, where they visit the petting zoo, feed the animals, romp through the playground or climb Niki de Saint Phalle's fantastic sculptures. As far as kids activities go, this one's never boring, no matter how often we go. Hours: 9:00 to 18:00 Sun-Thu; 9:00 to 16:30 Fri.;10:00 to 18:00 Sat. Fee: 35 nis children; 45 nis adults. Entrance is only until one hour before closing time.
To propel kids and adults from ancient history into the future, nothing beats the Bloomfield Science museum, which packs an unbelievable collection of hands on, interactive exhibits for children of all ages. Where else can you make your own lightning? Hours: 10:00 to 18:00 Sun-Thur; 10:00 to 14:00 Fri; 10:00 to 15:00 Sat. Hebrew University, Givat Ram Campus. 02-654-4888. Although not nearly as exciting as the exhibits at the Bloomfield, don’t miss the Youth wing of the Israel Museum, nor the model of first century Jerusalem. Parks Traveling with small children means you’ll have to take frequent breaks to let them loose and romp around. Fortunately, Jerusalem boasts some lovely parks. Near the city center, Sacher park offers vast expanses of greenery and a number of different playgrounds. Liberty Bell park’s playground also includes a special area for roller skaters, and is home to the Puppet Theater. On a hot day, let the kids dip their feet in the fountains across the street.
Further afield, you’ll find a Jerusalem landmark – Monster park, while on the other side of town, Gilo park is a lovely place for a picnic and to let the children stretch their legs on the way back in town from a visit to Bethlehem.
For a complete calendar of the kids' activities that will be taking place in Jerusalem during your visit, including many for teens, check out Fun in Jerusalem, a truly useful blog by another Jerusalem mom.
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