Travelling to Ankara promises a lot of exhilarating experiences as it is Turkey’s cosmopolitan capital. Visitors have the chance to witness the grandeur of the performing arts – definitely something adults will enjoy. But, how about your kids? Ankara is considered a metropolitan area in Turkey because it has lots of places and adventures for everyone, especially for families. Going to Ankara on long vacations or short weekend trips will be a welcome break for you and your precious little darlings! Here are 15 things you can do in Ankara with kids.
Cost: $4.5 to $9
Kids love the water. Oh, adults do, too. At the Ankara Club Watercity Aquapark, you and your kids get to swim in clean and refreshing swimming pools. The Club Watercity Aquapark also features slides, water attractions, sun beds, Jacuzzi, and a café. This aqua park is Turkey’s most modern large-scale water park. It is also one of the city’s most popular recreation spots, as it welcomes approximately 4,000 people daily. Your children will definitely kiss you for taking them here.
Cost: $3.6
Want a productive yet fun activity for your kids? Try Ankara’s CerModern, the city’s contemporary art hub. Some people mistake the place to be exclusive for adults. Apparently, CerModern has CerKids or CerÇocuk, which is dedicated to providing workshops for children from ages 5 to 11. The workshops provide lessons in creating a 4D book, building toy sculptures, recreating paintings of famous painters, and other activities which hone children’s imagination and creativity. A day at the CerModern will develop your child’s artistic skills as well as give him an unforgettable learning escapade.
Cost: Free
If your kids are in for a magical adventure under the sun, the Gençlik Parkı is your ultimate go-to place in Ankara. Even though the park is one of the city’s oldest amusement parks, the Gençlik Parkı continues to lure kids and kids-at-heart into its charming and vibrant displays. Your kids will absolutely love the rides, such as roller coasters and the Ferris wheel, and several other exciting activities. Your kids can also go swimming in the pools or running on the playgrounds. Of course, you can bond with your little darlings as you try the rides with them. Or you can choose to enjoy the peace of watching your kids smile from ear to ear. After a day of enjoyment and fun, your whole family can relax while taking a stroll within the vicinity, and stopping to admire the lovely flowers and artificial waterfalls. Finally, you can end the day as a family by sitting on the grass to watch the impressive lights of the whole Gençlik Parkı.
Cost: $2 to $3
As early as possible, we want to educate our kids on a variety of subjects. Knowing the culture of a foreign city or country is an important knowledge we can give to our children. In Ankara, several museums are open for everyone. You can go to the Ethnography Museum of Ankara, which is located in Hacettepe. In this museum, your kids can learn all about the history and the people of Turkey. They can check out the traditional clothes, metal works, weapons, jewelry, manuscripts, and other artefacts related to the Turkish history. This is a best place where your child can start to appreciate the beauty of cultural diversity, and eventually learn to respect other cultures. Admission fee is around $2 to $3.
Cost: $0.36
“Who wants toys?” Try asking your kids this question, and see if you don’t get any excited responses. Since we all know that kids love toys, we suggest you take them to the Ankara University’s Toy Museum, which houses approximately 2,000 local, international, handmade, and manufactured toys. Since 1990, this toy museum has been storing antique and traditional toys, which are on display for kids to admire. The Ankara University’s Toy Museum is open from Tuesdays to Fridays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
Another museum you can visit with your kids is an anthropological museum in Ankara, known as the Tabiat Tarihi Müzesi. Allow your kids (and well, yourselves, too) to be fascinated by the museum’s dinosaur models and other prehistoric animals found by archaeologists. After admiring the anthropological displays inside, you can transfer to the planetarium which is located just within the same building. What’s more exciting is the fact that admission to this museum is free.
Cost: $4.5
Are you in for a perfect weekend outdoor and exploratory retreat? Visit the Harikalar Diyarı, or Ankara’s Wonderland, which promises of a great adventure for your whole family. This park measures 14,208,362 square feet to include man-made lakes, go karts, skateboarding ramps, basketball courts, mini golf, model boat lake, model car track, an amphitheater, and ping pong. Children can do all sorts of activities inside the park. You can also enjoy yourselves exploring the giant sculptures and the energetic atmosphere of the park through a train ride around the area.
Cost: $2 to $3
Next on our list, but definitely not the least, is the Aqua Vega Aquarium. It is a popular destination for locals and tourists in Ankara, as it boasts of an attractive display of underwater life. Kids and kids-at-heart will find joy in watching the 12,000 different kinds of marine organisms, watching the shark-feeding activity, and touching the koi fishes. This aquarium offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience seeing sharks swimming just above your head. Oh, of course, they won’t bite, as the aquarium uses an acrylic tunnel. You can find the Aqua Vega Aquarium below the Nata Vega Outlet Mall. It is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (except on Sundays, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.).
Take your kids to a private music and dance lesson at Muzikal Adimlar. In here, kids can learn how to play musical instruments, including the cello, piano, violin, drums, flute, guitar, clarinet, and saxophone. They can also practice their dance skills by participating in dance classes suitable for their ages.
Cost: Varies
Get a chance to explore the wildlife at the zoos in Ankara. There are several zoological gardens in Ankara which you can take your kids to. Most of them charge no entrance fees for visitors, particularly for children.
Cost: $7
Treat your kids to a unique adventure in Ankara by taking them to The Little Chef’s Club. This kiddie place lets the children learn how to bake cookies, cakes, and brownies. You can enroll them for a weekday schedule (after school hours) or any time during the weekends.
Cost: $0.36 to $1
Ancient mosques, old houses, and fountains used in Turkey over a hundred years ago are only some of the things you and your kids can see at the Altinkoy Open Air Museum. Compared to indoor museums, the Altinkoy Open Air Museum has an interactive feel because of its community-like design. Kids can shop in the village store, join workshops, and even dine in the authentic outdoor cooking areas.
Cost: $5 to $6
Give your kids the chance to witness marble, glass, gold, and silver works used in Turkey since the first millennium BC. Take the children to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations so they can check out the first minted money and other cultural treasures to make them discover more about Turkey.
Cost: $7 to $9
The Ankara Air Force Museum houses more than 700 artefacts, documents, and other items to teach about the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority and the Turkish Air Agency. There are uniforms, certificates, medals, original aircrafts, and even a Parachute Tower which is open for older kids aged 16 and older.
Cost: Free
Another museum in Ankara which you and your kids can explore is the State Art and Sculpture Museum. In here, the kids can admire the mesmerizing collection of art by architect Arif Hikmet Koyunoglu. They can see paintings, sculptures, ceramics, photos, and other displays.
What are you waiting for? Treat your little ones to any or all of these activities. Share this article with your friends, too.
Twitter
Add a Comment
Please do not post:
Thank you once again for doing your part to keep Edarabia the most trusted education source.