Free Family Fun in Barcelona

Life in the city with children can get expensive.  That is why we have come up with a list of 100% free and 100% fun family activities in Barcelona.  The Nanny Line loves to help families enjoy some of Spain’s most famous destinations such as  Barcelona, Madrid and Ibiza.

Whether you are traveling to Barcelona for business or pleasure, from a place nearby or far away, The Nanny Line provides you with a reliable and high-quality childcare experience. Our agency interviews all of our nannies and babysitters in person to ascertain their experience and suitability. Our minimum criteria for nannies registering with us is three years of full-time professional childcare experience with checkable references.  Check out our website to learn more about our nannies and babysitters and book your childcare peace of mind right now, online.

For this post we’ve found the best ways to have fun as a family in Barcelona without breaking the family piggy bank.

 

Free Sunday Fun-days at Barcelona’s Museums

Did you know all state-owned museums in Barcelona offer free entry on Sunday afternoons after 3PM and the first Sunday of every month?  Many other museums offer free entry to children under the age of 16 every day of the week.  Here are some of our favorite museum picks for the younger crowd:

• Cosmo Caixa Barcelona’s hands-on science “exploratorium” is always free for children under age 16 and offers free entry the first Monday of every month.  Some of the special exhibits require an extra fee (such as the Planetarium and the popular “Toca Toca” where you can touch wild animals).
• Castell de Montjuïc:  Do you have a lover of knights and castles?  Why not take them to Barcelona’s castle on the mountain of Montjuïc? They’ll love exploring the castle’s dungeons and the watchtower on one of the frequent guided tours.
• Museo Blau:  Barcelona’s Natural History Museum includes an innovative “Planet Life” exhibition to teach your children all about the history of life on Earth in a fun and interactive way.  You can even break up your indoor museum time with some time outside on the adjacent playspaces and bike path along the beach.  My children also loved watching the children at the nearby skatepark show off their tricks.
• To read more about all of Barcelona’s museums offering free entry on Sundays, this website offers the complete list with a description of each museum.

 

The Outdoors doesn’t have a price tag

Why not take advantage of Barcelona’s sunny Mediterranean climate?

• Barcelona’s Family-Friendly Beaches:  What child doesn’t love a trip to the beach?  Our expert nannies recommend Nova Icaria, Bogatell Beach and the beach area right in front of the W Hotel with its spider-web-like climbing structure.
• Cosarolla Park:  Did you know that Collserola is the largest metropolitan park in the world?  Take your family for a picnic and some great views of Barcelona from above.  Sturdy strollers can handle the relatively flat Carretera de las Aiguas.  Or, you can wear a baby-carrier-pack to explore some of these other 9 hikes in Collserola Park.
• Older children might enjoy the challenge of “geocaching.”  Using GPS technology on your smartphone, your children will be scrambling up hillsides in Collserola or trekking around city sites in search of “caches” in no time!  You can read more about family-friendly geocaching in Barcelona and tips for success here.

 

Explore Barcelona’s parks and playgrounds

• Barcelona’s parks have more than 450 specialized children’s play areas.  You can read about some of The Nanny Line’s favorite Barcelona play spaces in our prior posts for children older than five and younger than five.
• Get lost in the beautiful Laberint d’Horta for free on Wednesdays, Sundays and always for children under 5).
• Ciutadella Park:  While you have to pay for entrance to the Zoo or to rent a row boat, having a picnic or playing with the street entertainers’ giant bubbles are free.  So are the Instagrammable shots of your children by the Arc de Triomf or newly-restored Cascada Monument.
• Ping-pong tables and fitness equipment:  My family made the (small) investment of some ping pong paddles and balls shortly after moving to Barcelona because many of the city’s parks have ping pong tables free for use.  My kids also love to play on the random fitness equipment such as stairmasters, chin-up bars, and stationary bikes found in many of the city’s parks.

 

Free Family Fun in the Evening

Wallet-friendly fun doesn’t have to end when the sun sets!  Here are some of The Nanny Line’s 100% free evening activities in Barcelona:

• Montjüic Fountain: Producing more than 7 billion light and water combinations choreographed to music, Barcelona’s most famous fountain will mesmerize your children.  Just make sure to be on guard for pickpockets at this popular tourist destination.
• Movie Nights at the Beach:  Estrella Damn sponsors annual free movie nights at the beach, called Cinema Lliure a la Platja in Catalan.  Movies are screened for free many summer nights between the end of June and the beginning of August on St. Sebastiá Beach (by Barceloneta).
• Parades, Festivals and Fireworks:  The Catalans love their fiestas and nearly every month of the year, there is some kind of parade (sometimes with giant puppets), fireworks show, or neighborhood party, all with free admission.  You can read about some of the city’s biggest holiday parades in our prior posts about the Feast of San Joan, The Three Kings Parade, and other Barcelona street festivals.

 

The Nanny Line community of international families in Barcelona, Madrid, and Ibiza is one of your best sources of information for how to enjoy family life in Spain.  We love to hear from you, so post your other ideas for free family fun on our Instagram or Facebook page, or in the Comments section below.  Other families and nannies will thank you!