It is well-documented that Vienna is one of the most “liveable” cities in the world, demonstrated by its consistent position in first or second place of the Global Liveability Index since 2015 (excluding a brief relegation in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID restrictions). Much of this comes from statistics such as rent price, job opportunities and so forth.
But there is an important element in liveability that is harder to quantify: opportunities and programs for kids and families. In the next few months, I hope to use my position as a new father to lift the lid on the huge amount of events, locales and happenings arranged by the city of Vienna for families.
Passing the summer days
Never is it more important to find fun events for children than during the summer holidays, when the time may seem infinitely full of opportunity for kids and endlessly empty of structure for parents. Fortunately, Vienna has many ways to fill the time for families, many of them perfect for passing hot summer days. Whether it’s finding a water playground to cool down, free cultural events designed for kids or get-togethers hosted by neighbourhood organizations, there are many ways to keep the kids engaged and inspired over the school holidays.
Cooling Down: Water playgrounds and swimming pools
Growing up in the United States and the United Kingdom, I always wondered why all these wonderful outdoor swimming pools that my parents generation had visited had been closed down. Fortunately, Austria does not have this problem.
Vienna has many outdoor swimming pools (Freibäder), each with their own character and style. Some are more focused on quiet relaxation and serenely swimming the breaststroke, but many are filled with slides and play areas for kids.
Below are some of my favourite outdoor pools for families
• Schafbergbad (18th District) – an exceptionally large area with multiple kids’ pools and large slide
• Kongressbad (16th District) – centrally located pool with multiple areas and pools
• Strandbad Angelibad and Alte Donau (21st District) – two large family-friendly areas on the shores of the Alte Donau
•Laaerbergbad (10th District) – diving boards, sport swimming pool and shallow family pools
• Höpflerbad (23rd District) – slides, large lawns and shaded areas, good combination of sport pools and family pools
See a list of all the swimming pools in Vienna here.
Wasserspielplätze
In addition to the outdoor pools, Vienna also offers many Wasserspielplätze, or water playgrounds. These can range from simple fountains, play structures and water-jets for kids to play in at the local park, all the way to large adventure-play areas with water-wheels, pulley-rafts and rope swings. Although my son is a little young for the larger places, it is wonderful to stop while biking through the city in the summer and see all the wild kids and happy families staying cool.
The largest and most engaging is the Wasserspielplatz in the middle of the Danube Island (Donauinsel), but there are many different opportunities for water play spread all around the city.
You can see more details here.
Moving Around: Motorikparks
As discussed in my most recent post (“Parks in Vienna”), there are many, many parks dotted around Vienna that are perfect for letting the kids run off some energy during the holidays. Most larger playgrounds have structures and play areas that help children build their motor skills through balance, climbing and coordination.
But if you and your child are looking for something a little more challenging, Vienna also has parks especially designed for motor development.
• The Motorikpark 10 in Favoriten (Helmut-Zilk-Park) is 1,400 meters2 and filled with different training stations for children.
• Even larger is the Motorikpark 22 in Donaustadt (Süßenbrunner Straße 101), and the Radmotorikpark on the Neue Donau (Rudolf-Nurejew-Promenade), where kids can train their cycling skills with courses and obstacles to occupy those busy bodies.
Meeting others: Youth meeting points (Jugendtreffpunkte) and park activities for families (parkbetreuung)
One of the moments in Vienna which has really impressed me is the dawning awareness of exactly how many free, supportive programs are run by local and neighbourhood programs to engage and occupy kids during the holidays and weekends. Of course, there are a large number of summer camps and childcare options, but if you are looking for something casual and complimentary where you can just show up, look no further than the Jugendtreffpunkte in your district or programs run by the Kinderfreunde organization.
In many local parks and open-air pools, these organizations will show up with picnic blankets, toys
and games so that kids can meet and play with others. Sometimes these are simply boxes of fun toys that are free to take and play with, other times the adults running the program will lead team or group games with kids in the park who are willing to join.
For more information on locations and times, simply Google Jugendtreffpunkte or Parkbetreuung in your district. Kinderfreunde has a large number of different programs and events for all ages. I highly recommend checking out their website for a diverse range of organized programs and courses.
Teaming Up: Wienxtra programs
Besides the Kinderfreunde programs, the WienXtra organization is also dedicated to offering a large and varied selection of programs for all ages. They work closely with the city of Vienna and the Municipal Department for Child and Youth Welfare, providing events and courses to bring families and children together to learn and grow.
From offering space to rent and play boardgames together (at the Kinderspielebox on Albertgasse) to circus workshops and theatre performances, WienXtra is the largest provider of a broad range of family-friendly activities in the city.
The Ferienspiel program offers events specifically during the summer holidays, including sport courses, nature trips and creative workshops for many ages. They also have a great program for theatre and performances in public parks throughout the summer. For more information, find out all they have to
offer here.
The Kinderaktiv card offers year-round programs and recreational tips for the whole family. Focused on families with children up to 13 years of age is available as a brochure by subscription and online. With the free Kinderaktivcard, many activities are either free of charge or at a reduced price. For more information or questions, there is also the Kinderinfo point at Museumsquartier (Museumsplatz 1/Hof 2) in the middle of the city where you can stop by and find out what more is on offer!
Reaching out: Finding new experiences at KulturSommerWien
One of the best and most interesting free programs offered in Vienna over July and August are the
KulturSommerWien events, a large range of cultural and performative activities spread around publics paces throughout the city. Whether it is for an Eastern European folk duo performance, dance workshop or stand-up comedy show, the KulturSommerWien offers a lot of different ways to interact with local
cultural acts for free at the local parks and promenades.
While many of the events are for adults or families, there is also a calendar of children’s events ranging from kids music performances to contemporary dance and theatre for young audiences. They also have a wonderful multilingual event called the Inclusive Children’s Book Picnic (Kinderbuchpicknick), where children can come and explore the world through different languages and children’s books.
For dates and times of family and child events at the KulturSommerWien, check out the website here.
So, don’t let these summer days pass by while sitting bored at home. Vienna has a lot to offer kids
throughout the holidays to reach out, cool down and move around the city.
Thom Harding was born and raised in the UK and USA, sharing his time between Bath and Boston. Upon completing his studies in Art History and Painting in Florence, Thom travelled around Mexico and India before moving to New Mexico to start his career as a Primary school teacher.
After completing his MA in Education, he now lives and works in Vienna, Austria and enjoys spending his free time hiking, reading, travelling and exploring around Europe.
See more of Thom’s work here in the Dispatches archive.
You can read more about Vienna here in the Dispatches archives.
