10 Best Family Things to Do in Taipei

Children's Amusement Park is located in the Shilin District of Taipei City, covering an area of about 5 hectares. It's one of the few recreational areas in downtown Taipei that's exclusively aimed at children. The park is equipped with 19 rides, including a roller coaster, flying bus, free fall and pirate ship. There's also a free-play area, a children's theatre that stages wonderful performances during holidays and escape room games. Both parents and children can enjoy themselves and have a wonderful time together.

An additional ticket is not required to enter the park. An EasyCard will give you entry to the park, access to a wide range of amusements, and can be used to make purchases in some shops within the park. In addition to a wide variety of outdoor playing facilities, the park also provides indoor game areas including a ball pool and coin-operated game machines, so you can have fun whatever the weather. There's also a Gourmet Street and a convenience store when you're in need of a break and a bite to eat.

For a delicious and fun way to spend time with your kids, you can sign up for one of the many cooking workshops on offer in Taipei. You can make traditional cakes and snacks, including maltose (mai ya tang), pineapple cake (feng li su) and mango cake (mang guo su). Best of all, you get to take home the finished products as tasty souvenirs.

You don't have to be an experienced baker – the workshops will provide step-by-step instructions. With the assistance and guidance of trained staff on site, you and your children will soon become dessert experts. Taking photos of the beautiful and delicious traditional cakes that you create will give you a great sense of accomplishment and leave you with unforgettable and precious memories of your family's trip to Taipei.

The National Taiwan Science and Education Museum (NTSEC) is located in the Shilin District of Taipei City. The large science museum has a variety of themed exhibitions from B1 to the 8th floor, and a conference hall and a library on the 9th floor. On entering the museum, the first things that catch your eye are a wooden ring-shaped aerial bridge overlooking the lobby and bikes crossing overhead. These are the museum's big attractions. Access to the aerial bridge is free. You can simply take the elevator to the 9th floor to have a walk in the air. For an exciting aerial bike ride, you can go to the 6th floor and ride the bike across the lobby to the other side on the track with a safety net below.

In addition to its aerial attractions, NTSEC also hosts interactive themed exhibitions suitable for children of all ages. Exhibitions on scientific knowledge, the secrets of the human body and biodiversity are staged on designated floors for parents and children to explore together. It is an excellent place for learning through play.

Guandu Riverside Park is located in the Beitou District of Taipei City, at the estuary of the Tamsui River between Datun Mountain and Guanyin Mountain. Set against a unique backdrop of mountains, rivers and the sea, it's a well-known recreational spot and is also where Guandu Wharf is located. The park has many trails and bicycle paths, as well as a station on the well-known "Blue Highway". In addition to the beautiful scenery along the river, the rich and diverse intertidal ecosystem is also worth exploring.

In Guandu Riverside Park, cycling is one of the most popular leisure activities. During holidays, parents and kids are often seen riding along the cycle paths. The beautiful views along the river and the cool breeze on your face make it a very pleasant experience. The paths in the park lead all the way to Shezi Island in the south and Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf in the north. Beautiful scenery along the way and splendid reflections of the sunset on the water make it a popular bike tour route.

Neihu Dagou Riverside Park – officially called Dagou River Ecology and Water Control Park – is a large park in Neihu District. Large areas of green grass, aquatic plants and riverside trails in the park are suitable for days out, picnics and water-based activities. It's a very popular attraction for families in Taipei. The riverside park is well planned with many trails, a riverside square, ecological wetlands and summerhouses.

The riverside square is the most popular area for water-based activities. The water is so clear and shallow that kids can stand in it and play without any safety concerns. On holidays, many parents and kids bring their picnic blankets and snacks to the park, where they can enjoy a pleasant and relaxing picnic in the park's beautiful surroundings. Once you've eaten your fill, you can enjoy precious family time with your kids as you take a leisurely stroll along the riverway or riverside trail, or explore the ecosystem in the aquatic plant area.

Garden Maze is part of the Xinsheng Area of Expo Park, located between the Art Park and Jianguo Expressway and close to MRT Yuanshan Station. The large Xinsheng Area has a vast green space and is also home to Taipei Rose Garden. Garden Maze is a favorite spot of kids in the Xinsheng Area. It consists of 5 mazes formed by high vertical banyan hedges and low orchid tree hedges, creating a bagua map.

Kids usually rush into Garden Maze to explore as soon as they arrive. While the kids run off in search of exits, parents walk at a leisurely pace behind them. Though the maze route looks rather complicated, it's not difficult to find your way out, as there are many exits. Planes whizz overhead from time to time as kids run around the maze, making them exclaim happily and eager to come again.

The Fudekeng grass skiing area is located in Fudekeng Environmental Restoration Park in the Muzha District of Taipei City. Covering an area of 98 hectares, the park was formerly the first major landfill in Taipei. The park is roughly divided into multiple areas, including the grass skiing area, pedestrian trail, bicycle path, area for flying remote control aircraft and sun square (lawn), of which the grass skiing area is most popular with people of all ages.

To experience the fun of grass skiing, you first need to queue up and register. The park provides about 5 sets of grass skis for use by visitors. If you have already registered but don't want to wait in line for a set of grass skis, you can bring your own. Note that the grass skiing area is closed on rainy days. If you are not sure about the local weather conditions, it's recommended that you call first and check so as to avoid a wasted visit.

For children who love animals, Taipei Zoo is a must-visit. Taipei Zoo is the first public zoo in Taipei, covering an area of 165 hectares, and is also the largest zoo in Taiwan. The park has 8 outdoor exhibition areas and 6 indoor exhibition areas, accommodating 377 species and about 2,783 animals, which is pretty astonishing in scale. The koalas, penguins, pandas and other recent additions to the zoo are the most popular with both parents and kids. Every movement of these adorable animals attracts large crowds wanting to watch and take photos.

The zoo provides a bus tour service, so you don't need to worry about your kids getting too tired to enjoy everything that such a large zoo has to offer. There are 2 bus routes, one from Shuttle Train Station to Bird World Station at the highest point and one from Bird World Station to Maokong Gondola Taipei Zoo South Station. Taking a bus tour with your kids is the best way to see as many animals as possible.

Taipei City Library occasionally hosts free picture book reading activities for families, which are aimed at encouraging parents and kids to read together. Some library branches also offer free pre-school toys and activities suitable for children aged 0-6 to encourage families to play together.

With its vast collections, the library supports parents and children in having a happy time reading and playing together. These activities accept a limited number of participants, so if you don't sign up in time, you can always use the family room at your local library branch instead, where you and your kids can explore the world of books together.