Beijing with Kids
Universal, a Great Wall Toboggan & Giant Pandas

This is the number-one pick for kids in Beijing — a full Universal theme park with several distinct zones. Minion Land is bright and gentle for younger children, Kung Fu Panda Land is unique to this resort, and the Transformers and Jurassic World areas pull in older kids. Every member of the family gets rides at their own level, from gentle carousels to full-speed coasters. Plan for at least one full day.

Of all the Great Wall sections near Beijing, Mutianyu is the most kid-friendly. A cable car carries you up to the wall, so there is no hour of steep stairs, and the highlight that children love most is the toboggan ride down — a small sled that runs down a winding metal track at a speed you control yourself. Every child who rides it talks about it for the rest of the trip. The views of the wall snaking along the ridgeline are also better here than at the crowded Badaling section.

Nothing makes a child's eyes widen quite like a real giant panda. The panda enclosure is the highlight of Beijing Zoo, and there is plenty more wildlife besides. The clever part: Beijing Aquarium is on the same grounds, so with a combined ticket you can walk straight on to the fish and sea creatures in the same visit. It suits children of all ages, strollers roll through easily, and it sits in the northwest of the city with a subway station right outside.

On a day when it is too hot, too cold or pouring with rain and you have no idea where to take the kids, this is the answer. A big science museum designed so children can touch, try and play for real — multiple floors of interactive exhibits, a dome cinema, and a science zone that school-age kids love. It is cool and air-conditioned, and you can spend half a day here without anyone getting bored. It sits next to the Olympic Park, so the two pair up well in one day.

If the children at home are old enough to want roller coasters and thrill rides, Happy Valley Beijing is a large amusement park with a wide range, from gentle to genuinely intense. There is a section for younger children too, but the real draw is the bigger rides for teenagers. It makes a good theme-park day if you do not want the longer trip out to Universal, or if you have several days to fill.

The Forbidden City might sound like a grown-ups' attraction, but children enjoy it if you make it a story — point out the bronze lions at the gates, count the little dragon figures along the roof ridges, and tell them about the child emperors who once lived here. The trick is not to walk every hall; take the central axis from the main gate out through the north gate, then finish at Jingshan across the road to climb a small hill and look back over the sea of golden roofs — kids get more of a thrill from that view than from the halls themselves.

The Temple of Heaven is more than a beautiful building — it stands in the middle of a huge public park where Beijingers come to exercise, dance and fly kites every morning. Bring the kids to wander the grounds, watch local life, and if you buy a kite you can fly it in the open spaces. The round, triple-roofed hall with its deep blue tiles is a stunning photo too. It is the rare attraction that blends real beauty with room for children to run around, without the pressure of a museum.

The hutongs (胡同) are the narrow old courtyard lanes at the heart of historic Beijing. The catch is that exploring them on foot can be too much for small children. The fix is a rickshaw ride — a cycle-pulled cart that winds you through the lanes around Houhai lake while the kids sit back and watch grey-brick houses, red doors and everyday courtyard life roll by. Late afternoon and early evening, the area around the lake is full of cafes and places to sit, so you can finish the day with an easy lakeside stroll.

Step out of the north gate of the Forbidden City and across the road is Jingshan Park, an artificial hill children can climb in a few minutes — and the reward is the best view of old Beijing. Look down and you see the entire spread of golden palace roofs lined up to the horizon. A child who has just walked through the palace instantly understands how vast it is when they see it from up here. It is a short activity that pairs perfectly with the Forbidden City.

A good family trip needs a day that is not rushed, and Olympic Park is wide open space where children can run, cycle and chase each other freely. The Bird's Nest stadium and the Water Cube from the 2008 Olympics make a spectacular backdrop, and at times the Water Cube has operated as an indoor water park for kids (check the current status before you go). It makes an easy afternoon after the science museum, which is right nearby.