Rainy days in Oslo with kids

Torshovgata 33, 0476 Oslo

Popular puppet theatre in the old tram depot (Trikkestallen) at Torshov, run by Oslo Nye Teater/Égal Teater. The intimate shows suit the youngest children well, and the short running time makes it a great first theatre experience.

Kirkeveien 34, 0266 Oslo

Puppet theatre in a small red house in Frognerparken, next to the Frogner tennis courts. Several shows are followed by a workshop where children make their own theatre puppet.

Dronningens gate 16, 0152 Oslo

The Cinematheque screens classic and new children's films every weekend - 1pm for the youngest, 3pm a family film for slightly older children.

Wergelandsveien 29, 0167 Oslo

Free play room (Sjeherasad) for children up to age 7, open Tuesday-Friday 9:30am-2pm and Saturdays 10am-3pm. Litteraturhuset also has a regular children's programme with films, book readings and more.

Kirsten Flagstads plass 1, 0150 Oslo

Children aged four to seven sing, dance and play their way through a current opera or ballet performance. Costs 50 kr.

Holtegata 15, 0259 Oslo

Family programme with dinner and activities. After dinner, the youngest can join baby singing while older children can take part in the church's choir school.

Stortingsgata 28, 0161 Oslo

Storytime and author visits one or two Saturdays a month (except summer), best for children aged 3-6. Everyone gets a bun after the reading.

Sandakerveien 24C, 0473 Oslo

Indoor play area for children aged 1-12 with slides, trampolines, ball pits, obstacle courses and a bike track. Free for adults. Café on site.

John G. Mattesons vei 4, 0687 Oslo

Indoor climbing frame, ball pit, tunnels, trampolines and slides for children aged 0-12 (and 0-16 in the older section). Café on site. On Wednesdays entry is free for children aged 0-23 months (with an adult) - register with Leo's Family.

Grini Næringspark 8, 1361 Østerås

Same concept as the Ulsrud branch: climbing frame, ball pit, tunnels, trampolines and slides. On Wednesdays entry is free for children aged 0-23 months (with an adult) - register with Leo's Family.

Smalvollveien 34, 0667 Oslo

Indoor go-kart track at Alnabru with its own track for children from age 5 and faster cars for older kids and adults. Popular for birthday parties, and you can drive whatever the weather, all year round.

Møllergata 24, 0179 Oslo

Indoor laser tag in the middle of the city centre, with a multi-level maze, plus paintball, an obstacle course and sumo wrestling. An action-packed indoor option that suits birthday parties and slightly older children.

Øvre Slottsgate 3, 0157 Oslo

Free workshop in the Winter Garden at Sentralen every Saturday and Sunday, 11am-4pm: drawing, painting, glue, Duplo, a reading corner and rotating guest activities (storytelling, art, woodwork and more). Best for children aged 2-6, but everyone is welcome.

Anne-Cath. Vestlys plass 1, 0150 Oslo

Deichman puts on plays, storytelling sessions and children's films for slightly older kids at several of its 22 branches in Oslo. Check the programme at your local library.

Børsteveien 13, 0585 Oslo

Combined café and play room for children aged 0-6, with a wooden play area designed to stimulate the senses and encourage free play. Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-5pm (check current hours).

Kongsveien 23, 0193 Oslo

Sculpture park with over 40 artworks and panoramic views over Oslo, free and open around the clock all year. For families: the Hakkespettene activity house with art workshops, a small climbing park with balance elements and a low zip line, plus a sensory wall and animal-spotting tasks inside the museum (separate opening hours). The park has sloping terrain with paths and some gravel/uneven ground in places.

Sandviksveien 130, 1365 Blommenholm

Art and culture house in a historic villa from 1890 by the sea in Sandvika. The main offering for children is Sanseloftet, a 400 sqm sensory experience spread across nine rooms with colours, scents and light. Creative workshops are also held on weekends, and children's birthday parties can be arranged. Open Tuesday-Sunday 11am-4pm. Note: located in Bærum, not Oslo municipality.

Rosenholmveien 22, 1252 Oslo

Large indoor trampoline park with dedicated Minisprett sessions for the youngest (0-6) together with an adult, in addition to regular jumping for the whole family. Check current opening hours in the booking system on the website.

Sars' gate 1, 0562 Oslo

Here children can meet dinosaur skeletons and animals from all over the world, then run free in the Botanical Garden right outside. Guided tours for children on weekends in autumn and winter. Children under 6 enter free.

Frederiks gate 2, 0164 Oslo

In this museum, the whole family can get up close to the world's only preserved Viking helmet and real Egyptian mummies, along with artefacts from antiquity and the Middle Ages and a large coin collection. Everyone under 18 enters free.

Edvard Munchs plass 1, 0194 Oslo

MUNCH has a broad children's programme: sensory painting for the very youngest, 'Barnas kunstdag' (Children's Art Day) for 3-8-year-olds almost every Sunday, and workshops during school holidays for slightly older children. Strollers are not allowed inside the exhibitions, but baby carriers can be borrowed.

Sonja Henies vei 31, 1311 Høvikodden

In the dedicated children's workshop 'Labben', kids can draw and freely explore shape, colour and materials, inspired by the exhibitions. Staffed by museum educators on Sundays and during school holidays, with family tours of current exhibitions every Sunday. Children under 18 enter free. Note: located in Bærum, not Oslo municipality.

Brynjulf Bulls plass 3, 0250 Oslo

In 'Urskogen Silva', children can create their own fantasy creature and watch it come to life digitally, while the Fairy Tale Room lets the youngest meet familiar storybook characters. Children aged 2-17 enter free (ticket required).

Bygdøynesveien 37, 0286 Oslo

The museum invites children into the exhibition 'Oppdag havet' ('Discover the Ocean'), where they can, among other things, explore a submarine simulator, and on weekends children aged 4-12 can build their own boat in the popular boat workshop. All children enter free.

Museumsveien 10, 0287 Oslo

On the historic farmstead, children can feed animals, try old-fashioned toys, ride the popular tractor 'Gråtass' and run freely around the large open-air museum area with over 160 old buildings from all over the country, including the stave church from Gol. Everyone under 18 enters free.

Gardeveien 15, 0369 Oslo

In the old tram hall from 1913, the family can get up close to historic trams and metro cars, or try being a driver in the simulator inside the Holmenkollen line car. Open Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday 11am-3pm.

Bygdøynesveien 36, 0286 Oslo

The exhibitions on the Kon-Tiki and Ra rafts have their own stories made for children, following the crab Johannes and the monkey Safi through Thor Heyerdahl's expeditions. Compact and easy to visit with small children.

Kirkeveien, 0268 Oslo

The world's largest sculpture park made by a single artist (Gustav Vigeland), with over 200 sculptures in bronze, granite and wrought iron - including the famous Sinnataggen (Angry Boy). Children can run freely among the sculptures, and right by the main entrance lies Frognerborgen, Norway's largest playground with a climbing castle, swings and a sandpit. Free and open around the clock.

Rosenkrantz' gate 11, 0159 Oslo

Interactive illusion museum right by Karl Johan, with sensory challenges and optical illusions that captivate both children and adults. Separate children's tickets from age 4 and free entry for those under 3.

Kjelsåsveien 143, 0491 Oslo

Voted Oslo's most fun museum for children, with over 100 interactive installations where kids can create a tornado, play a laser harp, drive a mini train and try VR covering transport, science, medicine and industrial history. SkaperLab for children/youth aged 12-16 with programming, music and 3D printing.

Pilestredet (bakgården), Bygning I, 0164 Oslo

Cosy indoor play room for children aged 0-6 with a climbing frame, ball pit, slides and books. Great for rainy days.

Nedre Slottsgate 8, 0157 Oslo

Modern indoor play room for children aged 0-6 with pretend play, climbing areas, a reading corner and a café. Also hosts postpartum-exercise meetups, courses and birthday parties.

Bøkkerveien 4, 0579 Oslo

The largest Lille Lab location, with plenty of room to play, a café, events and birthday celebrations for children aged 0-6. Soft play zones and a dedicated area for the very youngest make it a safe indoor option year round.

Marcus Thranes gate 4B, 0473 Oslo

Cosy indoor play room focused on imaginative play and activities for the youngest. Also hosts courses and birthday parties.

Gruegata 23A, 0652 Oslo

Specially designed for the very youngest children (0-2), with calm play areas and sensory play in a safe setting. Smaller and quieter than the Hasle location, and a good place to meet other parents on leave.

Bogstadveien 26 / Holmboes gate 1, 0355 Oslo

Indoor playground in Majorstuen designed specifically for babies and toddlers, with soft play areas and sensory play. A café for the grown-ups and a safe, enclosed setting make it a popular meeting spot during parental leave.

Bergensveien 2E, 0963 Oslo

Self-service indoor play area for children aged 0-7 at Grorud shopping centre, with climbing frames and a ball pit for older kids and a separate area with wall games and a ball pit for the youngest. Play sessions are booked in advance (max 15 families/60 people at a time), and you let yourself in with a code sent by SMS. Changing room with free diapers downstairs.

Flere steder i Oslo

Norwegian pop-up literature project creating interactive theatre experiences for children aged 0-11 (individual shows are often aimed at ages 3-9), where children explore familiar stories through listening, play, movement and creating. Includes storytelling theatre, games tied to the story, creative workshops and a pop-up bookshop. Has staged shows such as Peter Pan, The Gruffalo and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. No fixed address - performs at various venues in Oslo, including Sentralen, Det Andre Teatret, Deichman Bjørvika and Tøyen (Vaterland/MiniØya).

Ivan Bjørndalsgate 28, 0472 Oslo

Norway's largest improv theatre, with its own theatre bar and outdoor seating. Has regular Saturday shows for children at 1pm: 'Lekene slår tilbake' on the main stage (autumn) and 'Fantasikontoret' on the intimate stage (from November). Check the programme for the current show and age recommendation.

Kirsten Flagstads plass 1, 0150 Oslo

Dedicated children's tours of the Opera House, tailored for children aged 4-10, focused on experience rather than facts. Usually Saturdays at 1pm, about 50 minutes. Note: strollers are not allowed on the tour.

Møllergata 12, 0179 Oslo

Indoor 18-hole mini golf integrated into a bar with a camping theme, near Youngstorget. A nice daytime activity on weekends (opens at noon Saturday and Sunday), but becomes more of a beer-and-drinks venue later in the evening - 20-year age limit applies after 7pm.

Ekebergveien 103, 1178 Oslo

Two 18-hole mini golf courses with waterfalls, rivers and bridges, centrally located on Ekeberg. Offers birthday packages for children, including a free round of mini golf for the birthday child. Café on site.

Søndre gate 1, 0550 Oslo

Outdoor 18-hole mini golf course at the bottom of Grünerløkka along the Akerselva river. Open daily in summer, noon-9pm (weather permitting), with both an easy and a difficult course. Pizza and soft drinks can be ordered at the course.

Hegermanns gate 20, 0478 Oslo

Outdoor 18-hole mini golf course by Torshovparken. Open daily in summer, noon-9pm (weather permitting). 70 kr for adults, 50 kr for children.

Vulkan 1, 0182 Oslo

Norway's national stage for dance, with a regular programme of dance performances for children of all ages - from baby dance for the youngest to interactive shows for older children. Also hosts Family Days with baby dance, contact play, creative dance workshops and children's performances.

Konows gate 1-3, 0192 Oslo

Indoor parkour hall with obstacles, sprung flooring and climbing elements. Offers parkour courses for children and youth aged 3-16 across several levels, free training sessions for families, birthday parties and holiday camps.

Veitvetveien 8, 0596 Oslo

Norway's largest bowling hall with 26 lanes, plus billiards, an arcade and a restaurant. Child-friendly lanes with bumper rails and lighter balls mean even the youngest can join in the bowling.

Hausmanns gate 28, 0182 Oslo

Knøttekino is tailored for children aged 2-5 with lowered sound and lighting, shorter films, and screening rooms furnished with sofas, blankets and cushions. Babykino is set up for breastfeeding, bottle-feeding and nappy changes, with low volume and dimmed lights - room for crying, cuddling and babbling.