Picking a kid-friendly holiday destination isn’t always the easiest. You’ve got to take into account activities, proximity to public transportation, and the age-appropriateness of it all. If you’ve crossed off family activities in Bangkok and sat on every ride at Super Nintendo World, then we’ve got just the place: Taiwan.
Why Taiwan? This place has a tonne of kid-friendly attractions that don’t just involve cartoon characters or indoor playgrounds. If that sounds like a good deal, then read on for the kid-friendly things to do in Taiwan we’ve rounded up for you:
– In & around Taipei –
1. Shinbaitou Spring City Resort Hot Spring – Kid-friendly onsen
The peaceful Public Hot Spring Spa.Image credit: Spring City Resort
Outside of Japan, there are few other places that have hot spring resorts, much less one that would take in kids. But Taiwan’s Shinbaitou Spring City Resort Hot Spring has outdoor and indoor hot springs for you and your munchkins to have a splash of fun. There are 9 hot springs in total, so it’s not too difficult to get a private corner just for your family.
Soak in the hot spring with a hydrotherapy jet while the sun sets.Image credit: @chiuwenwen.tw via Instagram
Tickets to enter either a Public or Private Hot Spring Spa start from TWD529 (~S$23.19)/entry . Note that the outdoor public hot springs are open for a limited time, from 9am-10pm, while the private hot springs are open 24 hours.
You can book a private hot spring session from TWD600/adult (~S$25.23) and TWD400/child (~S$16.82), but keep in mind that it’s limited to 1 hour.
RECOMMENDED TICKETS AT S$182.66
2. Pushin Ranch – Picnic on a dairy farm & feed farm animals
Picnic on a dairy farm, and no, those cows aren’t real.Image credit: Klook
If spending the holiday on a farm has ever crossed your mind when planning a family overseas trip, give Pushin Ranch a shot. It’s a dairy farm that has a vast field with animal figures and is open for picnicking and camping for the whole family.
Image adapted from: @leda_1229 via Instagram
Of course, the main attraction is the farm, where kids can feed and interact with animals like alpacas, kangaroos, capybaras, and cows.
Image credit: @otis188541 & @zimi11.16 via Instagram
Take a tour on Pushin Ranch’s cow-themed trolley (TWD30/pax, ~S$5.62) that takes you around its scenic spots. The tour ends at a milking station that even gives kids a go at milking a cow.
The fun doesn’t end there, though. Let your kids unleash their creativity by doing a DIY workshop (TWD60, ~S$3), where they can paint animal money banks to take home.
3. Window on World Theme Park – 100 miniature landmarks
Image credit: @_shainachen_ via Instagram
What if we told you that you could take photos with the Arc de Triomphe, Leaning Tower of Pisa, and Statue of Liberty, all in a day? That’s possible with a visit to the Window on World Theme Park, which has over 100 mini replicas of historical landmarks from all over the globe.
Image credit: @maixwang via Instagram
Apart from satisfying your wanderlust, the park also has rides like roller coasters and bumper cars to quench any thirsts for adrenaline too. There’s even a water park that’s open in the summer from July to August that has a wave pool and water slides.
4. Leofoo Village Theme Park – Theme park with water rides & safari
With a safari, water park, and amusement park with more than 30 rides, it’s a no-brainer that Leofoo Village Theme Park is where you’ll want to take the family to.
The 3-storey “Mighty Mountain Flume Adventure” ride.Image credit: @harrisonlee2377v via Instagram
Start out with one of the park’s more thrilling rides – Mighty Mountain Flume Adventure – if your kids are feeling adventurous. The 3-storey water ride is sure to be a heartstopper with its steep climbs and even steeper drops that end with a plunge in a river. Trust us, you’ll want to bring a raincoat or a spare change of clothes for this ride.
Fair warning: the lions will leap on the cage while the keepers distribute food.Image credit: @mairmoo & @daiyinglin via Instagram
Your mini daredevils can even go face-to-face with lions at the free-roaming zoo. They’ll be stationed in a caged truck as staff feed these big cats. If that’s too extreme, you can still watch wild animals like rhinos, lemurs, and zebras from a distance at the Leofoo Guanshi Resort. Each room faces out to the animals’ enclosures so you can observe them anytime.
– In & around Yilan –
5. Dancewoods Japanese Park – Ninja costumes & Japanese crafts
Explore a Japanese garden in Taiwan? Sure, why not.Image credit: @flora.wu.618 via Instagram
Have a kawaii day with your little ones and play dress up as ninjas or in Japanese wafuku outfits at the Dancewoods Japanese Park, which allows families to explore Japanese culture right in Taiwan.
1 of the other 6 souvenirs you can paint is the fox mask called Kitsune Men.Image credit: @ching_hsuan_pao via Instagram
Other than dressing up, there are craft activities (TWD380/pax, ~S$16.15) too, where kids can get creative painting Japanese souvenirs like a fox mask, folding fan, or carp streamer.
Image credit: @dancewoods_hotels_resorts via Instagram
Or, send your kids to the petting farm, which has alpacas, capybaras, meerkats, and hedgehogs that they can feed and play gently with.
Entrance fee: ~S$12.10/person
Address: 268, Taiwan, Yilan County, Wujie Township, Section 2, Wubin Road, 號, 459Opening hours: 9am-5pm, DailyContact: +886 3960 3808 Dancewoods Japanese Park website
6. Brick Ark Museum – LEGO museum with DIY workshops
Image adapted from: @pei_lin_310 via Instagram
If your kids bugged you to visit the new LEGO Airport Stores at Changi Airport, then surprise them with a visit to the Brick Ark Museum. It’s the first ever LEGO museum in Asia with more than 1,000 sculptures made out of LEGO bricks. You’ll spot well-known characters like the Minions, Olaf from Frozen, and even celebrities like Cristiano Ronaldo.
The LEGO keychain you make is yours to keep.Image adapted from: @weng201810 & @szh8491 via Instagram
The sculptures are sure to spark a creative streak in your little ones, so sign them up for a LEGO keychain workshop, which is included with museum admission. You’ll even get a complimentary drink at the cafe.
– In & around Taichung –
7. Yukids Island – Indoor playground with role-playing activities
Image credit: Klook
Outdoor theme parks may not be suited for toddlers, so we suggest you head to the SKM Mall for playtime at Yukids Island, a kids’ indoor playground with soft play and climbing areas. Entrance costs TWD485/pax (~S$15.75), but it gets your munchkin a full day of play.
Image adapted from: @hdhdh128588 & @gungun1071015 via Instagram
That’s enough time for them to explore the multiple slides that lead to ball pits and even a sandbox for kids to play with excavator toys. There’s also role-playing activities, where they can don costumes to pretend to be firefighters and doctors. Work on their skills in communication, counting, and healthy eating too with the play-pretend grocery shopping section.
8. Baiguo Mountain Explore Paradise – Dino theme park & museum
Strike a pose next to these prehistoric creatures for the fun of it.Image credit: @mikomiko20190926 via Instagram
We’ve all known a kid that could name you every dinosaur that ever existed. If that kid happens to be yours, then set a vacation day aside for a visit to Baiguo Mountain Explore Paradise. It’s a theme park filled with dinosaurs – fake ones, of course – that are just waiting for you to take pics with.
Now, pretend as they may be, some of the dino figures can move their heads and tails, and even let out a loud roar. Just something to take note of, in case you think Jurassic Park is now a reality.
Image credit: @pinky801227 & @baiguoshan51061 via Instagram
The photo ops are just a small part of the park; there are also slides, a bouncy castle, and an “excavation” sand pit for kids to dig around in. They’ve got roller coaster rides too, which are all family-friendly, so your kids get to hop on any of them as they like.
Image credit: 盧 via Klook
When you enter the park, don’t forget to pick up the map activity sheet. Not only will it give you directions, you can use it to collect stamps every time you go past one of the landmarks listed. Collect them all and you can exchange the completed map for a replica dinosaur egg.
Entrance fee: TWD300 (~S$12.75)
Address: No.12-1, Chushui Lane, Yuanlin 510, TaiwanOpening hours: Thu-Tue 10am-6pm (Closed on Wednesdays)Contact: +886 4 836 9411
