Taiwan Kid Friendly Activities

We’ve been to Taiwan twice with our son and having to entertain a small child has made us swap more scenic sightseeing locations for kid friendly venues.  Luckily, Taiwan is very kid friendly once you figure out where to go (and the food isn’t bad either). 😊

Taipei

• Riding the Metro (MRT)- this is so much fun! Our son loved taking the metro around the city and thought it was just as good as any ride at Disneyland.  Get the Easy Card if you plan on being there for an extended timeframe so you can swipe in and out easily. 
• Local Parks- there are a lot of parks around the city so you can easily keep your kids entertained and get their wiggles out while exploring. Daan Forest Park is a great find, there is a jungle gym and it is located right next to the Metro station. 
• Taipei Zoo- this zoo is huge! There are pandas, koalas (we saw babies last time we were there), penguins, elephants, hippos and so much more.  The entrance fee is super affordable as well (~$2/person).  You can also dine at McDonalds if your little one is craving some traditional American fast food during your stay. 
• Maokong Gondola- this attraction is right next to the Taipei Zoo which makes it super convenient. For a more adventurous ride up, you can opt for the clear floor gondola so you can enjoy the amazing view from all angles on the way up the mountain.  Once at the top you can do some shopping and get a bite to eat. 
• National Taiwan Science Education Center- this is just like your local science center. When we were there, they had an amazing interactive dinosaur exhibit where you could feed dinosaurs, play dinosaur games and take a boat ride around the exhibit. 
• Night Markets – we love to eat so we tried to visit as many night markets as possible to sample the delicious bubble tea, dumplings, popcorn chicken, onion pancakes, fruit drinks and so much more. There are also fun children’s carnival games that you can play and of course there is night market shopping.  Two of the larger night markets are the Shilin Night Market and the Raohe Night Market. 
• Taipei Children’s Amusement Park- this was a very popular venue with our son. The rides are super affordable (~$1/ride) and there is a minimal entrance fee.  Carousels, games, the merry go round, monorail, flying swings, spinning teacups and roller coasters will entertain your little one.  You can use your Easy Card at the park to pay for rides which is convenient. 
• Grocery Stores & Book Stores- we loved browsing local grocery stores and checking out all the snacks and fresh food items. Our son loved to try out all the local chips and fruit drink flavors.  He fell in love with the “Taiwanese Cheetos” which felt like they were a more mild cheese flavor.  We also love book stores and stocked up on Chinese kids books at Eslite bookstore. 

Near Taipei, Requires driving

• Crayon Factory (Su’ao) - this was a surprisingly super fun location. There were several different activities included with admission: drawing, making crayons, making markers, face painting and then at the end there is a dress up and play area.  Your admission fee goes toward purchasing something at the gift shop. 
• Bambi Land (Dongshan) – you can go and feed and pet deer! Like any petting zoo the food for the animals goes quickly so you’ll need to get a lot of refills.  Ideally reserve a timeslot before you go but you can also go and wait in line.