Barcelona with kids: the practical family guide

Barcelona works unusually well with children: parks and playgrounds everywhere, an urban beach, museums built for curious hands, and a street culture that treats dinner with children as normal rather than a nuisance.

This guide sets out a realistic daily rhythm, the attractions that genuinely hold a child's attention, and the practical details of transport, food and naps that decide whether the day works.

• A rhythm that works

  One big outing per half-day, with park and beach as filler.

• Museums kids actually like

  CosmoCaixa, the aquarium and the wax museum.

• Beaches for families

  Calm water, showers and play areas: where to take children.

• Playgrounds and play zones

  Play equipment in almost every square, plus the big hitters.

• Restaurants with children

  Where a high chair is standard issue rather than a negotiation.

• Tibidabo amusement park

  A century-old park at the top of the city, views included.

• Barcelona Zoo

  Four hundred species inside the Ciutadella park.

• Getting around with a stroller

  Lift-equipped metro, low-floor buses and a flat city centre.