HomeTravel Guide

Best Activities for Kids to Do in Shanghai

Written by Matteo Updated Mar. 27, 2025

Shanghai is a place full of activities for people of all ages. When you bring your kids with you to Shanghai, there will be plenty of opportunities for them to have fun, relax, and learn.

1. Oriental Land

Oriental Land is an Extra-Curricular Activities Campsite for teenagers. It is the only large-scale park in Shanghai that integrates team social activities and leisure tourism. There are four main attractions for tourists, as listed below. Wisdom Avenue has many sculptures of famous scientists, thinkers, and educators.

Kids will find out more about well-known people. There is a replica aircraft carrier built to scale, with a variety of recreational facilities and an aviation exhibition. If your kids are interested in military things, don’t miss this. The global village has a variety of residential buildings from around the world, suitable for tourists or students. You can take kids to live there, or simply to visit.

The kids will learn about some differences between buildings from different parts of the world. The Island of Knowledge is a small island focusing on plant knowledge. Dozens of rare plants are there, and kids can wander around the island’s lakes and mountains.

2. Shanghai Science and Technology Museum

Shanghai Science and Technology Museum has 12 permanent exhibitions.

In-Home on Earth, kids will learn about the co-existence of humanity and nature. The Information Era will help kids understand the importance of information technology. They will be enchanted by the high-tech World of Robots. Light of Exploration will introduce them to a brand new picture of the world. Human Beings and Health will teach them to take care of their bodies. They can explore space in Space Navigation.

Animal World demonstrates how animals adapt to different environments. Kids will join in and practice basic design and manufacturing activities in Cradle of Designers. Light of Wisdom elucidates classic scientific phenomena. Children’s Playground is also a place for gleaning scientific knowledge. Kids can explore secret Earth codes in Earth Crust Exploration. A spectrum of Life highlights the diversity of species, ecosystems and genes.

3. Shanghai Children’s Museum

There are 7 permanent exhibitions, including an ‘all-day week’ at the popular science cinema in Shanghai Children’s Museum. In the lobby, kids can take more than 100 quizzes about aerospace, information technology, and astronomy.

In the navigation hall, kids will be able to learn about the history of navigation from ancient times until today, including a large submarine simulation, and an interactive ship model show, with lighthouse lighting. In the spaceflight hall, kids will see a display of rocket launch simulation, and play with puzzle walls.

Entering the moon hall, kids will feel like they are standing on the moon, looking out at the vast cosmos. In the information hall, kids can do some experiments with their hands and find out more about fun science. In the astronomy hall, kids will listen to stories about the starry sky.

4. Shanghai Railway Museum

The Shanghai Huning Railway Station (the old north station) was originally built in 1909, in a classic British architectural style. The Shanghai Railway Museum was built on the original site of the station and opened in August 2004, on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the railway’s construction.

Now it’s a scientific educational base in Shanghai. If your kids are interested in railways, go there. It’s a good place for them to learn more about railways in different fun ways; a special combination of entertainment and knowledge.

5. Shanghai Sculpture Space

Through renovation and functional remodeling, Shanghai Sculpture Space transformed an old factory building (that once thrived but was no longer used) into a public art hall. The hall not only reflects the vitality of urban art and the spirit of the times but also blends well with the historical context of the city. If you want your kids to experience an artistic atmosphere, take them to the SSS. You’ll all have an unexpected artistic experience.

6. Shanghai Natural Wild Insect Kingdom

The Shanghai Natural Wild Insect Kingdom is next to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. It is the first living-insect exhibition hall in China to integrate tourism, enjoyment, and popularization of science and education.

The museum is divided into: an insect corridor, butterfly valley, amphibious reptile cave area, ecological-touch area, water-touch area, tropical rain forest insect salon, and science popularization classroom. Kids will see and touch many insects, and they can even make insect specimens to enjoy the natural fun.

7. Shanghai 3D Magic Fun House

The Shanghai 3D Magic Fun House includes world-famous three-dimensional magic without borders of different styles, such as world-famous paintings, no-borders zoo, and crazy adventures. Each painting can be photographed from a variety of angles, and visitors can thus take creative photos.

3D visual art can be divided into “3D magic”, “ocean exploration”, and “interesting exaggeration”. You can take your kids to feel the magic of 3D, taking tons of magical photos there. Enjoy your magical trip!

8. Gucun Park

Gucun Park is the largest suburban park in Shanghai. In wandering around there, kids can see forests, wetlands, and plants. They can exercise in the Leisure Sports Park, have a barbecue in the barbecue garden, and have fun in the children’s forest carnival. Kids will not only learn about nature there but will also have lots of fun. In specific seasons, there are different special-themed activities. During March and April, there is a cherry blossom festival, when colorful sakura show their natural beauty. From July to August, there are summer lotus activities, and you can take kids to see the lotus flowers, watch live local dramas, or enjoy ink paintings.

9. Guilin Park

In 1929, Guilin Park was built as a personal villa. In 1958, it opened as a public park. The park grows more than 20 kinds of osmanthus trees, with more than 1,000 trees. At the Mid-Autumn Festival, osmanthus blossoms all over the park, and the sweet scent wafts through the air. Other attractions inside are worth viewing, such as the half-pavilion, deer pavilion, yi pavilion, teaching hall, gallery, and spring hall. On seeing them, you and your kids will learn more about the charm of traditional southern Chinese architecture.

10. Shanghai Changfeng Ocean World

Want to find out more about the ocean? Go to Shanghai Changfeng Ocean World. The beluga whale show brings kids a loving and happy performance, helping to explain how and why humans and animals should co-exist. In the aquarium, kids can stick their heads into the bubble glass vat to see the ray swimming underwater.

Red snails, starfish, sea cucumber, hermit crabs, and many other lovely sea creatures are displayed in the touch zone. Many birds, insects, and aquatic creatures live in the mysterious tropical rainforest exhibition. Stepping into the unearthly hippocampus kingdom, kids will observe cute sea horses and sea dragons of all shapes and sizes at close quarters.

In the coral zone, kids will memorably study coral by watching more than a hundred animals. “Aliens of the Deep” is the only theme area in the world that takes ancient Chinese shipwrecks as its theme, explaining idioms and proverbs through marine life.

It allows you and your children to brace yourselves in a strong Chinese breeze and learn ancient idioms in a novel way. Kids will also learn more about sharks and penguins when walking through the shark tunnel and penguin house.

11. The Kids Museum of Glass

At the Kids Museum of Glass, kids can learn all about glass from different exhibits such as The Beach, The Circus, and The Factory. The best part is that kids can touch everything! From Rainbow Umbrellas to Magic Mirrors, a Glass Zoo, performances, films, and cool glass art, the exhibition invites you to be part of the exciting world of glass.

The most exciting part is that kids can even create DIY glasses in the Creative Workshop. In the Bobolili lab, kids will learn novel scientific knowledge by listening to and watching the fun classes.

12. Shanghai Film Park Tickets

Shanghai Film Park Tickets was established in 1992. It is a comprehensive tourist area with film and television excerpts, for sightseeing, tourism, culture, entertainment, leisure, and vacation. Kids will find out more about Shanghai by watching old Shanghai movie pictures there.

13. Dino Beach Water Park

If you come to Shanghai in the summer, going to Dino Beach Water Park will be one of your best trips. It is specially designed for children, with a pirate ship, joy and water factory, forest house, and dinosaur slide. Its amusement park is a lot of fun. The design takes into account child safety, with risks controlled, so that parents and children can enjoy the park together.

14. New World Ice Skating Rink

The New World Ice Skating Rink is small but functional. You can take your kids there for ice skating when you are anywhere around People’s Square. It’s a good place for kids to exercise and relax at the same time.

15. Aquaria 21

What could be more memorable than swimming with sharks in China's most populous city?! That's exactly why thousands of visitors come to Aquaria 21 every year.

Mild sand sharks provide the perfect experience to see those carnivores of the ocean up close and personal. Children and adults alike can experience the sights, sounds, and yes, even feel of the sea creatures in the 'touch pool', an interactive wading pool filled with gentle marine creatures. Diving (SCUBA) lessons are also available, on request. The 155-meter underwater tunnel is the perfect way to get a glimpse at all that the sea has to offer. Make sure to look out for sea horses, turtles, stingrays, and yes, even penguins. From the Arctic to the South Pole and everything in between, the aquarium boasts a wide range of species to delight any age and awaken the imagination.

16. Century Park

Century Park is the biggest park in Shanghai. The park has 13 parts of areas for sightseeing which include a children's playground, leisure cycling, a sightseeing car, a lake cruise, a green maze, fishing areas, a recreation area, and a feeding pigeon area. It is a nice place for families with kids to do outdoor activities such as flying kites, cycling around the park on tandem bikes, or having fun in children's amusement parks.

17. Eday Town

Shanghai Eday town is the first live educational patterns center. It is a theme park for children aged 3 to 13 to create role-playing. There are 2 / 3 ratios to create real-life scenarios at this nearly 7,000 square meters venue. There are a variety of facilities lined in the streets, and different styles of architecture, gathering with different brand shops and factories.

The Eday Town can provide children with various types of jobs. The kids are free to choose a favorite character for themselves: a 4-year-old dentist; a 5-year-old female anchor; a firefighter only 6 years old, a 7-year-old driver, a 9-year-old pilot, and police, and more. It can help your children stimulate their potential and interest, coordination, teamwork, ability to get along with others, and ability to overcome setbacks through hands-on participation experience, like in the real world.

To develop children's independence and ensure the process is not being interrupted, parents can only watch the process through the glass window without accompaniment. Parents play the role of audiences, and children do as adults do.

18. Fuxing Park

Located in the Former French Concession Area, Fuxing Park is one of the oldest parks in the city, originally developed by the French in 1909. Popular with locals and visitors alike, the park provides a haven from the bustle of Shanghai, an oasis where people can chill out and enjoy the gardens, walkways, shady paths, and playgrounds. It would not be top of the list if you have limited time in Shanghai, but we highly recommend this place for people with kids who have three or more days to spend in the city.

Fuxing Park is not big (around 10 ha), but it is a lovely area with lots of shady trees and green space where kids can run around safely. It is also one of the most popular parks in the city for flying kites, and the sight of them hovering above the park is a delight. Children love it here, to play ball or Frisbee or explore under the trees. The small pond on the south side provides water activities for the very young.

There’s plenty for adults, too. The park benches under the trees or beside the fountain are a great place to watch local Tai Chi first thing in the morning, groups dance, people play cards, chess, or mahjong, drink tea, and generally relax and enjoy themselves, it all provides a nice glimpse of Chinese life and a chance to recharge your batteries.

You will also find several small historical sites close by, including the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Residence and the Former Residence of Zhou Enlai, with some interesting personal touches. A statue of Marx and Engels stands at the north entrance. If you have time, it’s worth spending a half day there, or longer, with a family picnic!

19. Huangpu River Cruise

Huangpu River is not only the mother river of Shanghai but also an icon and epitome of Shanghai.

On both sides, there is a collection of the best city landscapes of Shanghai, which reflects the past and present of Shanghai, from which one can look into the future of Shanghai as well. The cruise suits everyone, the kids would like boat riding on the water to see buildings and lights shift constantly at night.

20. Jin Jiang Amusement Park

If you are in Shanghai for a while and looking for carnivals and amusement parks without too many crowds, Jinjiang is a good park near the city center. The earliest and once the most famous amusement park in China, Jinjiang Amusement Park is smaller than Happy Valley of Shanghai with fewer rides. The highlight is the big Ferris Wheel, which is fun and provides great views, which the kids love. Other than that are several normal rides, which provide a good half day out for young children.

The Admission is CNY 100/person for the entrance, with six free rides then you pay for any more. It is fairly cheap in Shanghai. By the way, it is also easy to access by metro.

21. Ride a Double-Decker Sightseeing Bus

Shanghai has so many attractions. The city itself is a perfect mix of modern life and traditional culture. It’s a great idea to bring kids to see the best of the city when they are at that curious age, and the Double-decker Sightseeing Bus Tour is a good way to make the most of it without too much walking. There are three lines: Red Line, Blue Line, and Green Line, and visitors can transfer freely between the lines with a bus ticket valid for 24 hours.

Red Bus Line Route is a 1-hour journey operating between 9:00-17:00, departing every 30 minutes.

Route: Nanjing Road (New World City) - People’s Square - People’s Art Gallery - Nanjing Road - A6 and B7 in the Bund - No. 16 sightseeing dock of the Huangpu River - Yuyuan Garden - Xintiandi

Blue Bus Line Route lasts 90 minutes, operating between 9:45-17:15 and departing every 30 minutes.

Route: Nanjing Road (New World City) - People’s Square - People’s Art Gallery - Nanjing Road - A6 and B7 in the Bund - No. 16 sightseeing dock of the Huangpu River

Green Bus Line Route also lasts one hour and departs every 45 minutes between 9:15-17:00.

Route: Nanjing Road (New World City) - Shanghai Museum - Huaihai Road - Jing’an Temple - Portman Hotel - Jade Buddha Temple - Shanghai Art Gallery

Note: the bus has a free guidance device on the seat back in 8 languages, and tickets can be bought at any stop. The fare is 180/person valid for 24 hours, with fees for two special attractions included.

22. Shanghai Ocean Aquarium

Situated right next door to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Ocean Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in the world which has 30 different exhibitions covering all the world's oceans and sea life in an array of everything the earth has to offer.

The 15,000 creatures in the aquarium range from wildlife native to China, Australia, Africa, the Polar Seas, the deep ocean, and many others. Rare exhibits like poison dart frogs, giant jellyfish, sea dragons, and emperor penguins will delight kids and adults of all ages. Seals, sharks, and otters are also big crowd-pleasers.

Just as Aquaria 21, the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium also offers diving with the sharks! This is a once in a lifetime experience to see such a diverse group of animals all under one roof.

23. Shanghai Public Security Museum

Shanghai Public Security Museum is the first security theme museum. Covering an area of 8500 square meters in total, the museum is divided into 10 avenues, in order, public security history, criminal investigation, law and order, city transportation, prison and detention center, fire hall, police equipped hall, martyrs, communication with police and firemen exercise.

There are a lot of interesting exhibits for young children, including old uniforms and guns, spy implements, and stuffed carrier pigeons. It also has a collection of police history items from the late Qing Dynasty, which includes more than 10,000 pieces of Chinese and foreign collections. It is a vivid patriotic education for youth.

24. Shanghai Wild Animal Park

This may not be top of the list for regular travelers; However, families and children should not miss the Shanghai Wild Animal Park. You may have visited many animal parks and zoos, but this one allows visitors to get very close to big wild animals. There are many interactive experiences for kids to enjoy, such as feeding a tiger with chicken, elephant rides, and cuddling baby chimps, and other monkeys. The park is very big and both public and private buses are available. The public bus is cheap and a lot of fun! There are also regular animal performances.

The map at the entrance includes an English version, giving a clear guide to the park for foreign visitors. A day will be needed for a comfortable visit.

25. Shanghai Zoo

Situated on Hongqiao Road, Shanghai Zoo has more than 620 types of wild animals with a total of over 6000. Among them, there are Chinese representative animals including the panda, the golden monkey, the blossom peacock, and the South China tiger. Chinese animals are not lonely, and they have friends from abroad in Africa as chimpanzees, giraffes, Australian kangaroos, and North Pole penguins.

Except for animals, there are 600 types of trees planted covering the area of 100,000 square meters. A lawn with an area of 100,000 square meters makes a wide and comfortable room for visitors. Kids will be interested in the Beast circus show, which creates a delightful atmosphere.

26. Ride a Double-Decker Sightseeing Bus

The carefully designed tour takes you to all the famous landmarks; from the Jade Buddha temple to the Oriental Pearl Television Tower, from People’s Square to the Bund, Shanghai’s world-famous waterfront. Open-top buses run regularly and you are able to hop on and off at a variety of interesting places.

This allows you to visit all the sights you want to see in record time. Or, for a more leisurely pace, enjoy each site for as long as you'd like, and hop on the next scheduled double-decker bus when ready. Tours also offer a taste of Shanghai's history while riding. Most tour buses come equipped with tour guides or audio guides of the city.

27. Shanghai Ocean Aquarium

One of the largest aquariums in the world, the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium opened its doors in 2002 and has been pleasing local and visiting families ever since. With close to 30 different exhibitions, covering all the world's oceans, the sea life is an array of everything the earth has to offer. The 15,000 creatures in the aquarium range from wildlife native to China, Australia, Africa, the Polar Seas, the deep ocean, and many others. Rare exhibits like poison dart frogs, giant jellyfish, sea dragons, and emperor penguins will delight kids and adults of all ages. Seals. Sharks and otters are also big crowd-pleasers. Just like Aquaria 21, the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium also offers diving with the sharks! This is a once in a lifetime experience to see such a diverse group of animals all under one roof. Since it is Shanghai’s largest aquarium, allow yourself plenty of time here to get the full experience. And you can't miss its location. Situated right next door to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, look for the spheres to guide your way.

28. Shanghai Public Security Museum

Shanghai Public Security Museum is the first security theme museum, the exhibition area covers a total of 8500 square meters, The museum is divided into 10 avenues, line order, public security history, criminal investigation, law and order, city transportation, prison and detention center, fire hall, police equipped hall, martyrs, communication with police and firemen exercise.

There are a lot of interesting exhibits for young children, including old uniforms and guns, spy implements, and stuffed carrier pigeons. The museum also has a collection of police history items from the late Qing Dynasty, which includes more than 10,000 pieces of Chinese and foreign collections, and provides a vivid patriotic education for youth.

29. Shanghai Railway Museum

The Shanghai Railway Museum is based on a scale model of the Hu'ning Railway Shanghai Station and Yard, which was built in 1909. There are 800 model trains exhibited around the hall, which show the great changes that have taken place in the railway industry.   The museum displays a full-size "pilot" engine. Some model trains are available for children to play with.

30. Shanghai Science and Technology Museum

It was the main venue for APEC in Shanghai in 2001. It has already opened 7 exhibition sections at present, including earth exploration, a wide spectrum of life, the light of wisdom, paradise, the cradle of designers, children's technology, and a collections area. The central hall will exhibit nearly 10,000 specimens, including a giant dragon fossil, an IMAX and 3D large-format theatre, an IMAX dome theatre, and a week’s theatre are open to the public. Besides, there is an APEC tourism-special-line, you may follow this line to visit the central hall, main venue, declaration hall, conference room, and sightseeing platform to appreciate the clothes, presents, and conference articles of each APEC conference.

31. Shanghai Wild Animal Park

The Shanghai Wild Animal Park has more than 200 species of wild animals, and the sightseeing area is divided into two areas: one for walking, and one which is accessible to buses. There is a herbivore zone, a free zone, an aquatic bird lake, a red zone, an animal kindergarten, a pet monkey park, a rare animal park, an animal performance zone, a sea lion performance zone, and other spots in this Park. The walking area allows a close look at many gentle animals on foot. Walking with the kids should keep an eye on them in case they are willing to touch the animals.

32. Shanghai Zoo

Situated on Hongqiao Road, Shanghai Zoo has more than 620 types of wild animals with a total of over 6000. Among them, there are Chinese representative animals including the panda, the golden monkey, the blossom peacock, and the South China tiger. Chinese animals are not lonely, and they have friends from abroad from Africa as African chimpanzees, giraffes, Australian kangaroos, and North Pole penguins. Except for animals, there are 600 types of trees planted covering an area of 100,000 square meters. A lawn with an area of 100,000 square meters makes a wide and comfortable room for visitors. Kids will be interested in the Beast Circus show, which creates a delightful atmosphere for tourists visiting here.

33. The Shanghai Natural Wild Insect Kingdom

Situated on Hongqiao Road, Shanghai Zoo has more than 620 types of wild animals with a total of over 6000. Among them, there are Chinese representative animals including the panda, the golden monkey, the blossom peacock, and the South China tiger. Chinese animals are not lonely, and they have friends from abroad in Africa as chimpanzees, giraffes, Australian kangaroos, and North Pole penguins.

Except for animals, there are 600 types of trees planted covering an area of 100,000 square meters. A lawn with an area of 100,000 square meters makes a wide and comfortable room for visitors. Kids will be interested in the Beast circus show, which creates a delightful atmosphere for tourists visiting here.

Kids Safety in China

China is not a great risk for crime; it is a fairly safe country, especially for travelers, as China aims to present a strong image internationally. Some people will tell you it will be crowded, and traffic conditions are not as in developed countries. Even so, parents should hold the hands of their children when possible and keep a close eye on them, because the crowds in busy shopping areas and tourist sites are sometimes humongous.

For health considerations, parents would bring hand sanitizer because in public places kids always like to touch things they are interested in. We suggest that children get rest and frequently wash their hands as precautionary measures.

Don’t Leave Home without Tissues

Bathroom etiquette is not the nicest of topics, In China, many toilets are government-rated. The star toilets are the cleaning standard, but mostly do not provide toilet paper. Being able to squat isn’t easy when you’re 8, but it’s key to travel survival and second only to carrying tissues at all times.

Create My Trip