Activities for families visiting with children

I looked around and didn't see any topics about activities for visitors with children, so I figured I would start one. My aunt and uncle are coming to visit me over the Easter weekend with their two girls, aged 9 and 11. I'm trying to think of some fun stuff for us to do together, but am drawing a blank. With adult guests it's usually a stroll or two in the Reeperbahn and a number of museums the girls might find boring. Any advice?

Easy: you go to Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg - its not "just" a massive model railway. Its an experience. Its a couple of years since I was there & has expanded since. It regularly on TV.

Not interesting for girls? My daughter was almost more interested than my son. The landscaping is done "with humour". You won't believe that until you go & see. Look at the detail...

Next place - drive down the A7 a bit to Garlstorf & visit the Wildpark Lüneburger Heide. Take a packed lunch. Don't miss one of the twice-daily falconry demonstrations (if you go to both they are different...).

If the visit were a few weeks later I'd suggest to come & have a flight in a glider but we only start operations over Easter and need to get some practice in first (there are certain requirements before a pilot can take passengers)...

Miniatur Wunderland immediately came into my mind when I read your post.
It is a must if you are in Hamburg.
Also girls of that age will like it. It will take hours to find all the details in the landscapes.
There is e.g. a field with more than one thousend sun flowers all pointing in the same direction.
A lot of work to install this. ..and then in the middle of the sunflowers a couple making love.
I am pretty sure the two girls will find the couple before you see it.
These little scenes make Miniatur Wunderland a must. (This is the only "obscene" scene I remember)

There is a scene where apparently police divers are searching the river for a body - but the body is the other side of the waterfall...

HEM: Your eyes must be better than mine. I remember the scene, but didn't saw the body.
Immediately monday morning i will make an appointment with my ophthalmologist.

IIRC it was my wife who saw it first...

The spielplatz at Planting and Blooming is good for that age group.

ps. excuse my spelling but you know where I mean

Sorry, but I just can't help a little smartarsing here:

It's Planten un Blomen (Plattdeutsch for "plants and flowers").

Don't hit me

I knew that really...

honest!!

I thought so, your German seemed to be quite good.

Was just thinking about the people who don't know it and are looking for planting and blooming...

And I cannot let a possibility to smartarse just go by, doing nothing, I don't get many chances for smartarsing these days

Times are hard ...

another possibilty is the planetarium, situated in the stadtpark - they have a lot of groovy shows, even a couple in english: "The magic reef" "The deep universe" "are we alone" and others. www.planetarium-hamburg.de

Then there's iceskating or rollerskating in Planten un Blomen too - as accords with the season ...

oh yeah, and in summer, there's the musical light and fountain show in Planten un Blomen at dusk.

And of course DOM, if that's your cup of tea...

We obviously spoke in English then

Miniatur Wunderland was on N24 TV yesterday evening...

*grin*
I was just thinking that. Of course we did.
I just got the impression that your German was good, but I don't think I heard you say a word in German...
You must have told me that your German was excellent
Hey, that's how you become a legend

OT: Mat's slowly getting really nervous... Premiere today!

I checked out the Planten und Blumen website and found the following info:

The ice skating season ends on 16.March 2008 (2 days from now)
Mini golf opens the first week in April.
Most other programs and activities don't start until May.

As for the Dom, it's open 14 Mar - 13 Apr 2008 Mon-Thu 3pm-11pm; Fri & Sat 3pm-12.30am; Sun 2pm-11pm

See my post#2...

To be honest the weather forecast over the next week & the Easter period does not look promising for outdoors activities. Which means
that indoor activities may be full. *thinks* - wished had planned a flight to somewhere warm...

Miniatur Wunderland has been on my list ever since you mentioned it, thanks. You were right about indoor stuff being booked up! I could only get a reservation for 9 am. I'm glad you said something!

We are also planning on going to the Easter fires next Saturday night. I know there's already a thread about them on Toytown Hamburg, but I was just wondering if anyone could recommend one that was more suited for kids?

We went to the Miniatur Wunderland on Sunday night and it was fantastic! We had a reservation and it was still really crowded. It was by far the most interesting museum I have been to in Hamburg. My husband spent a good deal of time looking for interesting scenarios. There were plenty of scantily clad women, couples making love and lots of other weird things. I especially liked the scenes with crowds of people, like the rock concert and the fairs. It was also fun checking out the miniature Hamburg (complete with a Herbertstrasse, of course) and finding a building I have been to in the America section. The scale and creativity is truly impressive. My entire family enjoyed the event and I will surely take other guests in the future.

It's raining, and my mother is here from California... any tips where to go (besides the miniature train museum) that would also be interesting for a nearly 4 year old? I don't think I want to spend all day outdoors in this lousy weather.