Bucharest is not the greatest city in the world to visit with children. The major problem is that the vast majority of the city’s museums – with a couple of honourable and notable exceptions - are dull, offer no interactivity and little to captivate little minds.

The exceptions are the outstanding Village Museum, which children love, as they can scurry around the houses, explore and generally be kids without worrying too much about grump security guards telling them off. The confectionary stand at the entrance selling tasty Romanian sweets helps too.

The Peasant Museum will please older children, especially those who know a little Romanian history (and note that the Clubul Taranului, around the back of the museum, has puppet shows most weekend mornings at 10:30am and 12pm), while the Geology Museum across the road is a must for families: it is one of only two museums in Bucharest that puts on exhibitions specifically for kids (the other, the Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum, is equally brilliant and a must for kids).

The Circus Globus (Parcul Circului) has performances most weekends (morning, afternoon and evening) and is always a hit with kids. You will find details of its performances at the website circulglobus.ro.

Bucharest’s Zoo on Aleea Priveghetorilor (turn left at the Police Academy, just after Baneasa Shopping Centre) is better than it has been for years, if still not perhaps offering the range of animals you would expect to find in Europe’s better zoos. They do have a fine collection of exotic birds, and it is a good half-day out for kids. Entrance costs 13 lei for adults, 6.50 lei for kids. The zoo is open daily from 09:00-17:00.

Funland Romania is a cracking place to take the kids on days when it rains. Featuring the biggest indoor playground we have seen (30 lei, kids can stay all day), bowling, arcade games and plenty of space for Mums and Dads to relax and have coffee in, it is a weekend-must. Find it on the fourth floor of Unirea Shopping Centre in Piata Unirii.

And then of course there are the parks. See our Bucharest Parks and Gardens feature for a full guide to the city’s parks.

The old fashioned fairground Oraselul Copiilor is worth a trip - for nostalgia fans as much as for kids. Find it outside Constantin Brancoveanu metro station.

For a swim (in Summer at least) there is Daimon, a sports club in Parcul Tineretului, busy with the fitze crowd at weekends but OK during the week, while you might also wnat to try the far less fitze Elisa Complex at Belciugatele, a short drive east of the city. See this Bucharest Life blog post for more.

When it comes to indoor pools, you are limited to the tiny pool at the Ramada Majestic hotel (which offers excellent swimming lessons for kids, by the way) or to the much larger (but more expensive and exclusive) pools at World Class.

There is also Aventura Parc, an outdoor adventure playground in a forest setting north of the capital on the road to Targoviste. The one in Brasov is far better, however.

Most restaurants in Bucharest are child-friendly, even if the amount of smoke in them means that you will not want to enter with your kids.

Those deserving a special mention include Malagamba, which has face painting and such like on weekend lunchtimes and afternoons, the big hotels all of which have kids entertainers during their fabulous brunches, and the Hard Rock Cafe: always happy to see kids. 

If you know of any other great restaurants particularly good for families, do tell us about them.