Netanya is a family oriented city. Almost a third of the city’s population is younger than 19, and a lot of efforts go into providing kids here with education and entertainment. If you’re visiting Netanya with your kids, there are lots of activities to join. Visit the city’s many state-of-the-art playgrounds and look out for seasonal activities organized by the municipality. For older kids, various providers in the area offer paragliding, miniature plane flying, jeep tours, horseback riding, and sail boating. Local shopping centers with movie theaters, bowling alleys, and restaurants provide an escape from the hot summer sun. If you are still wondering where to go, here are our top suggestions for spending a fun day with kids around Netanya:
Hit the beach
This one is a no-brainer. Netanya sits on a sandstone cliff above the Mediterranean and provides access to a string of beautiful sandy beaches. In the summer, the sea offers a welcome relief from the heat and kids love playing in the shallow water. When it’s cooler, the beach is the perfect place to build sand castles or throw a ball around.
Beach in the city center is particularly child-friendly, as it’s accessible by elevator and has shallow bays where kids can play safely.
Plan a day at the park
In the southern part of Netanya is a unique park built around a seasonal water pond called simply “The Winter Puddle.” Every year, the winter rains flow into the pond area and make a small picturesque lake. During the spring months, the pond attracts indigenous wildlife and creates an oasis for human and animal visitors. The surrounding park includes a play area, sports facilities as well as hiking and biking trails. This is an excellent place for a picnic where kids can run around and enjoy nature.
Go out to space
The recently opened Madarame Center for Science, Space, and Culture, otherwise called “Planetania” is a unique learning center for all ages. Aspiring astronauts can enjoy exhibits, science workshops, fascinating lectures and a digital planetarium with the most advanced projection equipment showing specially produced educational films.
You can play with the kids in the interactive science park or relax by a reflection pond in the Japanese zen garden on the Planentania grounds.
Go back in time
Netanya has two small museums dedicated to the city’s history. The Well House Museum is a remnant of a farm from the 1930s which specialized in growing orchards that now serves as a museum of life in Netanya in its early years. Visitors can admire the still operating first water well, and an exhibition of photos and objects depicting life almost a hundred years ago. The Netanya Museum, located in a building that was formerly a workshop for blind girls, also showcases a historical exhibition about Netanya’s beginnings. The museum has extensive educational activities for school children. Games, presentations, puzzles, and magic lanterns take you back in time. And a specially designed activity invites children to re-design Netanya and follow through the meanings of each of their decisions.
