what to do in bangkok with a toddler

I have been to Bangkok several times – first as a young backpacker on my own, then with a friend once, then as a couple on a luxury holiday, and finally, for work. I feel like I know this city, I love this city, and I have seen so many sides to this city. What I had absolutely no idea about though, was what to do in Bangkok with a toddler!

Coming to Bangkok with a toddler gave me a much greater appreciation for this city. I realised there was so much more to Bangkok than I had previously explored. She showed me the city in a whole new light, and made me fall in love with Bangkok even more. 

Bangkok is often overlooked, and seen purely as the gateway to more “family friendly” destinations in Thailand (like the beaches in the south, or the jungle in the north), but if you are planning a trip to Thailand, I hope we can inspire you to stay a little longer in Bangkok, and explore what it has to offer. 

Here are some of our favourite things we got up to in Bangkok with a Toddler

best park for toddlers in bangkok

This huge 142 acre park is right in the heart of Bangkok, and an awesome place to come with toddlers where they can run free. There is a children’s playground, a big lake to walk around (or rent boats to row), and lots of trees to provide shade from the Bangkok sun. 

The park is closed to bikes and cars during the day, so there is plenty of space to walk or run around safely. Lumpini park is also home to over 400 monitor lizards (some as long as 3 meters!) – we loved walking around looking out for them. 

the malls in bangkok are great for toddlers

This might sound strange, but the malls in Bangkok are epic – and they are air-conditioned (definitely a plus in our books). 

Most of the malls have children’s play areas (some even have water parks in them), and they are all over the city, making them a great activity to do with toddlers! We spent a morning at PlayMondo in CentralwOrld (in Siam), and our 2 year old absolutely loved it. 

The malls are also just really interesting to wander around. Some of our favourites were:

• Terminal 21 – it is designed to feel like an airport, and each floor a has a different country theme. You can find a red London bus, take a stroll through Japan, or check out the efile tower!
• Iconsiam – this mall has an indoor floating market on the ground floor, with real canals and waterways.
• MBK – we loved wandering around this mall (well known for their fake goods and knock offs), and it’s a great place to pick up some souvenirs or gifts to send home. 

Travelling Around Bangkok with a toddler

We love exploring a city on public transport, and the skytrain in Bangkok is such a cool unique way to get around. What might seem like a mundane commute to us adults, can be a super exciting activity for a 2 year old, and we definitely recommend it if you are coming to Bangkok with a toddler! 

Another mode of transport that Bangkok is famous for is its Tuk-Tuk’s. Even as an adult I find them so much fun to ride in, and our toddler absolutely loved the experience. 

Explore the temples in Bangkok

Did you know that Bangkok has over 400 temples?! We only visited a handful of them on our most recent trip to Bangkok with our toddler, but it was such a beautiful (and hopefully educational) experience. 

As we are early risers, we seemed to always get there before anyone else and our toddler was able to walk (or lets be honest – run) and explore while we basically had the place to ourselves. We love showing her places that are unique to a destination, and “temple” became one of her first words! 

Children’s Discovery Museum

We didn’t actually make it here – on the website they say they are open 7 days a week, but when we arrived we were told they are only open weekends so we were really disappointed. It had been recommended by so many people, so if you do go – let us know what you think! 

The museum is also right next to two other must do activities when coming to Bangkok with a toddler – Chatachak weekend market, and a beautiful big park (Wachirabenchathat Park (Rot Fai Park)) with a butterfly garden. You could easily spend a whole day in this area of Bangkok, as all of these things are in walking distance. 

Forest of Play – The BEST Thing to do with a Toddler in Bangkok!

Saving the best for last – Forest of Play. This was recommended to us by a local we met at a cafe, and while it isn’t a typically touristy thing to do in Bangkok, it is something your toddler is guaranteed to love. 

It’s a 3 level play space, with a shop on the ground floor, and an outside area with swings, climbing walls, water play, and a sandpit. The first floor was where we spent most of our time – there are small world set ups, puzzles, and various wooden and eco friendly toys to play with. There is also a really cool kaleidoscope dome that you crawl through to get into. 

On the second floor there is imaginative play set ups. Theres a little town with a shop, cafe, hairdresser, vet, and mechanic to name a few. 

We think its really important to try and schedule things specifically for your toddler when you travel, whether thats going to a park and spending time outdoors, or going to a dedicated play space for them. Making sure they are also enjoying your trip is key to it being successful for everyone! 

This list doesn’t even scratch the surface of what there is to do in Bangkok with a toddler, so if you have any suggestions to add we would love to hear them in the comments!