Activities for children near yerushalayim

We will IY"H be in E"Y this January and wanted to know of activities or places to go with our young children (ages 1-7). We will probably not rent a car, so it would be better if things were close to Yerushalyim or easily accessible by taxi/bus.
Thanks!

any ideas?

Silver Member Joined: Jun 21 2010 Posts: 576

we went to someplace I think it was called ir david. its basically a narrow tunnel with about 1 foot of water running through it. you get little flashlights and walk through for approx. 15 min. until the end.
if you go make sure to take crocs along

someone once posted this:

Posted: Thu, Jun 04 2009, 7:58 am Post subject: re: Places in Israel To Visit for kids

Here is a master list of summer activities, I put together a few years ago for a bunch of friends
Obviously, call places first to confirm availability
Remember: The heat frequently gets unbearable. Try to plan days with a cool/indoor/water activity from around 11-4 (even that is pushing it) and the outdoor/hot activity either early am or later in the day. ALWAYS bring water bottles with you (freeze them half-full the nite before) and toilet paper.

Also, a lot of the places listed below have other stuff to do there - I.e. ammunition hill has a short movie about the history of the place, indoors and a/c. also, a lot of the space is shady. so, if you bring water guns with you, it could conceivable be comfortable from 9-12, you could probably picnic there too.
Plan on a lot of picnic lunches, get your kids used to them, and you will have more money left for the important stuff. You will also be more relaxed if you have food/snacks with you at all times.

If you have a rental car, a lot more of the listed places will be accessable. If not, many are near public transportation.

Please note the 'key'

Y Best for younger kids F - Free
O Best for older kids $ - under15 nis adult
$$ - 15 – 30 nis adult
$$$ - over 30 nis adult

Places to Go
Cinema City
Tzomet Bilu – neat stores, fun to wander and look
Eretz Eilim in Gush Etzion – Omegas/Ziplines O
Tiyulim in Gush, check out website
Naim Bamayim (huge pet fish store)
Monkey park - 08/928- 5888 $$$
Cholon blind museum - book in advance! 1-599-58-58-58 $$$
Airport (try to coincide with NBN arrivals – http://www.nbn.org.il/ceremony/ceremony2006.html ) F
Mini-Israel – 08-922-2444 www.minisrael.co.il $$$
Beach – info on separate beaches at http://forum.shemesh.co.il/viewtopic.php?t=1349
Bowling - Talpiot, Yerush.; 673-2195, 052-587-582
- Rechovot: 08-946-0397
Pool – Tekoa, Reishit, Kiryat Chinuch, Tzora, etc…
Raspberry picking
Fishing
Map of city with ‘jobs’/ scavenger hunt O
Free days in museums [b]F[/b]
Machon Ayalon – underground ammunition factory (Rechovot) 08/940-6552 $

Honey places: http://www.honey.org.il/
Kfar Chabad 03 9600246, 054 6495091, 054 6495092 http://www.shoney.co.il/

Tel-Aviv Area:
Beach
Park Leumi (Ramat Gan)
Safari Park (next to Park HaLeumi) – Drive-thru zoo,1600 animals in the wild. (car rental available for minimal fee) $$$ 03-631-3531 http://www.safari.co.il/home.html
Haganah Msm 03-560-8624 $ http://www.mod.gov.il/pages/heritage/hahagana.asp
Palmach Msm 03-6436393 $$ http://www.palmach.org.il/show_item.asp?itemId=8096&levelId=42798&itemType=0
Azrieli Center – overlook (closed Mondays) , 3rd floor water rides; 03-608-1179 www.azrielicenter.co.il
Planetarium - 03-6415244 - Open 9-3 most days http://www.ilmuseums.com/museum_eng.asp?id=55
Carmel shuk (Tues & Fri – Nahalat Binyamin crafts fair & street performers)
Beit Hatfutsot 03 646 2020 $$$ http://www.bh.org.il/information/index.aspx
Maimadion - Water park with slides, wave pool, kiddie pools etc. 03 642 2777
Park Hayarkon/ Ganei Yehoshua- large park with lake, motorboats, pedal boats, bike trails, play grounds,
picnic grounds, puppet theatre, art activities and more. 03 642 2828
Tzapari (Junga-Junga) 03-642-2888 in Ganei Yehoshua – bird zoo $$$
Luna Park- Amusement park in Tel Aviv. 03 642 7080
Eretz Israel Msm 03-6415244 $$$ http://eretzmuseum.org.il/main/site/index.php3?mod=firstPage&langId=1
Glass, stamps, mining, ceramics, sundial, planetarium (extra 23 nis)
Astronomy Museum in Givatayim. 03 573 1152
The Sport Tech, Ra'anana - Sports Center with tennis, trampolines, exercise and gym equipment, walking
trails and more.

Jerusalem & area:
International Arts & Crafts Fair – in August – Sultan’s Pool
Keftzuba Y 02 534 7952 http://www.kiftzuba.co.il/
Eretz Bereishit - 02 997 4477
Merkaz Chavayot - Petting Zoo with over 1000 animals 02 993 1988
Maalit Hazman - The Jerusalem Time Elevator - 02 625 2227
Park Gilo - great playground with picnic/ BBQ grounds F
Ein Yael 02-6451866 http://www.einyael.co.il/
Science Museum 02-6544888 $$$ http://www.mada.org.il/english/
Israel Museum 02 6708811 $$$ http://www.imj.org.il/
Begin Center http://www.begincenter.org.il/
Knesset F bring passport (02) 675-3420, (02) 675-3416 http://www.knesset.gov.il/main/eng/home.asp
Gan Sacher F
Gan HaPaamon F
Tunnel tour
Old City (project/scavenger hunt) F
Ammunition Hill - bring water guns with you and have the kids fight it out in the trenches F
Botanical gardens - 02-6794012 $$ http://www.botanic.co.il/english/index.htm
Zoo http://www.jerusalemzoo.org.il/english/upload/ summer hours 9 – 7
Har Herzl Museum 02 6202330 $$
Herodion National park http://www.parks.org.il/BuildaGate5/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~25~~984422214

North:
Carniverous plant nursery – by appt. 04/637-3473 $$ http://www.carnivorous-plants.co.il/HTMLs/Home.aspx
Toot Niyar- the classic art of Japanese/Chinese paper making. Explanation and workshops. 04 639 7631
The Train Museum 04 856 4293
Gan Hashlosha/Sachna - park with natural pools, water falls and grassy areas for picnics. 04 658 6219
Australian Kangaroo Park - 04 648 8060 $$$
Park Ganei Chuga - 3 large lovely swimming holes with grassy area for picnics. 04 648 0438
Park Chamat Hagader- Crocodile park, mineral water pools, trampolines, slides, etc 04 665 9999
Luna Gal - Park Dugit
Shvil HaTapuzim - Rope climbing (safe, w/harness; over age 5) & mitkanim in an orange grove $$$
054/282-884 http://www.shvil-hatapuzim.com/ http://www.gemsinisrael.com/e_article000057121.htm
Park Alona - Roman Aqueduct (walking thru knee high water) near Zichron Yaacov.
http://www.thesourceisrael.com/issue38/article.shtml?tour

Train Trips:
1. TA: Get off at University, and walk half a block from the train station to get to Rokach, which is the
main street on which park hayarkon/ganei yehoshua, a parrot park, the meimadon water park, gan hashashuim lunar park, the Tel Aviv fair grounds, and a puppet theatre all are.
2. TA: Taking the train to Azrieli center mall.
3. If you take the train to Bnei Brak, you will be right opposite Kanion Ayalon, which is another mall with
a big shopping district around it. Ramat Gan stadium is in walking distance, and (I think) also an ice skating rink.
4. Some people just take the train to Lod for ice cream and back...
5. Tel Aviv University - Fair Grounds, Beit Hatfutzot
6. Haifa - Science Museum, Train Museum
7. Ramle - Boating under the arches, and Ramle tour.
8. Ikea - You can take the train to Ikea - Beit Yehoshua stop.
9. Cesaria, Akko, Nahariya and other great places are accessible via train.
http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-2858447,00.html Train day trips

Amusement Parks:
Nachshonit Y
Superland

Factories:
* Coca-Cola
* Mekor Rishon
* Elite chocolate factory is in Nazareth Illit - 15 min. from Afula. Highly recommended. However, you
have to make an appt. - 04-650-8258 and they only allow kids over the age of 6 to go in. There is a playroom for an adult to stay with the kids that are not allowed in.
* Ornat choc factory is near Raanana. They give a detailed explanation of the cocoa bean and how it's
made into chocolate. Then you see a short movie and are shown into a hallway where you can look into a few rooms where they are handmaking chocolates. They give samples. I've been told that "Our kids ages 3-12 all had a good time" Tours only on school vacations. See www.cho.co.il or call 09-891-3399.
* Olive Oil Factory in Moshav Bnei Darom, a religious moshav shitufi, at the entrance of Ashdod (watch
for the sign "Merkaz Mevakrim Hazait") F/$
* The Gush Etzyon winery. Brand new, 20 minutes from RBS - right before you get to Tzomet HaGush.
* Bamba (osem) is sometimes open.
* The chevrat hachashmal (electric co.) in ashkelon is open by appt. only. It has a short video and then a
bus tour. The whole thing lasted about an hour and 15 minutes, I think. Not so suitable for very small children as they'd be bored.
Follow-up activity:
* If the weather's good, you can drive over to the big sand dune beach near Ashkelon (or was it
Ashdod?) and/or go bowling in Ashkelon. OR
* Visit Hof Zikim very close by- it's not over the green line , although is closer to the former Alei
Sinai, although you do have to pass through a machsom to get there. OR
* Also very close is Kibbutz Yad Mordechai where you can visit the apiary/bee museum. OR
* Beer factory is really near there, but apparently they do have tours, although the film show is
somewhat unsuitable for the frum crowd (e.g.scantily clad women , because that's what sells beer)
* The phone # of the Rottenberg power station is 08-6791775, www.israel-electic.co.il
* You can visit Tnuva by appt. only. Only kids over 5 yrs old. Phone # 03-698-6250. 20 nis per person.
Sun-Thurs 9am - 8pm, Fri 9 - 2.
* Mei Eden in Katzrin. Check out their website www.meyeden.co.il
Follow-up activity:
* Just across the road (literally) is the famous Golan Winery (Gamla, Golan &Yarden labels). A
really nice tour and PLENTY of free wine tasting at the end.
* Further up north in Kiryat Shmoneh is a factory tour of Cider HaGalil. It's a nice tour on a hot
day, and at he end you can taste their slightly alcoholic SlingShot cider.
* If you can still see straight, then on the West Bank (of the Kinneret!) you'll find Dalton Wineries
near Tiveria (anyone seeing a pattern here?) Dalton produces some really primo vino that beats
drinking filtered water anyday. Needless to say, all of the above is a waste of time if you're the
designated driver.
* Roladin (bakery) in Tel Mond is very nice. The children get to make their own biscuits along the way
and at the end of the tour you get a free drink and a sample of your own biscuits to taste. You
can't take very small children though, so check from what age they allow.
* Nesher has a really nice factory tour at the plant in Ramle. I know they're not so popular here right now,
but the factory tour in Ramle is really great. Very educational about the history and process of
making concrete.
* Furniture: the Hermon factory, in upper Galilee near kibbutz Sassa.
* Roentgen museum: Kaplan hospital (history of Doppler and Roentgen, theory of sonar & radar, demos,
trial for everyone on regular photo paper). Unusual, but fascinating.
* BukiToys: See the production process in Ashdod - they show you how the puzzles are done. They also
have a Factory Store which (open Sun - Thurs 10 – 2) 08-856-7616
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Beginner Joined: Jul 20 2011 Posts: 3

We were there last year Pesach time with 3 grandchildren then aged 2 & 1 and went to a great indoor play space called Yankuta Place at 33 Jabotinsky St. Since you will be there in the winter, it's nice to have an indoor option.
I learned about it from a great website: www.funinjerusalem.com. It lists all kinds of activities and programs for children and you can even sign up for e-mail updates.