It’s Christmas, children are on holiday and keeping them entertained is now the number one priority for half of Barcelona. The city, however, offers many resources that range from ice skating rinks where you can spend a very entertaining afternoon to theatre performances, projections, games and many, many other activities. It’s a Christmas for all audiences. 

One of the best options, as you know, is the Christmas Festival in Plaça de Catalunya which, especially in the mornings, is dedicated to children and presents a family show with the participation of well-known companies from the city. Barcelona’s municipal museums are another option these days, as they organise games, workshops and lots of activities to keep them entertained. Cultural centres such as CaixaForum and CosmoCaixa offer family workshops, activities to get the whole family singing along and lots of film screenings, as well as some scientific experiments. And at the CCCB there are screenings such as the film Tic-tac, a Christmas classic by Rosa Vergés that you shouldn’t miss (until 4 January; admission is free).

But if what you want is that the boys and girls you have at home arrive at the evening very tired…. Maybe you should take them to skate for a while on one of the open ice skating rinks that are installed in the city for Christmas. There’s a synthetic ice skating rink until 12 January (from 5 to 7.30pm; 6 euros per person) at the Corte Inglés on Diagonal Avenue, but if you’re looking for an ice rink with great views… you’ll have to go to the Tibidabo Amusement Park. There they have installed a sustainable ice track. They don’t operate with natural ice exactly, but you’ll feel like you’re skating on an old-fashioned rink. You can come until the 5th of January, from 11 a.m. until the closing time of the venue, on the days the park is open. Access to the rink and skate rental are included in the entrance fee.

There is Christmas in the mountains, but also close to the sea. In Port Vell, until 7 January, they have put together a Christmas fair, Nadal al Port, with music and dance performances, stands and attractions aimed at the younger public and families, all with a focus on social and environmental sustainability. And the Olympic Port? This space, which has been converted into a new cultural attraction centre, also hosts everything from painting workshops and storytelling to activities related to the sea and, when the Magic Kings are coming, a royal party will be waiting for them. There are activities for boys and girls planned for all the holidays, from Monday to Sunday, from 15 to 21 h; and on bank holidays, from 11 to 21 h. From 20 December until 6 January, the opening hours will be from 11 am to 9 pm. A play area with inflatables and trampolines complements the Port Olímpic’s offer, where, in addition, boys and girls can have a bite to eat with hot chocolate. 

Looking for more Christmas experiences? Well, not only has the Recinte Modernista de l’Hospital de Sant Pau put together an illumination that is a journey through the Christmas traditions of the world, but there are also many family activities such as a visit to Carter de Nadal or a series of spaces where you can take a family photo, typical of this time of year.

However, Christmas cannot be without music, and even less so music that is tailored to the needs of the most tender ears. Palau de la Música has devised a programme for this festive season that does not forget young audiences. You can see that, until 30 December, they are programming sessions of the concert BaBeBra & Mozart, with music by Mozart, Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, among others (at 11 am and 12:30 pm each day; 8-18 euros). In addition, on 4 and 5 January (€5-12) there are two sessions of Visit and Experience Palau, a guided tour of the building that ends with a workshop.

Yes, Christmas is a good time for live arts performances, which is why we recommend that you check out the programme of venues such as the Sant Andreu Teatre (saT!), where the company La Roda performs the musical Nit de Reis on 27, 28, 29, 30 December and 2, 3, 4 January, every day at 5.30 pm (from 3 years upwards; 10 €). El Poble Espanyol, in Montjuïc, offers activities and visits such as Natalis (during which you can read the letter to the Magic Kings; until 5 January; from €12) or the show ELFantàstic, starring some very friendly elves (until 5 January; €14-30).

The offer of family shows is especially diverse these days and ranges from La increïble aventura del Caganer (Ars Teatre; until 4th of January; €12; 12 €) which transforms a tradition into a very funny story, as well as shows like Post-Classic, by the great Tortell Poltrona, which you can find at the Teatre Romea until 30 January (14 €) or the musical El fil invisible (Teatre Goya; until 26 January; from 22 €).

The classic Circ d’Hivern at the Ateneu Popular 9 Barris is offering the contemporary circus show Rara Avis, directed by Natalia Barraza (6-12 €; until 19 January); Jove Teatre Regina is presenting until 30 December a musical version of Charles Dickens‘ classic A Christmas Carol (12-15 €) and, finally, all over the city you will find performances of the typical Els Pastorets. There are performances in Vallvidrera, in the Font d’en Fargues neighbourhood, in the Moral and Cultural Centre of Poblenou, in La Violeta de Gràcia or in the Sant Martí Auditorium, among many other places all over Barcelona.