100+ Fun Things to do with Kids in Siem Reap

The Ultimate Family Guide to Entertaining your Kids in Siem Reap

Now that Cambodia is fully open again to tourists, we’ve compiled this amazing list of things to do with kids in Siem Reap. And for local expats who are now eligible for a free Angkor Park pass, there is even more reason to plan your next holiday in the ancient city. 

We keep this list as up to date as possible, but do check in with each listing below to make sure it open. 

Experience:

1. Run away with the circus: without a doubt, the best show to take your kids to, is the Phare Circus, an exciting acrobatic performance that must be seen. Visit their website for showtimes and to buy tickets.  
2. Take in an Apsara Performance: Angkor Village Theater holds authentic Cambodian classic and folk dance performances.
3. The soon to open (rumoured for October opening, but no date given) Angkor Wildlife and Aquarium is just outside of town and the best aquarium in the country (maybe the region). 
4. Take a sunset cruise along the Tonle Sap. Trips can be arranged through your hotel or travel agencies in town. 

Eat 

Finding child-friendly places to eat can be a challenge, so we’ve compiled a list of all the places recommended by families living in Siem Reap. Every place we list below is child-friendly and many have high-chairs or toys, coloring or other things for kids. 

5. Try a variety of kid approved spring rolls at WILD, which also has green space for play. 
6. Go local and eat a banana-chocolate pancake from a street stall along the riverside. 
7. Indulge in Wat Chocolate at Aviary Hotel. You can also swim in their 21-meter rooftop pool for $5 for adults and $2.5 for kids, which can be spent on food. 
8. Try all the things on the kids menu at Babel Guesthouse. They have a gorgeous eco-friendly restaurant, coloring pages for kids and earth-friendly toys.  
9. Enjoy the green space at Chocolate Garden. 
10. Jump around the indoor playground at Avani by FCC.
11. Check out the green space, pool table, big screen TV and play station at Pomme.   
12. Visit Navutu Dreams for a meal when they are playing free movies for kids. 
13.  Support Haven social restaurant.
14.  Get your carb fix at the Village Bakery in Kandal village.
15.  Grab a slice at the kid approved Labo Pizza Bar which serves pizza by the slice. 
16.  Venture to Heartprint Hub which has a small playground and a wonderful, low-cost menu. 
17.  Indulge your sweet tooth with the best cakes in Siem Reap at Paris Bakery.
18.  Treat your family to delicious Italian at Mammashop in Kandal Village. 
19.  Jump on the trampoline and enjoy authentic French cuisine at Le Cul de Sac.
20.  Grab a cup at Brother Bong Cafe. A kid friendly restaurant. 
21.  Watch life along the riverside from Sister Srey Cafe. 
22. Take a Family Taste Tour and split your meal across three restaurants each working for a great cause. 
23. Cool off with some authentic gelato at the Gelato Lab.

Play:

24. Zip over the ancient canopy around the temples with Angkor Zipline.
25. Boulder or climb at Angkor Climbers.
26. Climb or boulder or just have a coffee at the Kannel Climbing Garden Cafe.
27. Go on a quad adventures. 
28. Put put put the afternoon away at Angkor Mini Golf.
29. Ride a gondola outside Angkor Thom. 
30. Splash and cool off at the Wake Park. Here you can wakeboard, waterski and kneeboard or play in the massive water playground. Entrance to and swimming at the beach here is free and for the paid activities, the Park donates all profits towards social projects in the community. This spot is a win-win-win!

31. Play giant Jenga, darts or try some archery at JJ’s Sports hive.
32. Check out what’s on at Sabay Kids. They have activities running for different ages at different times. 
33. Rent a small zippy bike along the riverside in front of Villa D. Suitable for the under seven’s.. 
34. Get ready to gallop or trot around at the Happy Horse Ranch. Located near Siem Reap, they offer trail rides and cart rides and more, including visiting ancient temples by horse. 
35. Ride the Angkor Eye, the highest ferris wheel in Cambodia. At 85 meters high, it will give you a new view of the city. 

Playgrounds/Playspaces

36. Explore the outdoor playground in front of the Angkor Eye, open 8am to 8pm each day with an entrance fee of $1.
37. Enjoy the cool air conditioned air of the free indoor area for kids at Heritage Walk, full of small coin operated rides suitable for the toddlers to the 5 year olds. 
38. Splash at the Khnar Water park which is located about 12 minutes drive outside of central Siem Reap. It’s a small waterpark with a few slides, not as vast as the water park in Phnom Penh, but still great for cooling off after temple adventures. 
39. Ride around the classic carnival rides in the playground at Boxville.

Learn: 

40. Take a candle making workshop at Senteurs d’Angkor. They run classes for families. 
41. Check out the classes at Makerspace Siem Reap. They offer classes in STEM for all ages including 3D printing. 
42. Spin into a pottery class at Khmer Ceramics. They also offer modeling and ceramic painting classes. 
43. Cook up a delicious local meal for the entire family in a cooking class at Navutu. Check their page for upcoming classes. 
44. Take a cooking class at Crep’Italy. Half price for kids. 
45. Check out Creative Talents if you’re in town for longer. They can run bespoke classes in art, drama and more.
46. Learn how to turn a lotus flower into a unique handicraft souvenir at the Samatoa Lotus Farm. They offer half and full day workshops suitable for children. 

Inside of Angkor Park  

Cycle: 

Riding a bicycle around Angkor Park is a wonderful way to experience the splendor of the ancient temples while also getting a taste of modern local life in the area. And with the new cycling paths, it’s safe and fun to ride with your kids, no matter their age. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide here. Click below for route specific information.

47. A 3.5 kilometer ride from the ticket check point to Angkor Wat. Suitable for 10+ year-olds. 
48. A 7 kilometer ride for the ticket check point to Prasat Kravan. Suitable for the active 8 year olds and older children. 
49. A 1.5 kilometer ride through lush forest to see a hidden gate at the back of Preah Kdei. A jungle adventure suitable for children as young as 5 year old or those just learning to ride. 
50. A 10 kilometer ride from the ticket check point to Ta Prohm. Best suited for children over 10 years old or with adequate stamina. 
51. 2-10 kilometers ride along the ancient walls of Angkor Thom. These are our favourite trails and will feel like you are on a secret, hidden ancient pathway, most so when you come across the Corner Temples. 
52. A short ride, under 1 kilometer, with a visit to Preah Rup and Prasat Leak Neang. 

Explore:

53. Watch the sunset at Phnom Bakheng. This is a favored sunset watching spot so it can get crowded. There is a beautiful 20-30 minute walk up to the top. 
54. Climb to the top of Takeo Temple. Children under the age of 12 are not allowed into the ‘tippy top’ of Angkor Wat, so this is one way to alleviate their disappointment. 
55. Watch the sunset and listen to the frogs sing on the east side of Sra Srang.
56. Listen to the frogs sing and the sunrise on the west side Sra Srang. 
57. Explore Beng Mealea with its raised platforms, which give you a more three dimensional view of an ancient temple. This temple is 45-minutes drive outside of Siem Reap.  
58. Admire the river carvings at Kbal Spean on Phnom Kulen and make a wish. 
59. Swim in the waterfall at Phnom Kulen.
60. Find the cheeky monkeys and feed them bananas (but be careful). There are troops of monkeys throughout the park. 
61. Visit Phnom Ta Nei and look for the gibbon family (but don’t feed them). 
62. Play Devata Bingo inside of Angkor Wat. Download here.  (to be uploaded)
63. Pose and get family photos taken at the temples. A superb option for family photos is here. 

64. Rise above it all in a hot air balloon and get an aerial view of the temples. 
65. Go on a treasure hunt with Kouprey Adventure.
66. Find the hidden Queens inside of Preah Khan.
67. Climb up and explore the walls around the gates into Angkor Thom. 

Visit

68. Scamper over to the Apopo Visitor Center and visit the incredible life saving rats. These surprisingly cute (and large) rats are helping to clear landmines. 
69. Float through floating villages on the Tonle Sap. Check your hotel or the Google for tours. 
70. Visit the Angkor National Museum and learn more about the history and culture of ancient Cambodia.  (opening soon)
71. Say hello to the gentle giants at Kulen Elephant Forest.They offer a variety of experiences with the retired elephants of Angkor Wat, many suitable for children. 
72. Find out how silk is made at Angkor Silk Farm. 
73. Trek out to the Angkor Center for the Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB) to see some rare animals. 
74. Stop by the centrally located Artisans D’Angkor to learn about the traditional crafts of Cambodia. 
75. Twitch your way to the Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary if you’d like to see some cool birds. They offer a variety of tours in the Siem Reap arena including to Phnom Kulen, Banteay Srey, the Tonle Sap and ACCB. 
76. Buzz over to Bees Unlimited for a unique bee tour. 
77. Flutter over to the Banteay Srey Butterfly Center  to see beautiful butterflies and even feed. Ideally combined with a visit to Banteay Srey Temple. 
78. Flit over to the Butterfly Sanctuary for another butterfly experience. 
79. Head on over to the Black Pepper Resort for a relaxing day in nature or even camping if you are up for it. 
80. Go to Steng Toch Homestay for camping or just for the day. They have kayaking, volleyball and more activities for the entire family. 

Free (or mostly free) Stuff :  

81. Walk along the Siem Reap River in town. The riverside is nicely shaded, there are food stalls and restaurants to stop into or you can sit and enjoy the peaceful flow of the river.
82. Try out the different exercise machines at the Exercise Park across the street from the Royal House. 
83. Enjoy the variety of plants at the Angkor Botanical Gardens and have a quiet walk. (Free until the end of 2022).
84. Wander the lush garden in front of the King’s House where you can also… 
85. …look up at the fruit bats that hang out in the trees above. This colony of bats, numbering about 2000, can be seen flying off each day at sunset for their nightly hunt.
86. Explore the Old Market or Psaa Cha as it is locally known.   
87. Ride the bike paths in the city. These newly established, green colored bike paths make biking in the city less stressful than a few years ago. 
88. Get a Monk Blessing and learn about Buddhism at Wat Bo. 
89. Play the Khmer game of shuttlecock. There are often groups of people playing in the public parks around the city and most will be happy for you to join and learn. 
90. Play badminton along the riverside north of Street 60. There is a small badminton court here and badminton sets can be purchased at local markets.
91. Visit Angkor Green Gardens by Dara for an afternoon stroll. 

Shop: 

92. Visit Shop Satu for their wonderfully curated selection of Cambodian Souvenirs including Cambodia Knits and Beebee+Bongo. 
93. Explore Sahak Shop for all its locally made treasures, including the upcycled toys of Panha Sabay,
94. Head over to the nightly Made in Cambodia Market to support local artisans and brands. 
95. Explore the vast Angkor Market on Route 6 to compare how different this supermarket is from the ones you have at home. 
96. Get a unique school backpack at SMATERIA.
97. Shop for the most beautiful children’s dresses at Ambre.
98. Explore a local market like Phsar Leu Thom Tmey to see how locals shop and trade. 
99. Wander through Kandal Village, a pleasant side street with pretty boutiques and great eateries. 

Other

100. Play the City Of Angkor Card game and learn about the ancient city of Angkor through this collaborative game. Available at Shop Satu.
101. Do a Siem Reap puzzle. Available at Shop Satu. 
102. Go to a movie at Heritage Walk. The movie theaters are modern, clean and cool and a steal at $3-$5 per ticket. 
103. Last but not least, our most recommended book to use for Angkor exploration is this Angkor Guidebook. It has acetate pages inside that show the then and now images of many of the temples, allowing kids (and parents) to have a visual glimpse into the past. Don’t be scared by the price on Amazon…you can buy the book in Cambodia for $25 to $35.

See anything we’ve missed or any errors? Leave a comment below and let us know! We aim to keep this list up to date.