10 Best Things to Do with Kids in Chiba

Kamogawa Sea World is famous for its image of a flying killer whale and dolphin and is an exciting place to visit for children and adults alike. Make sure you watch the sea creatures’ performances to learn about their intellectual and physical skills and the hands-on displays and discovery programs to interact with dolphins, seals and beluga whales. 

At the aquarium, you can observe rare sea creatures including unusual types of jellyfish. Kamogawa Sea World also has the only restaurant in Japan where you can dine while watching a swimming killer whale. To get here, take the Express Bus from Tokyo Station.

Tokyo German Village in the city of Sodegaura is a theme park filled with nature and amusement rides. It also features a harvest experience and interacting with animals in its zoo, with an open lawn space in the middle. It’s designed for car access, so you can park your car near to whichever attraction takes your fancy. 

Popular attractions include Jiji Forest where you can experience children’s games from times gone by in a natural setting, including hammocks and long swings, the Children’s Zoo where you can feed and interact with small animals like miniature pigs and rabbits, and the Wasseur Slider (water slider) where you can slide with your clothes on. There's an onsite cafe for whenever you get hungry, with family favourites that range from curry and other dishes for children to a barbecue for the whole family with grilled sausages and German potatoes.

Enjoy spending the whole day at Mother Farm, a self-described entertainment farm full of flowers and animals. Activities include milking cows, piglet races, horse riding and Alpaca feeding (only possible if you take part in a tour). Other popular attractions include a zip-line, experiences of making things by hand, and flavour hunting. 

For lunch, enjoy a Mongolian mutton BBQ (Jingisukan) seasoned with a special sauce that’s retained the same recipe for decades. Creamy soft-serve ice cream is the perfect snack on a hot day. If you have a pet dog, he/she can accompany you on the farm as a family member of sorts. Families can buy budget-friendly ticket sets for Mother Farm together with Tokyo Bay Ferry and Kamogawa Sea World.

Chiba’s largest pool facility, Hasunuma Water Garden, is open only in summer and equals the size of 1.5 Tokyo Domes. There are 16 pools themed on the life of water, and water play attractions such as Aqua Climbing Wall and Keiryu Kudari (Water Slide), from which you can see Kujukurihama on the way down. 

The 182-metre-long Splash Shaker is a new water slider that combines 4 types of sliders into 1, the first of its kind anywhere in the world. Also, check out the exhilarating boat ride for 2 to 3 persons that swoops down from a height of 21 metres.

The Museum of Aeronautical Science right next to Narita International Airport is a popular place for aviation enthusiasts of all generations to spend the whole day. Exhibitions of the history of aircraft are displayed together with a mock-up of an actual Boeing 747 cabin, and Cessna and other small aircraft can be boarded and inspected in the rooftop exhibition. 

At the new Taikenkan experience hall, you can pay a small fee to sit in the pilot’s seat in the simulator cockpit. Along with the permanent exhibition, learning experience sessions are held from time to time so that visitors can learn drone programming and operate a drone inside the museum.

Inbanuma, situated downstream of Tonegawa River in the north of Chiba Prefecture, is the perfect spot for families to visit, with ferry boat stops (watashi) and cycling courses. For sightseeing in Inbanuma, the best place to say is Inbanuma Sunset Hills Auto Camping Site. As well as having a barbecue site and tennis court, this is also a famous spot for sunset views. 

It’s in the perfect spot to look down on Inbanuma, and you can also see Mount Fuji and Tokyo Sky Tree in the distance. The 'Tebura de BBQ' option is recommended, as ingredients and grills are both prepared for you. This can be pretty handy, as you don’t need to wash the barbecue equipment afterwards, and rubbish can be thrown away within the campsite facility.

Glicopia CHIBA is a reservation-only ice cream factory offering free tours. It’s so popular that it’s typically booked up 3 months ahead. The tour is packed with highlights, from visiting the cleanroom and massive refrigerator to visiting the manufacturing lines of the famous Papico and Seventeen Ice Cream, and tasting Papico manufactured at the Chiba Factory and ready for shipment. 

At Glico Kitchen, you can make your own ice cream. You can have a lot of fun decorating your ice cream with Glico sweets, too. The best way of getting here is by car.

Little Planet KITE MITE MATSUDO uses digital technology to provide an interactive playing space for children to play. It's a 3-minute walk from the West Exit of JR Matsudo Station. There are 16 interactive attractions where you can watch, touch and experience digital worlds. These include ZABOOM, a ball booth with light and sound effects, SAND PARTY! where you can play with sand using Augmented Reality, PAPER RIKISHI (digital paper sumo) and a digital trampoline. 

If you take part in Making Magic Stick and other workshops, you can take your artwork home with you at the end. Admission fees are based on how long you’re going to spend here, but a budget-friendly day pass is available (except for in peak season).