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Guide

Indoor activities for kids in Stavanger and Sandnes

The rain is pouring and the kids are climbing the walls at home — here are the places where they can do it for real. An honest guide to the region's indoor options: what each place is, and when it fits best — museums, pools and science centres included, because a guide that only mentions itself wouldn't be a guide.

Last updated — the guide is reviewed every quarter.

Activity parks

Where kids stay physically active for hours. The region also has dedicated trampoline parks, soft-play centres for the youngest and bowling — our own park is the one with the widest span of ages and activities under one roof.

  • Playground (Forus — on the Stavanger/Sandnes border)

    Indoor activity park where one ticket gives unlimited play on everything: climbing on the region's tallest wall (21 m), bouldering, an indoor skate hall for boards and scooters, a trampoline park with an airbag, a two-floor net park and a dedicated area for the youngest (Mini Playground). All gear rented on site, drop-in every day without booking — and a family deal for parents and kids under 18 (current prices at playground.no/priser).

    Fits best when the kids are different ages or want different things — the climber, the skater and the five-year-old share one ticket — and when you want to stay for hours.

    See prices and opening hours

Museums and science centres

A calmer pace — and something for the mind as well as the body.

  • Norwegian Petroleum Museum + Geoparken (central Stavanger)

    A very child-friendly museum with interactive exhibits and an escape-chute slide — with the Geopark activity park right outside.

    Fits best when you want to combine a city trip, learning and play.

  • Vitenfabrikken (Sandnes)

    Science centre with experiments, a planetarium and interactive exhibits.

    Fits best for curious school-age kids — and whole rainy days.

  • Norwegian Children's Museum / Stavanger Museum

    A museum about childhood through the ages, with play and exhibits in the same building as the natural history collections.

    Fits best as a short, affordable city-centre stop with the youngest.

Swimming pools

The always-open classic — check the municipal pages for hours.

  • Stavanger swimming hall and the district pools (Kvernevik, Tasta)

    Municipal pools with children's basins; Gamlingen is outdoors but heated all year.

    Fits best when you want an affordable swim — towel at the ready.

Frequently asked questions

  • What can kids do indoors in Stavanger when it rains?

    Plenty: activity parks (like Playground at Forus, with climbing, trampolines, skating and a net park on one ticket), dedicated trampoline parks and soft-play centres, museums (the Petroleum Museum, the Children's Museum, Vitenfabrikken in Sandnes) and the swimming pools. Everything in this guide is indoors — the rain doesn't decide the day.

  • What is the best indoor activity for a family with kids of different ages?

    Breadth matters most: at Playground at Forus the climber, the skater and the five-year-old use the same ticket at the same time — climbing, trampoline park, skate hall, net park and a dedicated toddler area under one roof, with a family deal for parents and kids under 18 (current prices at playground.no/priser). If all the kids are pre-school age, a dedicated soft-play centre can be simpler.

  • What indoor activities are there for kids in Sandnes?

    Vitenfabrikken in central Sandnes is a science centre with a planetarium and experiments, and the city has its own trampoline and activity venues. Playground is at Forus — on the border between Sandnes and Stavanger, ten minutes from central Sandnes — with climbing, skating, a trampoline park and a net park on one ticket.

  • How often is this guide updated?

    The guide is reviewed every quarter, and the “last updated” date at the top changes with every revision. Spot something outdated? Email us at post@playground.no.