There’s also plenty to do in Shanghai for kids. Head to Shanghai Ocean Aquarium, right near the Oriental Pearl Tower. Even if you show up when it opens, there’s going to be lines to get in but it seems to be manageable.  Not the best aquarium in the world but worth a visit especially since you’re almost certainly going to be in the area.

We discovered a bit of a hidden Gem near the aquarium, the Shanghai Natural Wild Insect Kingdom (see it on Toucan’s Shanghai Map). This was surprisingly good with lots of snakes and some lizards, which I was just beginning to get obsessed about around the time of my visit.  It’s a bit shabby and old but you can see some wicked reptiles in there.  It’s called the insect kingdom, but it’s really about snakes and spiders.  Just don’t expect a state-of-the-art facility, it’s not decrepit by any means, just a bit dark and dingy and definitely worth visiting if you’re looking for things to do in Shanghai for kids. I went twice in 2 days!

When I was much younger I also went to the Shanghai Wild Animal Park where you can jump in a minibus and get attacked by bears and tigers though cages – awesome!  My Nana and Poppa from New Zealand thought it was one of the better zoo experiences they’d been to, not that they’re zoo experts being in their 70’s!

Around the Bund area is still nice no matter how many times you go. On the west side is an area of buildings of varying architecture that is just lovely and well worth visiting.  I go back there every time I visit Shanghai and it’s nice to just around the promenade while Dad tries to take photos of the TV Tower between my legs.

Not my favourite thing to do in Shanghai for kids,  but there’s a tunnel under the Bund which you can take by train, it gets shit reviews, but it’s a short (few minutes) trip across and actually not that bad (once). Has some nights that light up and both Dad and I thought it was ok. On the east side you will get a ticket to see the Submarine exhibit, which is the shittiest thing I’ve ever come across, absolute shite do don’t bother with that. No lines to get onto the train or pay for tickets so that was nice too.

Suzhou is worth a day trip of even an overnight, you can read more about that and the water towns in our Suzhou Destination Guide..