Exhibition at the Design Museum Brussels
Until September 20, 2026
Free for children under 12 years old
Why go with children?
Because the subject speaks directly to them. We see children’s furniture, objects related to school, to the bedroom, or to everyday life.
It’s not a very interactive exhibition, but it can be visited very well with the family if you turn the visit into a little observation game: choose your favourite chair, spot the colours, compare objects from then and now, look for the most surprising shapes.
It’s also a good idea to go out when it’s raining or if you’re looking for a short cultural activity near the Atomium.
An exhibition on childhood objects
The Design Museum Brussels presents Designing Childhood. A History of Design for Kids , an exhibition dedicated to the objects that have accompanied childhood over time: chairs, desks, children’s rooms, school furniture, everyday objects and creations designed at child’s height.
The exhibition shows how designers gradually imagined objects adapted to children, their size, their uses, their movements and their way of living at home or school.
It is an original cultural outing to do with the family, especially with curious children, sensitive to shapes, colors, objects and slightly retro universes.
Free for children under 12 years old
Don’t miss
Furniture designed for a child’s height
The exhibition brings together chairs, desks, children’s rooms, school objects and pieces of furniture designed especially for children. This is what makes the visit very readable as a family: the children recognise objects that are close to their daily lives, but in forms that are sometimes very different from those they are familiar with.
Dialogue with the Centre Pompidou
Designing Childhood is an exhibition co-organized with the Centre Pompidou. It allows you to discover the evolution of children’s design in the 20th century, with a real cultural look at the place of the child in the home, at school and in society.
Shapes, colours and materials
The exhibition shows how designers have played with shapes, colours, plastic, light furniture and modular objects. It’s a good way to approach design with children, in a visual and concrete way.
The visit near the Atomium
The museum is located in Laeken, just 150 metres from the Atomium. It is therefore an easy outing to combine with a walk in the Heysel district or another activity around Brussels Expo.
Practical information
- AGE : from about 6 years old for a short visit. Very interesting from 8 or 9 years old.
- DATES : until September 20, 2026.
- OPENING HOURS : open every day from 11am to 7pm. Last admission at 6:30 pm.
- DURATION : allow 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes for the temporary exhibition.
- LOCATION : Design Museum Brussels, in Laeken, near the Atomium.
- PRICE : free for 0 to 12 year olds, €2 for 13 to 18 year olds, from €8.50 for adults.
- RESERVATION : recommended online, especially on weekends and during holidays.
- EXPERIENCE : exhibition on children’s design, furniture, school, bedroom, everyday objects and the collections of the Centre Pompidou.
- ACCESS : Place de Belgique 1, 1020 Brussels. Metro line 6, Heysel station. Trams 7 and 62, Heysel station.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, especially from 6 years old for a short and visual visit. Children can observe the shapes, colours and furniture designed for them.
The exhibition becomes really interesting from the age of 8 or 9, when children can compare objects and understand the idea of design.
Allow 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes for the temporary exhibition. A little more if you also visit the permanent collections.
Yes, the Design Museum Brussels is right next to the Atomium.