Could anyone recomend things to do in Berlin with two children (boys 9 and 14 yrs)?

Question

Staying for a week as a family, our children with us for the first time on a long trip to Europe.
I love shopping, but want to make them happy also.

Answer 1

You can do sightseeing by boat on the Spree river.
Go up the television tower or the victory column (Siegessäule) and enjoy the view all over the city.
There is a science museum the Deutsches Technikmuseum with a lot of stuff boys tend to like as old locomotives or cars.
Right in the middle of the city there is a big zoo.
You can go up to the dome on top of the Reichstag, the German parliament. There is a big spiral ramp in the dome up to the top. You get nice views of the city and the parliament right below you.
If they're interested in mummies and things from old egypt, take them to the museum island (Museumsinsel) in the city center to the Egyptian Museum with the famous head of Nofretete.
Or a visit to the memorial to the Berlin Wall at Bernauer Straße, where you can still see a part of the actual wall, you could go to the museum at Checkpoint Charlie afterwards and see in what ways people tried to escape over the wall. Like flying with a balloon or hiding in the gas tanks of cars.
Of course there are a lot of museums and memorials remembering the atrocities of Nazi Germany, but I think it would be best if you have talked to your kids about this theme before, so that they know what they gonna see.

Answer 2

I hear they have a great zoo in Berlin. And right outside of Berlin is this resort, it's made to look like a tropical beach and they have Hawaiin type dancing and lots of stuff, and you can stay the night in these tents they have there, it's like sleeping on the beach. We haven't gone there yet, but we plan to before we leave Germany. There is probably also a children's museum there. Have fun.

Keep in mind, if you want to see any of the sites about the atrocities committed against the Jewish people, a lot of times they won't even let kids in to them, maybe your 14 year old, but probably not the 9 year old, some of the stuff is deemed to be too graphic for kids to see.

Answer 3

Boys 9 and 14 go for the same stuff no matter what city you are in.

In one week, try not to overdo the historic aspect, but if you think the 9-year old can grasp the concepts, the train out to Sachsenhausen would be on my agenda.

Then, a day in a fast paced market area, with a city tour.
http://www.berlin.de/english/visitors/city_tours/index.html

A couple days going to swim for relaxation. Wannsee -
that may be some of the best memories, if they spend time meeting others their own age. Careful - nude swimming more acceptable there, though! http://www.heyotwell.com/guides/berlin/archives/places_to_swim/index.html

EDIT: You can read some comments about kids and Berlin here:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=34755596