• Book family workshops early, since each session goes on sale online on a set date, adults need a ticket too, and the popular ones sell out
• Free picture map from the information point at the Paseo de la Chopera entrance turns the grounds into a self-guided game through 100 years of history
• Four entrances, including one straight off the Madrid Río paths, so a workshop pairs easily with a walk or bike ride along the river

A former city slaughterhouse beside the Madrid Río park, now an arts center of brick halls and open plazas. Kids follow a free picture map through 100 years of its history and join weekend family workshops in embroidery, crafts and film.

Casa del Lector, the on-site reading center, runs storytelling, comic and baby book sessions. It suits kids who like making things more than kids after a playground.