A very tall tower, a glass floor, an aquarium and a planetarium in one building
Tokyo Skytree with children
Skytree is one of the more child-friendly major attractions in Tokyo, largely because the interesting parts are immediate and physical. This covers which ticket to buy, how long to allow, and what else is in the building when the view stops being interesting.
Book your Skytree entry ↗Buy the Deck, skip the Galleria
The Tembo Deck at 350 metres has everything children actually respond to: the glass floor, the speed of the lift, the cafe, and enough space to move around. The Galleria's sloping glass tube is a more adult pleasure — narrower, slower, and mostly about the sensation of height. The money is better spent elsewhere in the building.
The glass floor is the main event
It is on floor 340, the lowest of the Deck's three levels. Expect a short queue and expect it to be the thing they talk about afterwards. Some children walk straight across it; some refuse entirely; both reactions are common and neither needs managing. Do it early in your visit before the queue builds.
How long to allow
About an hour on the Deck is right for most families — long enough to do a full circuit and the glass floor, short enough to leave before anyone has had enough. The building underneath will absorb as much additional time as you are willing to give it.
The lift
Fifty seconds to 350 metres, and the ear-popping is real. Encourage yawning or swallowing on the way up. The lifts themselves are decorated and are a small attraction in their own right.
Sumida Aquarium
In the base complex, and genuinely good — a large open pool of penguins and fur seals that you can walk right around, plus one of Japan's better jellyfish displays. It is a separate ticket. If you have a wet afternoon and a child who has run out of enthusiasm for views, this is the answer.
Konica Minolta Planetarium
Also in the base complex, also a separate ticket. Shows are generally in Japanese, which limits it for non-Japanese-speaking families, but the visuals carry a good deal of it and the reclining seats are a welcome half-hour off your feet.
Practicalities
Pushchairs are manageable throughout — everything is step-free and lift-served — though the Deck gets tight at peak times. There are accessible and family toilets on the observation floors. Tokyo Solamachi at the base has an enormous range of food, including plenty that will suit fussy eaters.
Timing it around the crowd
Mornings are much calmer than afternoons and evenings, and a morning slot also means you are not competing with the sunset crowd for the glass. If you can, go up early and use the base complex afterwards rather than the other way round.