We’re having a competition, the 10-year-old and I, to find the most ridiculous museum we can. It’s easy in Amsterdam: we’ve already spotted the Tulip Museum, the Pipe Museum and The Houseboat Museum.

“Oh my God,” my daughter yells, racing down the pavement as she spots one. “The Cow Museum! It’s a museum dedicated to COWS!” She leans on me, giggling, as we carry on down the cobbled street. 

We’ve come to Amsterdam in search of happiness. Not that we’re unhappy; it just turns out we’re not as happy as the Dutch. According to a Unicef report back in 2013, Dutch children are the happiest in the world.

Compared with their British counterparts, they spend more time outdoors and more time with their...