When we had a sudden move to Groningen in the north of the Netherlands in December 2020, we were all excited to give something different a try. We’d been stuck in London lockdown and were ready for a change of scenery. Our time there started just as Netherlands locked down as well (the day after we’d finished our quarantine, lockdown started of course!) But despite lock downs and covid restrictions we had the best time in this small and friendly country and I would happily live there again. I’d recommend a visit to anyone, especially those with kids. It is after all, home to the world’s happiest children and if you spend any time there you can see why! These are some of the best things we did with our young kids during our time there.
- Visit a windmill
There are hundreds of Dutch windmills all over the countryside. Most aren’t in use any longer but they’re beautiful to see and oh so Dutch! Going inside a windmill was one of our Dutch highlights. Kinderdijk, a World Heritage listed site is home to 19 windmills, one of them is set up like a house as it would have been centuries ago and the sails are still turning. Another great windmill to visit is the Windmill Museum de Wachter in Drenthe. It is a museum of a working museum and you can see how they used the windmill turning to make linseed oil and climb up right to the top for views over the countryside and to see the cogs of the windmill turning. This was an absolute hit with our kids who got to get extremely hands-on and even grind their own corn.
2. Boat on a Canal
In most towns and cities of the Netherlands there are opportunities to boat on a canal. Canals and water management are so important to Dutch life (many parts of Netherlands are below sea level and would disappear if water management stopped) that water and learning to swim are an inherent part of Dutch culture, and who doesn’t love a boat ride? There are so many different ways you can experience a boat trip in all parts of the Netherlands whether it be a canal cruise in Amsterdam or Utrecht, hiring your own boat or taking a kayak tour. With our kids we have gone on cruises in Utrecht and Amsterdam, and hired our own boat in the small town of Winsum, taking it through locks and often having the canal entirely to ourselves.
3. Ride a bike
If there is anything more Dutch than canals and tulips, it might be riding a bike! The Dutch mostly use bikes as a form of transport rather than a form of exercise and you will see people heading out at night on a bike, getting their groceries, picking up children from school in a bakfiets and generally making all of their short journeys by bike. Hiring a bike is a great, and safe way of getting around. Dutch drivers are incredibly tolerant of cyclists, and there are so many bike paths criss-crossing cities and the countryside that its such a lovely way to experience a Dutch town or city.
4. See some tulips
Seeing the Dutch countryside covered with tulips is only possible in spring. But if you’re in the Netherlands in spring it is well worth doing. Keukenhof is the easiest (and busiest!) place to see tulips as they’ll have some on display regardless of the weather. And there are other kid friendly facilities like a playground and cafes. We visited Keukenhof early on a Sunday morning and only had to share it with a hare! There are hundreds of types of tulips and other flowers on display as well as beautiful lakes and water features. Plus the kids will love the Miffy (Nijntje) Playground and some of the fun flower displays.
The other thing I hadn’t realised was that there are tulips grown all over the countryside, so at the right time of year its actually hard to avoid them! The farmer’s grow the flowers for bulbs which is why they flower in the countryside. You aren’t allowed to walk amongst the flower fields as it can damage the bulbs, but the fields are still beautiful from the edge. The most popular area for tourists to visit tulip fields is around the city of Lisse and Keukenhof but you can see tulips all over the country and we saw many completely by accident on the side of the road. Our kids did get sick of being dragged around different tulip fields especially since the Dutch spring weather is changeable and we got hailed on a few times!
5. Visit Efteling
I hadn’t even heard of Efteling before we moved to Groningen, but I’m delighted that we went. I’ve heard it described as the Dutch equivalent to Disneyland, but its definitely less commercial and of course its all in Dutch! Its a magical theme park with something for all ages from huge rollercoasters to the ‘Dark’ rides and the Fairytale forest. I’d recommend going for at least two days to get the most out of it, as its huge and there are so many rides and things to see, and there can sometimes be long waits for the most popular rides. Check out their app for use on the day to see what the wait times are for different rides. There is plenty to do for all ages of children – our 3yr old and 5yr old absolutely loved it and had plenty of options of rides to go on. Some of the ‘dark rides’
6. Visit Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the home to world class galleries and museums, beautiful canal houses and bikes galore. And whilst you can visit canals in many other cities and towns – Utrecht, Leiden, Delft to name a few, Amsterdam has the big guns when it comes to museums and galleries. The Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, the van Gogh museum are all worthy of your time. Our kids loved the scavenger hunt in the Rijksmuseum and the canal cruise. They also enjoyed wandering the streets, riding trams and eating pannenkoeken (pancakes) for dinner. Although there is so much to do in the Netherlands beyond Amsterdam, Amsterdam is popular for a reason and generally lives up to the hype.
7. Head to a Zoo….
Or a wildlife park or an aquarium. For such a small country, Netherlands has a lot of world class options for wildlife enthusiasts. The biggest is Beekse Bergen, Amsterdam’s zoo Artis is highly regarded and we’ve really enjoyed our time at Wildlands and at the Pieterburen Seal Sanctuary in the very north of the country, where they rescue and rehabilitate seals before releasing them back into the sea.
8. Find some (more) kid friendly fun
Aside from all the zoos and de Efteling, there are so many other places and activities tailored for kids all over the Netherlands. Plus there are just so many children’s farms (search for kinderboerderij) and playgrounds (speeltuin) that kids will absolutely love their time in the Netherlands – we had about 12 little playgrounds we could walk to from our house, as well as a children’s farm that had an additional playground right around the corner. Its paradise for kids!
We loved the Miffy (nijntje) Museum in Utrecht and the miniature world of Madurodam near the Hague. The Miffy Museum can easily be tied in with other lovely things to do in Utrecht and a visit to the Netherland’s largest castle Kasteel del Haar.
9. Try Dutch food
Kids will be very happy with a lot of the Dutch fare. There are enough types of pancakes and fried things to keep the fussiest of children happy and parents cringe! You’ll find options to pannenkoeken (pancakes) in most areas. And poffertjes, bitterballen and patats (french fries) at most cafes. And who wouldn’t enjoy some hagelslaag (sprinkles) on their toast or a stroopwafel (a delicious caramel filled biscuit) with their morning drink? There are some great things to try. And if you’re in the Netherlands over Kings Day or Christmas there are even more seasonal delicacies.
Hopefully this has helped inspire you to take a trip to this wonderful country. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to ask.