Fun activities for children during summer vacation

It’s almost summer vacation! And whether you go on vacation this year or not, the kids need to be kept busy. Because if you leave it up to your little angels themselves, chances are they’ll spend most of the day behind a screen. Here we give you a list of fun places with activities for kids to have a good time. And that are fun for you to do, too.

Get out in nature!

To the island of Tiengemeten

Maybe you have never heard of it, but in South Holland you will find an amazing nature island that can only be reached by ferry. The island of Tiengemeten is a wonderful place to walk and enjoy nature, but it is also a true paradise for children. They can play in Natuurmonumenten’s Oerrr Speelnatuur and join the Oerrr Struintocht on Tiengemeten. But take a towel and a set of dry clothes with you because there will be a lot of water playing around!

Maximapark forest playground

Want to let the kids run wild in the park? Then Bosspeeltuin Maximapark is a fine place. This beautiful park borders several places such as Vleuten, De Meern, Leidsche Rijn, Terwijde, Het Zand and Veldhuizen. The Bosspeeltuin is located next to park restaurant Anafora. Here you can sit down for a refreshing drink and a delicious sandwich while the kids climb, clamber and slide. It is also possible to rent a pedal boat or a boat at Anafora to go out on the water and see this beautiful park from a different angle.

Beachcomber’s hut Kijkduin

Are you at the coast and don’t want to just lie languidly on a towel? Then go beachcombing with the kids at the Jutterskeet van Ome Jan in Kijkduin. Here you can do various activities such as searching the beach with a metal detector, learn how to tie knots or go on a treasure hunt. You can also take a look at the Beachcomber’s Museum where Uncle Jan keeps all his collected treasures.

Climbing forest Gooi-Eemland

In Lage Vuursche, near Baarn, you will find Klimbos Gooi Eemland. This is a true climbing paradise. The 10 different routes increase in difficulty from heights of 2 to as much as 22.5 meters. A visit to the Klimbos is a fun day out for young and old. You will find challenging bridges, nets, sturdy lianas and very cool zip lines. From a minimum reach height of 1.30m you can follow the orange routes in the Junior Forest. The recommended climbing age is 7 years and up. Want to visit another climbing forest? Look here for our favorites!

Climbing park and toboggan run Landgraaf

Next to Snowworld’s ski slope in Landgraaf are the Klimpark and toboggan run. Here your children can enjoy themselves for hours by climbing through the entire climbing park in a secured way and afterwards giving it some gas in the toboggan car. In the climbing park there are different routes, so you can choose whether you take the difficult (and also longer) or easy way through the park. If you are a little sporty yourself, you can just climb with your kids. If you want to take it a bit easier, you can also enjoy the terrace of Snowworld where you can supervise the climbing with a drink in your hand.

Soak up the culture!

Castle de Haar

Kasteel de Haar is the largest and probably the most beautiful castle in the Netherlands. You can find Kasteel de Haar in Utrecht. During the summer vacations there are plenty of activities for children to playfully explore the castle and its beautiful garden. You can do a scavenger hunt to find out everything about the animals that live in De Haar, get into every nook and cranny of the castle while visiting the baron and baroness and explore the entire castle garden with the park scavenger hunt.

Museum Boerhaave

Would you like to spend a day in the city by yourself but have the kids with you? Then take a day trip to Leiden. This cozy student city is full of nice stores and terraces, and you can end the day with a visit to Museum Boerhaave. In this hands-on museum, children learn all about gravity, sound, anatomy, history, the universe and much more in a playful way. And on warm days, you can relax in the courtyard while the kids have fun in the water playground. Buying a ticket in advance is mandatory but can also be done online!

Enjoy playing and splashing around:

Water Playground BuytenDelft

In Recreation Area Delftse Hout your children can have a great time in the Waterspeeltuin. This is a fenced and cordoned off stretch of ‘ditch’ that runs from ankle-deep to just above knee height for small children and is full of play equipment. Both in the water and on the water’s edge. The water playground took its turn for maintenance a few years ago. The entrance was moved and a catering facility was added where you can get a nice sandwich, drink or ice cream. They do charge an entrance fee nowadays, but it is only € 2 per person and for that you do have a very nice day!

Nature playground Schiedam

In the middle of the polder near Schiedam you will find Nature Playground Kethelpoort. A place where children can explore and play with natural materials and water.

Here you can build dams, clamber in climbing trees and slide down the hill on the slope slide. Cross the water via logs, stepping stones and swinging ropes or pump up ditch water with the “Archimedes spiral”. The southern waterfront is fenced off with wood and branches so that the little ones do not run away unseen.

Jumpsquare

Do you want to avoid the rain or the sweltering heat of summer and still play sports? Then indoor jumping is a great idea! There are several locations for trampoline jumping in the Netherlands and since the beginning of last year there is also a Jumpsquare in Rijswijk.

The nice thing is that Jumpsquare is not only suitable for the youngest. Adults can also feel like children again at the trampoline paradise. There are certain times especially for minis (for children under 10 years old), for children over 10 years old, company outings and even trampoline fitness for adults (from 18 years old), the newest craze in the field of exercise! Of course, rules also apply to Jumpsquare to keep everyone healthy. So always check the website beforehand!

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