Art for children at Villa Zebra

OpstapmetLisa was recently invited to spend an afternoon at Villa Zebra. And that was very convenient, so in the autumn vacations! In this blog you will not only read how we experienced it, but we also share the opinion of two critical nine-year-old outing experts!

Villa Zebra

You can find Villa Zebra in Rotterdam, right on the river Maas. From the parking lot you have a great view of the Erasmus Bridge. A beautiful place in the middle of this vibrant city. Villa Zebra introduces children to art in a very playful and accessible way. The art is even literally processed into playground equipment where children can enjoy exploring.

Villa Zebra can be visited by anyone, but is also very popular with schools in the area. And because of the ever-changing exhibitions and themes, there is always something new to experience!

Different spaces

Upon entering, we already noticed that it is very organized. Perfect for smaller children! At the front desk, since it was our first time there, we were explained the different rooms. The first floor is completely equipped for children from 2 to 6 years old.

But to our nine-year-old crooks, we quickly noticed that they could also have fun here. Especially the building tables were quickly discovered. This allowed us to sit down in the restaurant area where they offer various hot and cold drinks and tasty sweets for very nice prices. There is also a small menu.

Room for little budding artists

The first floor, as mentioned earlier, is set up for little people. With the exhibition “Self!” the little ones can get in touch with art in a playful way. There are several fun workshops. For example, cute boxes were decorated. There is also a wonderful reading corner where all kinds of fun picture books can be found.

Furthermore, you come across a huge dollhouse that certainly invites to play. And further up the floor is a nice little indoor playground. This is not just any indoor playground but a real discovery area full of art. Very colorful and stimulating. There was busy tinkering at different tables during our visit, because in addition to discovering art, the intention is that the children make their own art. Completely as they envision it.

Also fun for older children

Our nine-year-old getaway experts also had a great time on the first floor. Not only the building tables, but also the circus and the peanut family (a project under the theme “The Kitchen Garden”), were worth exploring. We did have to slow them down a bit in that because that is obviously meant for small children. After taking something to eat and drink, it was time to explore the upstairs!

For older children

The upper floor is reserved for children ages 7 through 12. Here the “The Kitchen Garden” theme is well represented. It was not very crowded upstairs so our test panel got a lot of attention. Super fun to see how kids experience “art.”

The staff challenged the children by asking what they see in a particular painting or art object. They did that really nicely. This way children learn to look at art, because art is experienced by everyone in his or her own way. There are also questions and assignments that can be done, but nothing has to be done.

Own art

Every hour a workshop is held especially for the older children. Parents are not allowed to be present so that the children can design their own art. We thought this was very clever, because children are often influenced by their parents’ tips anyway.

Our experts really enjoyed the workshop, despite the fact that neither of them are really tinkerers. They made a fun bug out of waste materials. Afterwards, they enjoyed a nice plate of poffertjes, because making art makes you hungry! It was a really fun afternoon! Thank you Villa Zebra!

Practical information

Villa Zebra is open Tuesday through Sunday from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The exhibition “The Kitchen Garden” can still be visited until March 2020. During the vacations there is a different program and it may be a little busier than usual. By the way, we have not experienced this as annoying at all.

You can find Villa Zebra on the Stieltjesstraat in Rotterdam. You can park on the parking lot in front of Villa Zebra, but please note that this is paid parking. Besides the permanent and changing exhibitions there are also reading and klooimiddagen. Keep an eye on the website for these!

Would you like to be kept up to date with the latest blogs and contests? Then sign up for our monthly newsletter!