Tips for a successful family weekend

Do they do family weekends in your family? And is it your turn to organize one soon? If so, you might be inspired by this blog! With family weekends, the challenge is always to make everyone comfortable. Therefore, it is also important to factor everyone’s interests and physical condition into your plan. After all, Grandma may not be able to walk very far anymore and Uncle Leen may hate escaperooms.

General tips for a successful family weekend

Make good arrangements during the family weekend. Make sure everyone is really “present” during the weekend, so phones on silent or completely off. Of course there are times when the phone may come out again, but the intention is to chat with each other, eat and do fun activities. Try to beware of endless monologues about ailments, illnesses and other woes, and certainly don’t go back over old ground. There is something in every family, but a family weekend is not the time to talk out disagreements. If there are so many disagreements, there probably wouldn’t even be a family weekend. So keep it cozy and lighthearted.

Tips for peaceful family weekends

Are there no daredevils in your family? Then it’s probably not a good idea to take them for a bunjeejump or other exciting outing. Obviously, you can’t please everyone, but you can try to take into account the types in the family. If you have a quiet family, then the following outings are great for a family weekend:

Take a cooking workshop

Being involved with food together is always fun. The fact that you get to eat it afterwards is even more fun! The whole family can participate, even the little ones can do chores. While cooking you can have a nice chat and if you get tired of Aunt Anja just put the blender on speed 2. Fun cooking workshops are given by Kookparty, among others. You can choose from cooking workshops such as sushi making, street food workshops and bonbon making. The Cooking Factory has several locations allowing you to choose a central location. At Koken-Op-Maat the cooking workshop can also be combined with a nice cruise.

Book a canal cruise

Speaking of canal cruises… that is also a nice family outing for quiet families. Do you have a family with a sense of humor? Then Klompvaren in Hattem via Vadesto is great fun. In small boats of 4 to 6 people in the shape of a clog you paddle through a beautiful course. Or take a cruise through the Biesbosch with the whole family. At the Zilvermeeuw they have different arrangements. Or explore Giethoorn with the family and rent a whisper boat through the Rietstulp. Afterwards you can also enjoy an extensive buffet together.

Visit a botanical garden

Walking around in a botanical garden is always fun, even as a family outing. Arboretum and botanical garden Trompenburg in Rotterdam is truly an oasis of tranquility ánd you can learn all about plants! Besides a huge outdoor area there are also several greenhouses like the Desert Greenhouse with various cacti. You can choose to walk with or without a guide. During your visit you can relax with a nice picnic. Tucked away in a Hilversum residential area you will find Pinetum Blijdenstein. Conifers are central to this garden, but of course there is much more. Up to 25 people can receive a customized tour.

Organize a food tour

Combine the relaxation of a road trip with good food with a food tour. For example, discover the pearls of Brabant with City Tours Eindhoven. Or put on your walking shoes and indulge in some culinary delights with Food by Foot. There are various options and packages in Middelburg. And with the Street Food Tour Utrecht, you can discover the city of Utrecht while tasting with an enthusiastic guide.

Family weekend tips for reasonably active families

Is everyone in the family reasonably fit and do they like active outings and sightseeing? Then we have the following tips for you:

Discover Holland by bike

Does your family love cycling and good food? Then arrange an appointment at Bakkie Fietsen. The route will take you past all kinds of horticultural locations in the Westland and before you know it, your empty “bakkie” will suddenly be completely filled with fresh goodies from the greenhouses. Also suitable for large families (up to 60 people!). Or get to know The Hague, Delft or Scheveningen in a different way with Cycle and the City. Do you prefer cycling in nature? Then cycle for example through the characteristic Dutch peat meadow area of Municipality De Ronde Venen. This relatively short cycle route of 25 km can be perfectly combined with a picnic, lunch or coffee and cake.

Go for a walk with the family

If you and the family are staying somewhere else in the country (for example, in vacation homes or a bungalow park), it is of course fun to get to know a place better. On foot, for example! The handy walking app from Walk the City is easy to use and also great to use in large groups. Just agree on who will all download the app and set off together. Want to discover the dark side of the city during your family weekend? Then The Little Walk of Horrors ‘ 100% offline walking tours are highly recommended. Four or five people can get along just fine with one booklet and route and while walking you will learn all about the (often gory) history of the city and sometimes even encounter a haunted house! Fun for young and old, between 4 and 7 km long and without scare moments. Moreover, you walk without a guide, so you have plenty of time for a nice lunch, a delicious ice cream or peek into a nice store.

Visit an activity site

Is your family a little crazy and not averse to an element of competition? Then the following locations are very entertaining. At De Tuinderij in De Lier is full of activities. For example, go full throttle through the greenhouse on a mobility scooter (in this, grandma has a head start on the rest of the family), race against each other on a toilet bowl, play live table soccer or do one of the many outdoor activities. Also in the Westland, in ‘s-Gravenzande, you will find The City. This fun indoor activity venue offers activities such as Mini-golf, laser gaming, bowling, bocce ball and VR games. Afterwards, the whole family can enjoy tasty pizzas. And for dessert, you all dive into the karaoke bar, of course!

Tips for active families

If your family likes to get moving and even grandpa cheers when someone mentions go-karting, then the following outings are for your family.

With the whole family in the tree

No fear of heights? Then Klimpark Adventure City in Rotterdam is just the thing for your family. Everyone from 4 years old can climb and there are zip-lines, a via ferrata (an iron “mountain” route) and of course a freefall for real daredevils! Afterwards you can have a drink and/or eat from an extensive buffet. A complete day out! Klimbos Garderen also knows what the active family is looking for. There are different levels, so even the less adventurous cousin will dare. Klimbos Ermelo has something for everyone: from a special kids course to the toughest course in the Netherlands. No one has to be bored here!

Challenge each other in the escaperoom

By now everyone is familiar with escaperooms, even grandparents. Truly unforgettable group outings can be found at Fun Village in Rotterdam where you can do other activities besides escaperooms. Think of axe throwing! You can check the skills of Uncle Henk. The escaperooms Prison Island and the Black Box escape room are especially suitable for adults, but they also have escape rooms for kids. So everyone has a great time there! Fun Village also likes to provide snacks and drinks, so everything under one roof! Backspace Escape Rooms in Amsterdam has rooms for children as young as 8 years old. Perfect for a family weekend with a smaller family.

Photos: Adventure City, The Little Walk of Horrors and www.canva.com