Parenting in Holland

**Kinderboederij: City farms, with rabbits, goats, pigs, cows, chickens. Bring along suitable foods (andijve, carrots, apples…) , NOT BREAD.

**Stables: Visit the horses, watch them being groomed, shod, fed. And, maybe even watch a riding lesson. Riouwstraat Manenge is great for this.

Swimming:
All kids love the water. Take them to the nearest pool. Get organised, arrive with the kids wearing their swim suits under their clothes, and bring a bag for the wet stuff at the end. Give clear instructions and NEVER let a child out of your sight. Plan your “”exit” strategy, because you will need co-operation from the kids.

Picnic: Simple sandwiches, fruit in slices, hard-boiled eggs, fruit juices with the accompanying blanket and serviettes. The sense of occasion is more important than the location, and your nearby park will be ideal if you are constrained by time (and the threatening dark clouds).
The Rosarium (kapelstraat) is beautiful, there is a place to rent a boat and row through the canals, and of course, the nearby Westbroekpark play ground is a favourite.

Fly a kite: Far more fun than it sounds, but the kids do all the running around and find it quite thrilling to see it fly. Great on the beaches, or if at your park, avoid the trees.

Soccer / Hockey tournament. Even 2-a-side could work. Use spatulas and a soft ball for “hockey” and any appropriate ball for soccer – set up goals and “go, go, go!”. Find a quiet street or empty church parking area....

Gardening: Grow a bean, mustard seed, corn or any plant. Start with wet cotton wool and watch the seed germinate, then plant in some soil and put in a pot. Or, buy some flowers from town, a nice pot and let the kids water it regularly.

Mini-Olympics: running races around the park, obstacle courses, egg-and-spoon races, skipping, sack-races, three legged races. Forget PC: Kids do love to know who are the winners and the losers.

*Build a sandcastle on the beach. Take the bus! Bring buckets, cups (of all shapes and sizes), and cocktail umbrellas and embellishments for fun.

Night tour: Take advantage of the short days in winter and organise a walk through the bosjes / forest with flashlights and lanterns (cheap lanterns at Xenos €2 each). See who scares first, you or the kids. Plan this directly after a meal, hungry kids are cranky kids!

*Nature treasure hunt / nature picture. Walk through the “bosjes” with a bagand grab pine-cones, feathers, coloured leaves of all shapes, old snail shells, pine needles, and paste them all with double sided tape on a big piece of cardboard. Talk and teach your kids about where they come from.

*Tree Climbing: good healthy fun. Make sure the First Aid Manual and kit is handy. Make sure you (or another in your group) can “rescue” your child, if needs be!

*Camping: Yes, kids will love a night in a tent, with pillows, sleeping bags and the friendly atmosphere of a campsite. Or, just erect a tent in your garden when its warm enough. Or, now in winter, put the tent in the spare room.

*Bike Ride: Visit a nearby “bosjes” that are new and unexplored with your children, whether they are in the bakfiets, trailer, front / rear seat or on their own bikes. Just nice to be out and about, without a real destination.

Don’t miss these hot spots...
Madurodam - a super outdoors entertainment spot for kids, but expensive! Have spare change.
Aviflora – birds and nature
Naturalis – in Leiden
Corpus – Leiden / Oegtsgeest for 8 y and up