Spring break can feel like a week of nothingness… you may be wondering what you're going to do with the kids this holiday. It's not spring yet, and it's not really winter either. The children get bored quickly with this weather and are not really happy. Fortunately, with these 5 tips you will have a great holiday in your own country!
Tip 1 - On an adventure in a special play forest
There are various play forests in the Netherlands where you and the children can play for hours. Climbing in the ropes and swinging through the trees. Build your own hut with branches that are all over the ground for the taking. Take your (children's) pocket knife with you to make tough spears, then you will walk through the forest like true Indians. Believe me, all the crooks and monkeys can lose their energy in a play forest. Here you will find an overview of various play forests in the Netherlands.
Tip 2 - Combing on the beach
There is a good chance that it will storm again in February / March and that is good news! The next day, the beach is full of finds from the sea. And that is the chance to go beachcombing. It is unpredictable what you will find on the beach. Something very special may just have blown up. By the way, don't forget to bring a bag in which you can put all the plastic you come across on the beach. This way you help nature clean up a bit and that gives you a super good feeling.
Top 3 - Youth Land, a paradise for children
Somehow, Jeugdland is kind of a well-kept secret. I myself discovered Jeugdland Nieuw Vennep (there are several in the Netherlands) and didn't know what I was seeing. I should have known that many years ago. Children can romp and play (outside) to their heart's content, nothing is too crazy. From go-karting, messing around with water and sand to building huts with pallets. During the spring break there is often an organized program with super fun activities for children. PS: Bring your own kid- sized tools to safely work on your awesome cabin.
Tip 4 - Go on a hare safari
Staatsbosbeheer organizes hare safaris from February to April . It is then the mating season of the hare. Serious? A hare safari? Yes, really cool. The males fight for the females during this period and that gets pretty rough. The kickbox fight between Badr Hari and Rico Verhoeven is nothing compared to it and it is also a cheap outing. Together with the forester you will search for hares and their tracks. After this safari you will know where to find hares, you know everything about their droppings and maybe you will find a paw print ... super handy to take this identification card with paw prints of different animals on your safari. Of course you can also go on safari in your area with your children. With this card you know exactly which animal the paw prints are from!
Tip 5 - Build your own fortress
This can be done both indoors and outdoors depending on the weather. Take out all those sheets and get out a lot of clothespins, we're going to make a mega fort! You put sheets or rugs over all chairs and tables and from front to back of the house you make your own mega tent with everyone crawling and sneaking through routes!
Also read: Rainy weekend: a Happy Place hut for the kids = me-time for you
Oh help, isn't this going to be a mess? Um, well, probably. Make an agreement in advance that everything will be neatly cleaned up at the end of the day and come up with a reward in advance. Has everything been cleaned up? For example, bake pancakes or cookies together at the end of the day. A little too much of a good thing? A snack from the snack bar can of course also be a great reward. But…only when everything is cleaned up 😉
Do you also have a good adventurous spring break tip? Leave it below as a comment.
Creative inspirer with the mission to let every child develop his or her talent. Miranda studied Creative Therapy as a social pedagogical employee and manager in childcare. She is the mother of three tough boys and owner of the creative and adventurous webshop Boef en Aap ( Happlify crew ).
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