Posts filed under 'Indoor Activities'
Amsterdam has a new attraction for kids and it is so great we immediately added it to our ‘top five things to do in Amsterdam’.
Het Huis van Aristoteles (’The House of Aristotle’ – named after the famous philosopher and inventor of the senses), is a children’s museum which offers activities ‘that challenge the senses and stimulate creativity, fantasy and curiosity’.
The first exposition in the museum is called Heldenstad (’HeroTown’) and is inspired by the famous Dutch children’s book, ‘Pluk van de Petteflet’. There’s a 6-meter-high building envisioning the ‘Petteflet’ (see picture), with all sorts of great things to be explored: various little bedrooms furnished by children from different cultures and backgrounds, dress up clothes, dolls, trains, etc.
There is even a kitchen with ‘Mrs. Helderder’ (’Mrs. Clearer’ – a character of the book), who vigorously tells all the children to help her clean, because ‘it is all so filthy’. My daughter was polishing shoes and mopping floors for nearly one hour; she had rosy cheeks and a big smile on her face!
Pluk van de Petteflet is probably only familiar to you if you are Dutch, or have lived in the Netherlands for a fairly long time. I don’t think it has ever been translated! But if you’re interested, you can read our friend Irene’s review of the book on B:Kids.
There are also ‘laboratories’ in which children can experiment with only natural materials — they can make their own shadow-theater, there are plenty of dolls, books, toys, and little corners to be explored.
The museum is directed toward children from 4 to 8 years, but my children (1½ and 3½) had the time of their life!
Really, I highly recommend this place.
Also, the museum happens to be located in a wonderful area of Amsterdam, Westergasfabriek, where there is a park, playground, tons of cute cafés and restaurants (de Bakkerswinkel amongst them), and a city farm, all within walking distance.
Enjoy!
xxx Esther
Picture: polishing shoes in Mrs. Clearer’s kitchen
Esther in Amsterdam
October 24th, 2008
The Hollandsche Manege translates to ‘The Dutch Riding School’, and the manner in which it is spelled (in Dutch) conveys that we are talking about an OLD riding school here. The building, based on the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and located on the Northern edge of the Vondelpark, dates back to 1882 and was meant to serve the recreational needs of the rich and/or aristocrat inhabitants of Amsterdam. Membership was expensive, and you can still tell by the heavy decoration and the feeling of grandeur!
Nowadays you don’t have to be rich or aristocratic to enjoy the Hollandsche Manege…
Classes are open to everybody, and you can always walk in to have a look at the horses (there is one horse, Queenie, who is extremely sweet toward children and is always happy to be caressed)! My kids love it, and I make sure to take them every now and then. My daughter is especially fond of horses — she can’t wait until she is old enough to start lessons! I won’t mind it either, because there’s a lovely tearoom on the first floor overlooking the arena…
Or maybe I should start riding again?? I’m tempted!
xxx Esther
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De Hollandsche Manege
Vondelstraat 140
1054 GT Amsterdam
+31 (0)20 618 0942
*Map*
Opening hours:
Mon – fri 9 am-1 am
Sat 8 am – 8 pm
Sun 8 am – 5 pm
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Esther in Amsterdam
September 1st, 2008
The Tropenmuseum (Tropical Institute) of Amsterdam is one of those museums where you walk in and feel the grandeur of what once was… I have that same feeling in similar beautiful buildings, like the Natural History Museum in London, or the Royal Museum of Central Africa in Brussels…
It’s about anthropology, discovery, history, about dangerous expeditions and great adventures… Dr. Livingstone, I presume???
The original name of the Tropical Institute was Colonial Museum and it was first opened in Haarlem in 1871 (the current building in Amsterdam was inaugurated in 1926). The initial aim of the museum was to exhibit products and crafts from the Dutch overseas territories. There are however not many Dutch colonies left and the building is huge, so nowadays the exhibitions display art, objects, photographs, music and film from non-western cultures in general, giving an insight into the daily lives of the people of the tropics and subtropics.
It’s really a fantastic museum to visit, and also great for children. We went last weekend (it was raining), and our 3-year-old LOVED it! There were so many interesting things for her to see; think life size mock-ups of Arabic shops, a real Bedouin tent, sculptures made of aluminum foil (Thailand), fabrics to feel, music to listen to, loads and loads of buttons to press activating different lights or sounds…
It’s all truly interesting and educational. I can imagine it would also be great to bring older children here to give them insight in what they have learned at school! Or, if you’re about to travel to exotic places, it would be good to go here beforehand and study the culture a bit to prepare yourself and your children for what to expect!
Besides the general kids’ activities the museum has to offer (puzzle-routes in Dutch and creative workshops on weekends), the museum has fantastic special kids’ programmes (best to check the site to see what is going on).
I really like the restaurant too; there is a lovely terrace overlooking the East-park, and the menu is international so you can literally have a taste of other cultures (the Suriname roti is really good)! High chairs are available.
xxx Esther
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Tropenmuseum
Linnaeusstraat 2
1092 CK Amsterdam
+31 (0)20 568 8200
Open daily from 10 am – 5 pm (On 5, 24 and 31 December from 10 am – 3 pm)
Closed on 1 January / 30 April / 5 May / 25 December
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Esther in Amsterdam
July 22nd, 2008
On the edge of the Vondelpark in Amsterdam there is a wonderful place to bring your kids: the Kinderkookcafé (Childrens’ Cooking Café). The fact that it is a café is good news for the parents – they can meet up and have a cup of coffee and a simple snack like a sandwich, soup or apple-pie. The good news for the kids is that while their parents are catching up and drinking coffees, they can ‘cook’! They have a choice of:
- Making pizza
- Decorate cookies / cup cakes
- Making sausage animals
- Making sandwich faces
- Making carrot or cucumber puzzles
There are also plenty of toys and books around, and a lovely outdoor area to sit and play. For all ages. Mini chairs, high chairs, kiddies toilets and baby changing facilities are available.
xxx Esther
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Kinderkookcafé
Vondelpark 6b (look for the ‘Kattenlaan’ at Overtoom 325)
1071 AA Amsterdam
+31 (0)20 625 3257
*Map*
Open daily from 10.00 to 17.00
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Esther in Amsterdam
March 30th, 2008
In an old tunnel and pedestrian passageway, under a busy square in the center of Amsterdam, a kids paradise is created: TunFun. This indoor playground is the ideal place to bring your overactive kids on a cold or rainy day. There are playzones for different age groups, with trampolines, jump cushion, ball pools, slides, and much much more: plenty of opportunity for your kids to climb/kreep/crawl…
The venue looks odd but at the same time very cool - you actually do have the feeling you’re in a tunnel (a very spacious one, don’t worry); the tram can be seen passing by over your head! There’s a lot of scaffolding, graffiti and traffic lights going on, adding to the feeling of cool urbanity. Toddlers and pre-schoolers will love the challenges this place offers, but older kids (up to 12) will still love this place, because it’s so cool.
Plenty of benches and couches are provided for the parents to sit down have a cup of coffee and read one of the magazines or newspapers around.
Well, idealy.I think that the older the children are, the more relaxing your time at TunFun will be: even though they have a seperate soft play area for the little ones, my 11-month old still needed my help and support. Meanwhile, my 2 1/2 year old was so excited she dissapeared in the section 4 years and up – 4 floors of crawling, climbing and sliding, in which she had no problem mountaineering into, but more trouble coming back from! After looking for her for 5 minutes in this gigantic playground, I saw her crying about 6 meters over my head on the top floor. Dutyfull mother as I am, I ended up climbing and crawling through this oversized foam climbing rack, bending myself in all shapes to come to her rescue, only to find out that the whole panick proved to be slightly exagerated – and in fact just an excuse to get me up there!
Oh well, I guess I needed the work-out.
Changing room and kids toilets are available, nappies are for sale together with a variety of basic drinks and snacks (nothing fancy).
I hear going here in a weekend is not the best of an idea (I’m weary of finding out for myself), but on weekday mornings it’s nice and quiet.
xxx Esther
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TunFun
Mr. Visserplein 7
1011 RD Amsterdam
+31 (0)20 689 4300
*Map*
Open daily from 10AM to 6PM (last admissions at 5PM)
Closed on April 30 / January 1
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Esther in Amsterdam
March 9th, 2008
Monday:
Go out for breakfast in the Bakkerswinkel. A basket of different sorts of bread, muffins, scones and croissants makes way to your table accompanied by a much needed coffee and orange juice. Fancy jams can be found on the table. Open from 7AM – what a wonderful way to start the week!
After, take your children to the Amstelpark, where there is a lovely playground and a little city farm. A ‘real train’ can take you around the park – a sure hit with your little ones.
Had enough of the park? Go to the Scheldestraat where you can find the great kids’ shoe store Meys&Co (open from 1PM onwards), with Koter&Co across the street where they sell a big selection of the cool Dutch kiddie brand Imps&Elfs (and more).
Before going back home, don’t forget to visit Italian delicatessen Feduzzi for a cappuccino and one of their mouth-watering Panini. And don’t forget the babyccino for your little angel! You can pick up something for dinner here too – I promise you, the food is great and prices are reasonable.
Tuesday:
TunFun is an indoor playground that your children will LOVE. There are different soft play areas for different age groups, and there are also benches and a lounge area for the grown ups. A good place to start the day with a cup of coffee (and a great place to go if it’s raining)!
Artis, the Zoo of Amsterdam, is not far from here. Because of the mix of historic buildings, huge amounts of green and great variety of animals, this is truly a magnificent place to spend half a day.
In the unfortunate but not unthinkable case of bad weather, Artis provides many indoor activities for your children and yourself to enjoy: the aquarium, the greenhouses, reptile house, Planetarium and the new butterfly-garden.
The playgrounds and restaurants are very good, but if you feel like having lunch in a different environment, you can go to restaurant Plancius across the street from Artis. It’s a good place to go with children (high-chairs are available).
Wednesday:
Make your way to the Central Station because right next to it is NEMO: the science centre. Great for kids! There only rule here is: forbidden NOT to touch!
From the sloping roof-piazza, the view over Amsterdam is magnificent. In summer, this roof-piazza transforms to a city beach (sand, bean bags, stunning harbour views and tapas-style snacks)!
If the weather is not good enough to enjoy lunch on the roof (it happens often in Amsterdam, this is why I keep mentioning it), you better go to the new Public Library next door. On the top floor is a self-service restaurant with a wonderful selection of fresh food, sandwiches and fruit juices (yes, cakes too), with again a great panorama over Amsterdam and plenty of high-chairs. After lunch, you can visit the VOC ship in front of NEMO to have a taste of life on a ship in the Golden Age (18th century).
Thursday:
Go shopping in the Nine Streets where boutique after boutique makes you wish you came with a truck instead of a pushchair (to load all the goodies in)!
After, take your little ones for lunch in restaurant Pancakes! where you’ll find high chairs, toys, kids’ menu and a friendly staff! Or, get ‘friet’ with mayonnaise at the ‘Vlaams Friteshuis’ in the Voetboogsteeg; arguably the best Belgian French Fries in Amsterdam.
Friday:
Grab your bakfiets (or rent one) and make your way to the Amsterdamse Bos. Go for a long stroll, let your children run around for a bit, and then visit the macrobiotic goat farm. There are chickens, pigs, cows, and, of course, goats. Kids can help feed the baby goats and are allowed to cuddle. The cheese factory can be visited and there is a cheese shop – so don’t worry too much about dinner; goat cheese will do just fine. The playground is made from all natural materials and there is a maze!
You can have lunch here, or at ‘Boerderij Meerzicht’, with chickens and peacocks roaming around the farmyard.
In summertime there are wading pools, and an adventure island (with footbridges and a little ferry) to be explored in the Amsterdamse Bos; building huts is allowed here!
After the journey back home, put your children to bed early as they will be exhausted, and enjoy a quiet evening with your man (or find a babysitter and hit the streets of Amsterdam)! Cheers to the weekend!
Esther in Amsterdam
February 18th, 2008
But a Science Centre!
NEMO is a fantastic building in the heart of Amsterdam designed by the world famous Italian architect Renzo Piano. It resembles a big ship heading for the ocean and it houses a great place to entertain your children. Their cute motto is: forbidden NOT to touch!
I read on the NEMO website that the primary target group is children aged between 6 and 16, but we brought our 2 1/2-year-old daughter together with her 64-year-old grandfather and both of them enjoyed themselves immensely! There are soap bubbles so big you can stand in them, life size kaleidoscopes, a DNA exhibit, and they show you how to provide a house from energy, etc. etc. Everything is set-up in a playful, interactive matter. We were there on a Saturday, so not the quietest of days you can imagine, but still there were no lines and we were able to do every experiment we were interested in.
From the sloping roof-piazza, the panorama over Amsterdam is magnificent. In summer, this roof-piazza transforms to a city beach with sand, beanbags, stunning harbour views and tapas-style snacks. No NEMO ticket is necessary to get here (either by means of the exterior stairs, or the lift inside the building), but before you go you should check the opening hours on the NEMO website because they depend on the weather.
Food wise – I would suggest to have lunch on the top floor of new public library next door. Here you find really good, fresh food, nice fruit juices and plenty of high chairs. (Unless you fancy a simple hot dog or soft bun, then NEMO will serve you just right).
xxx Esther
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Nemo
Oosterdok 2 (on the east side of the central trainstation; walking distance)
1011 VX Amsterdam
+ 31 (0) 20 531 3233
*Map*
Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 to 17.00 hrs. (Closed on Mondays)
Closed: April 30 / December 25 / January 1
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Esther in Amsterdam
February 10th, 2008
Who doesn’t love Miffy? My daughter surely adores her! Dick Bruna created this little rabbit in 1955 and by now her stories have been translated to more than 40 languages! Did you know Miffy has her own website?
Last weekend we decided to treat our children to a little trip to ‘Miffy’s House’ (a.k.a. the Dick Bruna House).
The house is located in Utrecht, a beautiful city about a half-an-hour drive or train ride from Amsterdam. It was brilliant! My 2 1/2-year-old had the time of her life exploring the museum. There’s a real (kid’s scale) house where children can sit at Miffy’s table, try her bed, test her clothes, etc. There are interactive computer games, videos to watch, books to read, big elements to play with, and more.
My 10-month-old loved crawling through the tunnel (with real windows and curtains) and checking out the displays of Dick Bruna’s characters. There is also a workshop where they can make Miffy masks, ears and dolls. I liked seeing Dick Bruna’s other graphic work (posters and book covers), by which I was very impressed! The shop has a fantastic selection of Miffy books and toys, and ships internationally!
xxx Esther
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Dick Bruna Huis
Agnietenstraat 2
Utrecht
+31 (0)30 2362 392 (tue-sun 11.00-17.00)
*Map*
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 – 17:00 (Closed on Monday)
Closed on: 1 January / 30 April / 25 December
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Esther in Amsterdam
December 23rd, 2007
