fun things to do with kids in the netherlands     
  Travel for Kids
The Netherlands
   
     
    Gelderland
  The Hoge Veluwe National Park (near Arnhem) – The Hoge Veluwe National Park is miles and miles of forests, open fields, sandy hills, ponds, pastoral countryside, it's the biggest national park in the Netherlands. Use the free bicycles to ride around (there are some kids' bikes and bikes with seats for little ones). The visitor's center has a cafeteria, but bring a picnic!
      Kroller-Muller Museum – The museum, nestled in the park land, has some of your favorite Van Gogh paintings, plus paintings by Picasso, Seurat (all those little dots are fun for kids), and Mondrian (nice red, yellow, blue and black blocky paintings). There's also an outdoor sculpture garden with Rodin and contemporary artists – the sculpture isn't at all stuffy. Don't miss the black and white landscape of the Jardin d'Emaille, a great place to play.
    Netherlands Open Air Museum (Arnhem) – Step into 250 years of Dutch life at the Open Air Museum (Openluchtmuseum). Typical cottages, gabled houses, a windmill or two, raising bridges, gardens galore, historical workshops. It's most fun to walk around the park, but there's also a tram ride. Cheese making, ship building, paper making demonstrations. The Open Air Museum is open April – October.
kids books netherlands
     
Visiting Vincent van Gogh  
Visiting Vincent van Gogh
Caroline Breunesse

Before you go to the Kroller-Muller Museum, find out where van Gogh lived and painted, his favorite bright colors, why his paintings are so popular now, but weren't back when van Gogh lived. (Picture book)

 

     
In the Garden with Van Gogh
Julie Merberg, Suzanne Bober

Toddlers can touch van Gogh paintings in this charming board book with rhyming descriptions. "Twelve sunflowers lean toward the light, five are wide open, seven shut tight." (Board book)

 

 
In the Garden with Van Gogh
     
Vincent's Colors - kids books The Netherlands  
Vincent's Colors
Vincent van Gogh, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Vincent van Gogh's own words, paired with his paintings, are a magical combination. Poetic phrases focus on colors in each picture – butter yellow chairs, a pink sky, the lady's clothes are black, black, black – and make the paintings really come alive. A fabulous book for all ages, kids and adults alike. "And in my head a starry night."(Picture book)

 

(More children's books on other Netherlands pages)