Christmas is coming and with it plenty of free time to spend with friends and family. Maybe a little too much free time. If you’re struggling for things to talk about with your family, then we have a list of family-friendly activities you can do with them over the holidays to help ease the awkward silences.
Play-in Utrecht
This is the best place to go if you want your kids to run off all that excess energy they’ve gained from the Christmas fare. Play-in Utrecht is an indoor playground, climbing area and trampolining zone. There is no end to the family-friendly activities your children can get up to there, but you can also have some fun yourself: there’s a lovely cafe there where you can chat to your fellow adults, read a book, or (we might as well admit it) scroll.
Winter Wonder Weeks – Leiden
It’s Christmas, so we absolutely have to have Christmas themed family-friendly activities. There is none better Leiden’s winter market. First of all, it’s floating on the canal- how magical is that? Grab some mulled wine, a cookie or a crepe, and wander around the different stalls. You can pick up Christmas decorations, little gifts, or even clothes. For kids, the magical atmosphere and the promise of a hot chocolate are all they’ll need to have an amazing afternoon.
Moco Museum – Amsterdam
Time for some cultural family-friendly activities! With all this time off, you might as well learn something. The Moco Museum in Amsterdam is perfect for this because it’s not your typical dry museum that will have your children begging to go home in seconds. Moco is full of colour, interactive exhibits, and contemporary art. And for your Instagram obsessed family members, the exhibits are VERY photographable.
MyEscapeClub – Amsterdam
Look, we all want to escape from our relatives around Christmastime. But what if you had something actually serious to escape from that would bring you closer with your esteemed family members? An escape room like MyEscapeClub is the perfect way to do so. Work together to solve the puzzle of the room, release some stress (and maybe go to a Boom Chicago show in the evening to continue the giddy atmosphere, though you’ll want to leave the kids at home for this one). As family-friendly activities go, there’s none better really.
Daytrip to Tilburg
Tilburg is a gorgeous city to go to on a day trip over Christmas: the perfect family-friendly thing to do when you need to get out of the house. It has plenty of lovely restaurants, bakeries and art. Plus, you can also visit the LocHal, which won Building of the Year this year. And there’s loads of nature around Tilburg so your wild children can enjoy some outdoor madness.
Ice skating
If we end up having a cold winter, then you might be able to give skating on a natural ice rink a go. But climate change is a thing, so there are plenty of artificial ice rinks for you to choose from in the event of a warm winter. We have an article about natural and man-made ice rinks around the Netherlands, so take your pick and get your skates on! It’s the ultimate wintery family-friendly activity.
Go to the zoo
It’s a typical family-friendly activity for a reason: going to the zoo has it all. Your children can run around, see exotic animals in real life (maybe for the first time) and you can even have lunch while you’re out. We have listed the 10 best zoos of the Netherlands for your pleasure, so do your research and head off to see the animal kingdom this Christmas.
Got any other plans for the holidays? Let us know in the comments below.
Feature image: 1494202/Pixabay