Out with the kids in Zeeuwse nature
The best cultural activities for children in Zeeland!
Written by: Zeeland.com
The are cultural activities aplenty for kids in Zeeland. A number of museums in Zeeland organise special activities for children, for example, a treasure hunt or immersion in Zeeland’s rich traditions, so they won’t mind being dragged along! And anyway, admit it: if the kids are having fun, you’ll have a great day out too! Read on for all the best tips!
Art picnics
Cycling through Walcheren is all fun for all the family, so why not make it even more enjoyable with an ‘art picnic’ along the way? Grab your bike and some tasty fare and head off into the countryside. Plan your route beforehand so that you know where to stop for your ‘art picnic’ and don’t be surprised by all the amazing places along the way where you can stop for refreshment. If you have less time on your hands, you can also follow the waymarked art picnic route. Fancy eating in the shade of a palm tree, or amongst the chickens or cows? Anything is possible!
Goes-Borsele steam train
Experience history from close quarters on the Goes-Borsele steam preservation line, with its magnificent steam locomotives hauling old-fashioned carriages through the Zuid-Beveland countryside. You can buy a ticket and travel in first, second or third-class and jump aboard at any of the stations along the line. Tip! The station at Hoedekenskerke has all sorts of activities for children, including a playground, an old hawker’s stall and a miniature railway.
All aboard!
Terra Maris
Kids and nature make a great combination! A visit to Terra Maris, the museum for natural history and landscape, always goes down well with the young ones. Indoors, the museum organises original exhibitions, and outdoors the kids can run around in the landscape garden whilst at the same time learning all about Zeeland’s natural and scenic beauty. The gardens include a replica of a old motte and bailey castle. Children can go exploring in and around the castle and in the summer medieval festivals are organised in the grounds. At these events, children can learn how to bake bread and play games from the Middle Ages. There’s never a dull moment!
Best museums for kids
Visiting a museum with children is not only fun, it’s educational too and helps bring history alive. Not only can you find out about the region’s chequered past, you can learn about the present too. Did you know that the only stand-alone belfry in the Netherlands is in Sluis? Here you can visit the Belfort Museum, climb the belfry and enjoy breathtaking views of the town and surrounding countryside. Perhaps you’re curious to know more about one of the Netherlands’ most famous naval heroes, Michiel de Ruyter. If so, you should certainly pay a visit to the muZEEum in Vlissingen, the only museum in Zeeland which has been accredited with the ‘Kidsproof 2024’ mark of approval. But there are many other museums worth visiting too. Here are just some of Zeeland’s museums to visit with children!
Zeeland's traditions
If you want your kids to learn more about Zeeland’s traditions and history without seeing the inside of a museum, you should visit a ‘tilting-at-the-ring’ tournament. In this event, horseriders attempt to thrust the point of their lance through a ring at full gallop. Ringrijden or ‘tilting-at-the-ring’ is one of Zeeland’s oldest traditions. Once a year, a special event is organised for children, where instead of being on horseback, children try to thread a ring onto their lance on foot. Want to know when events like this take place? Take a look at the events page of Zeeland’s tilting-at-the-ring association: the Ringrijdersvereniging.
Zeeland Treasure Hunts
Kids just love a good treasure hunt. Traipsing around town is just a bore, so take them on a treasure hunt! Many towns in Zeeland organise treasure hunts for kids, which you can do at your leisure. From picturesque Veere to historic Zierikzee, there’s nothing like a good old treasure hunt. Via Zeeuwse Speurtochten it’s possible to purchase and download a treasure hunt. Don’t forget that treasure hunts can only be followed at the designated times and dates. For more information, go to the website of Zeeuwse Speurtochten.
