Organizations, museums, sport clubs step up to entertain kids during teacher strike
With 90 percent on primary school teachers in the Netherlands striking today, many parents are left wondering what to do with their kids. Thanks to activities arranged by museums, theaters, sport schools and organizations across the country, there is a multitude of options.
Kids in Amsterdam on Thursday, will not not lack in entertainment, according to Het Parool. The city is filled with activities especially arranged for children missing school due to the strike. Micha Wertheim's kids production De Hik is showing in De Kleine Komdedie at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The Eye Film Museum arranged a special augmented reality tour for kids between 7 and 12 years, in which kids can walk through the museum with a tablet, coming 'face to face' with a number of celebrities.
While entry to the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam is always free for children under the age of 18, today the museum also scrapped entrance for parents or guardians of kids between the ages of 4 and 12. The VOC ship and Maritime Museum is letting kids in this age group in free today. And the Ketelhuis cinema is showing a number of kids' films. Het Parool has a comprehensive list of activities for children in Amsterdam on Thursday.
The municipal museums in The Hague and Groningen are also letting kids with one guardian in free during the teacher strike, according to AD. A number of child care facilities in The Hague region are letting parents buy one day of care, even if their child is not actually registered at the institution. Parents can also take their kids to the Generation Discover Festival on the Malieveld, where kids can get to know science and technology by playing with it. Entrance is free, but interested parents are advised to order tickets beforehand.
Sportsfondsen in Leiderdorp arranged a day of activities under the name Kids Party. For 24.95 euros, kids can spend a supervised days at De Does pool, with workshops for hiphop, street dance, and toddler dancing on the schedule.
A number of sport associations in Noord-Brabant are also taking this extra free day to get kids more active, according to Omroep Brabant. Hockey players at HC Tilburg arranged a "clinic" to introduce kids to the sport. The Sonsbeeck pool in Breda is letting kids in at a special tariff. De Stok pool in Roosendaal is open today while it is usually closed on a Thursday afternoon.
Den Bosch theater teacher Fleur van Rijn is calling kids to put on a show with her on Thursday. The theater day will last until around 3:30 p.m., with kids putting on their show for their parents around 3:00 p.m., according to the broadcaster. Fun park Billy Park Hemelrijk in Volkel's outside playground is open on Thursday, including the rollercoaster. And Chasse Cinema in Breda is showing kids films through the day.
Companies throughout Gelderland are offering special discounts and activities to keep kids entertained throughout the day, according to Omroep Gelderland. Tickets to Apenheul in Apeldoorn will only be 10 euros today, compared to the usual 21.50 euros. The Dolfinarium in Hardewijk also halved its entree price for Thursday. Museum Het Valkhof in Nijmegen completely scrapped the entree fee for kids and their parents or guardians. The museum opens its doors at 11:00 a.m. In the afternoon there will be special tours, and kids will also be able to make their own exhibition.
In Arnhem, Zevenaar, Velp and Aalten, dance studious are holding workshops for kids throughout the day. In Arnhem parents can take their kids to Versteegh, in Zevenaar to DJF Dance Center, in Velp to Studio 26 and in Aalten to DanzArte.
In Groningen kids can also find their entertainment in sports and museums on Thursday, according to Groningen Nieuws. The Sport Center Kardinge arranged an entire day full of tennis, skating, squash swimming and other sports. The Groningen Dance Center organized a day full of various activities, including food and drink, for only 20 euros per child. The Groninger Museum and University Museum in the city of Groningen are inviting kids to spend the day with them, free of charge. And a number of child care institutions arranged extracurricular care on Thursday.
Dutch bank ING invited their employees to bring their kids to work with them, at least in the offices in Amsterdam, Zwolle and Eindhoven. Kids will be entertained with, among other things, circus workshops, games, quizzes, foosball and lunch, according to Het Parool.