Mini Golf at Amstel Park

For my children, mini-golf is something they associate with holidays. So if we happen to stay in Amsterdam, it's always fun to go and play mini-golf at Amstelpark.
There are actually two courses to choose from. You can go for the original Midget Golf course (€7) or the more stylish 18-hole Putting Greens course (€8) or do both for €12.

We prefer the Putting Greens course which is well-maintained and slightly more challenging. It is also partly shaded by trees, which is very pleasant on a hot and sunny afternoon.

From May to September, open from 10:00 - 18:00, Wednesdays - Sundays. In July & August, open on Mondays and Tuesdays too. www.midgetgolf-amstelpark.nl/ (Dutch only).

While in Amstelpark, why not also take a 15 minute tour of the park by train (€2.50), visit the 'Stadsboerderij' children's farm or the garden maze. There is also a large playground with sandpit, mini-rides and plenty of places to picnic.
See www.amstelpark.info (Dutch only) for the most up to date information.

[2015 prices]

Swimming at the Mirandabad (or not...)

If you want to go swimming in Amsterdam, I strongly recommend checking the website or calling ahead first to find out when the pools are available for recreational swimming. Each pool has it's own unique (usually quite complicated) schedule. Since May 2014, all customers over the age of 14 have been required to show I.D. in order to swim at the Mirandabad.
It's actually mandatory to carry officially recognised personal identification with you at all times in the Netherlands: either an I.D. card, a passport, or a Dutch driving licence (although most people don't notice if it's a European licence). Unfortunately, yesterday, I didn't have any I.D. with me and so I couldn't protest when we were turned away by the cashier. It was very disappointing not least because we'd been waiting in the queue for over half an hour.

So what were the alternatives? Not all swimming pools have this policy. What would be open for recreational swimming? And what would be easily accessible by public transport for our friends?

De Meerkamp in Amstelveen, is the most similar to the Mirandabad with a wave and leisure pool and outdoor pools in the summer, but too far away.
The Zuiderbad was the nearest in distance, but too boring according to my 13 year old (...although they have nude swimming, 16:30 - 17:30 every Sunday!)
In the end, the children chose the Marnixbad. It was open (on a public holiday), convenient for public transport and potentially fun despite not having much in the way of slides or waves.

To make it easier for you when considering your options, here is a list of local swimming pools in the area of Amsterdam in 2015:-

Leisure Complexes with Indoor and Outdoor Swimming Pools:
de Meerkamp. Van der Hooplaan 239, 1185 LN Amstelveen, 088 858 5185 www.meerkamp.nl
Sportplaza Mercator. Jan van Galenstraat 315, 1056 CB Amsterdam, 020 618 8911 www.sportplazamercator.nl
Mirandabad. Mirandalaan 9, 1079 PA Amsterdam, 020 252 4444 Mirandabad website
Sloterparkbad, President Allendelaan 3, 1064 GW Amsterdam, 020 506 3506 Sloterparkbad website (in English)

Indoor Swimming Pools:
Marnixbad. Marnixplein 1, 1015 ZN Amsterdam, 020 524 6000 www.hetmarnix.nl
Noorderparkbad. Sneeuwbalweg 5, 1032 VS Amsterdam, 020 435 2120 Noorderparkbad website
Zuiderbad. Hobbemastraat 26, 1071 ZC Amsterdam, 020 252 1390 Zuiderbad website

Open Air Swimming Pools:
Brediusbad. Spaarndammerdijk 306, 1013 ZX Amsterdam, 020 684 6984. Open 9 May - 6 September 2015 Brediusbad website
Flevoparkbad. Insulindeweg 1002, 1095 DH Amsterdam, 020 692 5030. Open 25 April - 6 September 2015 Flevoparkbad website

New school year, new classes starting

Now's the time to start enrolling your children in new classes, if they are not already carrying on from last year. Here's a new one I received for English-speakers:

Drama lessons for children in English
In September 2013, Artifact Amsterdam will offer drama lessons for kids in English. Acting is a great way for many children to express themselves, to be active and to develop their creativity. Furthermore it improves their ability to collaborate and to stand confidently in front of a group. Artifact offers 6 week courses, the first of which will start in September. Three groups planned: ages 8 - 10, 10 - 12 and 12 - 14. For more information you can visit: www.artifactamsterdam.nl.

The Rijksmuseum is worth the wait

The Rijksmuseum has reopened after 10 years and a 375 million euro restoration. We made our first attempt to visit only to discover, on the 29th April 2013, that it was closed for a private function. Queen Beatrix was hosting her last official function before abdicating in favour of her son: a state farewell dinner for royal guests and dignitaries. A very impressive backdrop, even for a royal occasion:

The museum website www.rijksmuseum.nl informs you that peak hours tend to be between 11am - 3pm, especially at weekends. The museum is open from 9am - 5pm. My boys (aged 8 and 10) had another day off school, so a Tuesday morning seemed a good time to avoid the queues and see what all the fuss was about for ourselves.

There are two queues to gain entrance to the building which move in waves so you make steady process. We arrived after 11am and had to wait for about 30 minutes. Once inside, there will probably be queues for any where else you might want to go: ticket desk, cloakroom, toilets, cafe, entrance to the collection, etc. Prams and buggies are tolerated although it is an old building, so bear that in mind when you are visiting with babies and toddlers.

I appreciated the clear layout and simple presentation of the collection which allows you to have an intimate and personal experience. I was impressed by the feeling that there is very little security about and yet you have close access to some very famous pieces. I did rather miss the hushed, respectful, church-like atmosphere of the old Rijksmuseum. There was so much mobile and digital photography going on, it was very disconcerting, especially in the Eregalerij / The Gallery of Honour leading up to the "Night Watch" by Rembrandt. At some point, I even caught myself being tempted to take a picture with these 'celebrities'. It may be brash but it is a very savvy decision. Imagine the amount of free buzz it gets via social media every day. It makes the Rijksmuseum part of popular culture just like it has always been cool to go to the Van Gogh Museum. It transforms its image of being somewhere you ought to go, to being somewhere you want to go.

My husband played a great game with my 10 year old, asking him to choose which pieces he would like to have in his home. My 8 year old's favourite was the model ship on the second level: William Rex (2.15).

Local Tip: Visit the Rijksmuseum after 3pm and you will have to queue less, there will be fewer large tour groups and more space to roam and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

Queen's Day Celebrations 2013

For up-to-date and practical information about the extra special arrangements for Queens Day 2013 and the inauguration of King Willem-Alexander in Amsterdam, visit: queens-day/amsterdam-royal-celebrations-30-april

Fantastic Children's Film Festival

The EYE Film Institute shows children's films every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons: see www.eyefilm.nl for more information.
From 12th - 22nd February 2013, they are creating a 'department store' with interactive activities for children from 2 to 10 years old. Tickets: €7.50: www.fantastischkinderfilmfestival.nl
Some films shown at Cinekid in October, including "Ernest & Celestine" and "Kirikou and the Men & Women", are on the schedule - highly recommended if you missed them first time round. Most of the films will be dubbed or subtitled in Dutch and perhaps not English, so please check: children's programme

Jumping Amsterdam

Even though my daughter is not even 3 yrs old, she loves horses. So while I was looking for something completely different, I suddenly noticed an advert for Jumping Amsterdam, which I had never even heard of before. It is being held at the RAI between 17 - 20 January 2013.  The programme includes Show Jumping and Dressage, as well as displays and activities for children on the Sunday morning.
Check out the programme here: www.jumpingamsterdam.nl