Pre-School: Courses & Activities

It is often possible to register for a trial lesson before signing up for a whole course. 

Playgroups & Activities

Baby Massage & Gymnastics www.activehealthcenter.nl  Well-known for her pregnancy yoga classes (given in English), Lilleth Turk also offers baby massage and baby gymnastics classes. 

Baby Yoga  www.teenytinyyoga.com  New to Amsterdam in January 2014, an English class run by fully qualified children's yoga teacher Jenni Grossman: includes yoga for mum's, gentle movement and songs for babies. Suitable for babies from 8 weeks until they become mobile. Reserve online.

Drama Class

Little Stars 2 - 4 Year Group: Thursdays 10.30 - 11.30

Jazz Hands  4 - 7 Years Group: Wednesdays 13.30 - 14.30

All classes are taught in English and take place at the Yoga Community www.yogacommunity.nl. For more information contact Amy Potter at potteramy@hotmail.com or call 06-1563 9885.

English Bookshop www.englishbookshop.nl has a playgroup for babies under 12 months (and their parents) which meets every Wednesday morning at 11am. They also have story reading for children under 3 years old every Friday morning at 10:30am.

Jacaranda Tree  www.jacarandatreemontessori.nl
A playgroup for 0 - 4 year olds and their parents in a Montessori environment. It is located on the east side of the Vondelpark by the Amstelveenseweg. The materials are at child-level and reflect activities in the home. It's really spacious and airy.

Little Gym  www.thelittlegym-eu.com
My friends rave about the classes here, but I found it just too far for me to cycle and my children get opportunities for physical exercise and tumble elsewhere. Of course if you have a car, no problem with parking.

Muziekschool Amsterdam www.muziekschoolamsterdam.nl
At different locations across Amsterdam, short courses in music and movement for babies and toddlers (lessons usually in Dutch).

Robbeburg International Playgroup  www.robbeburg.com
A playgroup run by members, located in the Rivierenbuurt (Zuideramstel). I've actually only been to a birthday party here but the space looks fun and is probably a good place to meet other families.

Playgrounds

Children’s Farm Zimmerhoeve www.zimmerhoeve.nl, Douwes Dekkerstraat 2 has a children's petting farm. The community centre the Havelaar is also here with a playground and sandpit for smaller children, a wooden pirate ship and sandpit with water for older children and a ground for ball sports.

Cremerplein: big playground, currently under renovation. 

Potgieterstraat: mini trampolines, water, slide.

Vondelpark: There are several playgrounds in the Vondelpark. The Groot Melkhuis www.grootmelkhuis.nl is open from 10am. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays during the winter.


Westerpark www.westergasfabriek.nl: several playgrounds, children's farm, plenty of cafes and a paddling pool in the summer, ice rink in the winter. 

TunFun www.tunfun.nl 

Indoor, underground play area in the centre of town. Tends to get busy when the weather is bad. Is also good in the summer if it is too hot for the children outside. 

Swimming

Swim Kids  www.swimkids.eu
Swimming classes in English and Dutch, at Sportplaza Mercator, Jan van Galenstraat in Amsterdam, as well as other locations in The Netherlands.

Most swimming pools in Amsterdam offer parent & child classes (ouder en kind zwemmen).  You have to register for a place and usually sign up for a series of lessons. Here are a few options to consider:
Het Marnix: www.hetmarnix.nl
Sportplaza Mercatorbad: www.sportfondsen.nl
De Mirandabad: www.zuid.amsterdam.nl

My children learn to swim with Oerbron www.oerbron.nl. This is a private school with qualified teachers (Dutch-speaking) that offers everything from pregnancy classes and baby swimming all the way to children's swimming diplomas ABC. Oerbron use a swimming pool on the Overtoom in a revalidation centre and at De Werf in Amsterdam Noord.