Visiting Lauwersmeer National Park with children
Bored? You can do that somewhere else. At least in the Lauwersmeer area, there is no time for that. Wherever you go, you can clamber and run around in playgrounds and on footpaths especially for children. Or visit one of the best zoos in the Netherlands.
Bird watching trail Lauwersmeer
National Park Lauwersmeer is a wonderful place to enjoy birds. Especially for children aged 6 to 12, there is the Bird Experience Trail at Activiteitencentrum Lauwersnest. Get the booklet with assignments at the centre, keep your eyes and ears open and search for 8 nesting boxes. There you can do the assignments from the booklet.
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Badger trail Lauwersmeer
Discover the hidden life of the badger. Wander through National Park Lauwersmeer with the whole family and learn everything about one of its most special inhabitants: the badger. This 3.2 km treasure hunt takes you through a varied landscape full of surprises. Along the way, you answer questions from the booklet. Each correct answer earns a letter. All the letters together form a sentence. Have you found the solution? Show it to the Lauwersnest and receive a real badger certificate!
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Climbing and walking at Lauwersnest
The ideal starting point for your adventure in National Park Lauwersmeer is Activiteitencentrum Lauwersnest. Children can play to their heart’s content in the treehouse forest. Or, in summer, borrow a net from the centre to catch and observe aquatic creatures. At the covered fire pit, you can toast your own bread over the open fire. Fancy a spot of nature? All sorts of walking routes start from Lauwersnest. A lovely, not-too-long walk for the whole family is the 1.5-kilometre nature trail. Or the bird discovery trail, where you’ll be given all sorts of questions and tasks about birds along the way.
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Exploring the Gnome Trail
A truly special walk starting from Activiteitencentrum Lauwersnest is the Gnome Trail. Yes, indeed, gnomes live in National Park Lauwersmeer. Only very young children can see them. There are traces of gnomes everywhere, such as tiny footprints in the sand, wheel tracks from a wheelbarrow, and flattened grass from an afternoon nap. Set off on your own or hire a rucksack from Lauwersnest. With red-painted cheeks and a pointed hat, the little ones can set off on their adventure.
Playing in the Water Playground
Fancy having a bit of a mess with sand and water? In the spacious Water Playground at restaurant Het Booze Wijf in Lauwersoog, children of all ages can let off steam with the dredger and the construction site. Through play, they learn how water systems work. Or at the very least, they get nice and dirty. Parents can relax in the sun whilst the children get up to their usual antics. Just pop up every now and then to grab an ice cream.
Take a look
DoeZoo
DoeZoo isn’t in the Lauwersmeer itself, but just just outside it. A zoo where you’re allowed to do just that bit more. Because if you think nature’s boring, then you’ve certainly never had a snake around your neck, have you? Or stroked a skunk? As well as seeing and touching, at DoeZoo in Leens you’ll hear and smell a huge variety of animals. And what about tasting? Well… fancy a tasty worm biscuit?
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Free as a bird – Lauwersnest Playground
Feeling as free as a bird is possible at Lauwersmeer. The play tower in the Lauwersnest, standing over five metres tall, is a real climb – with a stunning view as a reward. The ‘nest’ looks and feels just like a real bird’s nest. High up at the top, enjoy all the beauty that the starry sky in the Dark Sky Park has to offer. Or experience the new playground by flying like a bird on the new cable car.
