New to The Netherlands (&mumsnet!)

[Sweetpeagreen1]

Hello! Just signed up on here to reach out! Moved to Hilversum this weekend with my young family - we have a long stretch until the kids start at school (Violen) and I'm keen to fill their days well so they see the move positively... Any one have any tips on places to go? I think a lot of the expats will be going home for the holidays gulp :-)

Will post this on our Benelux mumsnetters page on facebook and rally the troups. I'm in Belgium so can't help.

Thank you Longtime! xx

Hi sweetpea I'm not really close to you, I'm in Den Haag (the Hague) & unfortunately I'm one of those expats going on holidays for the summer as we are going home. I can recommend a trip to the beach & if you come next sunday we will still be here. Scheveningen is the place most people go but the beaches towards Kijkduin are brilliant and you can park easier & just walk through the dunes to the beach.

How old are your kids? What flavour? I can definitely give you some good ideas of places to go depending ontheir ages. Do you have a car?

If you use the advanced search and type in "hilversum", you'll find the previous threads which mention various things for families in Hilversum. There are facebook groups and other internet meet-up groups from mums in Amsterdam / Hilversum.

Once school starts, you'll find more people to help you, but as your children are not a regular local school, you may find your social circle a bit more restricted with life centered around the school life which in itself is not a bad thing.

Hi Sweetpea, welcome to Hilversum... I've been here since last summer, and really like it! My kids don't go to Violen, and they sound older than yours... so I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask, but I'm happy to share a few links to start off the summer :)

There is a nice pool in Bussum called Zandzee
www.dezandzee.nl/voorpagina/welkom.html

I've heard good things about the beach at Loosdrecht
www.recreatiemiddennederland.nl/terreinen/henschotermeer.html

And there is a nice library in town with a small English section
www.bibliotheekhilversum.nl/

This isn't too far if you have a car, supposedly tons of fun
www.oudvalkeveen.nl/

and this place is cool, if your kids are into history... the old city nearby is lovely to stroll in
www.vestingmuseum.nl/

Hope this gives you a start! Let me know if there is anything else I can help with.

www.kidsproof.nl/gooi

This will tell you what's on in Hilversum plus all the play parks (Speeltuin) which you pay to enter. There is an International mums and tots group but it will be closed over the school holidays. Monkey town in Bussum is a softplay place there is another in Loosedrecht called Spelekids.

I lived in Hilversum up until two weeks ago it is a lovely place to live.

Sorry the Gooi is the region Hilversum is in, how old are your children we are only half an hour by car or train to Hilversum if you really get bored and want some company. My dd is 5 and ds 20 months.

Hi ! Welcome to the Netherlands ! I'm in Den Haag and away for Summer unfortunately, but Holland is great for families ( had a friend in Hilversum, but she's since moved) and the links above are perfect ! Can't really help, but wanted to say hello (( wondering if I know vagola in rl))

Mmmm...so am I Duchess, my name has evolved from another which expressed my vegetarianism, does that help? I'm also away for the summer, leaving for Australia next week?

I mean my MN name not my RL name, that would be weird to have a diet based RL name.

hello
dh is dutch and he used to work in hilversum

can't remember much about it at all

sorry - posted too soon, just wanted to say hi and hope you enjoy yourself there

vagola ... That cracked me up ! Imagined you going to the gemeente getting your name changed on everything !
No though, don't think I know you as only person I know going to Australia is actually back here for the Summer, living there already or going next year ( disappointed now ! Lol !!!) your kids are probably at a different school or we would know each other -- smaalllll ex pat world !

Duchess we have gone against the expat norm and (SHOCK HORROR) sent our kids to our local Dutch Montessori school. We also live nowhere near Statenkwartier. We are over near another shopping street but not De Fred. Maybe next time I meet with some of the expat girls I'll just keep dropping Duchess and Fanny into the conversation in case you are one of them

I know this thread is quite old, but a big welcome from The Netherlands from me. I hope you found lots of interesting things to do in the Summer. I lived in Hilversum for a month before DC, but one thing I did really enjoy was doing a cycle trip around the local area - for example around the Gooimeer and Laren. I do not know the ages of your DCs, but even if you don´t have your own bikes you can do what I did and that was hire them from the bike place attached to the Hilversum railway station.

Vagolajahooli, DS will also be going to a normal state school, (his DM is Dutch), but I am also interested in a number of state primary schools that are introducing lessons in some subjects in English (e.g. Maths taught in English).

Btw, I had no succes in finding the Benelux mumsnetters page on facebook - what is it called?