Toddlerhood is another challenging phase for most parents. These kids have so much energy and their brain are like sponges that will soak up any information they see/hear/do. It is important to choose wisely the activities we introduce in their routines for it will slowly form their character and personality. 

Exhausted parents (either working or staying at home) have been constantly looking for ways to entertain their toddlers. There are a lot of things a parent can do but there are places where you can bring your toddler to expel those bursts of energy and learn at the same time.

We are living in Almere, yet most of the information I gathered are from Amsterdam. If you are a parent  in Almere, I got you covered with toddler activities. Here are the list of organizations/groups where you can go.

For Babies (up until 2.5yo):

HETJKC in Almere Poort

They were a newly opened organization in Poort and the closest in our area. They do weekend sessions and more of a parent and kid activity. Classes are in Dutch, but sometimes they translates in English for families who doesn’t understand any Dutch yet. They were very friendly and my son enjoyed his time there. We continued going there until my son was accepted to peuterspeelzaal/voorschool.

They are 13 lessons for $135, sessions are for 1 hour on Saturdays. More information can be found on their website.

ABCDE Playgroup

They are the playgroup that is more established in Almere, yet can only accomodate few children due to location restrictions. This is also more of a parent-kid playgroup. The group was very warm and friendly. This is where I met a fellow Filipina! They have a routine which is in Dutch, which is perfect if you are trying to learn the language.

They have their lessons for 3 hours/session for $3 per session. They also have a stripcard 10 sessions for $25. You get a cup of coffee and you have to bring a fruit every session to share with other children.You can message them directly via their Facebook page.

English Playgroup in Literaturwijk (Buurtcentrum Het Boegbeeld)

Same concept as ABCDE with an English approach. They were quite new when we joined, and had stopped coming when Daxton went to peuterspeelzaal. It was arranged by mamas in the buurt, and with an inloop approach. It was $0.50 cent per session every Thursday morning. 

De NieuweBibliotheek (Library) activities

To fill in activities for the week, I check the agenda of the public library in Almere. They have several activities lined up for children. What we usually go to were the English readings (both in Poort and Stad library). You can check the activities in their website.

For Peuters/Toddlers (from 2.5yo and older)

Aside from the activities above, we also went to several places whenever there are ongoing activities. When Daxton turned 2, we enlisted him for peuterspeelzaal. Since peuterspeelzaal starts at 2.5yo, we attended the following activities below.

De Schoor (Droomspeelbus. Ouder en Kind Loop, etc..)

De Schoor is an organization helping the youth in the neighborhood get aquatinted with after school activities. It was beneficial to both parents and kids because mischief in the neighborhood is prevented because children have activities they can look forward to. You can check their ongoing activities all over Almere in their website. 

Peutervoetball Poort

In Almere, Arno Splinter Peutervoetball is the organization that handles football activities for tiny children. Football is a big sport in Europe, and there are a lot of clubs and organization that one can join in. However, the youngest that one can join is around 7-8 years old. 

With Arno Splinter Voetball, your kid can start as young as 3 years old. Their classes help children get used to the training routine, and help develop their motor skills as well. You can get more information on  their website.

Dance Studios / Theater Classes

For the creative children, there are dance classes and theater classes available. There are four dance studios in Almere Poort that I am aware of namely: 

- United Dance Almere

- Dansstudio Roxanne

- Amy’s Dans Studio

- Kid Dance Academy

I am not the most creative mom, so I have not signed my son yet to their classes. Once I see an interest, then I can let him give a try.

If speaking in Dutch is a bit daunting for you and you want a more expat-friendly (aka english speaking) activities, I have compiled some groups/activities here from Amsterdam, if travelling is not an issue:

Jacaranda Montessori School

Jacaranda Montessori School is quite famous in Amsterdam for its Montessori teaching methods. Their waiting list is quite long so you need to register as early as you can. Do not fret because with a bit of patience, you can get a spot. This is a more parent and child montessori activities. The center is quite pretty and interactive. 

They have different classes for different age groups. One Term is around $293 for 13 weeks with 1-1.5hr class. You can head to their website for more info on rates and schedules.

I was quite anxious to get a spot back then. Good thing I was able to have the chance to try a session and enjoyed it a lot. It was unfortunate that the school is a bit far from our house and travel via public transpo (as parking spaces as well) is a bit of a stretch for me with the Netherlands weather. While waiting for a spot, you can buy Simone’s book as starters to orient oneself with Montessori methods.

Friends call me Jim

This is similar to MyLittleGym as it is more on enhancing Gross Motor skills for your child. We went to their open day to experience the center and a bit of activities. Their center is a bit small but boasts nice furniture to help enhance gross motor skills. 

One term is around $200 with 10 sessions and 45mins per session. Again, this is too far logistic wise for us.

Those are two of the classes we tried in Amsterdam. There were a lot more activities in Amsterdam that are English based. Below are some that I have found in the internet (check their website for more information):

- Toddler Sensory 

- Little Van Gogh

- Monkey Moves

- Little Star Fitness

- Muziek op Schoot

- Kids ArtLab

- My Little Gym

Our first year in the Netherlands, I had that fascination with Amsterdam. So I joined the Amsterdam Mamas group to get to know the everyday life (and struggles) of families here in the Netherlands. As the group implied, it was more on Amsterdam activities and there were several subgroup for different areas (Almere, Hoofddorp, Haarlem, etc…)

Amsterdam was not that far from Almere. It is only a 30 min train ride and 20 min drive. The only thing that turned me off was traveling by public transportation under Dutch weather conditions. The Dutch weather is pretty famous, and known to have the same mood as a hormonal woman (I hope I get my metaphor right). 

After my son started in peuterspeelzaal, we stopped doing more activities for him and traveling to Amsterdam for it. I was more inclined to do activities that are within our neighborhood. Also, I observed that children here are not pressured to do more aside from playing. In our Asian culture, children are molded early to learn the basics like reading and writing. 

What activities does your kid enjoy? How do you manage a toddler’s energy? 

Let me know in the comments below! (and help out an exhausted Mama!)

Spring is highly anticipated for its warm hugs of sunshine and warmth. The Netherlands is known for its crazy weather and paired with climate change, we experienced the most bizarre weather combination this Spring. However, no one is stopping the people to welcome the Cherry Blossoms and Tulip season.

The first week of Spring, we were greeted with summer-high temperatures, which brought joy to everyone. It was 20 degrees Celcius, still a bit cool for summer, but warm enough to break the winter hibernation. Then the second week came, we were surprised with hale, snow, sun, and crazy wind. Temperatures were so erratic that every 5 minutes, the weather changed. We were still in lockdown, yet everyone is itching to get their dose of Vitamin D from the glimpse of the sun.

SAKURA (CHERRY BLOSSOMS)

The first two weeks of Spring is when the Sakura aka Cherry Blossoms shows their beauty by filling the parks with a pinkish blanket of flowers. I have found three locations where we can appreciate its beauty.

Amsterdamse Bos, Amsterdam 

Regenboogbuurt, Almere Buiten

This neighborhood has impressive pathways of Cherry Blossoms which is the perfect Instagrammable spot. There are about three streets that are lined up with Sakura, it is enough for everyone to have their photos taken without interference. 

Muziekwijk Station, Almere Stad

This spot is easily accessible to anyone for it is near a train station. They have a park nearby where you can have a picnic, and lay down surrounded by sakura petals falling down (which we did and it was bliss!). 

We visited the two Almere locations during the first week of April because it was the nearest. We were able to appreciate the beauty of  Cherry Blossoms for the first time, here in the Netherlands. It is a brief experience of the erratic weather that took over the next week. Boy, we are glad we got to see them anyway.

TULIP FIELDS OF THE NETHERLANDS 

Tulips have been a signature piece in Dutch culture. The Dutchies love their tulips. Last year, we weren’t able to see the tulip fields (duh, corona pandemic crisis!). This year, measures have eased a bit so we were able to see the fields. 

The tulips bloom from the end of March till the first week of May. But the erratic changes in temperature, made the tulips bloom late this year. The tulips were appreciated until the second week of May. Here are the routes we took to check them tulip fields:

Tulpenroute Flevoland

It is the biggest tulip field in the Netherlands. The fields stretch for almost 100km. Almost the whole Flevoland is blanketed with tulips when this season comes. We were lucky for these tulip fields were accessible to us, by car and by bike. 

Due to the sudden snow/temperature drop, most tulips were harvested and most of them were not yet in bloom. We visited three locations in Flevoland (and even got stuck for two hours in traffic!) just to appreciate these fields. You can check out the routes at Tulpenroute Flevoland site for car and biking routes around Zeewolde, Dronten, and Emmelord.

I also stay tuned in Facebook groups and WhatsApp groups in Almere in case people post locations and exact addresses of the tulip fields they found. The community in Almere is very nice for people are sharing their experiences with fellow neighbors.

Lisse- Keukenhof Tulip route

This is the famous tulip route for it is where the Keukenhof Gardens are located. It is also the area where most of the tulip farms can be seen.  

We chose not to visit the Keukenhof Gardens this season because of the Corona rules situation. The garden was open in a trial state, where you need to get tested before you can enter. Also, limited people can visit with adherence to a time slot to ensure no more than 50 people are inside at the same time. 

We chose to drive along the Lisse-Hillegom area and check out the fields. We weren’t able to appreciate the up-close (most of the fields were privately owned, so it is off-limits). Nevertheless, it was really pretty. Because the weather was good when we visited, we saw a lot of people biking and wandering the fields. 

ANWB Bollenstreekroute

The route we followed was from the ANWB site which shows the tulip fields around the area of Lisse-Hillegom-Noordwijkhout. There were several farms that were open to the public like the TulipBarn, Tuliperij, and the Tulip Amsterdam Experience. 

A nice discovery for us was the Tulpen Island in Zeewolde. It was a nice Tulip-shaped reclaimed island near the Zeewolde harbor where they have a nice quaint tulip field and a place where you can wander off. 

Spring is really nice in the Netherlands. You get to see the country bloom to life in different colors. It was so uplifting that I decided to fill our house with flowers the whole spring just for the euphoria to stay. I never imagined that flowers blooming, colorful ones will put me in this brief happier state despite the corona situation. It symbolizes that life does turn around and bloom, it just takes time and stamina to endure harsh conditions. 

How did you enjoy Springtime in your place?

When we moved here, we were already on the hunt for a rental home. Buying a home was not in our mind yet for we know that it’ll cost a lot for expats, just like in Singapore.

In Singapore, we lived in a 4bedroom HDB shared with fellow Filipinos and it saved us more bucks. Here in the Netherlands, I haven’t encountered the same scenario (except for the unregistered cases). People tend to flock in Randstads where housing is a tough market and prices rise rapidly. While in the country side and suburbia, the prices are lower but the struggle of language barrier is real unless you learn Dutch quick.

I have made a checklist on how to go about finding your rental home in the Netherlands. All information here are based on my own research, aiding you in making these tough decisions.

1. Secure a temporary shelter for at least a month, if you are relocating.

The housing market in the Netherlands can be rough. It will take a lot of time and effort before you can finally settle and decide for a rental. It is hard go secure a rental property, without actually viewing the place. It’ll be best to have temporary shelter while trying to look for rental units. Aside from the housing market being tough, there are a lot of shady people taking advantage of this. 

2. Funda and Pararius is the best way to scout the areas for cost comparison

Funda and Pararius are reputable sites for listing houses for sale and rent. It has a combination of houses from private people, makelaars, and housing corporations. These sites will be your reference point to aid in your decision as to where to live within that is within your budget and how big of a space you want.

3. Social Housing

If you don’t have much of a budget, Social Housing is the way to go. They have HOUSES for rent for as low as 700, depending on your status. You can even claim housing allowance from the government depending on your income. If you are single and without a child, on a limited budget, you can start with Social Housing. 

You can find social housing rentals on kamernet, woningnet and other sites. You can find social housing recomendations on the gemente website as well.

4. Big Agencies  

There are big real estate agencies with property management departments. Sites like Vesteda, Ikwilhuren and HollandtoStay are some of the sites I chanced upon  while looking for a rental. These big agencies usually have longer wait list and you really have to be persistent to get someone to respond. The advantage is that they have more listings in different cities.

5. Area Specific Makelaars

I have noticed that area specific makelaars have more affordable listings as compared to random makelaars you can find on google. These makelaars have advantage to the location and have more listings. They are also constantly up to date on listings. 

6. Third party agencies for expats

There are organizations (and makelaars) that cater specifically to expats (or people with no knowledge of Dutch culture/language). They usually charge higher and a bit expensive. For first timers, this is the convenient way to go but be warned that will cost more. They know the system (in Dutch) and have knowledge how to go around. Some charge a month’s worth of deposit for theior service, while others uosell the listings they have with partnered makelaars. 

The relocation team hired by my husband’s company helped us, but their housing choices were out of our budget. In the end, we went with LV Housing. They responded fast with a decent listings in the places we were considering to rent.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

We came from a third world country, and living small have been our motto. But when we came here in the Netherlands, we were shocked on how expensive to find a rental accommodation here. Initially, we budgeted for a studio/1bedroom apartment to rent, but we were greeted with a big NO, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE. Housing regulations here in the Netherlands are strict, especially for families. Rentals for families, we were advised to add one room for our kid (even though he’s still small). So we fell on the bracket of more expensive housing (minimum 2 bedroom). It ate most of our budget, not to include the two months deposit  requirement. Also, room sharing for different families were not a norm here. The housing regulations here are strict. They say it protects more of the tenants rather than the landlords, but still, the market is insane!

How did you find housing in your area?

March marks the anniversary of COVID-19 making its way into Europe. We never expected the pandemic to last the whole year. It feels as if the pandemic has robbed us a year of life. As we look back on all the things that happened during the pandemic, we can say that "We are almost there, but not quite yet".

The pandemic is something that will go down in history. It is as if we were taken for a rollercoaster ride inside a haunted mansion. Everyone in the world was at their feet, and some may have triggered their anxieties, resulting in the Mental Health movement.

Despite all the horrific experiences we had this past year, I can say that there are some good things that came out of it. Here are some of the things I have pondered on:

- The whole world closed down, forcing everyone into isolation. Meaning, Mother Earth was able to take care of itself and heal. The carbon footprint is low. Towns that are forced into Commercialization have been able to breathe and recuperate. Globalization and Commercialization have taken their toll on Mother Earth, hence the several abnormalities we are experiencing, i.e global warming, climate change, frequent calamities, etc..

- Climate change was inevitable and widely felt.  We experienced snow in the Netherlands, twice! Some countries were not prepared for the sudden changes in nature (snow in Texas and worst flash flood in a lot of countries).

- We were able to save up more money. Essential stores are the only thing open, so we are forced to spend just on essentials. In other parts of the world, online shopping has been all in rage, yet we were on our toes and retail therapy did not appeal much to ease our pandemic anxieties. 

- Relationships are tested as we are forced into isolation. Our lives here revolved around just the three of us. For us, it was a positive thing because both of us are introverts. I know that is not the case with other people, especially extroverted ones. A year of almost nonexistent interaction with other people can trigger anxieties and depression. That is why Mental Health is in the spotlight. A lot of people had have a decline in their mental state. 

We are now in a state where we are itching to get vaccinated and move on to our new normal lives. We can't wait for everything to open up. We want everyone to recover and learn from this experience. I know this is a hopeful wish, as this pandemic is still far from over until most of the population in the world gets vaccinated.  

How was your year into the pandemic so far?

Imagine moving to a new country with a different climate and culture, 10,000 miles away from where you are currently residing. Uprooting your whole comfortable life for an unknown place, miles away from your loved ones, is a scary thought. You tend to have a major anxiety attack because you know you’ll be starting from scratch. On the side note, the idea of having a clean new slate seems refreshing. And now you wonder, where do I even begin?

Our move to the Netherlands was a big milestone for us. Never have I imagined to be living far away and at a different continent. I remember bugging my husband so many times if it was final. We debated so many times as well if it was the right decision for the family. It took us 5 months of preparation before finally flying to our new home, the Netherlands.

In this post, I want to share our checklist in settling to our new home. After my husband’s contract has been final (well even before that), below were the things we have taken into consideration and researched.

Flight and Temporary Accommodation

We verified this with my husband employer on what date they wanted him to start (this is usually a Monday). Then, we scheduled our flight on a Friday night. We have taken into consideration the time of arrival and difference in time zone. Since it is a 14hr flight and -6h time difference, we decided to have at least 1 free day to adjust our body clock. Also a night flight was favourable for us, since my son slept throughout the entire flight.

In terms of accommodation, we were given 2 months temporary accommodation by the company. It was a sweet deal because two months is more than enough to find a new home. But if it wasn’t in the deal, one month of temporary accommodation would suffice to give more time looking for your permanent home. It is best to do the viewings personally as the housing market in the Netherlands is a tough one.

What to bring and how to ship your things

We took into consideration what to bring with us and what to leave behind. We don’t have much belongings in Singapore for we are living in a small room, sharing a house with fellow Filipinos. We didn’t have much furniture except for my husband’s gadgets. We lately found out that the company was willing to ship everything we own that we can fit in a shipping container. It is cheaper to send your things via a shipping container versus air freight. But it depends on how long you are willing to wait for your things and how many things you are bringing.

We separated our things into two categories: things that will fly with us and the rest that will go into the shipping container. It took us months to plan for this because of baggage allowance and limitations of cargo shipping. We were not allowed to ship food items, so food stuff took up our baggage allowance along with medicines and all our important documents and valuables. We condensed our clothing to two weeks worth and shipped everything else in the container. 

We shipped the rest of our things weeks before our flight, so we tried buying less during our last few weeks in Singapore. It is not convenient to fly with a kid and 4 heavy luggages and carry ons. You also need to decide your “must-haves” that are not accessible to your new home like local delicacies, cosmetics, etc..

Savings for everyday spending and extra costs

I know this is automatic and should be planned ahead of time. When my husband was asked to relocate, this was one of the things we discussed. Do we have enough saving to get by before you get your paycheck? We pooled all the money we have and computed if it was enough to get us through a month, taking into consideration the foreign exchange rate. We had to save a lot for Euros are a bit higher in forex than Singaporean Dollars.  

Familiarize yourself with the location and culture

The weather in the Netherlands is mostly grey, rainy and cold. Living in tropical countries most of my life, I did not know there’ll be something colder and grey, with minimal peek of sunshine. When we stopped over in Munich, we were briefly greeted by the below 20deg weather. I thought it was air conditioning, but it was waaay colder. Good thing we wore thermal clothing under our light down jackets. We invested on Uniqlo thermals and light jackets to help cope with the cold. It was spring when we moved so our tropical clothes were still usable.

What we weren’t prepared for was the winter season. I remember us trying to buy cheap jackets to get us through the bone freezing season. Winter season in the Netherlands is mild, no snow, yet when it is rainy and windy, the cold seeps through your soul. The shorter days and less sunshine (gray clouds everyday) is still an adjustment for us.

In terms of food culture, I can say that the Dutch eats for nourishment, so their food is quite simple and straightforward. I’ll tackle more of it at a different post. But what I liked is that healthy food is affordable, eating crappy processed food is an unpopular choice. The definition of processed food here is different than in our third world home country. 

There are a lot of things I’m still trying to learn in the Dutch culture. What I can say is that the First World, Western privilege is quite strong here as compared to Singapore. I am still in awe as to the benefits the people here enjoy.

Arrange your appointment to get your BSN/Residence cards

It was a good thing that the company hired a relocation company to assist us in easing in to the Netherlands. The process of getting our residence permit cards was a breeze because someone who spoke Dutch assisted us to the necessary departments. It is important there is no miscommunication due to language around this legal stuff. Most Dutchies speak excellent English, specially in the Ranstad. But if you choose to live in smaller villages, it’ll be a struggle for most of them expect you to learn conversational Dutch instead of them trying to translate everything for you in English (especially the older people).

Register for a Health Insurance

In the Netherlands, you are required to gave a health insurance. Health Insurances are mandatory, that you cannot travel here as a tourist without travel insurance. I cannot stress it enough that you need to get health insurance as soon as you get your BSN. You are already billed for health insurance as soon as you set foot in the Netherlands, and this is retroactive.

Arrange a local bank account

This is automatic if you are planning to work in the Netherlands. Bank cards (Pinnen) are widely used here. Just a general information that most shops here does not accept credit cards that are not issued locally (Visa, Mastercard, Amex and the likes). 

Permanent House

This step will take up most of your time for the housing market in the Netherlands is too saturated. Not knowing the language is another struggle, so it’ll be wise to find a makelaar or agency to help you out. This person/agency will patiently explain to you the housing situation in the city of you choice and help you manage your expectations.

You can opt to buy a house or rent. If your budget permits, it is best to buy a house and get a makelaar to help you. Houses here are priced from €250,000 above, on average. Small villages have cheaper houses than in the city. Ranstad (bigger cities) houses and apartments are higher priced. Funda is a good website to check to prices of houses in cities you like. With buying a house, it is safe to have at least 10% of the price of the house for buyer cost (if you opt for a mortgage).

If you plan to rent first (and save for buying a house later) like us, you can refer to Funda as well as reference. I have a separate post for some tips on renting a house.

School/ Toddler activities

If you are moving with your children, it is best to plan what type of schooling method you prefer. In the Netherlands, most public schools are good (and free!), the only difference are their teaching methods. If you plan to stay temporarily, then an international school is a preferable choice. The public schools will mostly be taught in Dutch, your child might spend most of their time adjusting and learning the language first. 

You might want to arrange schooling before you fly in. You can send inquiries via email but it’ll be hard because you need a permanent address. But if you are set to a town of choice, then it is easy to send inquiries to schools.

I have a toddler, so I was researching for activities we can do for him to develop some social skills. It was hard to find activities/classes that are in English (language I am comfortable with), for most are in Dutch.  I have another post to address these and some tips to share as well. 

Driver License exchange (only under 30% ruling)

My husband was given an option to exchange his PH drivers license to an NL driver’s license without additional cost under the 30% ruling. 

Normally, you have to enroll for driving classes and take an exam before you are allowed to have an NL license. Your foreign license can only be used for a month before you need to have it exchanged (except of EU nationals).

OVERALL

The first six months, you’ll feel like you are still on vacation. You are excited to explore this new place, but as time goes by, the honeymoon phase will wear off. You will be faced with the reality that you’ll make a lot of new memories/struggles living far away from your loved ones.

I hope this guide is helpful. These are based on our experience moving here in the Netherlands and based on my own research. The information here are just guide, to help you navigate this exciting moment of your life. 

Do you see yourself living elsewhere? Why? Why not?