Christmas in The Netherlands + Saint Nicholas
Vrolijk Kerstfeest! To learn more about Christmas in The Netherlands, head here!
HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES:
To give your kids a visual for why the country is aptly named for its “low lands” you can do this learning activity:
- Take a teddy graham and use royal icing to make it “stand” on a piece of candy.
- Fill a cereal bowl with water.
- Take a mini prep bowl (that you would use for baking/cooking) and place it in the water of the cereal bowl.
- Set your teddy graham inside the mini prep bowl.
- Explain to your kids how that is what The Netherlands is like … that much of their land sits below sea level. You can go on to research how they’ve prevented their cities and towns from being underwater through the creation of an advanced water management system made of dikes, dunes, pumps, and more! Here’s a link to a video that older kids may find fascinating!
We also did some simple coloring pages and then Little Sis made her own klompen (wooden shoes that the Dutch wear) craft … all from Confession of a Homeschooler’s Expedition Earth curriculum that I purchased years ago, when Big Bro was only 7 years old (he is now 18, time sure flies!).
Here’s a link to the paper klompen craft so your kids can make their own!
CELEBRATE SAINT NICHOLAS DAY:
This post contains affiliate links and we may earn compensation when you click on the links, at no additional cost to you.
Every December 6th, we go back to the history and legends surrounding Nikolaos, a God-loving Greek bishop who served in Myra (a region in Asia Minor, now part of the country of Turkey) during the Roman Empire, and how his story morphed into the holly-jolly, pink-faced, white-bearded, round, large man in a red and white suit 🎅 that we know today.
Did you know that the name “Santa Claus” comes from the Dutch name for the world’s famous gift giver, “Sinterklaas”?
I wrote a separate post all about how we incorporate Saint Nicholas Day into our Advent activities and its connection with cultivating a heart of giving. Head here to read all about it, including books, activities, and food we enjoyed!