Autumn holiday in the north: drawing, runes and archaeology
From Groningen via Leeuwarden to Assen: three museums with very different activities during the autumn holiday, which has already begun.
According to the Dutch national government, the autumn holiday in the Northern region runs from 10 to 18 October 2026 inclusive. Schools may deviate from these recommended dates. Museums in Groningen, Leeuwarden and Assen offer activities for young visitors in this period.
At the Groninger Museum children can make a 3D drawing, record dreams for Eva Koťátková's dream machine, or join the courses Liegen en Twijfelen in Ola Vasiljeva's theatre. According to the museum page, the studio is open from 12:00, except on Mondays.
Playing House can also be seen during the holiday. The museum describes the exhibition as a presentation about the rules children grow up with and the question of which of them may be broken. It runs until 10 January 2027.
The Fries Museum in Leeuwarden ties its holiday programme to Redbad and the early Middle Ages. A treasure hunt lets children follow ravens, write runes and invent a Redbad character. In a workshop they make a decorative pin with gold wire and glass beads.
The exhibition Redbad runs from 5 September 2026 to 7 February 2027. According to the visitor information, the Fries Museum at Wilhelminaplein 92 is generally open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00.
At the Drents Museum in Assen, Het Grootste Poppenhuis van Nederland takes visitors to the Drenthe of the eighteenth century. An Archeologie Doedag from 11:00 to 15:00 is on the family agenda for Wednesday 14 October. Children up to eighteen have free admission.
The Drents Museum is at Brink 1. It is normally open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00 and, in school holidays, also on Mondays.