Camps for four- to seven-year-olds have to get the small things right: shorter days, small groups, and plenty of breaks between activities. These are the summer camps we've found that take kids this age, from art studios and music theater to football, tennis and days in the dunes. Open any camp to compare dates, prices and languages before you book.
Kids spend the camp making a real show. A music theater teacher leads singing, playing and movement, while artists help them build their own sets, costumes and props from cardboard, paint and other materials. Scenes and characters come from the kids' own ideas. It ends with a performance for parents, family and friends.
Run by Muziekschool Amsterdam with MK Ateliers, a building of artists' studios in Amsterdam-Oost.
A day camp at WOW Family Center that fills each day with Mini Professors science experiments, PlayWithArt sessions where kids learn real drawing and painting techniques, and high-energy music, dance and movement games, plus indoor and outdoor free play.
Staff speak English and Dutch; the June and early July weeks run in English only. Kids must be fully potty trained. Families pack lunch, and snacks are provided.
Half-day holiday camps at The Little Gym in Buitenveldert, built around a weekly theme. Kids do gymnastics-style movement, games and daily challenges with other kids. No experience needed, and coaches push regulars further.
Book single mornings or afternoons instead of a whole week, handy for filling a few holiday gaps. A packed-lunch club between sessions turns two slots into a full day.
A multi-activity day camp in a school sports hall in Amsterdam Zuid, led in English. Each day mixes a team sport (basketball, football, rugby, hockey or judo) with circus and aerial silks, crafts, nutrition sessions and science, with free play between. Kids are split into two age groups. It suits active kids who like variety; one wanting a single sport all week will do better elsewhere.
A football day camp for young kids from Voetjebal, on the fields of hockey club VVV beside the Amstel in Amstelveen. Kids train in small groups with Voetjebal coaches, mixing ball skills with games, an obstacle course and balancing challenges, and each one goes home with a Voetjebal medal. No membership needed, and a safety manager is on site all day. Shin guards are recommended.
Playhood is an indoor role-play venue in Amsterdam's Houthavens, where kids step into themed play areas and build their own stories. Camp days mix free play with guided role play, creative workshops, group activities and quiet breaks.
Past summer weeks were run with partners such as Little Makers or The Science Camp, adding experiments and making. Kids bring their own lunch.
A nature day camp on a private, enclosed forest site in the Tuinen van West, Amsterdam's biggest green area, next to a horse sanctuary and fields of grazing cows and sheep. Each week follows one fantasy story, with puzzles and scavenger hunts that build to a Friday finale. Kids pick between active games, nature art and free play, and some weeks add pony riding, archery or farm visits.
A multisport summer camp from Monkey Moves, based at DVH Amstelveen. Instead of one sport all week, kids try a mix that can include ball games, athletics, dance, judo, gymnastics, climbing and obstacle courses, plus team games and fun activities. No sports experience is needed, and activities are pitched to each child's age and level. It suits energetic kids, and shy or less sporty ones too.
An English-language day camp at a primary school in IJburg. Kids are grouped by school year and learn new words through songs, crafts, sports and dance, with simple grammar for older kids. The youngest can lean on Dutch while they find their feet.
The week ends with a graduation show that parents can watch. Kids who already speak English get harder challenge sheets.
An English day camp in Amstelveen run by Summer Camp NL. Kids are grouped by school year and mix English lessons with songs, crafts, sports and dance, all led in English and pitched to each child's level. Groups stay small, the youngest can fall back on Dutch, and bilingual kids get extra challenge work. The last afternoon is a graduation show for parents, with a certificate for every child.
An English-language day camp at a primary school in Almere. Kids spend the week on vocabulary (plus simple grammar for older kids), singing, crafts, sports and dance, in small groups matched to their English level. Younger kids get some Dutch support. The week ends with a graduation where each child gets a certificate and the group puts on a song-and-dance show for parents. Suits kids building confidence in English.
An English-immersion day camp at a primary school in Hoofddorp, run by Summer Camp NL. Kids are grouped by school year and spend the day on English class, singing, crafts, sports and dance, picking up words through play and songs. Younger children get some Dutch support.
The week ends with a graduation show of songs and dances, a certificate for each child, and parents in the audience. Suits beginners and kids with a head start alike.
A holiday theater camp inside De Toverknol, a small children's theater on Kerkstraat in the canal belt. Kids pick single theme days, each with its own story and games in and around the theater, or a full workshop week where they invent a character, help build bits of scenery and perform the finished show for family on the last day.
A holiday day camp on the campus of Amity International School Amsterdam, which sits in De Braak park in Amstelveen. Children who don't attend the school are welcome. The camp team plans each day's activities by age group, and the camp makes full use of the park campus. Lunch is cooked by the school's own chefs, with snacks morning and afternoon and water all day.
Kids Aktief runs sporty after-school clubs around Amsterdam, and in the school holidays it opens its sports camps to any child, member or not. Each camp centers on one activity: hockey, football, canoeing, surfing or a mixed action camp. There is also a turbo swim camp where kids can take their swimming diploma test. Suits kids who would rather move all day than sit indoors.
A week of play led in Italian, held outdoors in Vondelpark at the playground by the paddling pool. Days mix language games and reading, crafts and recycling workshops, treasure hunts, ball and water games, sack races, small plays and singing.
It suits kids who already speak some Italian, from native speakers keeping it up in the Netherlands to those still learning. Kids need basic Italian to join.
A summer art camp run by Kunst op Zolder, an art school in Amsterdam West. Each day has two hands-on workshops with a different material: clay, paint, fabric, wood, mosaics and more. Kids eat lunch together at the table and get a daily break for games and picnics in nearby Rembrandtpark. No art experience needed; beginners and kids who already draw a lot both fit in.
A process-art day camp from Little Makers Amsterdam. Kids paint, draw, tinker and build with clay, collage, printmaking, loose parts and light, choosing their own direction instead of copying a model. Groups are small and the studio uses good materials. There is outdoor play every day, plus movement and theater games. Best for kids who would rather make things all day than spend it on a sports field.
An architecture and art week built around Vondelpark. Kids collect plants, textures and sound recordings in the park, then bring them back to the studio at the 4bid Gallery at OT301 to design cities, houses and hideouts, build models, print and make sketchbooks. A midweek visit to the Stedelijk Museum feeds a group show on Friday. Mixed ages, led in English. Suits curious makers more than kids after sports.
Panasj summer hockey camps run in three groups by age and level. Mornings focus on technique: the youngest meet stick and ball through games, soft colored gear and music, while older kids work on reading the game and body position. Afternoons end in a tournament where teams put the new skills to use. The Next Level group suits kids with at least two years of hockey.
A tennis day camp with at least four hours a day on court, taught by qualified coaches using the Dutch tennis federation's Tenniskids method: smaller courts and softer balls matched to age and level.
Between sessions kids play soccer, hockey and dodgeball, go on a treasure hunt, cook and do crafts. Groups of up to 12 are matched by age and level, and friends can ask to be placed together.
A volunteer-run day camp in the dunes of Nationaal Park Zuid-Kennemerland. A bus takes kids from pickup points around Amsterdam each morning and brings them back in the late afternoon. On the tented campsite they pick between free play on swings, trampolines and a giant chess set, crafts, and daily games like Levend Stratego, a talent show or a dune walk. On warm afternoons the group swims in the Wed dune lake.
A week of making art the way artists do, run by ARTZUID, the team behind Amsterdam's sculpture biennale. Kids try different materials and techniques each day, and walks, games and visits to art collections feed their ideas. The week ends with a Friday exhibition for family and friends.
It suits kids who like getting messy. Send clothes that can get dirty.
A day camp at Tennis Club Amstelpark, on the edge of the Amsterdamse Bos. Kids spend about four hours a day on court in coached drills, games and matches, then fill the rest with other sports, games and trips nearby. Beginners are welcome, with kids split into small age groups. Rain does not stop it: the club has indoor courts. The week ends with a Friday tournament and awards.
Two camps share one stable yard in Amsterdam Noord. In pony camp, kids groom and ride the ponies, head out on trail rides and try vaulting, tricks done on a pony's back. In quad and trial bike camp, groups of six to eight ride electric quads and trial bikes twice a day, from keeping balance up to wheelies and jumps, with archery tag and raft building in between.
A holiday football camp on the small pitches at Powerleague's Olympiaplein site in Amsterdam Zuid. Coaches run a full day of games and challenges, like speed shooting and a hardest-shot contest, with prizes for the most active players. No football experience is needed, so it suits beginners as well as kids who already play for a club.
Camps for four- to seven-year-olds have to get the small things right: shorter days, small groups, and plenty of breaks between activities. These are the summer camps we've found that take kids this age, from art studios and music theater to football, tennis and days in the dunes. Open any camp to compare dates, prices and languages before you book.
Kids spend the camp making a real show. A music theater teacher leads singing, playing and movement, while artists help them build their own sets, costumes and props from cardboard, paint and other materials. Scenes and characters come from the kids' own ideas. It ends with a performance for parents, family and friends.
Run by Muziekschool Amsterdam with MK Ateliers, a building of artists' studios in Amsterdam-Oost.
A day camp at WOW Family Center that fills each day with Mini Professors science experiments, PlayWithArt sessions where kids learn real drawing and painting techniques, and high-energy music, dance and movement games, plus indoor and outdoor free play.
Staff speak English and Dutch; the June and early July weeks run in English only. Kids must be fully potty trained. Families pack lunch, and snacks are provided.
Half-day holiday camps at The Little Gym in Buitenveldert, built around a weekly theme. Kids do gymnastics-style movement, games and daily challenges with other kids. No experience needed, and coaches push regulars further.
Book single mornings or afternoons instead of a whole week, handy for filling a few holiday gaps. A packed-lunch club between sessions turns two slots into a full day.
A multi-activity day camp in a school sports hall in Amsterdam Zuid, led in English. Each day mixes a team sport (basketball, football, rugby, hockey or judo) with circus and aerial silks, crafts, nutrition sessions and science, with free play between. Kids are split into two age groups. It suits active kids who like variety; one wanting a single sport all week will do better elsewhere.
A football day camp for young kids from Voetjebal, on the fields of hockey club VVV beside the Amstel in Amstelveen. Kids train in small groups with Voetjebal coaches, mixing ball skills with games, an obstacle course and balancing challenges, and each one goes home with a Voetjebal medal. No membership needed, and a safety manager is on site all day. Shin guards are recommended.
Playhood is an indoor role-play venue in Amsterdam's Houthavens, where kids step into themed play areas and build their own stories. Camp days mix free play with guided role play, creative workshops, group activities and quiet breaks.
Past summer weeks were run with partners such as Little Makers or The Science Camp, adding experiments and making. Kids bring their own lunch.
A nature day camp on a private, enclosed forest site in the Tuinen van West, Amsterdam's biggest green area, next to a horse sanctuary and fields of grazing cows and sheep. Each week follows one fantasy story, with puzzles and scavenger hunts that build to a Friday finale. Kids pick between active games, nature art and free play, and some weeks add pony riding, archery or farm visits.
A multisport summer camp from Monkey Moves, based at DVH Amstelveen. Instead of one sport all week, kids try a mix that can include ball games, athletics, dance, judo, gymnastics, climbing and obstacle courses, plus team games and fun activities. No sports experience is needed, and activities are pitched to each child's age and level. It suits energetic kids, and shy or less sporty ones too.
An English-language day camp at a primary school in IJburg. Kids are grouped by school year and learn new words through songs, crafts, sports and dance, with simple grammar for older kids. The youngest can lean on Dutch while they find their feet.
The week ends with a graduation show that parents can watch. Kids who already speak English get harder challenge sheets.
An English day camp in Amstelveen run by Summer Camp NL. Kids are grouped by school year and mix English lessons with songs, crafts, sports and dance, all led in English and pitched to each child's level. Groups stay small, the youngest can fall back on Dutch, and bilingual kids get extra challenge work. The last afternoon is a graduation show for parents, with a certificate for every child.
An English-language day camp at a primary school in Almere. Kids spend the week on vocabulary (plus simple grammar for older kids), singing, crafts, sports and dance, in small groups matched to their English level. Younger kids get some Dutch support. The week ends with a graduation where each child gets a certificate and the group puts on a song-and-dance show for parents. Suits kids building confidence in English.
An English-immersion day camp at a primary school in Hoofddorp, run by Summer Camp NL. Kids are grouped by school year and spend the day on English class, singing, crafts, sports and dance, picking up words through play and songs. Younger children get some Dutch support.
The week ends with a graduation show of songs and dances, a certificate for each child, and parents in the audience. Suits beginners and kids with a head start alike.
A holiday theater camp inside De Toverknol, a small children's theater on Kerkstraat in the canal belt. Kids pick single theme days, each with its own story and games in and around the theater, or a full workshop week where they invent a character, help build bits of scenery and perform the finished show for family on the last day.
A holiday day camp on the campus of Amity International School Amsterdam, which sits in De Braak park in Amstelveen. Children who don't attend the school are welcome. The camp team plans each day's activities by age group, and the camp makes full use of the park campus. Lunch is cooked by the school's own chefs, with snacks morning and afternoon and water all day.
Kids Aktief runs sporty after-school clubs around Amsterdam, and in the school holidays it opens its sports camps to any child, member or not. Each camp centers on one activity: hockey, football, canoeing, surfing or a mixed action camp. There is also a turbo swim camp where kids can take their swimming diploma test. Suits kids who would rather move all day than sit indoors.
A week of play led in Italian, held outdoors in Vondelpark at the playground by the paddling pool. Days mix language games and reading, crafts and recycling workshops, treasure hunts, ball and water games, sack races, small plays and singing.
It suits kids who already speak some Italian, from native speakers keeping it up in the Netherlands to those still learning. Kids need basic Italian to join.
A summer art camp run by Kunst op Zolder, an art school in Amsterdam West. Each day has two hands-on workshops with a different material: clay, paint, fabric, wood, mosaics and more. Kids eat lunch together at the table and get a daily break for games and picnics in nearby Rembrandtpark. No art experience needed; beginners and kids who already draw a lot both fit in.
A process-art day camp from Little Makers Amsterdam. Kids paint, draw, tinker and build with clay, collage, printmaking, loose parts and light, choosing their own direction instead of copying a model. Groups are small and the studio uses good materials. There is outdoor play every day, plus movement and theater games. Best for kids who would rather make things all day than spend it on a sports field.
An architecture and art week built around Vondelpark. Kids collect plants, textures and sound recordings in the park, then bring them back to the studio at the 4bid Gallery at OT301 to design cities, houses and hideouts, build models, print and make sketchbooks. A midweek visit to the Stedelijk Museum feeds a group show on Friday. Mixed ages, led in English. Suits curious makers more than kids after sports.
Panasj summer hockey camps run in three groups by age and level. Mornings focus on technique: the youngest meet stick and ball through games, soft colored gear and music, while older kids work on reading the game and body position. Afternoons end in a tournament where teams put the new skills to use. The Next Level group suits kids with at least two years of hockey.
A tennis day camp with at least four hours a day on court, taught by qualified coaches using the Dutch tennis federation's Tenniskids method: smaller courts and softer balls matched to age and level.
Between sessions kids play soccer, hockey and dodgeball, go on a treasure hunt, cook and do crafts. Groups of up to 12 are matched by age and level, and friends can ask to be placed together.
A volunteer-run day camp in the dunes of Nationaal Park Zuid-Kennemerland. A bus takes kids from pickup points around Amsterdam each morning and brings them back in the late afternoon. On the tented campsite they pick between free play on swings, trampolines and a giant chess set, crafts, and daily games like Levend Stratego, a talent show or a dune walk. On warm afternoons the group swims in the Wed dune lake.
A week of making art the way artists do, run by ARTZUID, the team behind Amsterdam's sculpture biennale. Kids try different materials and techniques each day, and walks, games and visits to art collections feed their ideas. The week ends with a Friday exhibition for family and friends.
It suits kids who like getting messy. Send clothes that can get dirty.
A day camp at Tennis Club Amstelpark, on the edge of the Amsterdamse Bos. Kids spend about four hours a day on court in coached drills, games and matches, then fill the rest with other sports, games and trips nearby. Beginners are welcome, with kids split into small age groups. Rain does not stop it: the club has indoor courts. The week ends with a Friday tournament and awards.
Two camps share one stable yard in Amsterdam Noord. In pony camp, kids groom and ride the ponies, head out on trail rides and try vaulting, tricks done on a pony's back. In quad and trial bike camp, groups of six to eight ride electric quads and trial bikes twice a day, from keeping balance up to wheelies and jumps, with archery tag and raft building in between.
A holiday football camp on the small pitches at Powerleague's Olympiaplein site in Amsterdam Zuid. Coaches run a full day of games and challenges, like speed shooting and a hardest-shot contest, with prizes for the most active players. No football experience is needed, so it suits beginners as well as kids who already play for a club.
