Happy games sinterklaas

The children had started pointing at random cards in excitement while I tried to subtly direct them to the ones I could understand. I felt that flash of panic again. The missing girl had become enveloped somewhere within the growing crowd of children. Who else was in our group? The confused look on her face told me that she had not and I would have to rethink my plans of making her team leader.

Standing up again I looked back at the swarm of children and quickly formed a plan. I picked the child who looked the most lost and called her over. The first activity we picked from the board was playing Sinterklaas Quartet Quartet with Sinterklaas themed cards.

The three children who did not understand English stared at me in blank confusion. My daughter, who does understand English, also stared at me in confusion but shrugged her shoulders too. Luckily a nearby teacher seemed to notice the struggle and came over to explain the game.

Once she was satisfied that we now understood the rules she left. Five minutes later I realised something had gone horribly wrong. The next activity I subtly directed the children towards was Sinterklaas themed colouring in. It seemed like a safe bet because 1 I knew what the activity on the card said, 2 I know how colouring in works and would not need an explanation from the teacher and 3 what child does not enjoy colouring in? It turns out the children who notice something much more exciting happening nearby do not enjoy colouring in.

On the table next to ours happy looking children were busy making Sinterklaas and Piet hats out of card. My group of children were not looking so happy. As their motionless colouring pencils rested on the colourless images in front of them they looked longingly at the hat making table.

When I asked them if they would rather make hats they looked down at their pictures in disappointment and declared them unfinished. They would then resume colouring in for five seconds before once again watching the smiling children making hats.

Group morale was low. Sadly the hat making activity was over crowded so we had to pick another activity. Sinterklaas is all about treats. Beside the traditional ones, the chocolate covered ones are very popular. Shops are already filled with both starting in early September. Traditionally Sinterklaas treats also include speculaas, chocolate coins, banketletter, mandarin oranges, marzipan figures and chocolate letters.

In our family we never celebrated Sinterklaas on the 5th. In the town I was born and raised, Koedijk, we celebrate Gouden Engel. The town used be a fishing town, and the fisherman were never home on the 5th of December to celebrate Sinterklaas. For my parents this local tradition was very welcome, as my sister and I celebrate our birthdays close to Sinterklaas.

In Grou they celebrate Sint Piter on the 21st of February. In Deventer the tradition until was that the arrival of Sinterklaas happened on the 5th of December. Towns all over the country have their own traditions, and same is true for families. Even outside the Dutch and Belgian border this holiday is celebrated, or something similar to it. It is very hard to write up everything that is going on during the celebration of this tradition.

So much is happening every year around Sinterklaas! Every year the question is if Sinterklaas will make it to the Netherlands in time and if the children will get their gifts on Sinterklaasavond, Sinterklaas Eve. I do hope that you learned something new about holiday traditions outside of your home country. It was fun to share this one with you!

Happy Sinterklaas! Martine is from the Netherlands. Six months of the year she travels with her husband who works on a cruise ship. Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Join our inclusive community of nearly , women who share your passion for travel in our Her Adventures Facebook group! Sinterklaas When I was asked to write about holiday traditions in the Netherlands , the first thing that came to mind was Sinterklaas.

Good, bad and ugly There is a lot to tell about this holiday. Where he separates himself from the pack is his bizarre podological fetishism, an entourage of blackfaced demons and a penchant for kidnapping.

Good boys and girls can expect Sinterklaas to send his mischievous helpers, Zwarte Pieten, down chimneys, who will fill every shoe left near the fire with gifts. The funky contents of these smelly foot sarcophagi are pretty chintzy, given Sinterklaas' nearly omnipotent powers: your first initial made out of chocolate, some crappy chocolate coins and maybe a marzipan horse stenching of your own foot odor.

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