Best Hot Spots for Kids in Zeeland, The Netherlands

Delta Park Neeltje Jans

The best time of year to visit Deltapark Neeltje Jans is the summer, to take advantage of the (hopefully) warm weather. Your kids will love the extensive water playground and sea lion show, and you'll enjoy the boat rides through the "Oosterschelde", walk through the storm surge barrier, and movies explaining how this incredible structure came to be.

Berkenhof

This is a great place to visit in the down months (Spring or Fall), as you may well be the only person exploring this butterfly greenhouse. Having said that, you can't beat the the gardens in the summer, when you'll come face to face with the hundreds of butterflies that call this place home. Kids will love the butterflies, cacoons, outdoor playground, yummy kids meals, and the always-animated owner, ... and you'll love the butterflies, orchids, meticulously landscaped outdoor gardens and fantastic little café.

Siertuin De Sequoiahof

Though there are many gardens in Zeeland, Sequoiahof stands alone in the variety and uniqueness of the gardens. The owner (Jos de Koeijer), previously a fish monger, does all of the work himself, and has slowly built the gardens to be what they are today. He loves to share his story with visitors and is a real salt-of-the-earth man. The café at Sequoiahof is good, but the ambiance is nothing short of great, overlooking a pond and a cute little brick tower, built by Jos himself. My favorite features are the various themed gardens (Asian, Greek, and of course, the Sequoias), and my son loved the huge bird enclosure and fish pond. Sequoiahof also boasts a B&B, so if you're a garden-enthusiast and are looking for a place to stay in Zeeland, look no further!

Familiepretpark Mini Mundi

Mini-mundi is a theme park-meets-miniature-Walcheren. If you've never been to Zeeland, miniature Walcheren is a mini-version of the villages and architectural icons of the region of Walcheren (once an island of its own, and with a very distinct character). Kids adore the theme park and mini-Walcheren area, not to mention the huge indoor kids gym. A bit of warning, the food here is not very good and way overpriced, so you're better off going to the nearby La Place or adjacent McDonalds. Another word of caution - the teenagers that work the rides allowed someone to board the children's roller coaster with an infant while I was there, and the infant nearly got whiplash. So if you have very young children (under 2), use these rides at your own discretion!