One of the inevitable side-effects of moving back to the sleeply little village of Lochem is that the kids are starting to crave more sophisticated entertainment than just cycling with their mates. Frankly, they've been spoilt with world-class entertainment choices in Singapore so I've been trying out some of the local attractions to see how we can amuse them. Today I returned to the Land of Jan Klaassen fun park, which I last visited with Niels before Carl was even born. Needless to say, he didn't remember it.
Located in Braamt, which is almost a suburb of Doetinchem for those who don't know the area, the park is aimed at kids up to about 8-9 years old. You won't find any roller coasters here; the only rides are two identical, rather sedate little trains, one inside, one outside. Fortunately the place caters for all weathers although if you were restricted to using just the indoor play space it wouldn't be half the fun. Outside there are loads of different climbing structures, slides, etc many of which are loosely based around rather odd looking Jan Klaassen, who seems to be the Dutch equivalent of Punch from Punch & Judy. Oddly, flagpoles flying flags from all around the world are dotted throughout the outdoor park, with absolutely no relevance whatsoever to the play area they are standing in. I spotted the Aussie flag and was puzzled to find a swing with orangutan shaped seats, a walrus slide and climbing frame looking suspicaiously like an alpaca! However it's definitely worth a visit and there are dozens of small, individual play areas crammed onto the site which kept the kids busy for ages. 
In addition there are puppet theatres held three times a day; my kids caught two shows and found them side-splittingly funny. I suggest taking a good book and finding a comfy seat in the cafe for the duration!
The entry price is EUR 9.50 per person, whether you are an adult or a child. However we arrived at 10:30 and left at 4:15, when I dragged thm to the car, so it was a good days entertainment and one they are willing to go back to soon. You're allowed to take your own food and drink into the park, and on a sunny day it would be perfect for a picnic. Check out the website for more details.
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