NOT many people know about it, but Europe’s largest playground is found in a small, unsuspecting town.
Heemstede in the Netherlands isn’t a hugely popular tourist destination, but it could be the perfect place to take small kids for a day out.
For 61 years, it’s been home to Linnaeushof, which prides itself on its concept of “active entertainment” for children.
Over the years it has developed into a huge hub for kids, and boasts more than 350 different play sets and attractions, truly providing something for youngsters of all persuasions.
It now includes things like cable cars, trampolines, a bouncy castle centre, pedal boats, go-karts, miniature golf courses and a “super slide,” along with traditional playground equipment.
Its website also brags about its “spectacular” Pirate’s Nest, which stands 11 metres tall and can only be reached via long, hanging bridges, high above pools of water.
Along with the newer items, several “nostalgic play sets” have also been installed recently throughout the playground
They include “old-fashioned” boat swings and other things that let people experience the type of playground fun that others would have in years gone by.
However, more room is being made at the park for new interactive experiences using modern technology, constantly allowing it to cater to new audiences.
The play sets are all spread out across different play zones, meaning kids can all play on the equipment that caters for their age group.
For instance, the toddler-specific play areas are found separate from larger playgrounds, with more “challenging” play sets aimed at older children.
Linnaeushof is extremely proud of its heritage and how much it has to offer.
It boasts on its website: “Here, we have the most play sets and attractions designed for active entertainment.
“We have more than 350 play sets and attractions, all of which offer children the opportunity to play actively, making the most of their own energy and imagination.
“By putting plenty of thought into thematisation and the importance of role-play, the experience has become even more immersive.”
Whatever it’s doing, it’s certainly working, with plenty of guests leaving glowing five-star reviews on TripAdvisor.
Experts have revealed some of their top advice for both adults and kids heading to the water this summer:
How to stay safe at the beach
Gareth Morrison, Head of Water Safety at the RNLI said: “If you find yourself being swept out to sea in a rip, try to relax and float until you are free from the rip and you can then swim to safety.
“If you see someone else in danger, alert a lifeguard or call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.”
How to stay safe at the swimming pool
Tiny Hearts Education, former paramedic and CEO Nikki Jurcutz said: “Always put your little one in bright or contrasting colours that would be easy to find in an emergency.
“It only takes 20 seconds to drown, little tips like this could save a life”.
An Auqabliss spokesperson added: “Swimming toys such as noodles, dive rings, floaties and beach balls can be dangerous if left in the pool.
“Children may try to grab these from the pool’s edge and fall in.”
How to stay safe at a waterpark
Ali Beckman, Puddle Ducks Technical Director, said: “Never send a child down the slide on their own, not only are they going to be entering the slide pool area independently, they then have to exit the pool and wait for an adult.
“And wave pools should be avoided until your child is really confident with water going over their faces and you know they are able to regain their feet independently.
“Waterparks are often very busy places and it’s easy to lose sight of a child in a split second.”
One wrote: “Lovely family day out for the Kids, traditional play activities and quite a few more. Our kids are 5 and 7 and both had a full day here and loved it.”
Another said: “You can spend the entire day here and not have enough! There are a lot of attractions for kids of all ages, so don’t worry that they will get bored!”
A third added: “We took our four-year-old here. We all had a blast. They have acres and acres of playground equipment–every sort of play structure you could imagine and about 100 you never thought of.”
Getting to Linnaeushof is simple for visitors, sitting just half an hour’s drive, or an hour on public transport, from Amsterdam.
Amsterdam Wonderland said: “The most wonderful thing about Linnaeushof is how much fresh air and exercise the kids get here compared to usual theme parks.
“Almost everything involves manual operation so without realising it they are using vast amounts of energy and for my two building confidence on equipment that pushes their boundaries for height and speed.”
Meanwhile, the world’s largest play structure can be found closer to home, right here in the UK.
And this famous London park is set to get a multi-million pound makeover.
