Earthlings Festival in ARTIS (May 29 to June 1): the ultimate day out for curious children and their parents

Looking for something fun to do with the whole family during the Ascension weekend? Earthlings Festival in ARTIS is the place to be for curious children and adults. From Thursday, May 29th, to Sunday, June 1st, ARTIS will be transformed into an interactive discovery tour for all ages, with six themed areas: in space, on your plate, under your feet, around you, underwater, and get moving. I've compiled 9 tips for you! 

Expect workshops, theater performances, tastings, and surprising activities all about life on Earth. Perfect for curious children (up to 14 years old) and parents/guardians who enjoy learning about nature, animals, and sustainability together through play. I've thoroughly reviewed the program, and I'm thrilled to see that it's also great fun for older kids. My own son is already 7, and we've already made a selection of activities we don't want to miss!

Buy your tickets here

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9 Things You Don't Want to Miss at the Earthlings Festival in ARTIS

1. Build your own microscope and planet

In the Planetarium you make a journey through space together in the performance Spaceship Earth and discover how everything on our planet is connected. Children can visit the Planetarium Café make their own planet And launch it digitally into space with a 3D scan. A great combination of creative pursuits and playful learning.

2. Dive into the subsurface world

In the ARTIS-Groote Museum you will learn in the exhibition Bottom base all about life under your feet. Make your own soil animal from clay, play soil odor memory And see what fungi and bacteria look like through microscopes at Micropia. Educational and surprisingly fun for children aged six and up. Fun activities are being organized at Artisplein during the Earthlings Festival!

3. Try sustainable snacks at the Muziekveld

Introduce your children to the food of the futureAt the Muziekveld you can taste snacks from sustainable chefs and entrepreneurs who are experimenting with plant-based dishes. You can also take a look in the ARTIS kitchen and hear what the animals eat and where it comes from. A great way to introduce children to sustainability in relation to daily food.

4. Participate in children's yoga or a chi kung workshop

Movement is also an important part of the festival. In the Dutch Garden, children can participate in children's yoga, where they discover how animals move through play. For adults (and older children) there is a chi kung workshop to consciously pause and recharge.

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5. To be or not to be a shell 

In this workshop, you'll delve into the world of whelks, periwinkles, cockles, and oysters. A world that artist Esra Westerburgen discovered by spending hours walking the beach and observing what the sea had brought ashore. To be or not to be a shell She invites you in an inspiring way to immerse yourself in the lives of mollusks. Let yourself be carried away and become a shell yourself!

6. Children's theater and children's lectures

In the children's theater, you'll join the Golden Haas theater group to explore ways to reflect on vanished animals or glaciers that melt almost unnoticed. At the same time, you'll celebrate nature's resilience with other children during your play. interactive theater workshopsIn the children's lectures, biologist Mátyás Bittenbinder takes you on a journey around the world and Artis zookeeper Job van Tol tells you all about his new children's book.

7. Recycle, plant and build

Children can participate in all kinds of creative workshops: from plastic recycling to magnets or key rings in animal shapes, to crafting flower seed bombs that you can take home and plant somewhere. There's also a focus on landscape art with a visit to the Bosk project, where you can pick up your own birthday tree. There's so much to discover and do that will stimulate kids' creativity!

8. Daily excursions and discovering urban nature

Do you know what a long-tailed tit looks like? Or a bumblebee? In addition to all the permanent features of ARTIS, there is a nature excursion through Amsterdam's urban nature. A fun way to discover ARTIS and the surrounding nature from a different perspective!

9. Create a work of art from the underwater world

What lives beneath the water's surface? In this workshop by ARTIS Studios Dive into the sea with your imagination and create a work of art full of colorful corals, fish and plants that you can take home as a painting!

Have fun planning your day at ARTIS during this fantastic festival.

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Practical information about the Earthlings Festival

• What: Earthlings Festival in ARTIS
• When: Thursday, May 29 to Sunday, June 1, 2025 (during Ascension Day)
• For whom: Families with children of all ages
• Where: ARTIS Amsterdam, Plantage Kerklaan 38-40
• Admission: The festival is included with a regular ARTIS ticket. Also valid with the ARTIS pass.
• More info & tickets: artis.nl/aardbewonersfestival

Whether you're coming for the children's theater, building your own microscope, or just a fun day at the park, the Earthlings Festival is one of the best ideas for the long Ascension weekend. Especially if your kids are curious and love nature, animals, and creative activities.

Buy your tickets here

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