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Hello Reader, Welcome back to this week’s Amsterdam Mamas Weekend Roundup of what’s happening and what to look forward to! With all the rain and shine this weather is offering us, we have curated a list of both indoor and outdoor activities to enjoy with the family. Events happening this weekend Dutch Theatre Festival Admire the most beautiful theatre performances of the 25/26 season at the Dutch Theatre Festival, specially selected by 7 professional juries in the Netherlands and Flanders. Theatre, cabaret, youth theater, mime, performance, new creators and more! From 3 to 13 September, you can visit 12 different theatres in Amsterdam. There are performances on the programme for both younger and older kids. Excited already? Check the schedule to know more. Forts and Fortress Festival From 5 to 13 September 2026, fortresses and water line defences will be buzzing with activities during the Fortress and Fortress Festival. Enjoy live music with a centuries-old fortress as a backdrop. Go on a tour, see art, visit an interactive museum or step into an Atlantic Wall bunker. Listen to special stories during a city walk, sail through a fortress moat and enjoy a snack and a drink on an atmospheric fortress terrace. There is a lot to experience for young and old. Also visit the Open Monuments Weekend on September 12 and 13, as many fortresses will be opening their doors for free. A large part of the activities take place in the UNESCO World Heritage Dutch Water Defence Lines. Plan your visit and experience a weekend full of history, culture and music. Check the website for more information. Mini Dam tot Damloop in Amsterdam-Noord and Zaandam For all the enthusiastic little marathon lovers there is a chance to run during the Mini Dam tot Damloop, especially for children aged 4 to 12. Start on Saturday 19 (Zaandam) or Sunday 20 September (Amsterdam-Noord) and participate in the short or longer distance. More than 3,500 children are expected to start in Zaandam. In Amsterdam-Noord in the Molenwijkpark, a Mini Dam tot Damloop is held for about 1,000 children. Register here. Concertgebouw OPEN is free and happening again this year – on Saturday 5 September! You do have to reserve a free ticket with the time you want to enter. After that, you can stay as long as you want! Concertgebouw OPEN is especially fun for visitors aged 6 and over. This year you can also wander through The Concertgebouw. There are mini concerts, audio tours, family concerts, guided tours, a scavenger hunt and a body percussion workshop. You can meet our composer in residence, take a selfie in the photo booth, or win concert credit at the Wheel of Fortune. And there is a lot more, all during Concertgebouw OPEN. View the full programme. Ongoing & Upcoming Events ‘Classic on the Amstelveld’ Open Air Festival “Klassiek op het Amstelveld” is a freely accessible open-air festival on 18 and 19 September, organized by the KOHA foundation, which offers a stage for young classical talent and the stars of the future. The festival offers a wide variety of concerts, children’s activities, performances and workshops for young and old. Experience a musical weekend right in the centre of Amsterdam! At the stage there are picnic benches where you can relax with the kids. Anyone who loves music is welcome to be enchanted. The festival is freely accessible on Friday and Saturday. Click here to know more. Baking bread at Speelboerderij Elsenhove At Speelboerderij Elsenhove you will find all kinds of farm animals, a large adventurous and natural playground and the opportunity to learn a lot about nature, environment and sustainability. Fun for children and adults! Activities are organized from March to November, mostly on Sundays. On several Sundays in the year, children can come and bake a sandwich themselves on the farm. Sprinkle it with your favourite seeds and enjoy a delicious lunch. Click here to know more. NEMO exhibition on video games – Game ON In the new exhibition Game On, NEMO Science Museum shows that games open the door to new worlds and possibilities. From designing your own character to racing with players worldwide. Thanks to technological developments, video games are becoming smarter, more creative and more versatile. They offer new ways of playing and learning. In Game On you will discover how games help shape our lives and what role they play in science, art and social connection. And of course you can also play games there yourself: from Super Nintendo to Atari 2600 and Playstation 5. Know more here. Synergy Playground – Kite-Making Workshop at NDSM On Saturday 12 September, Synergy Playground will be dominated by Sona Circoloco. Children aged 8 to 14 can participate in a free kite-making workshop together with their parents or guardians. With the help of local artists, you can design and build your own kite. Give it a cheerful colour, a special shape or a personal story and make it something completely your own. All materials are present and the artists will help you on your way. During the morning there is music and snacks and drinks. Of course there is also plenty of room for the homemade kites to take to the air together afterwards! For more details, check their website. Parents’ Corner Canal Swim for Charity – 6 September The Amsterdam City Swim brings people together with one goal: contributing to a future without ALS. On September 6, 2026, swim through the canals of Amsterdam to raise as much money as possible for Stichting ALS Nederland. Join the audience to cheer the swimmers or donate and make a direct impact on ALS research. More details here. Once again it’s the time of the year where you can enjoy hand-picked apples directly from the orchards. Fruittuin van West is a great option right in the heart of Amsterdam to enjoy the process. Their website has daily updates posted about the availability of the fruits. So take your baskets and bring home some juicy deliciousness directly from the farm! Check their website. A special invitation for the Amsterdam Mamas community! We’d love to welcome you and your little ones to WOW Family Center — a warm and joyful place for families to connect, learn, play and grow together. Come and discover our classes for parents & babies, toddlers, parents & toddlers, and older kids — with something special for every stage of your family’s journey. Special offer for Amsterdam Mama members: Enjoy 10% off when you purchase one of our 3 WOW Family Center Club Cards through the special link. Choose your WOW Family Center Club Card. Discount code: wowmamas Choose the Club Card that suits your family best and enjoy our wonderful selection of classes and activities together. We can’t wait to welcome you and your family to WOW Family Center! We endeavour to include everyone and are happy to mention events connected to all special holidays and festivities. Please email us with events or celebrations you want us to mention. AM will make the ultimate decision on what to publish. A team of volunteers compiles this newsletter, and we would welcome some new colleagues on the team. Are you interested and do you have a few hours to spare every few weeks? Please contact Amsterdam Mamas for more information at info@amsterdam-mamas.nl This Weekend Roundup was compiled by Alefiya Saifee Tikiwala The above information is given to the best of our knowledge and ability, but please check the event links to confirm details. These are often events that the Amsterdam Mamas cannot personally recommend from experience but are provided as a starting point to help you find activities that are a good fit for your family. If you have seen any upcoming events that we should know about, please let the newsletter team know by replying to this email. Thanks, and have a good weekend! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. |
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