King's Day
activities
Traditional Dutch games, an Orange quiz, a games circuit and children's games. With our hosts or run by your own volunteers.
King's Day activities for the whole neighbourhood
If you're organising King's Day activities, it's usually for a mixed crowd. Children who want to run, parents who want a chat, grandparents sitting on a chair at the side. We provide games and programmes that work on a day like that: traditional Dutch games, an Orange quiz, a games circuit and children's games.
We work for oranjeverenigingen (local King's Day committees), municipalities and neighbourhood committees. Companies doing something for staff and their families on or around King's Day are welcome too. Schools sometimes ask us for the Koningsspelen (the national King's Games for schools); then we keep it short and sporty, in line with the school programme.
The difference from an ordinary family day is how busy it is. On King's Day, people come and go, drop by for an hour and then move on to the vrijmarkt (street flea market). So we choose games you can join at any moment, without having been there at the start.
- Games with a host or hire only
- Activities to choose separately or as a complete programme
- For the village square, neighbourhood, school playground or company site
- Across the Netherlands, from Enschede
Four activities to combine
Traditional Dutch games
Sack races, sjoelen (Dutch shuffleboard), ring toss, koekhappen (biting at a hanging cake). Everyone already knows them, so young and old join in without any explanation.
Orange quiz
A quiz about the Royal Family, the Netherlands and your own neighbourhood or town. Good for the afternoon in a marquee or on the square, when the children have finished and the adults want to sit down.
Games circuit
A circuit of around eight games with a stamp card. Children do it on their own, parents walk along or watch. At the end, a small prize or a raffle ticket.
Children's games
Games for the youngest group, such as spijkerpoepen (dropping a nail into a bottle) and relay races. Short, easy to follow and with lots of winners, so there are few tears.
With a host or run it yourself
On King's Day, a King's Day committee often has more volunteers than on any other day of the year. Then it's a shame to hire someone from us for every game. You can also just hire the games. You collect them, or we deliver by arrangement, and you get an explanation of how everything works. You can read more about that under game hire.
For activities that depend on a good presenter, such as the Orange quiz or a competition between streets, you can hire us separately. That's also a solution if the club's regular quizmaster wants to take part themselves for once this year.
A set-up that works well: a games circuit for the children in the morning with volunteers at the games, and a quiz or team games day with us in the afternoon. That way the day keeps flowing without the organisers having to switch gears all the time.
King's Day falls on the same day for everyone
The tricky thing about King's Day is that the whole country celebrates on the same day. With a company outing you can move a week; here you can't. Games and hosts can only be allocated once per day, and anyone who only calls in March will notice that.
So book the date early, even if the programme isn't quite finished. That's 27 April, or Saturday 26 April if 27 April falls on a Sunday. We can fill in the details together later. In your enquiry, tell us where the party is, roughly how many people you expect and whether there's a covered area in case it rains, because an Orange quiz in pouring rain draws few people.
Permits and closing off streets are also the organisers' own responsibility. That goes through the municipality and often takes a few weeks, so arrange it alongside the programme.
Frequently asked questions
When should you book King's Day activities?
As early as possible. On King's Day, everyone wants games and hosts at the same time, and that day can't be stretched. King's Day committees that book in the autumn or around New Year have the most choice.
What if King's Day falls on a Sunday?
Then King's Day is celebrated a day earlier, on Saturday 26 April. Keep that in mind when planning, and in your enquiry give the date on which your party actually takes place.
Can we hire the games without a host?
Yes. Many King's Day committees have plenty of volunteers and only want the games. You collect them in Enschede, or we deliver them by arrangement, with an explanation included. If you'd like us to run an activity, such as the Orange quiz or the games circuit, that can be added separately.
How much do King's Day activities cost?
That depends on the number of activities, the length, whether hosts are included and where the party is. You'll get a price after a short enquiry, within 1 working day.
Which games work for children on King's Day?
For children up to about eight, short games with lots of winners work best: koekhappen, sack races, ring toss and a simple games circuit with a stamp card. Older children often want a competition, for example by street or by class. We adapt the mix to the ages you expect.
Tell us about your King's Day
Tell us the location, the number of people and what you're looking for, and we'll send you a proposal and a price within 1 working day.
King's Day sorted in good time
Book the date now, and we'll finish the programme together.