Traditional Dutch
games for hire
Sjoelen, ring toss, sack races and koekhappen. Games everyone understands straight away, brought to the place where you are meeting anyway.
Nobody needs anything explained
The tricky thing about a mixed group is that most activities are too easy or too hard for someone. A grandad of eighty and a nephew of six rarely enjoy doing the same thing. With sjoelen (Dutch tabletop shuffleboard) or ring toss that problem doesn't exist: the rules can be explained in one sentence, and differences in strength or fitness hardly matter.
On top of that, these games don't force anyone to take part. People walk up, take a few turns, chat a bit and move on. That makes them suitable for occasions where the programme isn't the main thing, but there needs to be something to stand around.
What you hire from us
We provide the complete package, from the games themselves to delivery and collection. You only need to tell us where and when, and roughly how many of you there are.
- Games of your choice, matched to the space and ages
- Delivery, set-up and collection included
- Can be used indoors and outdoors
- Optional hosting and scoring
For which occasions
Hiring games works best when a broad mix of people comes and you don't know exactly who will turn up. At a family day that is almost always the case: grandchildren, in-laws and neighbours all mixed together.
At a staff party, anniversary or neighbourhood party too, this is a relaxed way to get people moving in the room without creating a compulsory programme. Clubs often use the games during an open day, where visitors come and go.
If you want to turn it into a contest, we can convert the games into a team competition with a league table. That works well for companies, because it naturally leads to mixed teams and gets colleagues talking who otherwise wouldn't.
How we set it up
We come by before the start to set the games up. We usually spread them around the space instead of putting them in one row, so that guests wander around naturally and don't all hang around the same game. Each game has a short explanation, so people can start without having to look for someone first.
How many games you need depends mainly on the number of guests. For a group of around thirty, four to six games are enough; with a hundred people or more a more generous layout works better, otherwise queues form. We help think it through as soon as we know roughly how big the group will be.
At the end we collect everything again. You don't have to clean or tidy anything. If there's also food or drinks on the programme that day, we match the set-up time to that, so the games are ready at the moment the party is complete.
Frequently asked questions
Which games are in a set?
Classics such as sjoelen, ring toss, koekhappen (biting at a hanging cake), sack races, horseshoe throwing and spijkerpoepen (dropping a nail into a bottle), supplemented by larger wooden games such as a giant Mikado or a sliding game. Which combination works best depends on the space and the ages in the group, so we put the set together based on your situation.
Can the games be used indoors?
Yes, and that's a practical advantage if the weather looks doubtful. Most games need little space. For an indoor set-up we choose games that don't have to roll or fly far, so a hall, canteen or warehouse is large enough.
Does someone stay to host it?
Either works. At an informal neighbourhood party or family day, people often get the games going themselves and a clear explanation beforehand is enough. If you want to turn it into a competition with scoring and a winner, we stay on to keep track of the rounds and the score.
What does it cost to hire traditional Dutch games?
A compact set for half a day starts at €195, including delivery and collection within the region. The exact price depends on the number of games, the duration and the distance. After the first conversation you'll get a firm price.
Tell us about your plan
Interested in traditional Dutch games? Fill in the short form and we'll send a price estimate within 1 working day.
Games at your party
Give us the date, the location and the number of guests, and we will put together a suitable set.