How to practice Dutch outside school: fun activities for expat children

“Mom, how do you say that in Dutch again?”

Does that sound familiar?

Many Dutch expat parents notice that their children gradually speak less Dutch the longer they live abroad. And that’s completely normal. Your child spends most of the day at an international or local school, plays with friends in another language, and often watches television in English or the local language.

When we (as a Dutch family) moved to Spain, I noticed the same thing. Before you know it, more and more foreign words start slipping into conversations, and Dutch becomes a language that is only spoken occasionally.

The good news is that practicing Dutch at home doesn’t have to feel like extra schoolwork. In fact, the school holidays are the perfect opportunity to make Dutch a fun and natural part of everyday life.

In this blog, I’ll share some of our favourite activities to help children practice Dutch outside school.

Why is it important to practice Dutch outside school?

Language learning doesn’t only happen during our online lessons or school.

Children learn an enormous amount through conversations, books, games, television, and everyday experiences. The more often they hear and use Dutch, the easier it becomes to maintain and develop their language skills.

This is especially important during long school holidays. After several weeks without using Dutch, children can lose confidence and forget vocabulary they previously knew.

Fortunately, helping your child learn Dutch abroad can be both easy and enjoyable.

If you don’t speak Dutch yourself

Many parents worry that they can’t support their child’s Dutch because they don’t speak the language themselves.

Thankfully, there are plenty of simple ways to help.

Watch Dutch videos together

One of the easiest ways to practice Dutch is by watching Dutch cartoons, films, or children’s programmes together.

Set the audio to Dutch and use subtitles in your own language. Your child hears authentic Dutch while you can still follow the story and answer questions.

Children absorb far more language than we often realise.

Read bilingual books

Bilingual books are fantastic for families learning Dutch.

Some popular examples include:

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar / Rupsje Nooitgenoeg
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? / Bruine Beer, Bruine Beer, Wat Zie Jij Daar?
• Goodnight Moon / Welterusten Maan

Reading the same story in two languages helps children make connections between words and meanings.

Create one Dutch moment every day

You don’t need to speak Dutch all day long.

Start small.

For example, decide that breakfast is your family’s Dutch moment. Try to use as many Dutch words and phrases as possible during that time.

You might make mistakes. You might need to look up words. That’s perfectly fine. Learning together can be a lot of fun.

Go on a Dutch word walk

Take a walk together and name everything you see in Dutch:

• tree
• street
• bicycle
• dog
• bird
• traffic sign

Children are often surprised by how many Dutch words they already know.

Celebrate Dutch traditions together

Learning Dutch isn’t just about vocabulary and grammar. It’s also about staying connected to Dutch culture.

When you live abroad, those little Dutch traditions often become even more meaningful.

Is the Dutch national football team playing? Put on your orange shirts, wave Dutch flags, and cheer for the Netherlands together from the sofa.

Celebrate Sinterklaas by baking pepernoten, putting out a shoe, and singing traditional Dutch songs.

On King’s Day, you could go to a mini flea market, play Dutch games, or bake something orange together.

And of course, don’t forget the Dutch treats! Enjoy stroopwafels, poffertjes, chocolate sprinkles on bread (hagelslag), or for the brave ones: a handful of Dutch liquorice.

At our house, my children always get super excited when we create a little Dutch moment together. Not because they have to learn something, but because it’s fun.

And without even realising it, they’re learning new words, expressions, and traditions along the way.

Because in the end, learning Dutch isn’t only about speaking the language. It’s also about knowing where you come from and feeling connected to the Netherlands, wherever in the world you may live.

Have you downloaded our free Dutch language activity guide yet?

Looking for even more ideas to help your child practice Dutch at home?

Download our free guide packed with games, activities, and practical tips that you can start using today.

If you already speak Dutch at home

If Dutch is already spoken in your family, the holidays are a wonderful opportunity to strengthen your child’s confidence and vocabulary.

Read Dutch children’s books together

Reading aloud remains one of the best ways to build language skills.

In our house, the books by Rachel Bright are favourites. My children especially love The Lion Inside and The Koala Who Could.

Even though they know the stories by heart, they still ask for them again and again.

Watch Dutch television programmes

Television can be a surprisingly powerful language-learning tool.

Some great options include:

• Mees Kees
• Het Klokhuis
• Freeks wilde wereld

Older children may also enjoy programmes such as Wie is de Mol?

They are learning without even realising it.

Keep a holiday journal

This is one of my personal favourite activities.

Buy a notebook and take turns writing about your day.

What did you do?

What was the funniest moment?

What did you enjoy most?

You can even write little notes back and forth to each other.

Don’t worry about spelling mistakes. The goal is to encourage communication and confidence.

Play Dutch language games

Language games are perfect for long car journeys, camping trips, or lazy afternoons.

Try:

• Hangman
• Word chains
• Rhyming games
• “I Spy”
• Word puzzles

Children often don’t realise they’re practicing Dutch at all.

Send messages to grandma and grandpa

A WhatsApp message, postcard, or voice note to grandparents is a wonderful reason to use Dutch.

And grandparents usually love receiving updates from their grandchildren.

Learning Dutch abroad doesn’t have to be difficult

You don’t need hours of formal lessons every day.

Often, the small moments matter most.

A Dutch bedtime story.

A Dutch cartoon on a rainy afternoon.

A language game during a walk.

A message to grandparents.

Together, these small moments help Dutch remain a natural part of your child’s life.

Looking for extra support?

Sometimes it can be difficult to create enough Dutch language opportunities at home, especially when family life is busy or Dutch isn’t your first language.

At Dutch for Kids, we have been helping Dutch and Belgian families around the world for more than 13 years.

Our qualified teachers provide online Dutch lessons for children of all levels:

• Complete beginners.
• Children who need extra support with reading, spelling, and vocabulary.
• Children who want to maintain their Dutch for a future return to the Netherlands or studies in Dutch.

Every child learns with a dedicated teacher in a safe, supportive environment.

Curious whether Dutch for Kids is the right fit for your family?

Book a free trial lesson and meet one of our experienced teachers.