With My Generation being this Book Week’s theme, we are excited to welcome you to a joyful reading at the library. Teenaged children from the Queer Families Group will be reading this week, followed by a conversation with two gay grandfathers from the group.
What was it like to grow up queer in grandpa’s time? · What’s different today?· What has changed for the queer community over the years? · What feels familiar across generations? · And what can we learn from each other?
Grandad’s Pride by Harry Woodgate is a picture book about love, family, and pride. This intergenerational story will be brought to life, thanks to our guest readers.
A creative activity will follow for the kids to make something to take home and remember what we learned. Come read, listen, ask questions, celebrate your generation and those that came before!
Date and time Saturday 21st March, 11.00 – 12.30
How to join? This activity is open to everyone! The book is suitable for kids 4+. Space is limited, please register using the button via this link: https://www.bibliotheekdenhaag.nl/activiteiten/activiteiten/benoordenhout/english-reading–queer-edition-.html
Discover how the Foundation Stage (ages 3-5) at The British School in the Netherlands (BSN) will support your child and help them develop into happy, confident, and motivated learners. Starting school is a significant milestone in a child’s life and BSN has extensive experience in guiding families through this important transition with care and expertise.
We invite you to visit one or both of our Junior School campuses!
Tuesday 18 November at Junior School Leidschenveen
Thursday 20 November at Junior School Vlaskamp
During this welcoming morning, parents and guardians will have the opportunity to:
Explore classrooms and vibrant learning spaces
Meet BSN’s specialist Music and PE teachers
Learn about the engaging, child-centred curriculum
Experience the inspiring outdoor learning environments
Ask questions and connect with teaching and Admissions staff
Parents and family members of Foundation Stage-aged children and younger, as well as expectant parents, are welcome to join our event.
De Betovering (The Enchantment) is The Hague’s annual international art festival for young people (aged 0-12), which takes place on nearly every stage, in the museums, libraries and in the streets of the city.
This public festival, with over 550 performances and workshops, takes place during the autumn holidays and lasts 9 days. The festival allows children to acquaint themselves actively and receptively with high quality and accessible art in their free time, hereby aiming to contribute to the development of a highly diverse group of children.
De Betovering is a unique collaboration, connecting some fifty cultural organisations, social institutions and companies in The Hague.
On Thursday 3 April, The Hague will celebrate the Dag van de Voorschool (Day of Pre-School). On this open day (in Dutch), parents and carers can get to know the pre-school and register their children. The pre-school prepares children aged 2.5 to 4 for primary school in a playful manner. More and more parents in The Hague are discovering how valuable pre-school is for their child’s development. In The Hague, there are over 140 preschools where toddlers can take this important step in their development.
Pre-school increasingly well known among parents
Recently, there has been a clear increase in parents’ interest in pre-school. The Hague toddler consultants play an important role in this by informing and guiding them well. Parents who previously had doubts, now increasingly see the added value: a safe environment in which their toddler develops playfully, becomes more language-savvy and learns to play with other children. Toddler consultant Hafsa: ‘Some parents think that pre-school is only for children who do not yet speak Dutch well, but that is not true. All toddlers from 2.5 years old can learn and play here. This way, every child starts primary school with more self-confidence.’
Alderman Hilbert Bredemeijer: ‘At the pre-school, children get a good start at primary school. They learn to play together, are introduced to language. That is why we have made pre-school free of charge for children who really need it. To all parents who are interested or have questions, come along during the Day of Pre-school. Then you can see how valuable pre-school is for your child.”
3 April: come to the Day of Preschool
During the Day of Preschool, preschools all over The Hague open their doors. Parents and carers can visit a pre-school in their neighbourhood, ask questions and register their child directly. For more information and an overview of preschools in The Hague, visit www.voorschooldenhaag.nl (in Dutch)
The preschool: an important step
For many young children, the transition to primary school is a big step. The preschool offers them the chance to playfully build language skills, social interaction and self-confidence. At preschool, children aged 2.5 to 4 years learn new words, social skills and what it is like to work in a group in a playful way. The preschool is free for a large proportion of Hague toddlers. They are welcome 16 hours a week.
Welcome to our series of community stories about international residents in The Hague and surrounds.
Nilo Rondelli is a Brazilian author and a storyteller who connected his business experience and his passion for education with a master’s degree in development studies.
A father of two, he believes in the power of stories to shape young minds and inspire kindness, empathy, and emotional growth.
Currently living in the Netherlands, Nilo finds joy in writing, especially for children, crafting stories that nurture curiosity and resilience while making learning an engaging and magical experience.
Nilo shares his story below of how he became an author of children’s books in multiple languages.
Would you like to share your story with The Hague Online community? Please see our submission guidelines.
For several years, I stayed in mine: commercial executive. I can’t complain, I started my career as a Sales Representative and became a CEO before turning 40.
But success is relative. I still felt I wasn’t fulfilling my purpose.
I decided to take a leap of faith: I resigned from the corporate world, moved to the Netherlands with my wife and daughters, and returned to academia to pursue a master’s degree in Development Studies. I knew that education is a powerful tool for transforming lives—it changed mine. And I believe it will give my kids a better chance to succeed in the future.
I always tell my daughters they can be whoever they want, follow their dreams, and do what they love. I also remind them that we don’t have to limit ourselves to just one thing in life. But what about other children? I know not everyone has the same opportunities. Still, all of us are driven by our beliefs—and beliefs are shaped by stories. So let me tell you one:
Since my daughters were born, bedtime stories have become a tradition in our home. Until one day… we ran out of books. So, I started making up my own.
To my surprise, they loved them even more! My daughters encouraged me to write a book, but my first thought was: “I’m not an author.” I had put myself back in the box.
But then I decided to take my own advice. I picked the story they loved the most, wrote it down… and published it.
It may sound simple in one sentence, but in reality, it took me six months to make it happen. From deciding to write the book to actually finishing it, I had to overcome Impostor Syndrome and remind myself: the only thing that separates an author from a non-author is one book.
They say “good is the enemy of great.” But instead of paralyzing myself chasing perfection, I just did the best I could—with a lot of love and effort. After all, delivering something good beats never delivering something great.
To my surprise, it was good enough. My first book became a top seller—without investing a single cent in advertising. That gave me the courage to write a second book… and then start a series.
There is life outside the box. Leave your message to the world! And in the meantime, share mine with the kids you love and want to empower: 👉 https://amzn.eu/d/0fgzq9O
Series The Virtuous Dragons
Book 1 – The Humble Dragon and The White Flower
Available paperback format in English, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese. Also available as e-book at Kindle in English and Portuguese.
On Saturday 5 April, the Atrium Den Haag will be all about music! Come by this afternoon between 13:00 and 17:00 and get to know everything that has to do with Hague music for children.
Discover and try out various instruments during the music market in the instrument garden and during the workshops, enjoy various performances and get to know the many music schools, music teachers, youth orchestras and music associations from the region of The Hague.
This musical afternoon will be opened by alderman for Education & Youth Hilbert Bredemeijer. The Hague Children’s Music Day is free of charge and is part of the national Children’s Music Week.
