The autumn holidays in the Netherlands are not at the same time everywhere. The Netherlands is divided into 3 regions: North, Central and South.

The Central and South regions have holidays in a different week to the North region. This makes for less crowded roads and attractions. This makes it easier to take fun trips. The holiday weeks are as follows:

• Central and South region: 19 October to 27 October 2024.

• North region: 26 October to 3 November 2024.

The autumn holidays are a week when schools are closed. Many parents also take holiday during this week. But if you work, you do not automatically get the time off. You have to request holiday yourself. If you go to school and do not work, however, you are usually automatically off during the autumn holidays.

The school does not arrange childcare for your children. If your children are off, but you or your partner have to work, you have to arrange childcare yourself. In the Netherlands, for example, children can go to day care or out-of-school care (BSO). This often costs money, but sometimes you get help from the government to pay for childcare.

There are many activities to do during the autumn holidays. Below are some of the things many Dutch people do during this holiday:

• You can take an autumn walk in the forest or park. There are lots of leaves on the ground that you can do arts and crafts with at home.

• This autumn, you can visit museums for free. Many museums are offering special activities for children, such as craft workshops and fun scavenger hunts. Visit the website Free museum tickets for refugees for more information about the promotion and to order free tickets.

• During the autumn holidays, fun children's movies often run in theatres. A ticket to the movies is cheaper for children. There are also family tickets, so you can take the family to the movies for cheaper.

• Many libraries host free activities for children. Check the De Bibliotheek website to see what activities your local library offers.