In early April, Years 4-11 embarked on an exciting learning adventure to Amsterdam. The trip served many purposes that aligned with our classroom learning, such as studying WW2, urban planning/geography, enquiry-based science, and much more. The trip was also a culmination for our students who read The Diary of Anne Frank. We flew to Amsterdam and had 4 days of learning and fun. The following are a few of our adventures:
The Nemo Science Center was a great way to spend our time exploring hands on scientific concepts. We explored all 4 floors and had a lovely lunch on the rooftop patio. Afterwards, primary pupils went to the Dutch Resistance Museum to learn about the lives of Dutch children during WW2. Secondary students took a specialized bike tour to learn about water reclamation and urban geography in Amsterdam. Everyone had a lot of fun, but definitely needed some rest after such a busy day!
We chose to visit during April so we could take advantage of the short opening times of the Keukenhof tulip fields. We enjoyed the beautiful sunny day and the kids explored a labyrinth, a petting zoo, a playground, a zipline, and then a working windmill. We walked through some of the most beautiful flowers we had ever seen. We then headed to a famous pancake restaurant to try some authentic Dutch pancakes.
We also wanted to learn more about Dutch culture, so we took a bike tour through the countryside and visited a windmill and a dairy farm. The dairy farm was a favourite for many of us! The farmer taught us how cheese was made and how he crafts the wooden clogs that we all associate with Holland. We met the cows and headed back to the city on our bikes. After we did some shopping, we were in need of a relaxing dinner. We took a canal cruise aboard a pizza boat! We were able to see many sights will eating pizza and ice cream to our heart’s content!
The Rijksmuseum houses a famous collection of over 1 million pieces! We really enjoyed seeing the famous works of artists such as Rembrandt and Van Gogh. We had yet another beautiful day, so we ate a picnic in the park and played a game of tag while giant white puffy clouds floated by. It was really an idyllic setting.
We took a lovely walk along the canal to the Anne Frank House. We had a very meaningful lesson from the staff and then toured the hiding place that Anne and 7 others hid in for around 2 years during WW2. It was a quiet, personal experience. It was very special to everyone, as we have just read the diary in class. It was quite emotional to stand in the same room that Anne lived in, to see her walls and her diary, and to really experience the secret annexe.
It was a lovely learning journey that was punctuated with smiles, laughter, sunshine, and personal reflection.
Photos can be found in the gallery.
