5 best places to buy kids arts & crafts supplies in the Hague (that aren't HEMA)

Hey fellow Hague mamas and papas. Y'all been enjoying this incredible Dutch Indian summer? Good! Me too. It's been nice just being able to throw the kiddos outside, unleash them into one of Den Haag's lush parks or onto the beach with a bunch of sand toys, hasn't it?

Well enjoy these last fleeting moments because it's all about to end. Soon.

And for those of us who've been here long enough, we know what's coming.
The long dark mornings, the long drizzly weekends, the long bewitching hours leading up to bedtime.

You know what this means: it means it's time to get that arts & crafts supply closet FULLY stocked and FAST.

If you're anything like me, you've probably been hitting up that same old Hema kids craft aisle, picking up the same old foam stickers and tekenbloks (drawing pads) for years. Heck my kids won't even color in their coloring books anymore.

It was time to branch out.

And though this city is still seriously lacking a Michael's (i.e. the epicenter of all crafty goodness in this world) the choices out there may surprise you.

Here are my top 5 favorite spots to stock up on arts & crafts supplies (and keep those kids quiet) in The Hague:

1. SOSTRENE GRENES

This little gem of a store on Spuistraat has a delightful arts & crafts section, full of refreshing and cute scandinavian designs They have everything you need from affordable and reasonably good quality pens, markers, paints, beads to nice storage options for your supplies.

I never leave this store without a couple of their drawing blocks which come in several useful sizes. They have the standard A4 size but also my favorite medium and mini ones (with NO LINES, I'm talking to you HEMA!) which are perfect for slipping into your bag for restaurants or outings. I also just got 2 giant paintbrushes for around 1.50€ each, so if the kids wreck them, no regrets.

They have lots of fun DIY ideas for days when you're not feeling inspired, like this one for painting leftover summer pebbles or this one for upcoming Halloween festivities.

You'll want to check out their party section too!

 2. FLYING TIGER

Flying Tiger is one of those places that I initially brushed off as just another "made in China" knick-knack store. But subsequent visits have started to change my mind. They have a cute little selection of arts & crafts and a colorful range of hobby items. You're not getting fine arts caliber materials here, but hey, you get what you pay for. Their selection changes regularly too, so check back for new fun products.

3. PIPOOS HOBBYWINKEL

Pipoos is an actual, proper DIY/Arts & Crafts shop. They often have seasonal crafting ideas and around Christmas time you can find fun ornaments to decorate and holiday activities. They have an extensive selection of beads, jewelry-making materials as well as yarn and thread if you have older kids into needlework.

Oddly enough, they also have baking decorations and ingredients, usually with a focus on upcoming holidays.

I particularly like going there for their wide array of Edding pens, which exist for anything from decorating windows, textiles and porcelain. On my list of things to try soon is this textile marker set...hand-drawn pillows for Grandpa and Grandma this year anyone?!

4. ARTIFAC

Ah glorious Artifac. Now we start getting into some more hard-core fine art stores.

Artifac is, in my humble opinion, the best art shop in the Hague. Beyond supplies for crafting with kids, I love going in here for pens, paper, paint brushes, you name it. This is a fine arts store so the selection is more catered towards artists or art students. However, there are some very reasonable finds for children as well. And if you're tired of

I am obsessed with Posca markers which are water-based paint pens, so non-toxic, fun for kids and can be used on a wide-variety of surfaces (paper, porcelain, clay, plastic etc...) Random factoid: they are also fabulous for drawing or decorating balloons.

Artifac also carries this line of Gouache Tempera paints from Germany, which I personally love. For a while we were using the Djeco watercolor sets, (courtesy of birthday parties every year) but let's be real, all of the colors turned a muddled brown after a few mixes and uses.

I now prefer to have a mini palate like this one, which also avoids sibling disputes about who's hogging the pink, green etc...each child can mix their own colors without it ending in paint splattering everywhere.

They also have blank postcard blocks similar to this one, which I think is really sweet for the kids to draw or paint on and send to friends and family.

5. DILLE & KAMILLE

Dille & Kamille appears to be more of a kitchen & garden store from the outside, but if you make it to the back, it actually has quite a lovely arts/crafts/DIY section. Their selection is similar to the rest of their shop- simple, natural, rustic and wooden. Their little chalkboards are darling and you can never go wrong with the Lyra colored pencils.

I'm a big fan of all of their twines and clips too, as you can really come up with any kinds of creative projects you want, or use them to hang your kids masterpieces around the house.

Their garden section also has a lot of fun ideas, especially in Holland where flower shops and nurseries are so plentiful. Why not paint or decorate these very affordable mini pots with some winter herbs or use this sweet flower press kit for the last summer flowers or in the springtime.

That rounds up my favorite places for creative supplies in the Hague.
And now you have no excuse - go and get crafting with those kiddos!

Happy October, friends.

p.s. If you have access to a car, Ikea also has some great, cheap Kid's Art Supplies like these fluo Mala Paints and the never-ending paper roll.

p.p.s Goedman is another fine arts shop that I didn't put on my list but think is worth a mention. I left it off as it is quite small and high-end. Still, worth having a look if you're interested in superior-quality arts supplies for older children.

p.p.s. I adore De Maan is Rond for any kind of beading and threading supply.  They have several kinds of letter beads because what kid doesn't like making a keychain, bracelet or necklace with their name on it?!

p.p.p.s Am I missing out on any hidden artsy gems? If so, please do share in the comments.

p.p.p.s Can you tell I love arts & crafts?! xxoo

Choosing a Bakfiets (box-bike)

It would be impossible to blog about life in the Netherlands and not write about the Bakfiets - the ubiquitous box-bike . It is, in my humble opinion, one of the coolest if not THE coolest thing about living in Holland. Wikipedia, as always, sums it up quite nicely in their definition of what a Bakfiets is: "Human Powered Vehicles designed and constructed specifically for transporting large loads". 

Large loads indeed. It is not unusual to see these bad boys going by with 4+ children, large amounts of groceries and a partridge and a pear tree. I myself have managed to transport my 2 kids and a live animal

to various destinations on more than several occasions. But back to the topic. 

In my 8th month of pregnancy with my 2nd child, I decided that I absolutely had to get a Bakfiets, at that very moment. Without a car or any other practical form of transportation, I began to have nightmares of being housebound with a 1.5 year old and newborn during the eternal Dutch winter. 

And so my Bakfiets research began. For starters, a good Bakfiets is not cheap. A bare-bones model from one of the good quality brands will easily set you back 1,500€ to start. You can try and find one second-hand, but they are quite hard to come by and can still cost you anywhere from 600€ to over 1,000€. Though I am by no means a Bakfiets expert, I spent a good amount of time talking to people, shopping around and testing out different sets of wheels. Here were a few of my learnings that might be helpful to those of you on the market for a Bakfiets:

The Best Bakfiets Brands: De Fietsfabriek, Christiania, Bakfiets, Gazelle

I won't evaluate any particular models because this is more of a personal choice. Expats in general seem to prefer the 3-wheelers, simply because you have less risk of tipping (or at least feel that way when you're on). But those who gone fully Dutch and advanced to the 2-wheeler also sing their praises, particularly about how light they are. Whichever model you decide suits you best, here are the brands that I would trust with transporting around my kids:

1. De Fietsfabriek: Top of the line iconic Dutch brand and with a price tag to match. Starting price for the Bakfiets Classic is €1,895. 
2. Christiania Bikes: The Christiania bakfiets hails from Denmark. We love this one for its light aluminum frame. Starting price for a Christiania Cargo Basic is €1,549.
3. Bakfiets.nl: The original Dutch "Bakfiets" brand. Starting price for the Bakfiets Cargo Trike  is €1,785.
4. Gazelle Cabby: Gazelle only makes a 2-wheeler bakfiets as far as I know, but quite a few friends rave about this bike. You usually can't go too wrong with a Gazelle, in general, they also make great bikes of very good quality. Starting price for the Gazelle Cabby is €1,699.

*The Nihola is another brand that I've seen around quite a bit. I have a couple of friends that have really taken to this bike. Unfortunately I don't know a thing about it so can't speak for it one way or another.

The Bakfiets Brands to avoid: Babboe, Boxbike.nl, Cangoo, Tuk Tuk

If the Bakfiets comes to your house in a big box ready to be assembled, as any of the above brands likely will: SEND IT BACK. There is a good chance that box came straight from China and that your Bakfiets, which is a cheap knock-off, will fall apart soon after assembly. I've heard horror stories about some of the cheaper Bakfiets copies losing their wheels while transporting children etc...You don't want this to happen to you. Just remember that the good ones come in one piece. 

Where to buy a Bakfiets: 

A new Bakfiets from one of the top brands is a considerable investment. If you don't feel like you can drop €1,500+ to transport your large load, the next best option is to get one 2nd hand. There are not easy to come by because good used Bakfiets get snatched up like hot cakes. The overall mechanics and frame of a good Bakfiets generally hold up quite well. With regular maintenance and tune-ups, you can get a lot of years out of your boxbike. 

The best place to buy a 2nd hand Bakfiets is Marktplaats.nl. Owned by Ebay, Marktplaats is the biggest second-hand online market place in the Netherlands. It's entirely in Dutch, but if you do any online shopping at all, you can quickly pick up on how the website works. If I managed to do it, you can do it. Search for the above brands using keywords like "De Fietsfabriek bakfiets" etc...

Beware that transporting a Bakfiets is not easy. If you find a good 2nd hand Bakfiets at a considerable distance (i.e. you cannot bike it back to your house), you will need to hire a little trailer or a truck to get it back to your place. As mentioned above, the good ones cannot be dismantled (trust me, we tried).

Another place to try for 2nd hand bakfiets are directly through the retailers or big bicycle shops. They occasionally carry used models still in good condition. 

Where to maintain your Bakfiets:

The Beer Transportfietsen in the Hague is THE place to get your Bakfiets in tip-top condition. These guys know everything there is to know about the Boxbike and you can often go and try a bunch of different models out. If you live in the Hague, it's a good place to start for feeling out the Bakfiets scene. They also have a whole slew of accessories for your Bakfiets and can customize your Bakfiets in the configuration you need (Installing an additional bench, Maxi Cosi adaptors etc...).

If I missed anything or if you feel otherwise, please feel free to tack on your experiences and advice.

In the meantime, good luck finding the best way to lug around your big load!