Top entertainment for families in Lauwersoog

As a toddler, you don’t need much to keep entertained. A small shovel, a bucket, and your own imagination will get you quite far. But as parents, you naturally want to get out and about during your holiday. Where do you go with your little ones? Lauwersoog, of course! We went to Het Booze Wijf (translated as The Naughty Woman), and it sounds less pleasant than it actually is.

More than just a restaurant 

Officially, Het Booze Wijf is located on Groningen soil, but no place in Groningen is as Frisian as Lauwersoog. Het Booze Wijf is not just a restaurant, but also has a terrace, an indoor playground, a supermarket, and a museum harbour. On a sunny Sunday, we headed there with the family (husband, wife, and toddler). We weren’t the only ones with this great idea. The terrace was full, and the playground was already busy with kids playing.

The playground at Het Booze Wijf is for children of all ages. Our daughter (almost two years old) is still a little small, but there’s plenty for her to do at this age as well. Two water play features are particularly popular. Okay, her dad has to assist here and there, but once she’s on her way, we can watch from a distance as she has fun and is drenched in just ten minutes. Luckily, we planned ahead and brought dry clothes!

Slides, swings, water play equipment, diggers, climbing structures, a huge bouncy castle; there’s too much to mention. The playground falls into the category: bigger than your street, smaller than a theme park. The great advantage of this playground is that you don’t have to pay an entrance fee. And I bet you’ll spontaneously decide not to cook today and treat your kids to a portion of kibbeling or poffertjes!

Out and About in Lauwersoog

Want to see more of the area than just the playground? Near Het Booze Wijf, there’s a beach that was completely renovated a few years ago. On sunny days, it’s a great place to relax. If you're more into sightseeing, head to the Lauwersoog harbour. Here, you’ll find ships from various shrimp fishermen who fish in the Wadden Sea and North Sea. Feeling the salty sea air from the UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea? At MEER IJscafé, you can enjoy a delicious ice cream or a nice pastry, and for a tasty fish dish, visit one of the many restaurants in the harbour, such as Waddengenot aan Zee, Visser Vis, Vishandel Sterkenburg, or Restaurette Schierzicht. If you’re in the mood to roll up your sleeves, ’t Ailand (on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays or by appointment) is a great recommendation. Here, you can prepare your own fish in the fish workshop.

Do you prefer to head into the forest? Then (in high season, on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons) visit the Activity Centre of Lauwersmeer National Park. Here, you can have a picnic, build a hut in the hut-building forest, catch aquatic creatures, walk the gnome trail, or get routes for various hiking trails through Lauwersmeer National Park.

Blog by Johanna Kommerie

Johanna is a copywriter, blogger, and resident of Northeastern Friesland. Traveling is one of her biggest hobbies, but she is also in love with the province where she lives. She has a passion for the water, the forests, the Fryske Wâlden, the eleven cities, and the Wadden Islands, but especially for the people who bring this province to life.