Living more sustainably also means taking good care of yourself. And in a world where you run from place to place, that moment of rest often falls by the wayside. A day in the sauna is a godsend. Telephone away, time for yourself and... for each other. At wellness resort Zwaluwhoeve, they regularly organise family days during the school holidays. Saskia visited such a day with her family. And yes: this is really ideal for enjoying a day in the sauna with the kids. Much better and more relaxing than an amusement park, yo.
Our experience during the family day at the Zwaluwhoeve
As a true sauna fan, I often talk about my sauna days at home. My ten-year-old son always listens in and asks time and again: ‘Can I go too? Well, saunas are usually 18+, so that won't do. But his disappointment lingered. So I dived online to see if there was anything possible after all. And yes: I ended up at the family days at wellness resort Zwaluwhoeve in Hierden, Gelderland (near Harderwijk). This is an extensive resort in a rural setting with 15 saunas. Trust me: you could come back for days to discover everything. One sauna day is really not enough.
Family days are organised regularly during school holidays. Cool, we went for that! What we got: an afternoon of saunas, kids' retreats - like a circus retreat and a dragon retreat - and a special menu with snacks that make kids happy. Other than that, it is just like you are used to from a sauna day, only with a little more giggling and splashing here and there. In short, a perfect activity during the school holidays.
Going to the sauna with children? Zwaluwhoeve organises family days during school holidays. Then you can enjoy a day of wellness with the whole family. The programme also includes infusions and an infusion course for children! Photo: Martine Geven.
Practical tips and favourite saunas
We arrived around 3.30pm - and that's an immediate tip-off. Many families start their sauna day earlier, so when we arrived, the first visitors were already rounding up. It got quieter and quieter and at one point we had the pools and saunas almost to ourselves. Lovely! You can stay until 9pm on family days, so plenty of time to enjoy yourself. Our favourites? The Turkish steam bath, the small point saunas in the garden with scents like thyme and cinnamon and, of course, the heated pool. No bombshell, but a ten for bobbing about.
Also nice: there is plenty of vegetarian choice in the restaurants. We went for the buffet restaurant where you can order, among other things, a vegetarian curry meal, a sandwich with grilled vegetables. That way, you instantly give your day a greener edge. And coming with an electric car? There are a few charging stations on the premises. You can recharge while your car does!
Check out more about this fun sauna and family days!
More kids' outings
- Also see: A scavenger hunt through the city.
- Also see: A guided game-picking walk.
- Also see: on glamping holidays at home with Huttopia.
Photo credits: Martine Geven, Zwaluwhoeve.
