Sunday, October 26, 2014

How to Cross Stitch

How to Cross Stitch

Fabric to Use:
The most common material used is called "Aida cloth". Aida cloth comes in a number of different sizes. For example 8 count Aida cloth has 8 cross stitches per inch while 16 count has 16 cross stitches per inch. A beginner should use the LOWEST number Aida cloth they can find.

Keep in mind, the size of your finished project also depends on the count you use. If the pattern is on a 50x40 grid, a 6 count Aida cloth will give you an 8.3x6.7 inch finished work while an 8 count Aida cloth will result in a 6.25x5 inch piece. You'll want to add two to three inches all around for framing.

For even younger children the plastic canvas needlepoint material is the best option. In this case you don't need an embroidery hoop, you can use wool instead of embroidery floss and you'll find it much easier to "aim" your needle at the right spot. This plastic canvas is a terrific starter material for cross stitch!

Embroidery Floss: This is the thread you use for stitching. It comes with 6 threads wrapped together. Cut about an 18 inch piece off and unravel the thread so you're using 3 threads for your cross stitching and 1 for your backstitching -- this applies to all our beginner projects. If you're using a higher numbered Aida cloth (18 or up) use 2 threads for your cross stitching instead of 3.

Embroidery Hoop: If you visit this site a lot, you know I'm not a big proponent of buying things (I like recycling and cutting back on expense when crafting with kids). But you can't cut out the embroidery hoop (4" ones work well)! Trying to cross stitch without one will just result in failed attempts and frustration. Borrow from grandma, pick up at a garage sale or buy brand new... But make sure you have one before your child (or you) starts trying to cross stitch. Remove projects from the hoop when you aren't working on them to avoid leaving marks. The smaller piece goes on the wrong side of the project with the large piece overlapping on the right side.

Embroidery Needle: A 22 or 24 needle work well... Realistically, just find a needle that you can thread 3 pieces of embroidery floss into without too much trouble!

Making Your Project:

Edges: Purchase Aida cloth with about 3 inches extra around the sides. Put masking tape around all of the edges to prevent fraying.

Find the Center: Fold the cloth lengthwise and widthwise and crease. The point in the middle is the center. Start stitching as near the center as makes sense (given your pattern) as possible. There are arrows on the patterns that indicate the center. When you put your embroidery hoop onto your cloth, do it so the center is showing.

Starting Out: When you start your thread out, leave a 2 inch length dangling on the wrong side of your fabric (you don't need to tie a knot in the end). When you continue with more stitches, catch the 2 inch length under the stitches on the back of your project. This is called anchoring the thread.

back side of project

Making the Pattern: You can do this two ways (it depends a lot on whether you're changing colors of thread or not). The best way if you don't need to change colors for awhile is to do a long row of half stitches (/ / / / /) and when you've finished them work backwards to complete the cross (\ \ \ \ \). Ultimately, this method results in a more uniform stitch and seems to go a bit faster. If, on the other hand, you are changing colors a lot, you can stitch an individual X each time).

Just make sure you always work your stitches the same way... You can start with \ \ \ \ or with / / / / but don't start one row \ \ and the next row / /.

Backstitching: Not done for every project. This is done at the end of the project. It is a running stitch not a X that outlines the pattern. When reading the pattern, the backstitching is typically shown by a solid line and is sometimes done in a color different (slightly darker) than the cross stitching.

With a beginner cross stitcher, I skip the backstitching (unless they're already familiar with how to do it) and just focus on the cross stitch. I find it takes my10 year old longer to backstitch her projects than it does to cross stitch them, so we're just sticking to the cross stitch for now.

Here's how it's done, though...



backstitch: up at one, down at two; up at 3, down at 4

Framing/Display:

So! You've finished off a beautiful masterpiece and want to display it... Here are some ideas:

Bookmarks - any of the smaller -- long, narrow projects can be used as bookmarks: 

Fold the unfinished edges over and hot glue onto the back side of the project.

Cut a piece of card stock, poster board, thin cardboard or felt to the same size or a smidge larger than your project.

Hot glue this onto the back side of the project, covering the unfinished edges and wrong side of the work.

Cards - any of the smaller rectangular or square projects can be made into greeting cards.

Fold the unfinished edges over and temporarily pin onto the back side of the project.

Fold a piece of card stock in half (in our diagrams, the orange is the front and the yellow the inside so it's easier to follow along, but cardstock is typically the same color on both sides).



Lightly trace your cross stitch project onto the inside the folded cardstock.

try to make sure it's centered.

If you'd like to print a title on your card, you can squiggle the project down a bit to leave room .

Set aside your cross stitch.

Use an exacto knife to cut a hole out of your card stock where you traced... just in the half you did your tracing, not through both sides.

Unpin the unfinished edges of your cross stitch and flatten back out again.

Use double sided tape, masking tape or hot glue to glue your cross stitch inside the folded cardstock "card" so the project is peeking out of the hole you cut. (This will be the front of your card) .

Fold a second piece of card stock in half (either the same color or a complimentary color).

Use hot glue or double sided tape to glue it inside the first piece of card stock (so the cross stitch is sandwiched in there).

Print a message inside your card and/or on the front!


Framed Picture: any of the projects can be finished this way.

The simplest thing is to purchase a picture frame and some matting material. Use masking tape to attach the project to the matting and then put it in the frame.

For a home made version, we do much the same thing as we do with the greeting cards:

Fold the unfinished edges over and temporarily pin onto the back side of the project

Lightly trace your cross stitch project onto the back of a piece of cardstock, poster board or fun foam which you've cut to the size you want your finished frame to be.

Try to make sure it's centered.

Use an exacto knife to cut a hole out of your card stock where you traced.

Unpin the unfinished edges of your cross stitch and flatten back out again.

Use double sided tape, masking tape or hot glue to glue your cross stitch onto the cardstock so the project is peeking out of the hole you cut.

Use hot glue or double sided tape to glue a second piece over the back of the first (so the cross stitch is sandwiched in there).

You can decorate your frame with puffy paint, sequins, cut outs, etc but try not to make it too "busy"... You want your cross stitch to take center stage!

Hang on the wall or refrigerator.

Pillow: any of the more square shaped projects can be finished this way.

When you're finished cross stitching, simply cut out a piece of fabric the same size as your finished cross stitch.

Pin the fabric and cross stitch with right sides together.

Sew around three sides of the project leaving a 1/4 to 1/2 inch seam allowance (use a sewing machine or hand stitching.

Remove your pins.

Flip your pillow right sides out.

Stuff pillow with pillow stuffing (for small pillows, add a bit of lavender, chamomile, cinnamon or pot pouri to make a smelly pillow for inside a linen cupboard).

Sew up the last side of the pillow.

Note: keep in mind that these are beginner projects... Feel free to spice things up by adding borders, ruffles or piping to your pillow if you're at a more advanced level.

Social Studies Lesson Plan: The VOC (Dutch East India Company)

Lesson Plan: The VOC (Dutch East India Company)
Background:

Dutch Maritime Ventures
In 1606 the Duyfken, owned by the Dutch East India Company and stationed in the East Indies, made a voyage of exploration looking for "east and south lands" which took it on the first historically recorded voyage to Australia.

That was part of the Dutch expansion into the Spice Trade between Asia and Europe. The newly formed Dutch nation, the United Provinces, was already by the far the most successful shipping nation in Europe. They owned far more ships than any other nation. England had only about one-eighth the number of ships.

The Spanish, with whom the Dutch were at war, could not ban Dutch shipping from their ports because they were so dependent on grain brought from the Baltic by Dutch ships.

There were a number of reasons for the Dutch success. The new nation was ruled more by merchants than the aristocracy. Many ships were owned and operated by cooperatives or partnerships. Modern systems of credit, insurance, and trade were developed in Amsterdam.

Dutch shipwrights, building plank-first, evolving the shape of the ship by eye, were able to build whatever shape they thought would serve best, whereas builders of frame-first ships were constrained by the type of shapes they could develop by unsophisticated techniques of drawing a ship's plan.
Insignia of the Dutch East Indies Company


VOC History
VOC stands for "Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie" (United East India Company). In the 17th and 18th centuries the VOC was the largest commercial enterprise in the world, with a fleet of more than a hundred ships, thousands of employees, dozens of offices in Asia, and six establishments in the Netherlands. These were the "VOC chambers" in Amsterdam, Enkhuizen, Hoorn, Rotterdam, Delft and Middelburg.

When Dutch merchants were excluded from the lucrative trade in Asia by the Portuguese around 1590, several Amsterdam merchants decided to break that monopoly. To that effect they organised the so-called "First Shipping" to Asia in 1595. This voyage was inspired by the "Reysbeschrift" bij Jan Huygen van Linschoten. A year later his complete "Itinerario" was published: a very interesting travel report.

Other merchants soon followed suit. In the next five years 15 fleets comprising 65 ships sailed to the Far East, resulting in extensive competition amongst the Dutch themselves. The "Staten Generaal" (the equivalent of the parliament) decided to act, and try persuade the merchants to join forces and co-operate with each other. The councillor for the government, Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, undertook most of the important preparatory work. When he finally did succeed to convince the various competing East India companies to co-operate and form a union, it resulted in the establishment of the United East India Company (VOC). The successful alliance was expressed in the letter V for "Vereenigd"(United). Then on March 20, 1602 the Staten Generaal gave the VOC exclusive licence, effectively granting them a Dutch monopoly for the trade in the Far East. It marked the start of a period of intense economic and cultural growth in the Netherlands.

The Battle of Bantam
The VOC was governed by the "Heeren Seventien" (Lords XVII). These were representatives from the six VOC chambers of Amsterdam, Delft, Enkhuizen, Hoorn, Middelburg and Rotterdam. They decreed general policy and divided the tasks among their chambers, which carried out the work. They built their own ships and warehouses, and traded their goods.

In the period between 1595 and 1795 almost 4800 voyages to the Far East were made. Though the risks were great, less than 4 % of the vessels were lost. The Lords XVII provided the captains with elaborate information on sea routes, prevailing winds, sea currents, shallows and orientation points. The VOC made its own sea charts, and created various navigation instruments in their own workshops.

Both trade goods and utilities were taken along on the voyages to the Far East, including textiles, wines, paints, food, water, tools, spare parts and ammunition. However, the most important part of the cargo was gold and silver, which were to be used for purchases. On average a voyage would take eight months.

Batavia, now known as Jakarta, was the main settlement of the VOC in the Far East, and the centre of an large trade network. The VOC undertook extensive local and regional trade. For instance, silk was bought in China and traded in Japan for copper and gold. This went to India and was exchanged for textiles that were in turn traded for spices in the Moluccas. Later, coffee, tea and sugar became important trade goods. From Batavia goods were shipped back to the Netherlands. On the way, cinnamon was bought in Ceylon.

This enormous commercial enterprise lasted two centuries. Toward the end of the 1800s trade was declining. Tough competition and the war with England were the main reasons for this deterioration. In 1795 the VOC was disbanded.

Ship of Note: The 
Duyfken
In 1606, the small Dutch ship Duyfken sailed from the Indonesian island of Banda in search of gold and trade opportunities on the fabled island of Nova Guinea.

Under the command of Willem Janszoon, Duyfken and her crew ventured south-east. They sailed beyond Os Papuas (Papua New Guinea)and explored and chartered part of the coast of Nova Guinea. They did not find gold - but they did find the northern coast of a huge continent: Australia. Captain Janszoon was the first European to map and record Australia in history so Duyfken's voyage marks the beginning of Australia's recorded history.

A Brave Ship
In 1606 the Dutch East India Company (VOC) sent the little ship Duyfken, captained by Willem Janszoon, to search for "south and east lands" beyond the furthest reaches of their known world. Leaving from Banda (Indonesia), Duyfken reached the Cape York Peninsula and charted 300km of the coast. This is the first historically recorded voyage to Australia. For the first time, all the inhabited continents of the world were discovered to the European science of geography.

CE 1595
Duyfken is built about 1595 in the Netherlands. A fast, lightly-armed ship probably intended for small valuable cargoes or privateering.

CE1601
Selected as the jacht, or scout, for the "Moluccan Fleet" sailing to the Spice Islands. Duyfken'scaptain for this voyage, Willem Cornelisz Schouten, with Le Maire, would later discover and name Cape Horn after the city of Hoorn.

On Christmas day the five ships of the Moluccan Fleet reach Bantam (Banten), Java and encounter a blockading fleet of Portuguese ships totalling eight galleons and twenty-two galleys. They engage this fleet in intermittent battle until driving them away on New Years day. This is a turning point in history: the undisputed dominance of the Iberians (Portuguese and Spanish) in the Spice Trade to Europe is over.

CE 1602
Warm welcome in Bantam, repair to battle damage. Survey of Jakarta Bay, where the Dutch would later build Batavia their capital in the Indies, then sailing by way of Tuban, East Java to the Spice Island of Ternate. Loaded cloves at Ternate then to Banda for a cargo of nutmeg. Sent on a voyage of exploration to the east.

The newly-formed United Dutch East India Company (VOC) is granted a monopoly on trade to the Spice Islands by the Dutch government. On the voyage home from the Indies Duyfkenis separated from the larger ships in a storm off Cape Agulhas, southern Africa. Duyfkenreaches the Netherlands two months ahead of the larger ships early in 1603

CE 1603
In December Duyfken sets out on a second voyage to the Indies in the VOC fleet of Steven van der Haghen and with Willem Janszoon as skipper.

CE 1604
The VOC fleet captures two Portuguese ships in Mozambique Channel and sails to the Spice Islands via India finally reaching Banten, Java on New Years Eve.

CE 1605
Duyfken is in the fleet that recaptures the fort of Van Verre at Ambon in the Spice Islands from the Portuguese. Later in the year she is selected for another voyage of discovery to the south and east, but first she is sent to Bantam Java for urgently needed provisions.

The Spice Islands
Cloves, nutmeg and mace grew only on a few small volcanic islands of the Moluccas; now the Maluku Province, which is part of the nation of Indonesia. Archaeology has shown that more than 3000 years ago cloves from the Moluccas were traded to Persia. The Romans were able to buy spices and other luxuries from the remote east of Indonesia.
Spices were valued, as they are today, for the exciting flavour they can add to food and drinks. They were also highly valued as medicines. "No man should die who can afford cinnamon." it was said in the 15th century.

Health was believed to depend on a balance of the four fluids or "humours" in the body and correct spicing of foods was important to retaining or rectifying the balance of the humours.

Because spices were sourced from the other side of the world they were very expensive in Medieval Europe. Their delivery was largely in the hands of the Moslem world which Catholic Europe was often at war with. Spices attained huge luxury value as emblems of conspicuous consumption.
In the late middle-ages the Moslem rulers in Spain and Portugal were gradually driven out by Christian Kingdoms. The Christian Spanish and Portuguese had particularly good reason to buy spices from traders other than the Moslems. It was the Portuguese who developed navigation and map-making whilst making voyages of exploration which culminated in Vasco da Gama reaching India in 1497. The sea route to Asia around the Cape of Good Hope allowed the Portuguese to bring spices direct from the markets of Southeast Asia to Europe. It was a dangerous but hugely profitable trade.

The increasing availability of spices is reflected in the cuisines of the time. In 1596 Henry of Navarre (the King of France) granted corporation to the Guild of Spice Bread Makers in Paris separate from the Guild of Pastry Chefs. A master spice bread maker was required to make a "master-piece" starting with 200 lbs (90kg) of dough containing cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and honey, and dyed red with brazil wood (Caesalpinia sp). The dough fermented for weeks or even months and when finally baked would produce three cakes or loaves of about 20 lbs (9kg). We've got a simpler recipe for traditional Kruidkoek (spicecake-recipe below).

Cloves and nutmeg trees grew only on a few small volcanic islands. Ternate, Tidore, Makian and Bacan are towering volcanoes that rise from the depths of the sea. Forts built by Dutch and Portuguese when Duyfken sailed are now buried under lava. The Banda islands are also volcanic. The name of the highest island Gunning Api means "fire mountain": it is a volcanic cone and the largest of the islands is the remains of huge crater wall.

When the Dutch first encountered the people of the Banda islands they thought them "nimble and lusty", skilful in playing a type of football, and with swords, pikes and spears. They were constantly at war with each other. "They are very subtill and stout men in their warres, seeking and visiting their enemies with great courage and assurance ..."

Initially the Dutch traded amicably with the Bandanese. Later in the 17th century Jan Pieterszoon Coen, the Dutch East India Company Governor, tried to impose a monopoly but the proud and independent Bandanese would not co-operate. Coen, a monstrously inhumane accountant who had studied in Rome, decreed a final solution: the entire population was put to the sword or driven from the islands.

Duyfken was one of the first Dutch ships to got directly to the Spice Islands to load spices. Many ships bought their cargoes from the merchants in the major ports of Java, particularly Bantam. The Javanese merchants operated some very large cargo ships called "jong". The largest jong were about 1,000 tonnes capacity whereas Duyfken was about 50.

CE 1606
Early in 1606 Willem Janszoon and Jan Roosengijn take Duyfken southeast from Banda to the Kei Islands, then along the south coast of New Guinea, skirting south of the shallow waters around False Cape and then continuing east-southeast until they reach and chart the shores of Australia's Cape York Peninsula.

CE 1607
Duyfken may have made a second voyage east to Australia. Later in the year she is sent to Java to get supplies for the beleaguered Dutch fortress on Ternate.

CE 1608
Engaged in a five hour battle with three Spanish galleys. In June Duyfken is sent with larger ships to capture the fortress of Taffaso on Makian Island. A month later she is brought inside the reef at Ternate for repairs. It seems that she was hauled on her side to repair the bottom but this caused further damage and she was judged unrepairable.

Navigation and Maps
Long before the European Age of Discovery, the Polynesian peoples had explored and populated the huge expanse of the Pacific. Indonesians had crossed the Indian Ocean to populate the island of Madagascar. The Vikings crossed the Atlantic to North America. During the Middle Ages Arab traders and huge Chinese expeditions sailed the Indian Ocean but European geography remained bound by ancient theories and scriptural interpretation.

It was the Arabs who developed navigation as a mathematical science measuring the height of the sun at midday to calculate their distance from the equator (latitude). Jewish map-makers in Spain and Portugal combined European and Arab learning in the late middle ages.

When Duyfken sailed to the Indies, Mercator had devised a map on which a straight line represented a line of constant compass course, but the new Mercator's projection was not much used by sailors. Navigators could find their latitude but had no reliable way to find their longitude (distance east or west). Yet, the second Dutch fleet to sail to the Indies, on its return voyage sailed across the Indian Ocean and around the south of Africa without sighting land, then sailed up the South Atlantic to the tiny island of St Helena. How could they find their way to a small island after sailing 9,000 miles out of sight of land?
The Original Map
They knew that to the south of Africa was an area of relatively shallow sea (about 200 metres). They used a lead weight to sound the depth of the sea and put something sticky on the weight to bring up sand or mud from the bottom. In that area they expected to see a type of seaweed which they called "trompen" and many seabirds. These clues, plus their latitude, told them when they were south of the Cape of Good Hope so that they could change course to sail up the Atlantic. They headed for a point a little to the east of St Helena and when they reached the latitude of the island they turned due west to sail along the latitude until they found the island.

Ages of Discovery Timeline

This timeline covers 50,000 years, from as far back as the approximate settlement of the Australian continent. 

C. 50,000 Aboriginal Peoples...
Aboriginal ancestors cross the seas separating the Australian continent from island Southeast Asia. 

C. 2000 BCE Dingoes introduced...
Dingoes introduced to Australia, probably by seafarers from Southeast Asia.

C. 700 BCE Phoenician sailors...
Phoenician sailors from the eastern Mediterranean discover British Isles and trade with the natives for tin. 

C. 1 CE Polynesian & Indonesian peoples...
Polynesian people begin a systematic exploration of the unpopulated islands of the Pacific Ocean.
Indonesian sailors discover the large, unpopulated island of Madagascar off the African coast.

C. 500 CE Polynesian navigators...
Polynesian navigators reach New Zealand for the first time.

1000 CE Lief Eriksson...
Lief Eriksson, a Viking, establishes the first European colony in North America.

1405-33 Admiral Cheng Ho...
Admiral Cheng Ho leads the Ming Chinese navy on voyages of exploration to the Indian Ocean.

C. 1433 Prince Henry..
Prince Henry sets up an institution for the study of navigation at Sagres and the Portuguese exploration of the western coast of Africa is beginning. The "Age of Discovery" begins.

1444 Dinís Dias...
Dinís Dias reaches Cape Verde, the westernmost cape of Africa.

1492 Christopher Columbus...
Christopher Columbus discovers the Americas.

1498 Vasco da Gama...
Vasco da Gama reaches India after sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. These are the first European built ships to sail the Indian Ocean. 

1511 Admiral Alfonso de Alberquerque...
Ships of the Portuguese Admiral Alfonso de Alberquerque reach Southeast Asia.

1521 Ferdinand Magellan...
Ferdinand Magellan killed in the Philippines.

1522 Magellan's ship...
Ferdinand Magellan's ship the Victoria becomes the first ship to sail around the world.

1595 Cornelius Houtman...
Cornelius Houtman leads the first Dutch fleet to Southeast Asia.

1606 Willem Janszoon...
Willem Janszoon sails the Duyfken to Australia. Knowledge of all five populated continents is integrated in the science for the first time and the age of global history commences.

1616 Dirck Hartog...
Dirck Hartog lands on the West Australian coast at Dirck Hartog’s island

1629 Batavia...
Batavia wrecked on the Abrolhos, Western Australia.

1642 Abel Tasman...
Abel Tasman’s voyage of discovery to Tasmania and New Zealand.

1666 Macassan ships...
Macassan ships flee to Australia after defeat at Battle of Buton returning with trepang and beginning Australia’s first export industry.

1697 Willem de Vlamingh...
Willem de Vlamingh explores the west coast of Australia including Swan River.

1770 HM Bark Endeavour...
HM Bark Endeavour under Lt James Cook explores Australia’s east coast and New Zealand. 

1788 Convict colony...
Convict colony established at Botany Bay.

1845 Ludwig Leichhardt...
Ludwig Leichhardt’s expedition crosses Australia from Moreton Bay to Port Essington on the North Coast.

1911 Roald Amundsen...
Roald Amundsen reaches the South Pole.

1961 Yuri Gagarin...
Yuri Gagarin is the first man in space.

1969 Neil Armstrong...
Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin land on the moon.

Activities:

1. Recipe for Kruidkoek (Spice Cake)
Courtesy Mrs Veldkamp

300 grams self raising flour
200 grams dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2.5 dl milk
150 grams mix of ginger/raisins/candied peel (you can leave out what you don't like as long as the total weight is 150 grams)
4 tblsp treacle
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 175C.

Mix all dry ingredients and than add the milk and treacle. Lastly add the fruit. Mix well. Butter a cake tin (or spray with oil) and pour mixture in.

Bake for 1 hour (or until done). Check by sticking in a wooden skewer. If the skewer comes out clean, the cake is done. Cool down. 

2. Make your own paper model of the Duyfken.
Students will print and put together their own models of the Duyfken ship.

3. Children can color various Australia Pictures including a map.

Social Studies Lesson Plan: Provinces of the Netherlands

Background:


Province of North Holland, The Netherlands

North Holland (in Dutch Noord-Holland) is a part of the Dutch mainland with the islands of Texel and Noorderhaaks, of the Frisian archipelago. Amsterdam is the biggest town of North Holland, but Haarlem is the province capital. The North Holland province is surrounded by water – the North Sea from the West and the Ijsselmeer from the East. The whole province can be visited on one-day trip from Amsterdam, but your route should be planned with the road map because of many canals, which cross the countryside.

North of Amsterdam amazes with wonderful landscape, long patches of grass and water. Old small cities and villages as Edam, Marken, Medemblik, Monnickendam, Naarden, De Rijp, Zaanse Schans, and Volendam are impressing visitor with their unchanged for centuries architecture and quiet, relaxed atmosphere. Some of these places became partly a museum themselves, but they are still economically active and vibrant with life.

Zaanse Schans, the Netherlands

Zaanse Schans is a small village on the banks of the Zaan river, complete with tidy green houses, real working windmills, and small topical museums such as the Clock Museum and the first Albert Heijn store.

In the 17th and 18th century there were thousands of windmills along the dykes; sawmills, dye mills, oil mills etc that powered the Dutch economy. The Zaanse Schans village gives you a picture of what it must have been like. Not all the windmills and buildings started out in Zaanse Schans, many of them were moved here from the region as they came under threat from urban development across North Holland.

The windmills are all working mills, and the perform various functions, including a saw mill, a paint mill (grinding pigments), and oil mill (grinding linseed or peanuts to draw off the oil). The oil mill was working so that’s the one we looked through.

On the ground floor of the oil mill for example, you can see huge grindstones crushing peanuts which were then roasted and pressed so that the oil could be extracted. Both the grindstones and the press are driven by the windmill.

Climbing a narrow ladder to the first floor gives a view of the huge wooden cogs that transform the wind energy down to the grindstone. From this floor small doors lead onto the outside platform where you can watch the sails of the windmill go past. They fly past - really quickly! One full rotation took 16 seconds, this dropped to about 10 seconds as the wind picked up.

Bigger cities like Haarlem, Hoorn and Alkmaar are worthy a one-day visit. Each of them is full of interesting sights, events, old architecture, museums. Alkmaar is a capital of cheese and the cheese market is traditional tourist attraction. Haarlem has a very interesting center and a very good museum. Hoorn is an old city, a harbour at the Ijselmeer. It is here that an explorer Willem Corneliszoon Schouten was born. In 1616, he sailed around the America’s most Southern cape naming it Cape Horn.

North Holland with its long stretch of the North Sea coast is a province of great sand beaches on almost whole length of its coast, and the country of windmills – you may find several of them at Panache Scans and more scattered all over the province.

At the very North of the province lays West Fries land, which is an attraction on its own with small villages like Abbekerk, Enkhuizen, Twisk which did not change much from the Dutch Golden Age (1584-1702).

Satellite cities close to Amsterdam are elegant, residential, quiet – today almost all are connected with Amsterdam in one huge metropolis: Amstelveen to the South and up to 35km to the East - Bussum, Bloemendal, Laren, and Hilversum.

To the South of Amsterdam there is Schiphol - a huge international airport, one of the biggest in Europe which creates the whole area of the economic boom with quickly growing places like Hoofddorp, Heemstede, Aalsmeer.

Province of Friesland, The Netherlands

Friesland (or in Frisian: Fryslân - because people here speak another language, than the rest of the Netherlands), is a part of the Dutch mainland and includes additionally the West Frisian Islands – in Dutch Waddeneilanden: Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog. Leeuwarden is the capital of the province and other important cities are Dokkum, Franeker, Heerenveen, Sneek.

Leeuwarden is today a quiet old city, remembered beyond Friesland because of Mata Hari, a woman spy executed in France during the WWI who lived here as a small girl with her parents. Their house stands until today. Dokkum and Sneek are small cities with several memorable buildings and interesting historical museums. Franeker was in the Dutch Golden Age and later a home to an important university, a fortress of Protestantism during the reformation, closed in 1811 by Napoleon. Today Franeker is today an interesting small city with several historical sites and museums.

Every few years in winter, when the canals freeze, Elfstedentocht – a skating race through all eleven cities of Friesland, takes place. A Maltese bronze cross is given to each participant, who managed to finish this 200km long race. Usually 16 000 participants take part, but for the race to take place, the ice on the canals has to be thicker than 15cm, so it does not happen every winter.

Friesland with is a province of people proud of their traditions, their separate way of speaking, difficult to understand even for the Dutch, their style of life which combines centuries long tradition with the influences of global economy. Nowhere in the Netherlands McDonalds restaurant looks more weird than in Friesland.

Groningen Province, The Netherlands

The province of Groningen is a part of the Dutch mainland situated most to the North and a few small islands in the Frisian archipelago (Rottumerplaat, Rottumeroog, Zuiderstrand, and Simonszand).

Its capital, which gave the name to the province –Groningen is a big and active city, the seat of the powerful energy company exploiting natural gas from the North Sea as well from the Dutch mainland - Gausnie. The company’s headquarters, a huge modern building by the Dutch architects Alberts and van Huut, in view of its authors an example of an "organic architecture" is called by the locals "apenrots" (the rock of apes).

The center of Groningen has been preserved. Its attraction lays in a contrast between old and new. An important museum – Groninger Museum housed in a complex modern structure by an Italian architect Alessandro Mendini is worth a 150 km trip from Amsterdam. It has an interesting collection of modern art as well as archeological artifacts and Old Dutch Golden age art shown in a context of interesting, modern architecture. Again, contrast between old and new so characteristic for this city may be felt.

The North of the province called Hoogeland, is an area Dutch people go on holiday, because of its protected natural reserves, perfect for walks and water sports. Nearby a famous crèche for the seals in Pieterburen can be visited.

The Groningen Province became rich early in the Golden Age through its agricultural produce. Today old, big farms dating from this period called ´herenboerderijen´ (farms of lords) as well as defensive castles called ´borgen´(castles), define the landscape of the province of Groningen.

At the East South of the Groningen province, near the border with Germany, a beautiful small town – Bourtange is worth a visit. It has been built inside the mighty fortress, which was to defend the Netherlands against much bigger and stronger neighbour.

Overijssel Province, The Netherlands

Province of Overijssel is a mainland province to the South of the Province of Drenthe at the East of the country. Overijssel has several beautiful natural reserve parks but today this bordering Germany province is heavy populated with active industries and services.

Overijssel has a rich past. There was a time, just at the end of the Middle ages, that one of the province biggest cities Deventer has been bigger than Amsterdam. Apart from the province capital – old Hanseatic town of Zwolle, other important cities are academic town of Enschede, industrial Almelo, already mentioned Deventer, and Kampen.

The old city of Kampen located on the Ijssel river, which gave the name to the province (Overijssel translates to "on the other bank of Ijssel"), has more than 500 registered historical monuments. Centuries ago a harbor, protected from the South by the Ijssel river, from the other sides by the strong city walls. Until today fortified, mediaeval city gates of Kampen can be visited. During the war between the Hansa (union of the mostly German cities of Northern Europe) with Holland in the middle of 15 century, Kampen has chosen for the more powerful side of Hansa. Today, apart from it monuments, Kampen is known for its cigars and you may find in the city Tabaksmuseum – Museum of the Tobacco.

The most important natural reserve areas are De Weeribben (North-West of the Province of Overijssel), Los Hoos (near Ootmarsum – East of the Province of Overijssel) and Oomen (near small town of Ommen).

Near De Weeribben lays Giethoorn, a small village which is a quintessence of the Dutch rural life. Established in 1230, built at the side of the lake, along a small canal and a road and with houses built on both sides and small bridges leading to each house over the small canals Giethoorn is a real tourist attraction. Visitors may see Giethoorn from boats. Several of them move silently (they are powered with electricity) through the small canals crossing the village and nearby natural habitat with several full of wild birds. Giethoorn is seen by the Dutch as the most beautiful village of the whole country ("leukse dorp van Nederland" - prettiest village of the Netherlands).

Flevoland Province, The Netherlands

Flevoland is the youngest province of the country. It is only in 1918 that the Dutch Parliament passed the law deciding to turn part of the Ijsellmeer bay into the land. In 1932, the bay has been closed by a huge dam separating it from the see called Afsluitdijk – "Closing dam". There were other dams built inside the closed area of water and 1500 millions of cubic meters of water pumped away. Two previous islands of Urk and Schokland were incorporated into the new part of the mainland. Between 1942 and 1968, after a part the area has been dried down. The Dutch call such an artificially created area of land lying lower than the level of water a "polder".

In 1986, a new province has been created on a newly finished polders. It takes its name from the ancient Roman name for the Zuiderzee bay given it by Plinius – Flevo Lacus. In fact, Flevoland consists of three polders. Only Noord-Oost Polder is connected to the mainland; East and South Flevoland are still an island on the IJsselmeer divided from the mainland by the narrow strip of water.

Flevoland it is a very flat, agricultural part of the Netherlands. Its main new city - Almere is serving as a distant bedroom to people working in Amsterdam.

Another big city and the capital of the province – Leylstad, takes its name from the engineer Cornelis Lely (1854-1929), who was a leading person in the creation of these new polders.

The only real tourist attraction of this province apart from the polder itself, is a replica of the ship of the East India Company –VOC which is a copy of the 17 century flag ship of the admiral De Ruyter "De Zeven Provinciën" ("Seven Provinces"). Along with this impressive replica of the old ship, you may see the wreckage of the old ships uncovered from the sea bottom, or through the archaeological excavations.

Driving through Flevoland remember about the speed limit in the Netherlands (120km/h or if indicated 100km/h. On this vast, flat field of land, this level of speed feels very slow. The police cameras are waiting along the road for those who lose their patience.

Province of Drenthe, The Netherlands

Drenthe is an agricultural part of the Dutch mainland, on the East of the country near the German border. Hidden among forests forests, Drenthe has been in the Middle ages a free republic of farmers. Today it also has big and impressive forests. Several of them protected are as Natural Parks.

Fifty-two interesting Neolithic stone monuments called "hunnebedden" ("Beds of the Huns") are spread all over province, documenting the beginnings of the human civilisation on Earth. Their exact function is not really known today. Were these place of burial predestined only to the selected, important people or these were just cemeteries? Did the "hunnebedden" also serve as places of worship or had some other additional function? Some of the objects found during the archaeological excavations indicate that prehistoric people had trading connections reaching as far as North Africa. During the WWII, the Germans partly destroyed one of these Neolithic monuments to make a place for their landing field. The "hunnebed" has been thoroughly restored in 1950.

The capital of the province of Drenthe is Assen. Its museum – Drents Museum features interesting archaeological finds from the area, but also in a separate department, uncertain authenticity finds of the amateur archaeologist Tjerk Vermaning (1929-1987).

Early, dark period of the famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh’s work depicting farmers and their heavy work, has been partly painted in Drenthe, during his stay there in 1883.

The province of Drenthe is a traditional holiday area for the Dutch people, those who do not like heat and decide not to travel in summer to the South of Europe. Because the province of Drenthe is a perfect area for the walks in the forest, bicycle tourism or horse riding.

Province of Utrecht, The Netherlands

Utrecht is a small, densely populated (875 people on 1 sq.km.) central mainland province.

The province takes its name from its capital – Utrecht, an old city established by the Roman Legions in the year 47 AD. In 695 AD, the bishop established himself in Utrecht exerting for centuries its power over the whole area. In 1527, the bishop sold the city to the German Emperor Charles V who already owned the rest of the Netherlands. Through the way of succession, Dutch provinces went to the King of Spain, but not for long, because they revolted and only after the 80 years of war for independence, became the Republic.

From the Middle ages the rich province of Utrecht, has been an object of attacks by its neighbours Counts of Holland, by the Dukes of Burgundy, by the catholic Spain, by the French. Germans during the WWII kept the province of Utrecht until the last day of the war – May 5, 1945.

Today is its one of the provinces in the very heart of the Netherlands with many preserved nature areas, but also many busy cities, small beautiful villages, castles, big and elegant residences. In the 20th century, the province went through intensive economic growth.

Utrecht is a big city, important for industry, commerce, communication, science. It has an interesting old center with the famous in Middle ages old cathedral tower (Domtoren -112m high) dominating the city, a good museum (Centraal Museum), nice café’s and restaurants.

Utrecht is a capital of Dutch design. A house designed by the famous modern architect Gerrit Ritveld (1888-1964) for Mrs. Schröder, became after the owner’s death in 1985 a museum (now called: Rietveld-Schröder-huis). It features many artefacts from the beginnings of modern design in the Netherlands.

Nearby small towns of Loenen (to the North of Utrecht), Wijk bij Duurstede and Amerongen (to the East of Utrecht) are worthy a visit.

The province of Utrecht has several old castles with Kasteel Loenersloot in Loenen, Slot Zuylen in Zuylen, and the neo-gothic Kasteel De Haar in Haarzuilens, as the most known.

The city of Amersfoort is an attraction on its own. With its well-preserved old center, relaxed atmosphere, provincial small shops and markets Amersfoort is perfect for a half-day trip, just to feel the provincial life in the Netherlands.

Province of South-Holland, The Netherlands

The province of South Holland (in Dutch Zuid Holland) has been created in 1840, by the division of the province of Holland into two smaller provinces – Noord (North Holland) and Zuid (South Holland). Zuid Holland includes a mainland part and the islands of Goeree-Overflakkee, Voorne-Putten, Beijerland-Hoekse Waard, IJsselmonde.

Historically Holland has been a county, one of seven Dutch provinces. Holland has been ruled from The Hague – today the seat of the Dutch Parliament and the government of the whole Netherlands. Other big cities include the biggest harbor in Europe and one of the biggest in the world - Rotterdam, the old city of Delft, a university city of Leiden, an important for the Dutch history harbor city Dordrecht and Gouda, an old town renown for its cheese.

The Hague, from the 13 century an important center of the Dutch political life, is also a fine city for walks, shopping and entertaining, place full of interesting architecture old and new, proud home of one of the best art collections in the world – Het Mauritshuis. It is there that you may see famous "Anatomy Lesson of Professor Tulp" by Rembrandt and mysterious "Girl with a pearl" by Vermeer. Another important museum – Gemeentemuseum (Municipal Museum Den Haag) has a good collection of modern art including the 20th century Dutch abstract master Mondrian.

Rotterdam is a big, modern harbor city, vibrant with life and activity. Its old center has been destroyed by the indiscriminate German bombing on 14 of May 1940. On one day, 24798 homes were destroyed, 24 churches and 62 schools. Almost thousand of people died. The old center of the city has been leveled to the ground by the German bomber airplanes. Today a monumental dramatic sculpture by Osip Zadkine reminds that event.

The whole center of Rotterdam is modern, rebuilt after the WWII, but a bit impersonal, therefore not always convenient for a visitor. Still, it is a city of good restaurants, several theaters, and interesting art exhibitions. An excellent museum - Boyman’s van Beuningen Museum, featuring among other four masterpiece paintings by Hieronymus Bosch with the known "The Prodigal Son" and Pieter Brueghel's "The Tower of Babel" should not be missed.

Delft is a beautiful and welcoming old city. Known for hundreds of years for its ceramics called Delftware, it has a pleasant old center, nice restaurants and a good museum – Stedelijk Museum Het Prinsenhof, a headquarters of Willem van Oranje, one of the leaders during the war against Spain in the end of 16 century. It is there where a catholic fanatic shot him dead in 1584. The hole left by the bullet can be still seen on the wall. Travel Amsterdam to Delft.

A small place called Kinderdijk not far from Rotterdam, is traditionally visited by the tourists location. Here, at the junction of two rivers - Noord and Lek, 19 imposing windmills were built, between 1738 and 1740, to keep the land around Alblasserwaard dry. Today these imposing windmills stand in a torn by wind patches of grass, as the monuments of the Dutch people industriousness in their fight with water for their land.

The Province of Gelderland, The Netherlands

Gelderland is an East central mainland province, South of Overijssel; its capital is Arnhem. This is the biggest, least populated province of The Netherlands, with wide areas of forests and several Natural Park reserves.

Gelderland takes its history back to the 11th century and the County of Gerle, which after the fall of Charlemagne’s European empire became independent. In the centuries after, the counts of Gerle incorporated in Gelderland the region of Betuwe, Veluwe, the county of Zutphen, and an important city of Nijmegen, one of the oldest in the Netherlands, which celebrated 2000 years of its existence in 2005.

At its beginning, Nijmegen was an ancient Roman military camp, which later grew to the real city. One of the emperor Charlemagne palaces has been built in Nijmegen and according to some documents, the town has been his favourite place of residence. In the Middle Ages Nijmegen became an important centre of commerce. As the Dukes of Burgundy grew in power in the 14 th century, they expanded their state from their capital in Dijon, France up to Nijmegen. During the last war, the American planes bombed by mistake the centre of Nijmegen taking it by mistake for the German city of Kleve and killing 750 of its inhabitants. Today Nijmegen is a big city, with some points of interest for a visitor as the museum of African culture - Africa Museum and the National Bicycle Museum, Velorama (Velorama - National Fietsmuseum) exhibiting 250 authentic veteran cycles.

Another big city of Gelederland is Arnhem, known for its WWII battle which 1944 ravaged its entire centre. The battle of Arnhem was to be the point of pride for the British marshal Montgomery, but became the monument of the dramatic failure of his command, costing lives of thousands of soldiers as well as Arnhem inhabitants. As a result of the battle, in September of 1944 all 98 thousands inhabitants of Arnhem had to leave their homes in dramatic circumstances and could only return after the capitulation of Germany on May 5, 1945. The old city has been destroyed. Restoration of some of its monuments will take many years to come.

The province of Gelderland borders with Germany and several of its cities were in the 14 th century member of the Hansa union of trading cities. The province itself accepted the upper power of the Holy Roman Emperor and later the Habsburg emperor in 1453. It is only in 1815 that Gelderland has been formally reunited with the Netherlands.

Today Gelderland is a province of contrasts: vast green area – forests, parks, with many old castles and palaces as Palace van Loo in Apeldoorn, castles - Huis Bergh, in s’Heerenberg, Bronkhorst, Oldenaller, Zaltbommel, just to name some of them, on the other hand Gelderland is an agricultural area (especially the Betuwe region) and has important industries near Arnhem and Nijmegen.

The visitor coming to Gelderland should not miss its one really invaluable attraction - The Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo. The Museum has been established in 1938 and was named after its founder, Helene Kröller-Müller, a German-wife of the Dutch industrialist Anton Müller.

The Kröller-Müller Museum should not missed, not only because of its invaluable collection of modern art, which includes several works by Van Gogh an Mondrian and interesting modern sculpture garden, but also because of its park. Because the concept of the Kröller-MüllerMuseum is unique: here is the important art collection placed in the buildings in the middle of the forest, preserved as a natural reserve. Throughout years the villages and its inhabitants were removed from the estate. A wild natural habitat has been restored, aiming at bringing the nature to its original state. Cars are allowed only on just few main roads and they can be conveniently left parked on a few selected places. Hundreds of white bicycles are given for the free use to the visitors at the park’s gates. Several tiny and narrow bicycle roads allow cyclists to visit the rich and varied natural area of forests, sandy dunes, marshes and lakes.

The Province of Zeeland, the Netherlands

Zeeland or in English ‘See land’, includes a mainland part and the islands of Schouwen, Duiveland, Tholen, Noord-Beveland and Sint Philipsland; with the capital – Middelburg. It is to honor this province that the name of New Zealand (Dutch: Nieuw Zeeland) has been given to the newly discovered land of the southern hemisphere by the Dutch explorers in the 17c.

Dutch Zeeland is the province of water not only by its name. Its land is cut by the North Sea bays and the delta of big rivers with many bridges, dams, ferries, under water road tunnels which a visitor is obliged to take during the simplest tour.

Large parts of Zeeland are below the sea level. This reminds you about the task the Dutch took upon themselves through many centuries. Instead of attacking the neighbor countries, they decided to expand through struggle with the sea, to obtain the land by limiting the forces of nature.

The province of Zeeland had witnessed the most dramatic moments of the Dutch struggle with the sea: terrible floods invaded the land in 1421 and in 1916. One night in winter of 1953 the dames were broken again by the violent sea wave 3,36 m high, and the water invaded vast territories of land, destroying everything on its way. Despite the energetic salvage action of the whole nation, there were 1865 victims and more than 70 000 people lost their homes. But the Dutch took the lesson from this disaster. The Delta plan – the complex system of four huge modern dams, many secondary dams and the mobile storm surge barrier built at the mouth of the three rivers – The Rhine, The Waal and The Masas, made the whole Zeeland safer.

Today Zeeland is a province of long sandy beaches, with provincial sea resorts as snobby Domburg, modern Cadzand, and tiny Zoutelande. Small old towns which were partly protected by the water from the mainland, and nice villages seem almost untouched through centuries. Towns like Verre, Zirkzee, Goes, Hammsteded, Hulst, Sluis and villages like Sint Annater-Muiden, Dreischor, Nisse,look like centuries ago when they were busy with the sea trade, fishing, shipbuilding and crafts.

Except for an important shipyard De Schelde in Vlissingen, which proudly continues long Dutch shipbuilding tradition, Zeeland is today a quiet province, hardly showing the traces of the previous wars and conflicts. Although during the WWII the Germans did heavily bomb the old center of Middelburg, partly destroying its 15th century Town House as well some other important old buildings, today there is hardly a trace of war in this beautiful old city. The Town Hall and other buildings have been rebuilt and life there seems as peaceful as centuries ago.

The capital of the province - Middelburg is the most frequented city by the tourists visiting Zeeland. The historical museum, located in the old Abbey (Abdij) – Zeeland Museum (Zeeuws Museum) tells the visitor about the province history, beginning from the ancient Romans and Celts, showing the tapestries depicting Dutch victories on sea over the Spanish, Dutch Admiral Michiel de Ruyter who was born in a nearby Flushing, the brave commander of the sea battles against England in 17c. and finally the local folklore costumes and hats and scenes of everyday life.

North Brabant Province, The Netherlands

North Brabant (Noord Brabant) is a South central mainland province of the Netherlands. The capital of the North Brabant province is the town of 's-Hertogenbosch (or shorter: Den Bosch). Brabant has been for centuries one of the provinces of The Netherlands, a theater of wars with Spain in the 17th century. When after the fall of Napoleon United Kingdom of the Netherlands has been created, which incorporated Belgium and Luxemburg, the province of Brabant has been divided into Northern and Southern part. When Belgium separated from the Netherlands in 1830, only the province of North Brabant remained with the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Today North Brabant is one of the biggest and most populated Dutch provinces. With big cities like Eindhoven, Breda, Tilburg, and Den Bosch, with several important industries like electronic giant Phillips, big truck company DAF, textile, and shoe factories and food processing industries, North Brabant is a vital area for the Dutch economy.

For a visitor the city of ’s-Hertogenbosch (short name: Den Bosch) with its beautiful, old and busy with shops and restaurants center is a place to visit. Den Bosch has also several interesting buildings as Town Hall (Stadhuis), Saint John (Sint-Jan) cathedral and good contemporary art galleries. The famous painter Hieronymus Bosch (Jeroen Bosch, 1450-1516) was born and lived in the city. His statue stands on the Market square.

The surroundings of Den Bosch are nice for a tour, just to see the landscape of the province with its small villages, windmills (near Heusden), several interesting castles (Bergen op Zoom, Heeze, Heezwijk, Heusden, Helmond, Gemmert).

Eindhoven is a big industrial city. Its modern art museum - Van Abbemuseum, has an interesting collection with an interesting portrait by Pablo Picasso "The Green Lady" (1909).

An interesting old city of Willemstad is an important water sports center. It also has an interesting hunting lodge of the Prince Maurits (built in 1623) now a museum called Het Mauritshuis (as the famous museum in Den Haag).

North Brabant is province of varied landscape and many attractions, therefore is often visited by the Dutch themselves.

The Province of Limburg, The Netherlands

Limburg is a southeast mainland province of the Netherlands, bordering Germany and Belgium. The capital of Limburg is a city of Maastricht.

The name Limburg comes from a castle presently in Belgium with the same name. In the Middle ages it was a capital of the small princedom of Limburg. When the last heiress of Limburg, princess Irmgard died in 1283, a war of succession broke out between her husband Count Reinoud I of Gelre and Duke Jan I of Brabant. Jan I won the war, took Reinoud I prisoner and incorporated Limburg in the Duchy of Brabant. That is how Limburg disappeared from the political maps of the region until 1815.

It is only after the fall of Napoleon and the creation of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, supported by the occupying powers of Russia, England, Austria, and Prussia; Brabant became one of its provinces. The first King of the modern Netherlands, Willem I gave the name of the Duchy Limburg for the new province created in the region of Maastricht.

The name of the Duchy after has been dropped after 1906. Limburg is just one of the Dutch provinces with one small difference: the Commissioner of the Queen is being called in Limburg a Governor. Still it has to be said the Limburg is one of the most interesting regions to visit. It has a varied landscape, with woods, big river – Maas, beautiful natural parks, very special in the Netherlands region of hills – Heuvelland, and it has interesting towns, castles, good museums not to mention wineries.

The province’s capital Maastricht is a big nice city known recently for the European Treaty signed there. Founded by the Romans already in the Middle Ages became an important trade center. In 1673, French King Louis XIV took the city after a long siege. Among the fallen French side was d'Artagnan, an officer of musketeers. Several interesting old buildings document the history of the city. Good museum in an original building built by Italian architect Aldo Rossi – Het Bonnefantenmuseum has a mixture of the old paintings (including Pieter Breughel the Younger and Giovanni del Biondo) as well as a modern art collection.

Other interesting towns of Limburg are Arcen (with its castle – Kasteel Arcen), Thorn, Honsbroek (with another interesting castle), Sittard, Heerlen, Valkenburg, Gulpen (known for its beer and the nearby castle - Kasteel Neubourg), Elsloo (with a museum and a castle – Kasteel Elsloo), Eijsden (again known for its castle – the renaissance Kasteel Eijsden), Meersen (with its cathedral), Roermond, Venlo (with its beautiful 16 century Town Hall).

Overseas territories of Netherlands

Tropical islands Aruba and Netherlands Antilles are overseas dependencies (Dutch: landen en gebiedsdelen overzee) of the Netherlands, nominally the same as that of the provinces. However, being the part of the Kingdom, these territories are not the part of the EU. Still, their habitants having full Dutch citizenship, have the EU citizenship. The overseas territories use their own currencies. The most popular are ABC islands (for Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao).

Aruba
While Aruba is a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, it maintains own laws, constitution, government, and currency. Is a popular tourist destination featuring renowned and luxurious hotel resorts.
Bonaire
This is the second largest of the Netherlands Antilles, and is known for its diving resorts and friendly locals. Bonaire has a population of about 13.000 inhabitants. The biggest settlement is Kralendijk, the island's capital.
Curaçao
Curaçao is largest and most populous of the ABC islands. The population is about 130.000 inhabitants.

Saba

Sint Eustatius

Sint Maarten

Social Studies Lesson Plan: The Netherlands

Lesson Plan: The Netherlands
Time: 2 weeks
Background:


Official Name
Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). The Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of the Netherlands and its overseas islands - Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.

The Netherlands or Holland?
Talking about the Netherlands, people often incorrectly call it Holland. In fact, only the central part of the Netherlands is geographically named Holland. This part of the country consists now of two provinces Noord Holland (North Holland) and Zuid-Holland (South Holland). This is the region with important cities as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague (Den Haag), Delft, Leiden and Haarlem.

Geography and Climate
The Netherlands is located in North Western Europe, at the West and North-West coastline the North Sea; the country borders with Belgium from the South and Germany from the East and Northeast. Through its long North Sea coast (451 km) the climate of the Netherlands is a typical mild maritime climate, wet and mild, winters are rarely strong, summer is never very hot.

Location: North Western Europe, West and North-West coastline the North Sea, borders with Belgium from the South and Germany from the East and Northeast.

Geographic coordinates: 52 30 N, 5 45 E

Seacoast: 451 km, territorial waters: 12 nautical miles, exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm.

Land borders: 1,027 km; borders with Belgium - 450 km long, with Germany - 577 km long.

Area of the Netherlands: 41,526 sq km. A large part of the Netherlands is covered with water: 7,643 sq km, land: 33,883 sq km.

Main rivers: Maas, Rhine

Biggest lake: Ijsselmeer (artificial lake created as a result of closing of a Zuidermeer bay).

Biggest Island: Texel (Frisian Islands).

Highest point: Vaalserberg 321 m. The highest point in the whole Kingdom is overseas: Mount Scenery (862 m) on the small island of Saba, Netherlands Antilles.

Lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -6,7 m below NAP (Normal Amsterdam Level - the accepted constant sea level).

Landscape: Mostly coastal lowland and the land reclaimed from sea (polders); low and flat; about half of the surface of the Netherlands is less than 1 m above sea level, and large parts of it (ca 24%) are actually below sea level. Some hills are only in southeast of the country.

Maritime climate: The Netherlands has a mild, maritime climate, similar to England; summers are generally warm with colder, rainy periods, and excessively hot weather is rare, but this has occurred more often in the last few years. Winters can be fairly cold, windy, with rain and some snow. The possibility of extreme cold is rare. Rain occurs throughout the whole year, spring being the driest season.

Natural disasters: Sea storms and floods. Historically storms and floods were a periodical natural disaster in the Netherlands. The worst of them were in the years 1287, 1421, and 1953 - with many human victims. Today an impressive system of dikes (only so called secondary dikes are 13 000 km long) and huge pumping stations protect the Netherlands from flooding.


Provinces of the Netherlands (see separate lesson plan)


The Netherlands are traditionally divided into 12 provinces, which have their own capital, own self-rule and administration. Each of these provinces has very different sphere, different history, and different traditions. Thus, more than in any other country of Europe, richness of the Netherlands lays in its diversity.


North Holland
The province of North Holland is a part of the Dutch mainland with the islands of Texel and Noorderhaaks, of the Frisian archipelago. Landscape of North Holland is flat, green, with patches of blue water often torn by the wind from the North Sea. Amsterdam is the biggest town of the North Holland province, but its capital is Haarlem.

Friesland
The province of Friesland is a part of the Dutch mainland and includes additionally the West Frisian Islands (Waddeneilanden). Leeuwarden is a capital of the province. Friesland is a region where people speak Frisian language and where old traditions of life were preserved. Beautifully preserved nature has been cut by the human activity with canals. In a frosty winter when the canals freeze, a scene of 200km long national skating race leading through eleven Frisian small towns.

Groningen
The province is a part of the Dutch mainland and a few small islands in the Frisian archipelago (Rottumerplaat, Rottumeroog, Zuiderstrand, and Simonszand) with the big city as its capital – Groningen. A contrast between the modern and the tradition is more visible in Groningen province, than anywhere else. Several natural parks and areas for water sports.

Drenthe
Drenthe is an agricultural province, which in the Middle ages has been a free republic of farmers. Today it has also impressive forests with several of them protected as natural parks. The capital of the province is Assen. A region where fifty-two mysterious Neolithic monuments called ´hunebedden´ (dolmens) can be visited all over the province. They are older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids.

Overijssel
Overijssel is a mainland province to the south of Drenthe. The provincial capital is Zwolle. Very rich in the Middle Ages, today Overijssel has interesting historical monuments to see. Many of them in the old city of Kampen located on the Ijssel river, which gave the name to the province (Overijssel translates to "on the other bank of Ijssel"). A small village of Giethorn is a quintessence of the Dutch rural life. Established in 1230, built at the side of the lake Giethoorn can be visited by boat and is a one of several tourist attractions in Overijssel.

Flevoland
A new province created in 1988, on the land obtained by the Dutch from the areas previously covered by water. Consists of three polders: Noord-Oost Polder is connected to the mainland; East and South Flevoland is still an island on the IJsselmeer; capital - Lelystad. Flevoland is a very flat, agricultural region of the Netherlands.

Utrecht
With an old city of Utrecht as its capital, the central mainland province of the Netherlands. Densly populated, since thousands of years vibrant with commercial activity, the province of Utrecht has many interesting historical monuments, old castles and several nature reserve parks, which attract the visitor.

South Holland
The province of South Holland was created in 1840 by the division of the province of Holland. It includes a mainland part and the islands of Goeree-Overflakkee, Voorne-Putten, Beijerland-Hoekse Waard, Ijsselmonde. Provincial capital - The Hague (Dutch: Den Haag) is also a seat of the Dutch parliament and government an an important center of the Dutch political life since the Middle Ages. Several interesting old cities as Delft, Leiden, Gouda, and good sea resorts with sandy beaches with Scheveningen the most known.

Gelderland
The east central mainland province, south of Overijssel, the province of Gelderland is the least populated and the biggest of the Dutch regions. Gelderland has several a big national parks as well as some industrial areas. Its capital Arnhem is known for the WWII battle with the Nazi Germany. An interesting modern art museum - The Kröller-Müller Museum, built in the forest near Oterloo, draws thousands of cycling visitors every year.

Zeeland
Zeeland takes its name from the see (in English: See land) and nowhere in the Netherlands, the water is so present. Zeeland includes a mainland part and the islands of Schouwen Duiveland, Tholen, Noord-Beveland and Sint Philipsland and has centuries of tradition of the fight with the sea. Its capital - Middelburg is one of the several small cities, which witnessed many wars throughout the centuries but today has most of its important monuments rebuilt.

North Brabant
South central mainland province of North Brabant is a busy with activity, crowded with traffic and businesses, but also interesting for a visitor province. Its capital - ’s-Hertogenbosch (or shorter Den Bosch) is an old town with an interesting center and several historical monuments. Another big city of Eindhoven is an important industrial center with factories of Philips (electronics) and DAF (trucks). Several smaller towns are worthy a visit, because of their interesting old architecture.

Limburg
Limburg is a southeast mainland province bordering Germany and Belgium. Its capital Maastricht is a nice city, known recently for the European Treaty signed there. Limburg is one of the most interesting regions to visit. It has a varied landscape, with woods, big rivers – Maas, beautiful natural parks, very special in the Netherlands region of hills – Heuvelland, and several interesting small towns, castles, good museums not to mention wineries.

Overseas territories of the Netherlands
Tropical islands Aruba and Netherlands Antilles are overseas dependencies (Dutch: landen en gebiedsdelen overzee) of the Netherlands, nominally the same as that of the provinces. Today, an attractive destination of people escaping to the sun from Europe and from the United States.

Population and Languages
The Netherlands is the most populated country in the world with 477 people per square kilometer of the land (393 people including the internal waters). Netherlands is populated in 81% by Caucasian Dutch population of Germanic or Gallo Celtic descent. Contrary to the popular ideas, more Dutch are catholic 31% than protestant 21%.

As in many Western countries, population of the Netherlands is getting older, and the median age is now almost 40. The Dutch call it "vergrijsing" of the population (from the colour of hair grey – "getting grey"). The population in the Netherlands has slightly more women than men.

Dutch is a spoken language in the Netherlands as well as an official language of the country. However, most Dutch people speak at least one foreign language, mostly English that is taught at school during the basic education. Many Dutch people speak also German, which is in many aspects similar to Dutch language and some of them speak French. In the North of the country in Friesland, a Frisian dialect is spoken and taught at school. People from the Muslim population speak often Turkish or Arabic.

Population: 16,318,199 (July 2004 est.)

Density of population: The Netherlands is he most densely populated country in the world, 477 people per sq.km. of the land (393 per sq km including internal waters as territory).

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.2% (male 1,501,127; female 1,436,453), 15-64 years: 67.9% (male 5,576,141; female 5,389,764), 65 years and over: 13.9% (male 929,087; female 1,317,939) (2003 est.)

Median age: total - 38.6 years, male - 37.7 years, female - 39.5 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 0.5% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 11.31 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 8.66 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio: At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female, under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female, 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female, 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female, total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 4.26 deaths/1,000 live births, female: 3.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.), male: 4.68 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.74 years, male: 75.85 years, female: 81.76 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.65 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS: adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.), people living with HIV/AIDS: 17,000 (2001 est.), deaths: 110 (2001 est.)

Ethnic groups: Over 81,7% of the population are Dutch (Germanic and Gallo-Celtic stock), other 18,3% (of which 9% are non-western origin mainly Turks, Moroccans, Antilleans, Surinamese and Indonesians) (1999 est.)

Religions: Roman Catholic 31%, Protestant 21%, Muslim 4.4%, other 3.6%, unaffiliated 40%

Literacy: (definition: age 15 and over can read and write) 99%

Short history of Netherlands

Ancient times
Geographically a difficult area to live, the ancient Netherlands had for its inhabitants Celtic and German tribes, one very important feature - safety. Its rivers, lakes, wetlands, and woods were impossible to cross for the invaders.

It is only in the 1st century BC, that the ancient Roman Empire conquered the southern part of these lands establishing an important military post in Nijmegen. North of the today’s Netherlands remained not conquered nor even invaded. Under the Roman administration, prosperity grew for almost three hundred years.

Early Middle Ages
As the Roman state got weaker, barbaric Germanic tribes started to invade the land. Most powerful of them, the Franks invaded the territory in the 5th century and brought the Christianity with them. By 800 today’s Netherlands was a part of the powerful Franks Empire of Charlemagne. It is in Nijmegen that Charlemagne built one of his palaces. Tradition says that Nijmegen was his favorite residence, while Aachen (today in Germany) was the empire’s capital.

Economical growth in the Middle Ages
After the fall of the Charlemagne Empire (he died in 814) the Low Countries territory has been divided into several smaller states – ruled by dukes and counts. At the same time, already in the Middle Ages, a strong economical development made the Netherlands one of the richest areas in Europe. Agriculture along with crafts and commerce, rich towns and important trading links reaching as far as Asia and North Africa, transformed the Netherlands into the area where the feudal power has been limited, safety of movement and economical activity established, sustained growth possible.
Renaissance and fight for independence

The neighborhood powers – first Dukes of Burgundy and later the Habsburgs (after 1477, the marriage of Mary of Burgundy to Archduke Maximilian Habsburg) tried to dominate the Netherlands and introduce its taxation there.

In 1555, Charles of the Habsburg dynasty granted the Netherlands to his son, Philip II, king of Spain. As Philip II was, a Catholic and part of the Netherlands protestant the Dutch resisted not only the new taxation, but also the intolerance and oppressive methods of administration of the Spanish king and his governor Prince Alba. A long eighty years lasting war began. Feeling of the national identity developed in the Netherlands during this war.

In 1581, the Union of Utrecht proclaimed independence from Spain. The new nation suffered a series of reverses in the war, but finally in 1648 the Spanish recognized the sovereignty of the Republic. The Dutch Republic remained until 1794 at least nominally, under the power of the Austrian throne of Habsburg.

The discoveries era (see lesson on VOC)
Despite all the war destruction and hardship, the Dutch continued expansion on the seas and discoveries of the new routes and lands. By the mid-17th century, the Republic was the biggest maritime power of Europe, and Amsterdam was the most important financial center of the continent. Naturally, wars about the domination on the seas with England and wars to resist growing power of France on the mainland followed.

18th and 19th Century
Beginning of the 18th century, with the domination of the big absolutist empires of France, Austria, Russia, and Prussia on the continent, and United Kingdom on the sea, the demise of the tiny Dutch Republic begins. An important economical factor has also been the fall of Poland, which lost Ukraine to Russia and was not able anymore to supply grain to the Netherlands.

Growth of the liberal and republican ideas all over the world and resistance to these ideas by the people who ruled the Dutch Republic, lead at the end of the 18th century to the creation of The Kingdom of the Netherlands, which after the fall of Napoleon included also the territories of the today’s Belgium and Luxemburg.

Belgium provinces revolted in 1830 and separated into the Kingdom of Belgium. Luxemburg although independent, has been united with the Netherlands by a person of a monarch. Luxemburg finally separated from The Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1890, when Dutch King William III died not leaving a male heir, which was a condition to rule the Duchy of Luxemburg.

Time of peace and prosperity
In the second half of the 19 century, through slow but constant economical growth and important constitutional reforms, the Netherlands became a liberal and modern state. During the WWI, the Netherlands remained neutral.

World War II
During World War II (1939-1945), the Netherlands was invaded and occupied by the Germans (1940). After two years of relative prosperity, when only the Jewish population has been prosecuted, the whole country began to suffer the burden of war and increasing German terror.

Dutch resistance against the attempts of the Nazi Germany to incorporate Netherlands into the Third Reich during the WWII, and the leadership of the Royal Family in the struggle with the occupants, are still alive in the Dutch people's memory.

Last decades
After the difficult years of reconstruction directly after the WWII, the Netherlands sustained in the second half of the 20th century a continuous and fast economical growth. Today the Netherlands is one of the most developed and wealthiest countries in the world.

Connection to America:
New Amsterdam as New York: An interesting episode of the Dutch and American history is an establishment in 1609 of an urban settlement called New Amsterdam on the island called today Manhattan, by an English explorer Henry Hudson, then in the service of the Dutch Far East Company. This first urban development has been later taken by the English and became New York. And although the Dutch took back the island and the city in 1673, they lost it again next year and New Amsterdam remained known as New York.

Economy
The Netherlands is one of the most developed countries of the world. It has many industries and agriculture on a very high level of productivity. The biggest world’s companies as Shell and Unilever as well as the banking giants ING Group and ABN AMRO are based in the Netherlands. GDP per head is US $42,000, which is one of the highest in the world. The Netherlands is the member of the European Union and has adopted euro as its currency.

GDP: US$350 billion

GDP per head: US$22,000

Annual growth: 2.7%

Inflation: 3.5%

Currency: Euro

Industries: electronics, chemical industry, automobile industries (trucks, cars, parts), shipping, agriculture, horticulture, service industries, banking, media.

Natural resources: natural gas and petroleum (North Sea drilling), peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel.

Major trading partners: EU (Germany being the biggest trading partner, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, UK), USA.

Member of the European Union: from 1951, one of the founder members. Schengen agreement participant and eurozone member. In the referendum of 2005, the Dutch rejected the project of the European constitution.

Political system
The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. Dutch monarch King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands serves as representative head of state and a person uniting the divided parliamentary politics. The parliament consists of two chambers. The Lower House (Tweede Kamer, or Second Chamber) is elected every four years in a direct national elections together with the provincial parliaments.

Constitutional Monarchy
Since 1815 The Netherlands has been a constitutional monarchy. Historically for centuries before, it had been the proud republic, a union of provinces. Since 1848, the Netherlands is also a parliamentary democracy. Dutch monarch has no real political power, but serves as representative head of state and a symbolic person uniting the divided parliamentary politics.

The Parliament
The parliament consists of two chambers. The Lower House (Dutch: Tweede Kamer, or Second Chamber) is elected every four years in a direct national elections together with the provincial parliaments. It consists of 150 members. Only the political parties can take part in the elections. The lower chamber approves the budget and has the right of the legal initiative, the right of submitting amendments, the right to start its own inquires and the right of interpellation. The members of the provincial parliaments vote for the less important Senate (Dutch: Eerste Kamer, or First Chamber) consisting of 75 members who approve or reject all laws of the Netherlands without the right of amendment. Together, the First and Second Chamber constitute The Estates-General (Dutch: Staten Generaal, established 1593). In fact, Dutch political system gives a lot of freedom to the government, as long as it has support of the parliament.


Head of State – The King
King Willem-Alexander van Oranje-Nassau is the nominal head of state of the Netherlands. The King has several mostly representative functions. He nominates all the mayors in the Netherlands as well as the politician who forms the government after the general elections. The monarch also signs all the laws approved by the parliament.

Government
The Netherlands is usually governed by a coalition of different political parties. Prime minister is usually coming from the party, which won the most seats in the elections. Usually the King gives the leader of the party, which won the elections, or an important politician coming from this party, the task of forming the new government. The constitution does not permit to a member of the parliament to serve in the government.

The council of ministers leads the country’s policy, the minister together with junior ministers govern. The council of ministers with the King form together the Crown, an organ which nominates the members of the State Council (Dutch: Raad van State), an institution with influence on certain decisions and more important nominations.

Prime Minister
Prime Minister is the head of the government. Mark Rutte from the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy – VVD (liberals) is at present the Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

Dutch Royal Family
The Royal Family of Orange reigning now in the Netherlands, takes its roots in the 13th century, with its importance growing in the 16th century, when William I of Orange ((1533-1584), also known as "William the Silent" or "Father of the Fatherland", led the resistance against the Spanish rule. After the prolonged war, The Netherlands remained a proud of its independence republic, while the House of Orange maintained a leading role in the country political life. It is only after a disturbing period of the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars, which followed, that the constitutional monarchy was introduced in the Netherlands.

Modern tradition of the WWII and the resistance against the occupation by Nazi Germany, renewed the strong historical bond between Dutch patriotism and the Oranje Family.

Color of Orange
The name Orange takes its roots from the French Princedom of Orange, named after the town Orange in the South of France. The King’s title is a result of marriage in 1515 between Hendrik III of Nassau-Breda and Claudia of Châlon-Orange from French Burgundy. The dynasty had been established, when their son adopted the title of Orange-Nassau. Today orange is the traditional color of the Dutch monarchy, the symbol of unity and solidarity of the nation, as well as beloved color of the whole country. You may well see it observing a crowd of supporters of the Dutch football team.

House of Orange Today
King Willem-Alexander is the nominal head of state in the Netherlands. Several existing laws of the present political system in the Netherlands and the King’s role were established by the parliament.

King Willem-Alexander married in 2002 Argentinean born Maxima who as the King’s wife bears now the title of the Queen. Willem-Alexander and Maxima have three daughters – Catharina-Amalia, Alexia and Ariane.

Royal residences
The King Willem-Alexander uses two residences in The Hague - The Noordeinde Palace and Villa Eikenhorst in Wassenaar. Official residences also include Huis ten Bosch (English: House in the Woods) palace in The Hague as well as the Royal Palace on the Dam square in Amsterdam. All these palaces are owned by the Dutch State. The Noordeinde Palace in the center of town is a place where King’s offices are located, while Villa Eikenhorst in Wassenaar is his residence. The palace on the Dam square in Amsterdam has largely a ceremonial role. It is here that the King often receives the official guests. Every now and then, it is possible to visit this palace.


After her abdication on April 30, 2013, Her Royal Highness Queen Beatrix adopted the title of Princess of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau and Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld. Princess Beatrix took up the residence at Drakensteyn Castle in Lage Vuursche, while often staying at Huis ten Bosch in the Hague.

An interesting residence, which serves today as the museum is Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn. It is here, that a relatively modest residence of the former Queen’s younger sister Princess Margriet and her husband, Pieter van Vollenhoven is located. The Het Loo Palace and its beautiful park are today open to the public. Princess Margriet was born during the WWII in 1943, in Canada. The Ottawa Civic Hospital where Queen Juliana gave birth was declared temporarily a Dutch territory, not to make a newborn princess a British subject. Dutch Royal Family was at the time on exile in Canada, because of the German occupation of the Netherlands.

Birthday of the King - King’s Day
Dutch people have feelings of love and admiration towards their Royals. Every year on April 27, on the day of the King‘s Willem-Alexander birthday, (in 2014 exceptionally on April 26) a festive, carnival-like King’s Day (Dutch: Koningsdag, formerly under the reign of the Queen Beatrix called Queen’s Day) is celebrated all over the country.

If the date of May 27 falls on Sunday, the King’s day is celebrated a day earlier - on Saturday 26th.

The King's Birthday began as the Queen’s Day
King Willem-Alexander was born on April 27, 1967 and today his birthday is celebrated all over the Netherlands as a festive day with a street carnival in all bigger cities. Amsterdam is the center of all King’s Day festivities with many street parties and parties on boats sailing through the canals. There is also a tradition of the flea market in the city center.

Before Willem-Alexander reign the Netherlands had decades of the female rules of Queen Wilhelmina, her daughter Queen Juliana and her daughter Queen Beatrix, the mother of the present King. The festivities began as the Queen’s Day before the World War II with the celebration of Queen Wilhelmina birthday on August 31. Since 1949, birthday of her daughter and successor on the Dutch throne Queen Juliana, has been celebrated on April 30 each year.

When Queen Beatrix succeeded Juliana in 1980, she decided to keep the Queen's Day on April 30. Her own birthday is in the middle of winter (January 31), so celebrating it outside was seen as not practical. King Willem - Alexander was born on April 27 and now this day is celebrated each year.

There is a rule that if the day of April 27 falls on the day free of work, the King's Day is celebrated on the day before.

King and Queen consort meet the people
Traditionally, on this day the King Willem-Alexander with his wife Queen Maxima of the Netherlands visit one of the cities in the country, and meet celebrating people. Television reports live on these meetings during the day.

Dressing in Orange
Celebrating Queen's Day means dressing in orange clothes (as the reigning dynasty is House of Orange and this is their color), painting faces and hair orange, drinking drinks tinted in this color (or just natural orange juice), wearing mock orange crowns, dressing as the king or the queen and making jokes at the royal family. As some of the jokes may seem to you slightly inappropriate, they express deep attachment Dutch people have to their Royal Family, which seen in the Netherlands as the symbol of national unity.

Activities:

1. Students will make notes from the background on their Netherlands Booklets.
2. Students will color in the flag of the Netherlands and label the map of the Netherlands.
3. Students will make a windmill (see below).
4. Students will learn how to cross stitch (see below).
5. Students will make a deft plate (see below).
6. Students will review artwork by Van Gogh and Piet Mondrain and do a comparison and contrast activity (see below).

Windmill Toilet Paper Roll Craft
The Netherlands is the country typically associated with windmills. Most other European countries also have many historical windmills. Up until 2007, Germany produced the most wind power of any country in the world. Denmark has the highest percentage of its power provided by the wind.

Materials:
toilet paper roll or cardboard tube
something to color with if using the B&W version
scissors
glue
paper
printer

Note: You can attach the blades (sails) of the windmill using a brass tack so they actually spin.

Instructions:
Print out the template of choice.
Color (where appropriate) and cut out the template pieces.
Glue the large rectangular piece on first to cover the tube.
Glue the door onto the front of your windmill.
Glue the windows around the windmill as you see fit (you can use all three or less if you want).
Glue the sails (blades) of the windmill onto the top.
Glue the large circle and then the small circle into the center of the blades.

templates templates

Cross Stitching Activity
Four beginner cross stitch patterns for children to make for Spring! The first two patterns (flower and tulip with face) work well as a bookmark on 11 or 14 count aida cloth (though those counts are a bit harder for the kids to use as the stitches are smaller). They also make nice pictures on plastic canvas or 6 count aida (terrific for beginners!).

The third and fourth patterns (Butterfly/Tulip and April Showers bring May Flowers) are quite a bit more complicated (bigger projects) though still a beginner level.

The words on these projects require backstitching. If you're just starting to learn cross stitch, you can skip the words. (For example, on the flower pattern, you can just cut the words off the pattern template before giving it to the child).

To learn more about cross stitching, check out our "How to Cross Stitch" directions.

Encourage students to fill in the white backgrounds with white cross stitch instead of leaving it unstitched. The long rows of single colored stitches are terrific practice. But it's completely up to you! It does make the project take a lot longer.

Materials:
printer
paper
embroidery floss (see the template for recommendations for the colors needed)
Aida cloth with a low number (6 count Aida is 6 stitches per inch while 10 count is 10 stitches per inch... The lower the number, the bigger the project ends up being and the easier it is for a beginner to complete)
OR
plastic canvas
embroidery hoop (a must! unless you're using plastic canvas).
needle (20 or 22 work well, but any that fit 3 strands of floss will do).

Instructions:
Print out the template of choice.
Fold cloth in half and then in half again to find the center.
Place hoop around cloth. Start as close to center as you can.
Cut about 18 inch pieces of floss and divide in half (so you have 3 strands of floss to work with).
Start cross stitching!

Patterns:

2 templates

3 templates

4  templates

5 templates

Delft Pottery Activity
Everyone familiar with the Netherlands will recognize the blue and white pottery known as Delftware or Delft pottery (Delft is a city in Holland). The tin-glaze method developed in the Netherlands created an inexpensive white ceramic pottery that looked very much like the more costly porcelain favoured by nobility. It allowed "ordinary people" to own beautiful plates, vases and tiles that were similar in style to imported and expensive Chinese porcelain.

All types of images are shown on the real Delft pottery but I like to encourage the children to be inspired by typical "Dutch images" like windmills or tulips when designing theirs.

Materials:
scrap paper and pencil
paper plate
blue acrylic paint
paintbrush

Instructions:
Draw a rough design on a scrap piece of paper.
You can use anything as your inspiration, but I like to consider the symbols and landscapes of the Netherlands when doing this project.
Remember you need to keep the image simple enough to paint it.
Use cobalt blue paint to paint your design on your plate.

Artist comparison activity

templates templates