Almost all of us stay at home at this time of the year. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t have a lot of fun at home. We know the solution: playing old Dutch games! A fun activity for every age. These are well-known games for the Dutch, even though many of them haven’t played in a while. Wherever you live, you can still experience something Dutch in your own home!

“Koekhappen” (biting cake)

You need: “ontbijtkoek” or cake, rope/wire

Almost every Dutchman knows it, “koekhappen”(biting cake)! It is often played at children’s parties, and during King’s Day for example. You hang slices of “ontbijtkoek” or cake on a wire, about eye level. The players have to bite off the cake without using their hands. Whoever eats the cake first is the winner! Don’t you find this difficult enough? You can also play this game blindfolded. This makes it more exciting and funnier too. Koekhappen can be played both indoors and outdoors. So tie the slices of cake on a rope and bite!

“Ezeltje Prik” (Donkey Puncture)

You need: paper donkey, paper tail, pushpin, blindfold, cardboard/pinboard

You need a piece of cardboard or a pinboard for Donkey Puncture. Stick a paper donkey without a tail on it. This game aims to pin the tail of the donkey in the right place on the donkey. This sounds easy, but it certainly isn’t! Every player has to be blindfolded and has to turn around a few times. This will make you completely dizzy. The one who succeeds the best in pinning the tail in the right place is the winner of this funny game! This game is ideal for indoor play.

“Spijkerpoepen” (Nail Pooping)

You need: empty (soda) bottles, rope, nails

If you want to play a game where you will laugh a lot, we recommend nail pooping! For this fun game, you tie a nail on a rope for each player. After this, place a few empty soda bottles on the floor. Before the “pooping” can start everyone hangs such a rope around his / her waist with the nail on the back. The one who gets the nail in the bottle first while squatting wins the game! Is this too easy? You can make the game more difficult by using empty beer bottles. These are narrower and lower, which makes this game extra difficult!

“Eierlopen” (Egg Walking)

You need: eggs, spoons, bucket, pawns / sidewalk chalk

Another hilarious game is egg walking! In this game, you must complete a course as quickly as possible with an egg on a spoon. You hold this spoon with one hand and you are not allowed to touch the egg. You can make a course with sidewalk chalk or pawns, but you can also be creative yourself. At the end of the course, you put down a bucket. Usually, this game is played in two teams. The teams have to follow the course one after the other and, for example, get five eggs in the bucket. But if you drop the egg, you have to redo the course… The fastest team wins.

Do you want to play the game indoors or do you want less mess? Then use a (tennis) ball. To make egg walking more difficult, you can make the course longer or use more obstacles. Do you want to make it extra difficult? Then put the spoon in your mouth instead of your hand.

“Blikgooien”

You need: cans, (fabric) balls

This game is simple and a lot of fun! It’s often played at fairs. Stack several cans like a tower and let the players throw at it with a small, soft ball from a certain distance. The one who overturns the most cans is the winner. You can make the tower as high as you want! Tip: use empty soda cans or empty soup cans.

“Sjoelen” (Shuffling)

You need: shuffleboard, shuffledisk

This game is fun for every age! At the end of this box are four compartments with a slot as an entrance. On each slot is indicated how many points the box is worth: 2, 3, 4 or 1. Each player receives thirty discs that must be shuffled into the slots. Each player gets three turns. After each turn, the discs in the compartments remain there and the other discs may be shuffled again. After the third turn, the score is calculated. An important rule must be taken into account in this calculation: if there is a shuffle disk in all four squares, it is worth twenty points instead of ten! After counting how many times a disk has been shuffled in all four boxes, the remaining points are added. The player with the most points wins!

“Zaklopen” (Bag walking)

You need: burlap bags(/garbage bag) (optional: pawns)

Bag walking is an Old Dutch game in which players jump a course in a jute bag. If you don’t have a burlap bag, use a strong garbage bag instead. The course can be made with pawns. You can play this in pairs or in teams. The group that is fastest and has not knocked over any pawns wins this funny game. Did you know that bag walking has been an Olympic sport?

We hope that you will enjoy these old-fashioned games! Send your best / funniest photos to us on Instagram: @hoponhopoff_holland. Maybe, we will repost your photo! If you have any questions, send us a message on Instagram, we would love to help you.