Anloo with Kids: Top 10 Things To Do and Family Holiday Guide

A family day in Anloo tends to move at its own pace. The village is small enough that you can walk the centre without a plan, find a bench near the old church when you need a breather, and still have time for a proper lunch before anyone starts flagging. It works best when you anchor the day to one thing — the hunebedden nearby, a cycle through the Drenthe countryside, or a morning exploring the village itself — and treat everything else as a bonus rather than an obligation.

Quick facts for families visiting Anloo

Top 10 things to do in Anloo

1. Walk the historic core of the village and take time at the Romanesque church, one of the oldest in Drenthe — it’s small, but children often find the age of it genuinely interesting when you frame it right.
2. Visit one of the nearby hunebedden. These prehistoric megalithic tombs are unlike anything most children have seen before, and they hold attention well.
3. Pick up a cycling route from the village and follow it into the surrounding Drenthe landscape. The terrain is flat and the distances are forgiving for families.
4. Choose one paid or indoor activity to anchor the day and let the rest stay unscheduled.
5. Use a proper sit-down lunch as a reset between the morning and afternoon, not a rushed stop between activities.
6. Head to Drouwenerzand on the Drenthse Hondsrug if the children need space to run and play — it pairs naturally with a day based around Anloo.
7. Keep a rainy-day option confirmed before you leave home. The Drents Museum in Assen is close enough to reach quickly if the weather turns.
8. Combine Anloo with a visit to D20 or the Outdoor Center Boomkroonpad if older children want something more active.
9. Add a bakery or village snack stop mid-morning. It gives children something to look forward to and breaks the walk at a natural point.
10. End the day on something low-key — a short evening stroll or sitting outside somewhere — rather than trying to squeeze in one last sight.

Top 10 things to do in Anloo for kids

1. Let children climb on and around a hunebed. They are sturdy, ancient and genuinely tactile — most children want to touch them the moment they see one.
2. Pack a simple picnic and eat it outdoors somewhere in the village or along a nearby cycle path rather than always heading for a cafe.
3. Give younger children a small disposable camera or let them use a phone to document the day in their own way. It keeps them engaged between stops.
4. Ask children to count how many different farm animals they can spot during a countryside walk or short drive around Anloo.
5. Build in a playground stop early in the afternoon rather than at the end, when energy levels are still reasonable.
6. Visit Museum De Buitenplaats in Eelde on the way to or from Anloo if the group includes children who respond well to art in an unusual setting.
7. Let children lead one section of the walk with a simple map — even a rough printed one works and gives them a sense of ownership over the route.
8. Plan a clear end point that children can look forward to: an ice cream, a playground, or stopping at a particular spot they chose earlier in the day.
9. Keep the afternoon lighter than the morning. Children who started well will carry the day further if you don’t overload the second half.
10. If one moment is clearly working — a game that started naturally, a spot the children don’t want to leave — stay with it rather than moving on to the next item on the list.

Best family activities in Anloo

Anloo’s strongest asset for families is its setting. The village sits in a quiet part of Drenthe with good cycling routes, hunebedden within easy reach, and enough open countryside around it that children can move freely without the constraints of a busier town. The church at the centre of the village is worth a few minutes even with younger children — the building has been standing since the twelfth century and that tends to land as a concrete, memorable fact rather than an abstract one.

For families who want more structured activity, Drouwenerzand on the Drenthse Hondsrug is a short distance away and gives children room to be loud and physical. The Outdoor Center Boomkroonpad is worth considering for older children or teenagers who want something with a bit more challenge. The key with Anloo is to keep the itinerary honest about what the village actually offers — it rewards slower exploration rather than a packed schedule, and families who approach it that way tend to leave having genuinely enjoyed it.

Where to stay near Anloo

Accommodation near Anloo tends to mean somewhere in the broader Drenthe countryside rather than in the village itself. Look for places that give you a short drive or cycle into the village rather than worrying about being within walking distance — parking in and around Anloo is generally straightforward, so proximity matters less here than it would in a larger town.

Forest holiday parks, family campsites and lodge stays are all well-represented in this part of Drenthe. If your children need space to decompress after a day out, a nature-based stay with a garden or outdoor area usually works better than a town-centre hotel. It also makes it easier to combine Anloo with other nearby options without long drives at the end of the day.

Nearby places to visit

1. The Drents Museum in Assen is the most complete cultural day out within easy reach of Anloo. Its prehistoric collection, which includes the Yde Girl, holds up well with children from around eight or nine upwards.
2. Drouwenerzand on the Drenthse Hondsrug offers outdoor space and activities that pair naturally with a quieter morning in Anloo — it works especially well as an afternoon follow-on.
3. The hunebedden route through Drenthe passes close to Anloo and makes for a straightforward half-day add-on, particularly if children haven’t seen megalithic monuments before.
4. Museum De Buitenplaats in Eelde is a realistic detour for families with children who have responded well to art or unusual buildings elsewhere on the trip — it’s a manageable distance and doesn’t require a full day.

Family travel tips

1. Arrive earlier than you think necessary during Dutch school holiday periods. Anloo itself is quiet, but nearby attractions fill up, and an early start gives you the best of both.
2. Let children have a genuine choice in one part of the day — not a token decision, but a real one. It changes how invested they are in what follows.
3. Confirm your wet-weather fallback before you leave, not when the clouds arrive. The Drents Museum in Assen is the most straightforward option and is close enough to reach quickly.
4. Don’t try to combine Anloo with more than one other destination in a single day. One add-on works; two usually means nobody sees anything properly.
5. Carry a snack that doesn’t require refrigeration and can fill a gap if lunch is delayed or a cafe is closed. In a small village like Anloo, options are more limited than in a larger town.
6. Focus on one thing you genuinely want to do in Anloo and plan everything else loosely around it — the days that feel best are usually the ones where the main event was clear from the start.

FAQ

Is Anloo good for kids?

Yes, though it suits families who are happy with a quieter, more outdoor-focused day. The hunebedden, cycling routes and surrounding Drenthe countryside give children something real to engage with rather than just a town to walk through.

What are the best things to do in Anloo with kids?

Visiting a nearby hunebed, cycling through the countryside around the village, and exploring the historic centre on foot are the most genuinely child-friendly options. Pairing Anloo with Drouwenerzand or the Outdoor Center Boomkroonpad works well if you want to add something more active.

How long should families spend in Anloo?

Half a day is enough to see the village itself. A full day makes sense if you’re combining it with a hunebed visit, a cycle route or a nearby attraction — but don’t feel obliged to fill every hour.

What can families do in Anloo when it rains?

The Drents Museum in Assen is the most practical option and is close enough to reach without much extra driving. Museum De Buitenplaats in Eelde is another realistic choice if you’re heading in that direction.

Where should families stay near Anloo?

Forest holiday parks and family campsites in the broader Drenthe area work well. Look for somewhere with outdoor space and easy car access to the village rather than prioritising a walking-distance location — parking around Anloo is not the obstacle it would be in a larger Dutch town.

Nearby Attractions

• Drouwenerzand (Drenthse Hondsrug)
• D20
• Drents Museum
• Outdoor Center Boomkroonpad
• Museum De Buitenplaats Eelde