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

Ens sits in the heart of the Noordoostpolder — land that was drained from the sea in the 1940s and deliberately laid out as a network of planned villages, each with its own role in the new polder. That origin story is visible everywhere you look: in the geometry of the roads, the arrow-straight ditches, the measured distances between farmsteads, and the wide, uninterrupted sky that surprises almost every family arriving here for the first time. Ens is not a place that needs a packed itinerary. It rewards the family that shows up curious and willing to go slowly.

Quick facts for families visiting Ens

Top 10 things to do in Ens

1. Park once at the village centre and explore on foot — Ens is compact enough that moving the car between stops is never necessary.
2. Ride or walk one of the flat polder routes out into the open landscape beyond the village edge, where the horizon opens up in a way that genuinely stops first-time visitors in their tracks.
3. Take lunch slowly and deliberately. The unhurried character of Ens makes a long sit-down meal feel like part of the visit rather than a delay in it.
4. Visit the Lanz Bulldog Museum if your family has any interest in agricultural or mechanical history — the collection of vintage tractors is genuinely specific to this region’s farming past.
5. Stop at PIER+HORIZON – Paul de Kort and let the art in the landscape prompt a conversation with children about why someone would put something here, of all places.
6. Read the layout of the village itself as a piece of history: the planned distances, the central church, the way everything is arranged with deliberate logic.
7. Step into Wellerwaard if you want to connect the polder landscape to its natural and agricultural story — the setting makes the exhibits feel grounded rather than abstract.
8. Choose a single paid or structured activity as the anchor for the day and leave the hours around it unplanned.
9. Pair Ens with one other Noordoostpolder stop only when the drive makes easy sense — adding a second destination for the sake of it dilutes both.
10. End the day somewhere low-key: a bench near the water, a quiet village street, an open field. Ens earns a calm finish.

Top 10 things to do in Ens for kids

1. Tell the story of how this land was created before you arrive — children are often genuinely struck by the fact that the Noordoostpolder did not exist until their grandparents’ generation, and it reframes everything they see on the walk.
2. Bring a small sketchbook or notebook and ask each child to draw or describe one thing per street. The visual stillness of Ens means details stand out in a way they rarely do in busier places.
3. Pack a ball or frisbee for the open green spaces — not every stop needs a sign or a ticket, and the flat polder fields make these work well.
4. Give children a short stretch of the route to navigate using a simple map or phone screen. Even young children manage this well in Ens, where the roads are logical and the scale is human.
5. Build a playground stop into the route as a fixed point, not a maybe-if-there’s-time afterthought — knowing it’s coming gives younger children something concrete to walk towards.
6. Ask children to pick out one thing in Ens that could only exist in a place built on reclaimed land. The geometry of the ditches and field boundaries usually produces the best answers.
7. Let one child choose the direction at each junction for a short stretch. Handing over that small decision changes the energy of the walk more than you might expect.
8. If you visit Stichting ‘t Venose Skutien, ask children what they think the building or space was used for before — it opens up the kind of conversation that sticks.
9. Save one small treat — a postcard, a sticker, something from a local shop — for the very end of the day, so there is something to look forward to on the journey home.
10. Let children set the pace on the final stretch back. Arriving without rushing, rather than counting down to the car, tends to be how the day is remembered.

Best family activities in Ens

Walking and cycling are the natural starting point in Ens — the landscape is flat, the roads are quiet, and children who would flag quickly on a city walk often find the open polder genuinely energising. Distances that look long on a map feel easy on a bike here, and the wide sky keeps the mood light even when legs are tiring.

For families who want something more structured, the area around Ens has real options worth the detour. The Lanz Bulldog Museum draws families with an interest in farming history and vintage machinery, and tends to hold children’s attention longer than expected. PIER+HORIZON – Paul de Kort offers a different kind of stop — art placed in the open landscape in a way that prompts children to look at the polder differently. And Wellerwaard connects the natural and agricultural character of the Noordoostpolder to the landscape you’ve been walking through, which gives the visit a satisfying shape.

Where to stay near Ens

Choosing where to stay near Ens is mostly a question of how much time you want to spend in the Noordoostpolder as a whole. A base that puts you within easy reach of Ens in the morning — without a long drive before the day has properly started — tends to serve families better than one that photographs well but adds distance at both ends.

Flevoland has a solid range of holiday parks with pools and play areas that suit families staying several nights in the region. For a visit focused primarily on Ens and the villages nearby, a straightforward apartment or hotel with reliable parking near the polder is usually the right fit — the area doesn’t reward overcomplicating the logistics.

Nearby places to visit

1. The other planned villages of the Noordoostpolder — Emmeloord, Marknesse, Rutten, Tollebeek — are all within a short drive and each gives a slightly different perspective on how the polder was settled and designed.
2. The Culture Historical Center Land of Vollenhove lies just across the water and offers genuine depth on the history of this corner of the Netherlands — well worth pairing with a morning in Ens for families who want the fuller picture.
3. The IJsselmeer shore is reachable from Ens and offers open water, flat beach space and a strong contrast to the enclosed feeling of the village streets — useful if the day needs a change of scene.
4. For a rainy afternoon, both Lelystad and Emmeloord have covered attractions within easy reach — close enough to reach quickly once you decide the weather has won.

Family travel tips

1. Arriving before 10am during school holidays makes a noticeable difference — Ens is small, and even a modest increase in visitors changes how the village feels to walk through.
2. Treat Ens as the main event for the day rather than a stop on the way to somewhere else. The village gives more when you give it the full morning.
3. Keep one low-effort indoor option identified but unannounced — presented as a spontaneous idea when you need it, it lands far better than a contingency plan announced at breakfast.
4. Do not over-brief younger children on the itinerary before you leave. Knowing every step in advance turns any small delay into a disappointment.
5. When something unplanned is clearly working — a duck pond, an interesting wall, a spontaneous game in a field — stay with it. Moving on to the next item costs more than it saves.
6. Carry snacks and water from the start rather than relying on finding a shop at the right moment. Ens is quiet, and that quietness is part of what makes it good — it also means supply points are limited.

FAQ

Is Ens good for kids?

Yes, for the right kind of day. Ens works best for families who are comfortable with open space, gentle exploration and a relaxed pace — it is not built around ticketed attractions, but it has a character that children often respond to more than expected, especially once you share a little of the polder’s history with them.

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

Cycling and walking in the polder landscape are the core of any visit. Beyond that, the Lanz Bulldog Museum, Wellerwaard and PIER+HORIZON – Paul de Kort each offer something genuinely specific to this part of Flevoland. Add a playground stop and a proper lunch and most families have a full, satisfying day.

How long should families spend in Ens?

A relaxed half-day covers the village comfortably. Spending a full day makes sense if you want to include one of the nearby attractions or cycle further into the polder — the Noordoostpolder landscape rewards time rather than rushing.

What can families do in Ens when it rains?

Trim the outdoor section and move to a café or a covered stop. The Culture Historical Center Land of Vollenhove and options in Lelystad and Emmeloord are all within easy reach if the weather turns and you need a proper indoor plan.

Where should families stay near Ens?

Holiday parks in Flevoland are a strong choice for families who want pools and play areas available in the evenings. If the visit to Ens and the Noordoostpolder is your main focus, a simple apartment or hotel with easy parking close to the polder villages tends to give you the most straightforward start to each day.

Nearby Attractions

• Culture Historical Center Land of Vollenhove
• Stichting ‘t Venose Skutien
• Lanz Bulldog Museum
• PIER+HORIZON – Paul de Kort
• Wellerwaard

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Culture Historical Center Land of Vollenhove, Ens, Flevoland

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PIER+HORIZON – Paul de Kort, Ens, Flevoland

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Wellerwaard, Ens, Flevoland

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