Fun for the 10 days before school starts again

As the summer holiday draws to a close, so, too, does our series on family activities. Here are a few suggestions for the final week of your kids’ freedom.

As adopted citizens of Schaarbeek, my family is obviously a big fan of the donkey (it’s the symbol of the commune), so a donkey farm is a must. That’s what Bart and Inge Sels have created with De Hoef in Messelbroek, Flemish Brabant. There is a special chance to get to know the donkeys better on 27 August, with an introductory visit for smaller kids from 9.30 to 12.00. Older kids from six to 12 are invited on 23 and 28 August at 9.00. But it’s always possible to take a trip with the animals through the beautiful Brabant countryside. The farm will have accommodation for a longer stay starting next March, and they’ll also organise birthday parties for kids over five. www.dehoef.com 

There’s still time to join in the Witches and Wizards parcours at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Brussels, in three languages, with a sheet of clues that you can pick up at the entrance. The Museum, don’t forget, has free entry every first Wednesday of the month from 13.00. www.naturalsciences.be 

On 26 August, as tradition demands, Ostend will say goodbye to its summer season with Fin d’Saison, an afternoon of activities for everyone at five locations along the seafront, starting at 14.00. A kite-making workshop is followed by a competition flying the new kites, with prizes for the best one and the one that stays in the air longest. The contest requires a reservation by 24 August, which can be done via email at cultuur@oostende.be, with the child’s name and age. Other activities include music, street theatre and origami. www.oostende.be/cultuur

The Blaarmeersen recreation park in Ghent has boats and pedalos to rent, but maybe you’d prefer a canoe or a kayak trip along the Leie, all the way into the centre of the city? It’s even possible to do it at night by torchlight – real torches, that is, not the batteryoperated kind. The minimum age to participate is 10, and the smallest group is also 10. Elsewhere in the park, there’s a jungle gym in the woods, a beach with supervised swimming, miniature golf, a playground, fishing and camping. www.tinyurl.com/blaarmeersen 

Finally, the town of Lier in Antwerp province hosts the fascinating exhibition Verzameld Lier – Lier Verzamelt, based around collections of every sort, from old postcards to local lace to views of the Sint-Gummarus church. Many children love to collect things, and this might just be the inspiration for a life-long passion. The exhibition runs until 26 August, from 10.00 to 12.00 and from 13.00 to 17.00, in the Timmermans-Opsomerhuis. The museum is also looking for photos of local people with an unusual object that tells a story about themselves or the town. That’ll be another great exhibition to look out for later. www.bruegelland.be/lierverzamelt

A more extensive version of this article - which features contributions by Olga Hope - was published in full in Flanders Today