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Practical adjustments in the classroom can sometimes quickly produce results for sensory processing. In part 4 of the five-part series, Monique Thoonsen shows that these adjustments can sometimes be very simple, while at the same time emphasizing that they require an individualized approach.
Many primary schools want to focus on preventing food waste. That is a good thing, because school is the perfect place to make children aware of healthy and sustainable food. The Samen tegen voedselverspilling website has created an overview for Waste-Free Week (7–13 September 2026) – but also for afterward – of all the available and developed teaching materials and information about food waste for primary education pupils.
The Netherlands Youth Institute has outlined what education professionals can do with children who are hyperactive, impulsive, dreamy or easily distracted. In part 2: Discuss it with the child; Adapt the environment; Give children space to self-regulate.
In the Netherlands, children are expected to participate in traffic independently by around the age of twelve. For pupils in special primary education, this is often an additional challenge. They practise less independently and need a great deal of repetition. They also need teaching materials that match their cognitive level and their everyday world. This gives Veilig Verkeer Nederland every reason to develop a traffic education method for special primary education.
How can you, as a teacher, take sensory processing into account, and why is it important to involve the pupil in this? Monique Thoonsen explains this in part 3 of this series of 5.
Dealing with sensory processing begins with recognizing the signs of under- and overstimulation. But how do you do that as a teacher? Monique discusses this in part 2 of this series of 5.
In the Netherlands, children live an average of 800 metres from the nearest primary school, and 97 percent live within 2 kilometres. Nevertheless, 30 percent of children are driven to primary school by their parents. Evert-Jan Hulshof, director of Veilig Verkeer Nederland, wants to see this change.
The transition from the summer holidays to the new school year at primary school takes some getting used to for many children and parents. Perhaps your child is finding it exciting. You yourself often need some time to adjust as well. How can you, as parents, make sure you are ready for the new school year? The Netherlands Youth Institute has put together an overview and offers parents some useful tips.
From 3 to 10 October 2026, it is Our Food Week. A great opportunity to focus with your class at primary school on where our food comes from, how it is made and why healthy and sustainable choices are important. Food education allows pupils not only to learn, but especially to experience. That is why various organisations are joining forces to support schools with inspiring activities, teaching materials and practical tools. Examples include the Mayors’ Breakfast, a free visit to a farm, or shopping vouchers for cooking in the classroom.
Smaaklessen is celebrating its 20th anniversary! That is why Smaaklessen is organizing a nationwide recipe competition: come up with the new Cook in the Classroom recipe for 2027, either with your class or individually! The winning recipe will be cooked in classrooms throughout the Netherlands in 2027. The competition runs until and including 11 October 2026. The winner will be announced after Our Food Week (3–10 October 2026). The prize ceremony will take place on 19 November 2026 during the Tasting the Future of Food Education conference.
Pupils in primary education are becoming increasingly under- or overstimulated. That is why there is a growing demand for emotional regulation, and the senses can be used for this purpose. But how do you approach this in primary education? In a series of five articles, Eduye/GLOS Educatief explores the role of teachers and decision-makers in sensory processing together with Monique Thoonsen of SensoMatters. The first article: what is sensory processing?
For the Kennisrotonde of the National Knowledge Institute for Education, knowledge broker Merel de Wit, with the help of Janneke de Wit, answered the question of whether letter prompt cards help pupils in Grade 1. The conclusion: they are probably most effective as temporary support.
After every holiday, a group goes through certain phases in the process of group formation. The first weeks at the beginning of the school year are called the Golden Weeks. These weeks are particularly suitable for laying a foundation for good group formation and a pleasant atmosphere. Stichting School & Veiligheid offers ten tips.
The subsidy scheme of the province of Utrecht will reopen on 4 January 2027! That may seem a long way off, but quite a lot is involved in greening a primary school playground. That is why this summer period is precisely the ideal time for primary schools to start preparing their subsidy application.
Would you like more water to be drunk in the new school year? Then put tap water in the spotlight with your class as a healthy and sustainable thirst quencher during National Tap Water Day on Wednesday 30 September. This way, your pupils will discover why tap water is healthy and how to turn it into a festive drink!
What food and drinks help your child learn and grow well at primary school? And how can you keep it easy and affordable for yourself? Louise and Sandra from the Nutrition Centre will help parents of children aged 4 to 12 answer these questions during a free online session on Thursday, 8 October 2026, from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m.
It started with a dream. A school where children are safe, eat healthily, get enough exercise and have equal opportunities. “That dream emerged about 12 years ago at Primary School Manjefiek in Maastricht,” says director Kim Duykaerts-van Duurling in a conversation with the Province of Limburg. Later, that dream was given a name: Healthy Primary School of the Future.
Australia introduced a minimum age of 16 for using social media on 10 December. An initial evaluation by the eSafety regulator shows that the immediate effects are still limited. The percentage of young people under 16 who use social media fell only slightly, from almost 86 to just over 81 percent. The number of children with their own account also decreased, but many existing accounts remained active because social media platforms have not yet implemented effective age verification.
On 19 November 2026, the international Sapere conference Tasting the Future of Food Education will take place in Wageningen. Professionals, policymakers and researchers from various countries will come together to exchange knowledge, experiences and ideas about food education. Reflect on developments within the international food education landscape and look ahead to the direction in which food education can continue to develop. The conference is particularly relevant for professionals in education and childcare.
How can you improve the well-being of children in primary school? The Pharos website tells the story of a primary school in Zoetermeer that is actively committed to improving the well-being of its pupils through a whole-school approach. The reason for this is that many children struggle with vulnerable mental health. For example, they may have had traumatic experiences due to war, poverty, neglect, stressful home situations or a lack of emotional availability from their parents. According to the school leadership, in many classes there are only a few pupils without serious problems.
A national school lunch programme for primary schools is necessary to promote healthy eating habits among children. This is shown by a study into the impact of healthy school lunches conducted by Deloitte in 2024 in collaboration with Kokkerelli Kids University for Food & Health and Maastricht University. The findings remain relevant today.
A new school year is the perfect time to draw attention to tasty and healthy food at primary school. So get started with the Trommel zonder Rommel lessons. In an interactive way, pupils discover what a healthy lunch is and how they can make healthy choices themselves.
Pupils from Groen van Prinsterer Christian Primary School in Emmen learned in a special way why soil organisms are important and help maintain healthy soil. During School Garden Week on 20 May 2026, the pupils buried the mayor’s cotton handkerchief. A month and a half later, surprisingly little of it remained.
How can you, as an education professional, support an LGBTQ+ student in primary education? Gendi, an initiative of the School & Safety Foundation, offers six tips.
De Waterhof Primary School in Delft has been a Dynamic School for 10 years. This makes it an exception. Of the 6,500 primary schools in the Netherlands, only 52 are Dynamic Schools. In a conversation with Pointer from KRO-NCRV, specialist physical education teacher Nick Keijser and principal Nora Bolderheij explain why they consider it important.
For many primary schools, the school garden during the summer holidays is a concern. Especially when there is not yet a school garden, the summer holidays can be an obstacle to getting started. Alliantie Schooltuinen offers tips.
Would you like to visit an arable farm with your upper-primary class? Or are you an arable farmer yourself and would you like to organise excursions for classes? The guides for ‘With the class to the arable farmer’ offer you a fully developed, educational and fun lesson programme! The guide was already available digitally free of charge and is now also available as a printed copy in the Smaaklessen webshop.
The first Tiny Pond in the Netherlands was recently opened in the schoolyard of the 1st Van der Hucht School in Soest. By creating this small, nature-rich pond from IVN Nature Education, the Soest primary school is helping the common toad.
In the Gelderse Vallei region, municipalities are working towards an environment in which healthy learning, living and development are self-evident for all children and young people. During an exchange meeting on the Healthy School approach, they discussed this together. The meeting was organised by the Kansrijk Opgroeien coalition and the public health services (GGDrU and VGGM). They shared what is already happening, explored opportunities and looked at how they could strengthen one another further. The experiences are also valuable lessons for other regions in the Netherlands.