Party in Jan Klaassen's Land

In 2018, the park celebrated its 40th anniversary

 Marius Prein was a puppeteer from 1950 and traveled around with his puppet and figure theater: “Nederlands Figurentheater De Trekwagen”.

History

In 1972 he settled in Doetinchem where he founded ‘Het Land by Jan Klaassen’ in 1978.
The basis of the playground was the ancient traditional puppet show character Jan Klaassen.
There was a slide, climbing frame and a swing for the children to play with.
As an interruption for playing, there was puppetry and the children experienced exciting adventures together with Jan Klaassen and Katrijn.

Son Geert has been in charge of the play park since 1987. He finally took over the company in 1993. In the following years, “has expanded the playground” considerably and moved to Braamt in 1996.  In 2011, a museum was established for all dolls, decor and performances that Marius Prein made and performed from 1950 [sixty years]. Marius Prein died on November 8, 2012. His wife Gré Prein, who has always made all the dolls' clothes, can still be found in the park at the age of 89.

The team of enthusiastic employees now proudly entertains children every day who come to play for a day in the children's amusement park. The expansions continued with new playground equipment in the outdoor park every year. The indoor playground has been added and it has the largest puppet theater in the Netherlands. There are 3 different puppet theater performances here every day in high season. The puppeteers also still travel around the country with performances at primary schools, campsites and events.

From 2015 it will be possible to spend the night with Jan Klaassen. Children no longer want to go home after a day of play and stand at the gate crying. This is how Geert came up with the idea of creating a children's campsite: “Jan Klaassen Dromenland”. Original overnight spots have been made for young families in a King's helicopter, American school bus, pirate ship, fire truck, princess tents, gypsy wagons and teepee.

A unique park where the child is central. It is arranged in such a way that children discover everything for themselves.
The playground equipment, events and accommodations are in line with the experience of the young child. They feel like pirates on the enormous pirate ship, put a tag in the maze, and secretly scare each other in the haunted house. They play with sand and water for hours, tear outside on bicycles and carts, and fly in with gliders through the air. The gnome train only starts running when all the children press their noses. The child's imagination and open-mindedness are beautifully expressed here.

Puppet theatre

During the stories in the puppet show, Jan Klaassen travels the world.
The children are allowed to actively participate and are completely absorbed in the story. They shout enthusiastically when Jan Klaassen starts to settle the villain.
Parents say that children reenact the performances at home and that the songs will be sung for days to come. Miss Kapstok, the Mispoes, the Shop of Sinkel, and Jack Goat Cheese with his béh, béh, béh are well-known phenomena among the real Jan Klaassen fans.
Jan Klaassen's underlying idea is that it doesn't matter whether you are blue, white, yellow or green; everyone should be able to interact and play with each other.
This idea can be found in the park, you see influences and flags from many countries.

The unique accommodations at the Jan Klaassen Dromenland children's campsite fit seamlessly with what children like.  Getting behind the wheel of the American school bus and all the buttons are in the cockpit of the king helicopter or climbing on the deck of a real pirate ship. There is fancy dress for the children following the themes. Children dress up as firefighters and extinguish the campfire with a real fire engine. How nice is that? Everything has been taken care of down to the last detail.