Friends week at Partou
Over 27,000 Partou children spread over a large part of the Netherlands take part in Friends Week in April every year. At all our daycare centres, preschools, and out-of-school care centres, we organise a wide variety of activities around the theme of friendship during that week to further accentuate the value of having friends.
So what kind of fun things did we do in 2019?
In 2019, all baby groups received a lovely little Gonnie & Gijsje read-aloud book about two inseparable goslings who are the best of friends. For all the toddler groups, we made a round floor puzzle and friend templates for them to draw using the sidewalk chalk we gave them as well. And each out-of-school care group got a Kubb set. Kubb is a fun outdoor game for between 2 and 12 players that involves wooden blocks, sticks, and a king. Watch this space to find out what we have lined up for 2020.
Who will write the Friendship poem this year?
Last year it was Bart Meijer from the Best Friends Quiz on Zapp, who wrote the special friendship poem for Friends week (see the video below). But which famous Dutch musician wrote a beautiful and fun poem about friendship for 2019? Keep an eye on this page, because during Friends week the poem and the name will be announced.
Importance of friendship
"Every day, we see the most beautiful (first) friendships form. At our centres, children learn to play together, share, squabble, and make up, acquiring social skills they need later on in life to make friends and maintain friendships. During Friends Week, we draw extra attention to the value of friendship. We want to ask everyone, young and old, to do the same. Celebrate your friendship. Go out and do things together, do something special for a friend, and tell them why they are so special to you!"
All staff at Partou
75 years of research
Watch the video in which researchers from Harvard University followed hundreds of people for 75 years to answer the question "What makes people happy?" And no, the outcome is not money or fame. They are good and long-term relationships that make us happy.
Did you know
- Youth friends are for life. 63% of Dutch people have friendships that were formed when they were younger than 16 years old.
- Within 7 years about 70% of a friendship group will be replaced.
- The biggest increase in Facebook followers in recent years was mainly due to the over-80s looking for friends.
- 91% of Dutch parents say that they find friends to be essential for the personal development of children.
- The more social contacts you make in your life, the healthier you are later and the longer you live.