In the tour for preschool groups at the Zuiderzee Museum, you will join Marretje the stubborn seagull in her search for everything you need for her birthday party.

Six Marretjes, ready for the party.

Party clothes, presents, a dance, fun songs and good food. Together with your classmates, a guide and the interactive Tellmie Marretje, you will search the museum for everything you need for a successful party.

Collected everything? Then Marretje wonders aloud who she will invite to her party…. Of course: you and your classmates!

Listen to a snippet of Marretje here (Dutch only).

Sensible collection

Together with Marretje, preschoolers discover all kinds of festive things in the museum’s permanent collection. Like party dresses, crazy hats, extra beautiful crockery and even a place to hide if you are nervous about your birthday party: the bed box! 

In this way, children can link their own feelings and experiences to the museum’s collection, making it tangible and experienceable. Yes, for preschoolers too!

Collaborative design

The character Marretje has already been used as a landmark in the museum, to show children that there is something for them to do there. She also appears in various educational programmes for children. 

Go Wonder recreated Marretje’s design and adapted it for use as a Tellmie. And of course, Marretje got a festive hat – after all, it is her birthday!

Go Wonder devised the interaction with Marretje: you stroke her beak to answer the questions. All children are allowed to stroke once at each task, because that turns out to be the most fun of all when going out with Marretje: that she responds to your stroking! 

The museum wrote the texts for this tour in consultation with Go Wonder. They worked with our handy schedule for the texts, based on the interaction design. 

The voice is by Jantine van den Bosch, who turned it into a delightfully quirky seagull.

Gathering all Marretjes!
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Marretje the stubborn seagull!
You can wear her like that too.
Each Marretje has its own hat.

The facts

  • Six custom-made Marretjes based on an example from the museum and adapted for use as a Tellmie.
  • Six interaction points scattered throughout the museum.
  • Children search the collection for everything that goes with a birthday party.
  • Marretje also provides spoken instructions for companions.
  • The texts are written in cooperation with the museum.
  • Marretje remembers the group size and asks all children to pet her during a task.
  • Marretje also loves it when you stroke her beak between tasks! It makes it shine so nicely 🙂

This is what Marretje says when you pet her between tasks (Dutch).
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Researching the carrying method for Marretje with a test model.
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Marretje in the making.