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Sinterklaas Quiz with Questions and Answers for Kids and Adults

A Sinterklaas quiz works for a Dutch primary school class, for pakjesavond (the evening of presents) with the whole family, and for a cosy evening with grandparents. Everyone knows something about the steamboat, the shoe and the poems. Here are 24 Sinterklaas questions with answers in four rounds: easy ones for kids, questions for the whole family, treats and customs, and where Sinterklaas comes from. Read them out, print them, or turn them into a live quiz that everyone answers on their own phone. Curious about the Dutch holiday from abroad? The Dutch words are explained as we go.

October 30, 20266 min read

Every question is multiple choice, with the right answer marked. The first round is for young kids, the other three are for the whole family, adults and grandparents included. Mix the rounds to fit your group. The questions are about the Netherlands, and about Flanders (the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) where it differs.

1

Make the quiz

Create a free account, choose Generate with AI and type "Sinterklaas quiz for 7-year-olds, 12 questions". Or put the questions below into your own quiz and keep only the rounds you like.

2

Press Start game

A PIN appears on the screen. Players open sheelon.me/join on a phone, tablet or laptop and type it in. No app and no accounts for players.

3

Play at your own pace

You decide when each question starts. The leaderboard updates after every answer, and the last round decides who wins the chocolate letter.

Easy Sinterklaas questions for kids (ages 6 to 9)

Six easy questions

What does Sinterklaas wear on his head?

  • A Santa hat
  • A mitre (a bishop's hat)
  • A crown
  • A top hat

Which animal does Sinterklaas ride over the rooftops at night?

  • A horse
  • A reindeer
  • A donkey
  • A camel

How does Sinterklaas arrive in the Netherlands in mid-November?

  • On a sleigh
  • In a hot-air balloon
  • By train
  • By steamboat

According to the story, which country does Sinterklaas come from?

FinlandNorwaySpainSwitzerland

What do children put in their shoe for Sinterklaas's animal?

  • A bone
  • A fish
  • A carrot
  • A banana

What are Sinterklaas's helpers called?

The Pieten (Petes)The elvesThe dwarfsThe knights

Sinterklaas questions for the whole family

Six questions for young and old

On what date is pakjesavond ("presents evening") in the Netherlands?

25 December11 November1 December5 December

In which year was the first episode of the Sinterklaasjournaal (the TV news show about Sinterklaas) broadcast?

1985199520012010

According to the story, what is written in Sinterklaas's big book?

Whether children were good or naughty this past yearThe recipe for pepernoten (small spiced biscuits)All the songs he knowsThe weather forecast for 5 December

Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of which Dutch city?

RotterdamAmsterdamMaastrichtGroningen

Which of these songs is a well-known Sinterklaas song?

Jingle BellsSilent NightSinterklaas kapoentjeO Christmas Tree

On which day of the week is the Sinterklaas arrival in the Netherlands usually held?

FridaySaturdaySundayWednesday

In the Netherlands, pakjesavond is on 5 December, the evening before Sinterklaas's name day. In Belgium the presents come on 6 December itself. The Sinterklaasjournaal began in 2001 and has been made by the broadcaster NTR since 2010.

Treats and customs

Six questions about treats and customs

Which biscuit is speculaas?

  • A stroopwafel
  • A coconut macaroon
  • A windmill biscuit
  • A bitterkoekje (almond biscuit)

What is the name of a homemade wrapping, often a craft project, in which you hide a present?

An advent calendarA surpriseA gift voucherA Christmas bauble

Why do families draw names (lootjes) for Sinterklaas?

A bowl full of folded paper slips on a wooden table, with a few more beside it
So that everyone buys a present for just one personTo draw who bakes the pepernotenTo decide who gets to put out a shoeTo decide who gets the tastiest pepernoot

What is traditionally inside a banketstaaf (a pastry log)?

Peanut butterWhipped creamAlmond pasteJam

What often happens on pakjesavond when there is suddenly a loud knock on the door?

The fire brigade comes byA sack of presents is standing outside the doorIt starts to snowThe neighbours want to borrow stroopwafels

What is very common in a Sinterklaas poem?

That it is written in LatinThat it has exactly ten wordsThat it rhymes and teases the receiver a littleThat you may only sing it

Speculaas is a spiced biscuit with a long history, eaten in the Netherlands and Belgium around Sinterklaas and often shaped like a windmill.

Where does Sinterklaas come from?

Six questions about history

In which country is Myra, the city where Saint Nicholas was bishop, found today?

ItalyTurkeyEgyptFrance

In which century did Saint Nicholas, the bishop of Myra, live?

The 2nd centuryThe 4th centuryThe 8th centuryThe 12th century

Around which year did Jan Schenkman's famous picture book about Sinterklaas, "Sint Nikolaas en zijn knecht", come out?

1650179018501920

On which date is the feast day of Saint Nicholas, the day he is traditionally said to have died?

25 December11 November1 November6 December

Which Dutch word is the name Santa Claus derived from?

Kerstman (Christmas man)Sint-Joris (Saint George)Sint-Maarten (Saint Martin)Sinterklaas

In which Italian city have most of Saint Nicholas's bones lain since 1087?

RomeBariMilanNaples

Santa Claus is a Dutch word in disguise. The name comes from Sinterklaas via New York, the former New Amsterdam. English speakers turned it into Santa Claus, and New York writers of the 19th century then gave him his own look. And why does Sinterklaas come from Spain? Nobody knows for sure. Spain already turns up in older rhymes, and Schenkman's book of 1850 made it stick.

Tips for a Sinterklaas quiz that works

  • Pick the rounds for the room. The first round is made for young kids; the other rounds work best with older kids, adults and grandparents.
  • Ask for Sinterklaas nicknames. Players type their own name when they join, so ask everyone for a Sinterklaas one and the leaderboard becomes half the fun.
  • Add a round about your own class or family. Questions like "Who wrote the poem for grandpa?" make the quiz feel like yours.
  • Leave time after each answer. The short explanation after every question is where kids and parents pick up the facts they will repeat at the table.

How do I turn these questions into a quiz?

Create a free Sheelon account, choose Generate with AI and type something like "Sinterklaas quiz, 12 questions, for 7-year-olds". You get a full quiz with an explanation after each answer in about a minute. You can also type these questions in yourself and keep only the rounds you want.

Are these questions good for kids?

The first round is written for primary school kids. The other rounds suit older kids, adults and grandparents, and nothing in them is scary or rude.

How many people can play?

Up to 50 players per game on the free plan, and up to 150 on Pro. Players never need an account, only the PIN.

Can I make the quiz in another language?

Yes. Sheelon writes quizzes in 30 languages, including Dutch. So you can ask for a Sinterklaas quiz in Dutch, English, German or any language your family speaks. The free plan includes 5 AI quizzes in total.

Make your Sinterklaas quiz with AI

Type a topic, get a full quiz with explanations, then host it live. Players join with a PIN from any phone.

Make a Sinterklaas quiz

Free account. Players don't need one.

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