Sports

According to several accounts, Anne was not very strong physically; her limbs dislocated easily.^[1] Nevertheless, she took part in rhythmic gymnastics and practised several other sports.^[2] The gymnastics club was probably led by Hedda Eisenstaedt.

Ice skating

In the winter of 1938-1939, Anne learned to ice skate. ^[3] On 13 December 1940, Anne wrote to her grandmother that she was going ice skating at the artificial ice rink at the Apollo Hall.^[4] And on 13 January 1941, she wrote:

'I spend every free minute at the ice rink. Until now, I still had my old skates that Margot used to wear, those skates have to be screwed on with a little key, and at the ice rink, all my friends had real Figure Skates, which have to be attached to your shoes with nails, and then they don't come off. I wanted so terribly to have such skates too, and after long nagging, I got them too.'^[5]

A 1941 photo shows Anne with other children ice skating in Vondelpark.^[6] Anton Witsel received this photo from the father of the frontmost girl in the picture Ansje de Leeuw. According to the caption of the photo, Ansje lived in the United States.

On 22 March 1941, Anne wrote to her grandmother: "I wish I could start ice skating again, but for that I have to be patient for a while, until the war is over (...).^[7]

Table tennis

In June 1942, Anne writes: "Five of us girls have formed a club. It's called The Little Dipper Minus Two. (...)  It's a ping-pong club" .^[8]

Hobbies

Anne writes the following about her hobbies: "Dear Kitty, You asked me what my hobbies and interests are and I'd like to answer, but I'd better warn you, I have lots of them, so don't be surprised".^[9]

Writing

In addition to her surviving diaries, stories and letters, Anne also wrote poems in the poetry albums of her friends, including: Mary Bos, Juultje Ketellapper, Bep Groot Batavé, Dinie Amelsbeek, Henny Scheerder, Eva Goldberg, Kitty Egyedi and Jacqueline van Maarsen.^[10]

Reading

Anne loved to read. She got Nederlandsche sagen en legenden ('Dutch Sagas and Legends') from the ping-pong club for her thirteenth birthday, but by mistake they gave her volume 2. She then swapped Camera Obscura for volume 1.^[8] These books had been written by Josef Cohen. Volume 2 is in the museum collection of the Anne Frank House.^[11] Volume 1 was given by Anne shortly before going into hiding to neighbour Toosje Kupers, who still owns it. At the front, Anne's handwriting bears the dedication 'In Memory of Anne Frank'.

Family trees

Otto Frank told his daughters about family history and individual relatives while in hiding. Anne made family trees based on these.^[12] Anne also wrote about this in her diary.^[13] These family trees have not been preserved. The family trees Anne had drawn on large sheets of paper have also not been found.^[14]

Anne also made family trees of several European royal houses: "of the French, German, Spanish, English, Austrian, Russian, Norwegian and Dutch royal families. I've made great progress with many of them, because for a long time I've been taking notes while reading biographies or history books".^[9] She drew a lot of information for this from Charles V's biography.^[15] When a vase of flowers fell over shortly afterwards, water poured over her family trees. However, the damage proved limited in the end. Notes on Maria de Medici', Charles V, William of Orange and Marie Antoinette had to be dried in the attic.^[16]

History

Anne was given many history books by her father. She could not wait to go to the Public Library to continue reading. She also felt strongly about art history. She writes about it: "I'd like to spend a year in Paris and London learning the language and studying art history".^[17] She shared this interest with her father.

'The things a schoolgirl has to do in the course of a single day! Take me, for example. First I translated a passage on Nelson's last battle from Dutch into English. Then I read more about the Great Northern War (1700-1721) involving Peter the Great, Charles XII, Augustus the Strong, Stanislaus Lescinsky, Mazeppa, Von Görz, Brandenburg, Western Pomerania, Eastern Pomerania and Denmark, plus the usual dates.'^[18]

Anne read the biography of Galileo to the end because it had to go back to the library. She had started it the previous day. Part 2 came the next week.^[15]

Greek and Roman mythology

Anne writes three days after her 13th birthday: "I will still get Myths of Greece and Rome, paid for with my own money".^[19] She also writes: (...) I have various books on this subject too. I can name the nine Muses and the seven loves of Zeus. I have the wives of Heracles, etc., etc., down pat".^[9] Anne also shared this interest with her father.

Moortje

Anne got a black cat, named Moortje, about the autumn of 1941.