Saturday, 19 August 2017

Print

Things to Do with Kids in Denmark in June

Photo taken in Sagnlandet

My niece and nephews are coming to visit us in Denmark during their month long school holidays in Singapore next June. And I am so excited about it!!! I am already planning their itinerary now :-)

When we think of Denmark, what comes to mind?

Farms, forests, flowers, fields, fjords, fun parks, festivals, fortresses, food, films, flea markets, forefathers' times (i.e. the museums and the viking era experiences), folk & culture and the famous touristic attractions (Ya, it is a coincidence that many of these nouns all start with the letter 'f' :-))

Denmark, it is a land filled with sensory experiences for kids, many of which are inspired and drawn from the Danish nature... no wonder the Danes are the world's happiest folk endowed with a deep love for learning rising from within - most likely influenced by their long, carefree and enriched childhood experiences :-)

Here is a post that tries to capture with pictures what childhood is like in Denmark.

This list is researched and compiled based on what Singaporean children could see and do in Denmark during their month long June school holidays. Apart from the usual main attractions in Copenhagen, the key aim of this list is to go a little deeper to give the Singaporean children an opportunity to experience and to get a taste of the Nordic Danish childhood as experienced by Danish kids growing up in Denmark.

My idealistic wish is that each and every Singaporean child could be enriched with a taste of the Nordic Danish childhood once in his/her life time, and I would like to start that with my own nieces and nephews :-)

I am so excited, I can't wait to share these experiences with my nieces and nephews :-)

1. Festivals

There are countless number of wonderful and exciting festivals in Denmark especially during the summer. Here are some of them which I picked for my nieces' and nephews' visit:
2. Farms

The Danish farms are surprisingly clean and pleasant. They are very cosy and fun to visit. The animals are very well-treated. I believe this adds to the wonderful cozy relax ambiance of the Danish farms. Unlike many other countries, farmers are also equally respected in Denmark. Thus, you get the feeling that the farmers genuinely love what they are doing and take great pride in their work. That vibe triggers down to the farm visitors. The animals are relaxed and the farms are not stressed for any production. I would also say that visiting Denmark without visiting a Danish farm would be a pity. Here are some of the farms or farm-related festivals you can visit:
  • Free Children's Animal Farm & Playground (Bondegården Sundbyvester): see rabbits, horse-carriage, pony-ride, feed goats
  • Free horse-carriage ride at Grantoftegaard Farm on Tuesdays and Wednesday from 10 am - 1 pm (except lunch time 11.30am - 12pm) and you don't have to reserve a space
  • Free open house farm one weekend a month (Skolelandbruget) in Farum
  • Experience a Danish farm-stay, see rabbits, get a pony-ride, feed goats, touch lambs, fezoed pigs, horseback-riding, play with hay, participate in milking a cow, get on a tractor ride, go on a horse-carriage at Lykkebjerg Farm-stay (Lykkebjerg Bondegårdsferie) or if farm-stay is too much for you, you can pay for a day admission and participate in the farm activities for the day.
  • Pick your own strawberries, raspberries and peas at Jordbærcentret Vejborggaard (mid June)
  • Try out harvesting potatoes yourself at Holmevang Fruit Plantation (Holmevang Frugtplantage)
3. Forests, Countryside & Parks

They say you can't visit Denmark without seeing the Little Mermaid, I would say that a trip to Denmark is not complete without seeing a Danish forest. Denmark is lush with many forests, and the Nordic forests are a beauty to behold. Here are some of the forests you could visit in Denmark.
4. Fjords, Lakes & Seas

Surrounding by sea, Denmark is blessed with many quaint harbours and idyllic lakes. Here are some recommendation which we love:
  • Swim, picnic, BBQ at Islands Brygge Harbour Bath (Islands Brygge Havnebad), Furesø Lake Bath (Furesøbad), Frederiksdal Free Bath (Frederiksdal Fribad) or Vedbæk Harbour (Vedbæk Havn). If you are going to Frederiksdal Fribad, you can park for free along Virum Vandvej 2, 2830 Virum and it is a 5 mins walk from there. Another place for parking is near Den Gamle Have at Nybrovej 461, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, but it is a little further.
  • Feed the ducks with bread at the end of Fæstningkanalen ved Lyngby Hovedgade
  • Catch-crabs and have a crab race at Rungsted Harbour (Rungsted Havn), Taarbæk Harbour (Taarbæk Havn), The Blue Base (Den Blå Base: https://bornibyen.dk/koebenhavn/places/17933-blaa-base)
  • Go canoeing on Lyngby Lake and enjoy a splendid view of the lakes and its surrounding up-close with canoe rental from Havne-hytten, Nybro Kano or Kanokajakcenter
  • Relax in the summer house in Tilsvilde and watch the sun-set
  • Soak in the atmosphere at Nyhavn and take the Copenhagen harbour cruise with Netto Bådene
  • See the cosy Copenhagen canals by water with GoBoat
  • See Frederiksberg Garden (Frederiksberg Have) by boat with Svendsen's Boat Service (Svendsens Bådfart)
  • Cruise along Lyngby Lake with Bådfarten Boat Service
  • Take a cruise to Olso with DFDS
  • See Copenhagen harbour by harbour water-bus with the same price as the bus ticket (Havnebussen)
  • Walk on the cliff of Møn and admire its understated beauty (Møns Klint)
  • Stay a night at the harbour floating boat hotel (CPH Living Floating Hotel)
5. Forefathers' Times

This category refers to the historical places and museums in Denmark. Denmark has a high number of museums and they are of a very high quality. Here are some of the best museums you can visit:
  • Live like a Viking or Flintstone, make twist-bread-on-a-stick (snobrød) over bonfire, cook stone-age food, canoeing in carve out wood, play viking games, try pottery-making, get a taste of the olden day's food at the open-air viking museum The Land of the Legends (Sagnlandet) 
  • Sail like a Viking at the reconstructed viking ship departing from the Viking Ship Museum (Vikingskibsmuseet)
  • The Open Air Museum (Frilandsmuseet)
  • The Viking Fortress (Trelleborg)
  • Try out first-hand at different olden day trades and professions at The Worker's Museum (Arbejdermuseet)
  • The Children's Museum at the National Museum and its guided tour (Nationalmuseet)
  • The guided tour at the National Gallery of Denmark (Statens Museum for Kunst - SKM)
  • The Danish Museum of Science & Technology (Danmarks Teknisk Museum) in Helsingør
  • The Brede Works Industrialisation of Denmark Museum (Brede Værk)
  • Visit the famous Danish children's author Hans Christian Andersen Museum (H. C. Andersens Hus)
  • Have a peep also at Hans Christian Andersen's Childhood Home (H. C. Andersens Barndomshjem)
6. Fun & Water Parks

 This category refers to all theme parks, water parks, playland, etc.:
  • Visit the world's oldest amusement park at Tivoli Gardens, not so much for the state-of-the-art amusement ride, but for it being the world's oldest functioning amusement park that is well-loved by the Danes
  • Enter a world of LEGO and have thrilling good time at the original Legoland amusement park
  • Visit the new LEGO House in Billund (opening on 28 September 2017)
  • Relax and enjoy family time at vacation chalets with fun activities such as water park (Danland)
  • Swim in Badesøen Open-air pool (Friluftsbadet Badesøen) in Albertslund or Bavnehøj open-air pool (Bavnehøj Fribad)
  • Visit the newly built The LEGO House in Billund
  • Jump to reach the sky at Xjump Trampolinpark (Xjump Trampolinpark)
  • Ørestad Skating Hall (Ørestad Skøjtehal)
  • Have fun with Science through the children's eyes at the Copenhagen Science Centre (Experimentarium)
  • Have a splashing good time at Lalandia Water Park
  • Solve the mystery and escape out of the Mystery Room
  • Come up-close with animals, pat goats, see cow being milked at the Copenhagen Zoo (Zoologisk Have)
  • Enter the underwater world of the Blue Planet Aquarium (Den Blå Planet)
  • If you don't have so much time, you can try a bit of everything (kids' friendly rides, splashing fun at the water park, make snobrød on bonfire, canoe on a small scenic lake, pet farm animals, climb high-rope, canoe, circus performance, etc.) at Sommerland Sjælland
  • Drive go-carts at The Traffic Playground (Trafiklegeplads) in Fælledparken 
  • The Water Playground (Vandlegeplads) at Fælledparken
  • Go climbing at the bouldering climbing gym at Blocs & Walls Copenhagen Climbing Center (Blocs & Walls - Københavns Klatrecenter)
7. Food

 The Danes love to cook and there are many cooking classes catering to kids. Below are some recommendations. While in Copenhagen, do try out the Nordic pizza and salad. Here are some of the more loved Danish food establishments:
8. Fortresses & Castles

 Judging by the vast number of fortresses and castles in Denmark, it is indeed a fairy-tale country steep in the tradition of royalty. Here are some of the fortresses/castles you could visit:
9. Flowers

 After a long, dark and cold winter, in end April and early May, Denmark comes alive with the smell of spring and flowers blooming all over the Danish countryside. The color and beauty they add to the Danish meadows and gardens during the Danish spring time is unforgettable. Here are what you can see during the Danish spring time:
10. Films & Shows

 The Danes are a creative lot. Their theatres, films and shows are of a very high quality.
11. Flea-markets & Shopping

Flea-markets are very common in Denmark. Almost every city, county and town has its own flea-markets on weekends. Here are some of the bigger and more interesting one plus the shopping centers:
12. Folk & Culture

 Folk and culture refers to the street lives, community lives, etc. that give you a glimpse of the Danish daily life. If you have a bit more time, do check out the following:
13. Calendar of Events for Kids

Or simply follow the latest happenings/activities for kids in the Calendar of Events for Kids in Copenhagen :-)

This plan is compiled after living 16 years in Denmark, and based on the childhood that our children experience growing up in Denmark. In fact, my learning with Denmark increases exponentially after our children come along. I am learning something new about Denmark through our children everyday.

Do also check out my post on Things to Do in Denmark in April & May
Posted by Elaine at No comments:
Labels:

Thursday, 10 August 2017

Print

The Maritime Museum of Denmark - M/S Museet for Søfart


We continue with our plan to find new places to visit Copenhagen and to experience Copenhagen as a local tourist. Today we went to The Maritime Museum today (10 August 2017, 8Y5M5D). Our Little FECS brought along a friend, M. It is a very modern museum - top class in terms of exhibits. The museum made a commendable effort to cater to children. The boys had a lot of fun looking for the Lego rats in the exhibits and getting a prize at the end of it, placing the books that lighted up at the Tea Business exhibition section and with the Lego workshop. The prize for identifying all the Lego rats was a little boring though - some colour pencils. But since it is not very expensive to visit the museum and children enter free-of-charge, we should not complain. The children were not so interested in the exhibit, but more interested in finding the Lego rats, which was quite a good thing, because some of the exhibits in my opinion is not so suited for children, as it talked about the temptations faced by sailors. A couple of examples, some explicit exhibits/videos of sleazy women luring the sailors and the tattooing activity (ok, I am Asian). One thing I learned - that being a seaman's wife is hard. Overall, it's a very honest telling of the seamen's lives - a commendable praise for the museum.

On the way to the museum, we came across some outdoor trampolines... quite a hit with kids :-)





























Their finished work - a ship hotel :-) which they submitted for the competition. The boys spent hours building it. We had to leave the museum at 4pm to pick up Baby FECS from daycare, otherwise, I think they could continue to improvise it even longer. It was nice to see the boys being able to occupy themselves for so long building Lego.


 This is the largest Lego ship built in the world, but seeing it on-site, it looked rather small. Since it is too small to enter, there wasn't much interaction with the LEGO ship such as getting inside, touching the steering, etc. All you could do is to look at it. It doesn't take more than one minute to see it and leave. The boys had their lunchbox outdoor near the cafe, where the LEGO ship exhibit is. They each had an ice-cream thereafter.


There are free parking available, but chances are they are all taken, since Helsingør is a popular tourist spot. Next to the free parking site, there is a paying parking site. We ended up parking there. It cost 10 DKK per hour or 50 DKK for the whole day. Parking there however is free after 8pm, but that wouldn't help us of course. I paid by the hour and ended up paying 50 DKK and a few trips to top-up. On hindsight, I should have chosen to pay for the whole day.

If you are looking for a place to eat, after visiting the museum and the surround museums such as Kronborg, there is the Elsinore Street Food serving mainly burgers, fish and chips, sandwiches and some curry dish. The pizza stall seemed rather good and popular.

The Street Food is housed in some refurbished warehouses just 3 mins walk from the museum.

 Here is how it looked inside. 


The Maritime Museum of Denmark is located in Helsingør, north of Copenhagen. You can find its contact details here:

M/S Museet for Søfart
Ny Kronborgvej 1,
3000 Helsingør
http://mfs.dk
Entrance: 110 DKK for adults. Children under 18 years free

This Saturday 12 August 2017, you can join the sailor safari on Øresund and try out classic sailor activities i.e. study traffic, ship type, ship wreck, from 3-5pm. It is free for adults, once entrance to the museum is paid, but it cost 30 DKK for child under 18 years old.
Posted by Elaine at No comments:
Labels: ,

Tuesday, 1 August 2017

Print

Free Copenhagen Indoor Playground - Den Indendørs Legeplads Blegdamsremisen


We decided to check out this indoor playground today (1 August 2017, 8Y4M30D, 1Y2M16D), one of the few indoor playgrounds in Copenhagen that is totally free. And it is even manned, despite it being free. I am very impressed with the Copenhagen municipality and the Danish system. This is a playground for the young and older kids. Both my kids age 1.5 and 8 years old enjoyed it. You can also play with Lego and board games here.

 To go there, when you see the Indian restaurant Bindia, you know that you are here. Turn left from the restaurant.

 You will see the building.

 When you walk in, to your right, there are many different rooms - Lego room, small kids' room, wood workshop, etc. (more on this later).

In front after the glass door, you will enter the indoor playground.

There are small lockers to store your valuables so that you don't have to carry around your bags inside the playground. I didn't notice it until we were about to leave, so I had been carry my bag the whole day. Well, next time...

On your right before entering the glass door, there are places to hang your jackets.

There is a box right at the end, where rackets and hockey sticks are stored, which you can borrow.

 Before you enter, to your left is the kitchen and dining area, where you can eat your lunch box.

You can also use their cups.


Apparently you can your yourself to the cold water and juice from the fridge. Just remember to re-fill. Remember to also place used cups in the dish-washer.



 Close-up of the kitchen

We couldn't wait to check out the indoor playground. Baby FECS was very excited.

 Here is how it looks like :-) There is a football field.

 I am impressed how they painted the cartoons integrating it with the football field.


 There is a pirate ship, not sure if it was the same one from the 70s.



 Big brother helping Baby FECS up the pirate ship.

 Baby FECS was mesmerized with the little toy car.

 This is one of our Little FECS' favorites. 


 There are many interesting slops that baby or toddlers could practise their balancing skills climbing up and down.












 I love this huge mattress, just perfect for babies. You will see many mothers with younger babies and fathers too using this mattress.

Baby FECS loved it :-)

The big kids love the big mattress too :-)

 This is the first item Baby FECS tried. She really enjoyed the swing.


 This is one of Baby FECS' favorite - the push truck.


Here is the babies friendly corner







A cozy dog house for small kids :-)


And some small corners for kids to explore and hide...



 Our Little FECS decided to bring Baby FECS to check out the different rooms.

 Here's the room with some insects I believe.


Corridor to the different theme rooms

Here is a room literally full of LEGO bricks. You are not allowed to wear shoes in. The door is closed to keep out babies from small parts.

Here is a room that our Little FECS thinks that Baby FECS would enjoy :-)
 
This is a room for wood work I believe.

Here is a doll house


 
Little FECS really enjoyed this game of aeroplane.

 We played different games.

  We played Ludo together.



 You could play with some hula-hoops outside too :-)



You can even borrow a baby alarm, while you baby sleeps outside. We borrowed one when Baby FECS took her afternoon's nap.



 

 Interesting news articles about the playground and its past activities on the notice board.

 Here was how the playground looked like in the 70s :-)

 We had lunch at a small Italian place serving pizzas. It is quite a popular place with the locals it seems. We love it because of the selection of the pizza that includes spinach, salmon and broccoli. Tasty yet so nutritious.


 This is their garlic bread that only cost 15 DKK per piece, very reasonable.



Updates 22 November 2019 (3Y6M6D, 10Y8M17D):

The last time we came, C was just 1 year 3 months old. She is 3.5 years old now.






Here is the details to the playground:

Address: Blegdamsvej 132A 2100 København Ø
Nearest train station: Svanemøllen St. + Bus 1A (6 mins)

Note: It is closed during the summer school holidays the whole of July and August. It usually reopens from first week of September.

When in doubt, you can call the following number to check if they are open:
+45 35264666

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Den-indend%C3%B8rs-legeplads-Blegdamsremisen-815012598520038/about/?ref=page_internal



 If you drive, there is a long stretch of parking along Blegdamsvej and it costs 12 DKK per hour to park there.


It's just behind the Indian restaurant called Bindia.

 
Posted by Elaine at No comments:
Labels: , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

My Favourite Books

Montessori Materials