What to Do with Your Child's Artworks?

20/11/17 (1Y6M4D): It's getting boring and routine to do lunch boxes... I've got to find a way to keep me going by injecting some fun into it... 

I recycle J's art work into a little greeting card in Chastine's lunchbox to :-)

Montessori Activity: Ladling Pasta

Age: From 1.5 years old

Activity Duration: 5-15 minutes

Preparation Time: 3 minutes

Objective(s): 

1. To train the child’s fine motor skills.

Materials:

1. 2 buckets, one filled with dried pasta
2. 1 ladle
3. 1 tray

Directions:

1. Demonstrate to your toddler by ladling the pasta from one bucket to another.

2. Encourage and let your child try it.

Cost: 

Ladle 5 DKK (1.15 SGD) from Søstrene
Big Bucket (20 DKK) from Netto

Additional Information:

Baby FECS (1y4m22d) shown a lot of eagerness to use the spoon during meal time. She refuses to eat, if we don't give her two bowls, so she can scoop food from one bowl to another. Out of meal time, here is a structured way for her to practice her accuracy by scooping the pasta from one bowl to another.

Things to Do with Kids in Denmark in December

Many Singaporeans travel out during the month long school holidays in December, but December is probably not the most ideal time to visit Denmark, as the days are short and the nights are long. Night sky falls by 3.30 pm and the indoor museums have much shorter opening hours too. The weather is too cold and not so pleasant for outdoor activities, yet not cold enough for snow to appear (I know the number one wish of Singaporeans is to see snow.)

Nevertheless, one of my Singaporean friend's family came to visit Denmark, and they really enjoyed it. Regardless, it is always fun to travel to a different country :-)

December is a time where the focus is on Christmas. Most Danes tend to stay home for  "hygge" (coziness) to bake Danish Christmas cookies or to make Danish Christmas crafts. Here are some activities Danes do during Christmas http://www.familyfecs.com/2014/12/danish-christmas-traditions.html

Below is a list of things one can do with kids in December in Denmark:

• Stroll down the main pedestrian street of Copenhagen - Strøget and see the Christmas lighting
• Visit a Danish Christmas market at Nyhavn, Tivoli Gardens or find a Christmas market near you here and here and here
• Cut your own Christmas tree (https://www.fældselvjuletræ.dk/) (https://www.yourdanishlife.dk/finding-the-perfect-christmas-tree/) 
• http://www.juletraer.com/ 
• https://faedresgave.dk/
• https://www.facebook.com/HolmevangFrugtplantage 
• https://www.hoerup-juletraeer.dk/ 
• https://fjordgaarden.com/ 
• https://dyssegaarden.com/ 
• https://www.juletraer.eu/
• Visit Christmas market at Grantoftegaard farm (Sunday 3 December 2017 10am - 4pm, free horse-carriage 11am - 12pm on Sundays 3, 10 & 17 December 2017) https://www.alt.dk/artikler/de-hyggeligste-julemarkeder
• Free open house farm one weekend a month (Skolelandbruget) in Farum
• Kids' friendly Christmas activities at The Land of the Legends (Sagnlandet) (weekends 2-3, 9-10 & 16-17 December 2017 10am - 4pm) Make your own candy, make tin soldiers, sew woolen elves, etc.
• Visit the Christmas market at Kronborg Castle (Kronborg Slot) north of Copenhagen and visit the famous Kronborg castle at the same time (weekends 10 am - 5 pm)
• Take a ride on a old Danish vintage steam train (Nordsjællands Veterantog) to Rosendal Christmas market (weekends 10 am - 5 pm)
• Visit Egeskov Christmas market (10-11 & 17-18 & 24-25 November 2017 10 am - 5 pm)
• See the changing of guards and get an insight into the Danish royal history at the Amalienborg Palace
• Stay a night at the harbour floating boat hotel (CPH Living Floating Hotel)
• Visit the new Lego House in Billund
• Enter the underwater world of the Blue Planet Aquarium (Den Blå Planet)
• Have fun at the play facilities inside the community Center Huset KU.BE at Frederiksberg
• Visit the free indoor playground at Østerbro
• Visit the Children's Museum at the National Museum and its guided tour (Nationalmuseet)
• Try out first-hand at different olden day trades and professions at The Worker's Museum (Arbejdermuseet) children's section
• Have fun with Science through the children's eyes at the Copenhagen Science Centre (Experimentarium)
• See the ruins - remainings of the wall from Bishop Absalon’s Castle from the 11th century under the Christianbog Palace (Christianborg Slot)
• See the Christianborg Slot's Tower and get a spectacular view of the city
• Visit the Frederiksborg Castle (Frederiksborg Slot)
• Visit the Rosenborg Castle (Rosenborg Slot)
• Visit the Marble Church (Marmorkirken)
• Visit the Copenhagen Cathedral (Vor Frue Kirke)
• Experience a Danish Christmas church service
• Pick edible wild mushrooms with a Danish local guide at Hareskoven Forest
• See a ballet performance at the Royal Danish Theatre
• See a Christmas theatre performance (Et juleeventyr) at The Open Air Museum (Frilandsmuseet)
• Visit the National Gallery of Denmark (Statens Museum for Kunst - SKM)
• Drive and see the Danish country-side by car
• Go ice-skating at Frederiksberg Runddel 26/11-28/2, skøjtebanen i City2, Broens Skøjtebane or Toftegård Plads 27/11-28/2. Here are more pictures.
• Go ice-skating at an indoor skating rink such as the Ørestad Skating Hall (Ørestad Skøjtehal) or the Hørsholm Skating Hall (Hørsholm Skøjtehal)
• Go ice-skating at the ski-slope Copenhagen Amager Bakke (new, only opens in autumn 2018)
• Jump to reach the sky (oops, I mean, ceiling) at Xjump Trampolinpark (Xjump Trampolinpark)
• Go climbing at the bouldering climbing gym at Blocs & Walls Copenhagen Climbing Center (Blocs & Walls - Københavns Klatrecenter)
• Visit a Danish supermarket such as IRMA, Meny, Føtex and Netto
• Experience a Danish library such as Biblioteket Rentemestervej (Rentemestervey Library) - interesting green boxes as part of its interior deco for kids
• Try the Danish open-sandwich smørbrød Adamsen's Fisk Deli & Sushibar at Gilleleje Havn (smørbrød)
• Try some finger gourmet delicacies at the trendy Copenhagen Market Place (Torvehallerne)
• Try some Danish pastry at Lagkagehuset
• Enjoy a high-tea at the Danish Perch's Tea Room
• Try modern Danish cuisine
• Take a Danish culinary course with the Vladimir's Kitchen (Tim Vladimirs Køkken) in Valby cooking course
• Learn to bake a Nordic pizza with Gorms Pizza
• Try the La Boca restaurant for its signature Danish beef tartar at the West Market food mall
• Bake Danish Christmas cookies at home

Christmas activities near our home:

• Stroll down the pedestrian street of Lyngby and see Christmas decoration and Christmas stalls selling Christmas goodies near Magasin Departmental Store
• Christmas activities at Lyngby Nordre Mølle (3 December 2017 10am - 2pm) - You get to taste elves Christmas porridge, hear elves Christmas story and play traditional Christmas games, make Christmas decoration and learn Danish traditional dance
• Visit Lyngby Nordre Mølle Christmas market (9-10 Dec & 17-18 December 2017 10am - 4pm) 
• Enjoy the Christmas activities at the ope-air museum at the Open-air Museum (Frilandsmuseet)
• Sorgenfri Church Christmas Market (Sorgenfri Kirke Julemarked) (Saturday 2 December 2017 10.20 am - 4.30 pm)

Grantoftegaard Farm

Grantoftegaard is a very cosy farm set in a picturesque village called Pederstrup. It is open all year around. We got to know about it and visited it today during the Organic Harvest Day. During the Organic Harvest Day that takes place every year in September, the farm puts up a special program. In fact, the whole village Pederstrup is closed to traffic today for this event, and we also got to visit the adjoining Ballerup Museum.

When we arrived the farm, we saw the program of the day and the map of the farm.

Here is the program of the farm (in Danish only)

Here is the map of the farm

Here are the rabbits

Baby FECS got to see the rabbits.

You can see some goats too and jump on the hay.

Here is a cart full of organic vegetables for sale.

A pretty farm house boutique.

The farmhouse

An area outside the farm house, where you can eat your lunch box.

Sales of wooden toys and honey

Preserved animals from the nature stand

A preserved beaver

A preserved fox

Our Little FECS trying out an activity from the nature stand

The surrounding with a pond

Farm house with horses

The Ballerup Museum - Admission is free all year round. You can read more here:

www.ballerupmuseum.dk/english-page.html

Program at the Ballerup Museum

A small little funfair in the backyard of the Ballerup Museum

The carousel ride was free

Our Little FECS trying out the wooden horse

Cut vintage music box

Funfair game - 5 DKK for 5 tries

Girls dressed in traditional costume

Row of farm vehicles for kids to try

Village road sign

You get to see sheep and could also participate in a wool workshop - We didn't have time to join the workshop, as we were rushing to church

You could try to grind your own flour with the miniature grinder. You get to keep the wheat flour that you ground. It was a long queue, thus we didn't get to try. Could you see the big grinder behind?

Hay playground for jumping

Kids had fun going around in the hay cave

You see some pigs too

3 September 2017 (8Y5M28D): Free one round of horse-ride for the kids

3 September 2017 (1Y3M18D): Free one round of pony-ride for the younger children

Some chickens and hens

Free one-round of horse-carriage ride

Just behind are office building

Behind is the Grantoftegaard farm and the Pederstrup village. It was quite magical. Just outside, it is civilization, and just across this path, you enter all things quaint and picturesque, but yet a living village and a living farm.

We had a great time at the farm. It has a fantastic atmosphere, also thanks to the weather. We will definitely visit it again.

Details:

Grandtoftegaard

Address:

Pederstrupvej 69, 2750 Ballerup

Website: http://grantoftegaard.dk

Free horse-carriage ride at Grantoftegaard Farm on Wednesday and Thursday from 10 am - 12 pm all year round (except public holidays and week 29, 30 and 31) and you don't have to reserve a space.