As the Danish saying goes: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” Whereas a few years ago a glance out of the window at a cold, wet, winter’s day would have had me running for the jigsaw puzzles and Disney DVDs, now it has me reaching for the ‘flyverdragt’ and bike helmets.
The key to staving off the winter blues is to keep the body and mind active and get outside as much as possible. LetÂ’s face it, with kids in the house, staying home with your feet up isnÂ’t really an option.
With the start of the school holidays coming up, itÂ’s a great time to get out and explore the creative side of Copenhagen. With all the Christmas lights, markets, ice skating and theatre going on, there are plenty of activities to keep all those little senses stimulated. (You can find theatre listings for children on bornibyen.dk.)
There are some days, however, when the weather gets the better of everyone, and these are perfect opportunities to get creative at home. There has been an explosion in blogs and websites giving parents creative inspiration over the past few years – playathomemom3.blogspot.com is particularly good for pre school children. Pinterest.com is a great resource of ideas for projects for all ages. You can also get inspiration during December for activities for the kids in Copenhagen on newcitymums.blogspot.com.
HereÂ’s a selection of some of the fun imaginative activities you can participate in over the coming month.
STREETHEART Advent Calendar: Gadehjertejulekalender
www.streetheart.dk
Now in its third year, this is an advent calendar with a difference. Organised by STREETHEART, it includes the work of 24 different street artists, and the ‘doors’ are hidden all around Copenhagen. Go to streetheart.dk each day for a new clue to the location of the next piece of art, then grab your camera and get hunting. It’s great for getting some fresh air and a great way to explore the city.
The New Tower Playground: TÃ¥rnlegepladsen
Fælledparken, Frederiks den V’s vej 4, 2100 Cph Ø; visitcopenhagen.com, search for ‘Playground with towers’
This newly-opened and very original playground incorporates five of Copenhagen’s iconic towers in miniature: Vor Frelsers Kirke, Rådhustårnet, Rundetaarn, Marmorkirken and Børstårnet. You can play interactive electronic tag, solve puzzles, and speak like a politician through pipes in the town hall tower. Swings, slides, sand and large open areas makes this an excellent space for children of all ages to stretch their imaginations and burn off excess energy.
Make sushi at home with the family
www.sushibutik.dk
This recently-opened online store was created by two families who love to make sushi at home, but found it difficult to find all the equipment they needed in Denmark. Sushi Butik sells everything you need, from starter kits to rice cookers. They also have recipes so you can see what it should have looked like!
Christmas workshops
Gl Strandvej 13, 3050 Humlebaek; open 17-30 Dec; www.louisiana.dk
The Louisiana childrenÂ’s wing is a wonderful space where children can be creative, express themselves and make as much mess as they like – which is handy as this December they can make gingerbread. They can also make Christmas ornaments and masks, create clay figures, or take a guided tour of the exhibits.
Ceramics painting at Creative Space
Gammel Kongevej 154, 1850 Frederiksberg; open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00; www.creative-space.dk
With over 120 different types of ceramic to choose from there really is something for everyone at Creative space. The concept is simple, you choose what you would like to paint, sit down with a drink if you want and then paint your masterpiece. You can then pick up your work a few days later when itÂ’s been fired. A great activity for older kids and an excellent way of producing Christmas gifts from the kids for relatives.
Kids workshops
Statens Museum for Kunst, Sølvgade 48-50, 1307 Cph K; open Sun, 17 & 18 Dec; www.smk.dk
During December, the museum of art has childrenÂ’s workshops exploring the theme of transformation machinery. In the workshop, kids can create sculptural transformation machines, grinding machines, and cutting and pasting transformation machinery. Find out what a transformation machine is in the ChildrenÂ’s Workshop.
This section was contributed by Sarah Andersen, an English mother of two who has lived in Copenhagen for three years. As well as running the Copenhagen International Parents Meetup group, Sarah also runs www.newcitymums.com, an online resource for mums, or expectant mums, who are relocating to or living in Copenhagen.
