It’s Easter time which means the city is full of fun activities for kids and their parents. Some of the traditional Danish traditions include making a ‘gækkebrev’ – a decorated letter sent at Easter containing a riddle – that you send to someone you know. If the person you send it to guesses who you are, you have to give them an Easter egg, but if they don’t guess it before Easter ends, they owe you one, so you better make it a difficult riddle. Other traditions revolve around the Easter egg: you can colour eggs, run with them, go on egg hunts and obviously eat ones made of chocolate. Experience the different traditions around the city.
Easter fun with Mikkel and Sofie – Are you an expert at piling up crackers? Then this is the perfect opportunity to break the record for good. Spend Easter Saturday in the great company of the children’s TV hosts Mikkel and Sofie who will help children break all sorts of records for the children’s records book. Other records include the most kids on a bath towel or most hair braids in five minutes.
Waterfront Shopping, Tuborg Havnevej 4–8, Hellerup; Sat 14:00; free adm; www.waterfront-shopping.dk; for everybody
Help the zoo keeper – Help the zoo keeper with tasks including feeding and training the animals. This entails making scent bags for the elephants, coco nuts for the baboons, forage cones for the bears, and much more. The day begins at 10:30 and every half an hour there’s something new on the programme, so you get to spend time with the seals, the camels, the chimps and all the rest.
Zoologisk Have, Roskildevej 32, Frederiksberg; Thu-Mon 10:30-17:00; tickets: under-11s: 80kr, over-11s: 140kr; 7220 0200, zoo@zoo.dk; www.zoo.dk
Easter 200 years ago – Take an Easter history lesson at Frilandsmuseet’s small manor, where the maid and her helpers make traditional Danish Easter dishes like hard-boiled eggs in mustard sauce (skidne æg) and explain why you have to eat certain things on certain days during Easter. You can also try your hand at colouring eggs, cutting ’gækkebreve’, and other traditional Easter games.
Frilandsmuseet, Kongevejen 100, Kongens Lyngby; Thu-Mon 11:00-15:30; free adm; 3313 4411, kommunikation@natmus.dk; www.natmus.dk; ages 2-16
Forbidding fish facts – If you have the guts for a bit of a mystery, the aquarium reveals some of the fishes’ hidden or forgotten secrets during the Easter break. You learn about the sturgeon’s mysterious saga, the secrets of the shark, and the goldfish’s forgotten riddles. The stories are told during the exciting feedings that take place at 11:30, 14:00 and 16:00, but you can also sneak around and find them yourself.
Danmarks Akvarium, Kavalergården 1, Charlottenlund; Thu-Mon 10:00-17:00; under-3s free adm, 3-11s 55kr, over-11s 100kr; 3962 3283, danmark@akvarium.dk; www.akvarium.dk; language Danish; for everybody
Egg hunt at the ICC – Enjoy an afternoon of fun and fellowship when the International Church opens its doors for some Easter fun for the entire family. The day includes different activities like Easter egg hunting in the garden, singing and much more. The only thing you need to bring other than a good mood is a dish, so the kids don’t fill up their stomachs with chocolate alone.
Sct. Andreas Kirke, Gothersgade 148, Cph K; Sat 10:00; contact 3962 4785; www.internationalchurch.dk
Architecture for kids – If you know the story about the three little pigs, you also know that it makes more sense to build a house of bricks than straws and sticks. But good brickwork needs a good bricklayer. At this workshop, you learn how to pile mini bricks while working with different patterns and to build houses, but at a child’s level.
Dansk Arkitektur Center, Strandgade 27B, Cph K; Thu-Mon 11:00-15:00; entrance 50kr; 3257 1930; www.dac.dk; age 6-12
Royal riddles and the first Easter egg – The ’gækkebrev’ and Easter egg are traced all the way back to the 17th century – something you can learn much more about at the castle when there are children’s tours all days at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00 throughout Easter. After the tour you can join the egg hunt around the castle and if you find them all, you’re placed in the draw for a nice prize. At the Easter workshop you can make your own ’gækkebrev’ – inspired by Leonora Christina and Christinas 4 – with your own riddle. Put it in the treasure chest and the funniest or prettiest wins a prize after Easter.
Ruins under castle, Kongeporten, Christiansborg Castle, Cph K; Thu-Mon 10:00-17:00; tickets: children 20kr, adults 40kr; language Danish; 3392 6492, christiansborg@ses.dk; www.ses.dk; ages 0-18
Easter riddles – This is another workshop for the creative children where you can make your own funny ‘gækkebrev’ with a personal riddle and send it to someone you know. At the museum you will find everything you need to make the perfect letter, where you either use the different pre-made patterns or make your own.
Nationalmuseet, Ny Vestergade 10, Cph K; Thu-Mon 12:00-15:00; free adm; Gitte.Engholm@natmus.dk, 3313 4411; www.natmus.dk; ages 3-14
Kids’ theatre – The play is about a little boy called Omar who lives in a country faraway, where music, stories and kite flying are part of his everyday life. But then he and his family moves to an unknown country, where he has to make new friends. The play is inspired by Middle Eastern culture and is a humorous and poetic story about the difficulties moving to a new country.
Folketeatret’s children’s stage, Nørregade 39, Cph K; starts Thu 5 Apr, ends Sun 15 Apr, open Tue-Fri 09:30 & 11:30, Sat-Sun 10:30 & 12:00 (duration 35 mins); tickets: kids 50kr, adults 120kr; 3312 1845, billet@folketeatret.dk; www.folketeatret.dk; ages 3-8
More Easter fun – Do you know how to run with an egg on a spoon? If not, you better start practicing now as the museum opens the doors for egg racing as well as other Easter fun with the family. This is also the chance to learn more about different Easter traditions, and to find out how the egg became a part of it.
Kroppedal Museum, Kroppedals Allé 3, Taastrup; Sun, Tue and Thu (Apr 5) 13:00-15:00; tickets 30kr; www.kroppedal.dk
