During the Children's Culture Festival, the city becomes more exciting than any other time of year. Children will leave their mark on the city's cultural life April 8-13.
Diverse events and exhibitions
Children can attend diverse events and exhibitions and express themselves about world issues straight from the heart.
You can find all festival events at barnamenningarhatid.is.
It's time for all of us to enjoy and experience everything, and no one has to pay a single króna because it's all free!
Hlaupasting – the Children's Culture Festival song
This year's festival song, Hlaupasting, is performed by Inspector Spacetime, who composed the music, while the lyrics come from a collaboration between the band and fourth-grade students throughout the city. Students were asked to answer questions about what the phrase "out to play" means to them.
The Inspector Spacetime band members—Egill Gauti Sigurjónsson, Elías Geir Óskarsson and Vaka Agnarsdóttir—wove the children's text into lyrics for the song. They say working with the children was incredibly fun and rewarding.
Inspector Spacetime will perform the song at the Children's Culture Festival opening event for a packed audience of children in Harpa's Eldborg hall on April 8.
Out to Play
The art exhibit Out to Play will be featured in the display greenhouse at Reykjavík Botanic Garden April 9-13. The artworks are by children from the preschools Austurborg, Bríetartún and Hallgerðargata, Hof, Vinagerði, Laugasól, Múlaborg, Jörfi and Kvistaborg. The artworks are diverse but share the common theme that the children drew inspiration from their local environment and outdoor activities.
The pictures come to life
At Árbær City Library, children (and anyone young at heart) have a unique chance to meet Tufti, a three-meter-tall friendly troll who delights everyone with his presence and lively interactions. It's a wonderful chance for children to meet a real troll face to face and watch fairy tale magic come to life. At the same time, beloved illustrator Brian Pilkington will draw various trolls and mythical creatures by request, capturing the magic from guests' imaginations on paper and showing the process of drawing fantastical beings. This event isn't just entertaining – it's educational too! Through lively interactions between Tufti and Brian with the children, kids learn about storytelling, illustration and the magic of literature, which encourages a love of reading and sparks imagination. This gives guests a wonderful opportunity to experience art and see the creative process from beginning to end. Everyone is welcome.
Pool disco
For the Children's Culture Festival, Dalslaug and Úlfarsárdalur City Library are teaming up to offer an entertaining program. The fun starts with a family disco where everyone can dance and have a great time. Next comes a pool disco in the indoor pool, and afterward it's perfect to slip into pajamas and head to story time at the library. Free swimming for children 15 and under.
Hello little seed!
The Botanic Garden invites families to a plant workshop during the Children's Culture Festival! Children and their families are invited to visit the Botanic Garden's display greenhouse and learn to plant summer flowers and herbs. Children (and adults too) will learn how to transplant or prick out seedlings. Participants will be able to take their plants home at the end of the event. Admission is complimentary and open to all!
Build birdhouses – Workshop for clever kids
Hugmyndasmiðir, Elliðaárstöð and the Children's Culture Festival invite clever kids to a free makerspace where participants design and build birdhouses. Ninna the idea maker welcomes creative kids and their adult companions at the Hugmyndasmiðir Makerspace in the power station at Elliðaárstöð. Participants get the chance to spark their creativity and strengthen family collaboration. They'll work with reclaimed materials to create something completely new and exciting through building, games, tinkering, experiments and testing.
The Grumps (Fýlupúkarnir)
The Grumps is an interactive show at Dansverkstæðið, Hjarðarhagi 47, designed for children ages 9 months to 3 years and their guardians. The show is an experience based on sensory play through a short story about two grumps who live on Trash Island. Everything on the island is trash, but hidden in the trash are all sorts of fun surprises! Family entertainment at its finest!
Who wants to be a princess?
A new musical by Raddbandið and Sara Martí will be performed at Tjarnarbíó. The show captures the spirit of Disney fairy tales that everyone knows and loves. The show is bursting with colorful and enchanting music by Stefán Örn Gunnlaugsson and Rakel Björk Björnsdóttir.
Three princesses meet by chance and all realize they're dealing with the same problem. They're waiting for their prince. They can't possibly live happily ever after unless he comes.....or can they? Unexpected events launch them on a journey that changes their lives forever as the princesses discover that all paths are open to them.
What is the value of my feelings? Exhibition by 8th grade students from Hagaskóli
Artworks by 8th grade students from Hagaskóli will be displayed at The National Museum. Teen mental health has been widely discussed, and this project gives them their own voice in that conversation. The work was based on pieces by artist Sara Vilberg, who has closely examined people, their interactions and facial expressions, and embroidered them onto canvas. An informal and unscientific survey was conducted, and students were asked to name the three types of emotions they experience most often. Based on the results, students worked with the following emotions in the project: joy, anxiety, irritation, anger, stress, excitement, fatigue and sorrow. After the introduction to the artist and her work, students drew lots for emotions they would display on canvas.
Out to play on the shore - beach trip to Grótta
The Icelandic Museum of Natural History and the Environment Agency of Iceland offer a beach trip to Grótta. There the magic of the shore and the main creatures that live there will be introduced.
A perfect opportunity for families to have fun and connect with nature in an unusual and entertaining way. We encourage participants to bring containers to help with searching and to dress for playing on the beach.
Kids teach kids
The Reykjavík City Theater Drama School offers a fun drama workshop in collaboration with the Children's Culture Festival in Reykjavík. This is a 90-minute drama course for children ages 8-11 under the guidance of graduates from the Reykjavík City Theater Drama School and members of the Reykjavík City Theater youth council. The course will emphasize playful joy where the kids lead creative drama exercises that work well for beginners in drama. Admission is free but due to capacity limits for the workshop, registration is required.
Adventure Palace
The Reykjavík Family Park & Zoo invites you home for the weekend of April 12-13 with a spectacular Adventure Palace program. There will be a diverse entertainment program, and there's something for everyone to enjoy. Family yoga, hill singing, scavenger hunts and outdoor games, circus, music and dance. Free admission!
Enjoy the festival!