The adventures of Sweden’s favorite storybook hero, Pippi Longstocking, come alive at the Museum. Enjoy tales from this beloved children’s series while traveling through the Museum galleries as a “thing-finder”, playing Pippi's favorite games like Don't Touch the Floor, and creating a Pippi craft to take home.
Participate in a Swedish holiday tradition – the Lucia festival. Lucia, the saint of light, has long been honored on December 13th, the longest night of the year. Children will learn the legend of Lucia, explore Swedish Christmas traditions, and experience the magic of a traditional Lucia procession. Don’t forget your camera!
Celebrate holidays the Swedish way! Even though we may celebrate some of the same holidays in the United States, Swedes have many unique traditions. From Midsommarfest, to Easter, to the Lucia festival before Christmas, children will participate in and discover how Swedish holidays differ from our own.
Did you know that the Swedes were the first Europeans to settle the Delaware Valley? This program focuses on the founding and legacy of the New Sweden Colony, established in 1638 along the Delaware River. Using Museum collections and hands-on artifacts, children will explore how and why the settlement began, learn more about Swedish relations with local Native Americans, and experience elements of colonial daily life, like making real butter!
Like the more familiar Dala horses (dalahästar), Dala pigs (dalagrisar) have been hand-carved and painted in the Dalarna region of Sweden for generations. During this hands-on workshop, participants will paint their own Dala pig while learning the traditional art of Dala painting.
For this month's Third Thursday Virtual Program will provide a primer on Swedish-American actress Greta Garbo and the development of her star persona. With particular focus on the early years of career, we'll explore her origins in the Swedish silent film scene, her trek to Hollywood during an interwar boom of US-bound immigration, and the works that established her as an enigmatic icon of big-screen tragic romance.
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From the Empire State Building to Mount Rushmore to the Golden Gate Bridge, iconic landmarks across the United States were built in part by Nordic immigrants. Bring the whole family to spend the afternoon completing building challenges and creating your own impressive structures with LEGOs (a Danish invention!) and other materials.
Join us this month and see the Museum decked out in its holiday splendor! Toddlers and families will get into the spirit by learning about fun Swedish holiday traditions such as St. Lucia Day, Pepparkakor, and Jultomte. We will read Lucia Morning in Sweden by Ewa Rydåker and experience this special Swedish tradition!
Celebrate fall at Toddler Time! Kids will learn about the changing seasons and different foods we eat at this time of year. Make a pretend meal and take home a fall leaf craft!