{Denmark} The National Museum of Denmark with Kids

Happy Museum Monday! This week’s tip takes us Copenhagen, to the Nationalmuseet – or the National Museum of Denmark. We have visited this museum twice, once when Oskar was 3, and once with both boys when they were 2 and 6, and we loved it both times. I’ve briefly mentioned the museum before, in my ’48 hrs in Copenhagen’ post, but thought I’d tell you a bit more about it.

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen National Museum Denmark

The Nationalmuseet includes a dedicated Children’s Museum, and we knew once the kids saw that we wouldn’t be able to get them to go anywhere else, so we had a little wander around the rest of the museum first. The main collections cover Denmark’s history from prehistoric times, through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, to modern times. There’s also a section with Near Eastern and Classical Antiquities, a Coins & Medals collection, and the museum’s Ethnographic Collections.

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen National Museum Denmark

Oskar really wanted to see the ‘Viking stuff’, and we also enjoyed looking at the toy displays on the top floor. It offers several rooms of historical toys for children to marvel over, including a whole ‘street’ of doll’s houses. Comparing the toys on display with those they have at home made a good talking point.

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen National Museum Denmark

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen National Museum Denmark

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen National Museum Denmark

However, the highlight at the Nationalmuseet for our kids was, without doubt, the Children’s Museum on the ground floor. It describes itself a “an indoor playground where kids of all ages have fun discovering the past”. I don’t know if it’s changed much in the last three years, but when we last visited there were four main themes or areas to be discovered. The first was set in the early 20th century, where you could play traditional games such as hopscotch, climb aboard a sailing ship or try your hand at writing on a slate in a 1930s classroom.

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen Denmark Childrens Museum

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen Denmark Childrens Museum

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen Denmark Childrens Museum

Next, there was a section on contemporary life, which addressed the many Danish children who have grandparents living abroad in other countries. Here you could step behind the counter of a grocery store in Pakistan, entertain guests in the kitchen, or climb a ramp to try out the bed on the rooftop.

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen Denmark Childrens Museum

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen Denmark Childrens Museum

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen Denmark Childrens Museum

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen Denmark Childrens Museum

After this, we took a bug jump back in history, to the Viking age, where the change to climb aboard a boat proved very popular. You could also ‘cook’ up a Viking meal or challenge each other to a wooden sword fight.

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen Denmark Childrens Museum

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen Denmark Childrens Museum

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen Denmark Childrens Museum

And finally, in the Medieval section, you could ‘ride’ a horse, get busy in a 14th century kitchen, or try your hand at working the pulley to construct a stone wall, among other things.

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen Denmark Childrens Museum

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen Denmark Childrens Museum

Throughout the Children’s Museum there were also opportunities to dress up from the different periods, and as well as the many things to touch and play with there were also some original artefacts on display relating to the activities.

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen Denmark Childrens Museum

Nationalmuseet Copenhagen Denmark Childrens Museum

We absolutely loved everything at the Nationalmuseet, and our only wish was that we could have had ten times the amount of time to explore it. It’s definitely not one you should miss.

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Opening Times: The Nationalmuseet is open daily from April to October, and from Tuesdays to Sundays the rest of the year. You can find up-to-date opening times on the museum website.

Admission: Full price adult day tickets are DKK 100 (just over £11). Discounts are available for families and groups. Free admission for under 18s. Up-to-date admission prices are also listed on the museum website, alongside other practical info.

Pushchair Policy: Note that you are not allowed to take your own pushchairs in to the museum, but you can park it in the cloakroom area and borrow one of the museum pushchairs instead.

WiFi: Free WiFi

Food: There is a lunch area where you can eat your own food, if you choose to bring some, or there is also a very nice museum cafe with highchairs and a children’s menu.

Comments: 9

  • reply
    17 February 2020

    It’s good that you can borrow another pushchair. I guess it’s to stop muck being moved around.

  • reply
    17 February 2020

    What a fabulous museum! I love how much better at engaging children many of them are now, with more interactive exhibits, and this one looks amazing. And never mind the kids, I want a go in that Viking boat myself…

  • reply

    MELANIE EDJOURIAN

    17 February 2020

    It sounds like it was a nice place to visit for the family. The kids must have loved being able to touch, get into and sit on things – not always something you can do in many museums.

  • reply
    17 February 2020

    Copenhagen is on my list of places I’d really love to visit. This museum looks awesome especially all the hands on activities. I bet the sword fighting is very popular.

  • reply
    17 February 2020

    Wow the children’s floor looks amazing. I’m sure they had a lot of fun x

  • reply
    18 February 2020

    Oh borrowing another pushchair is a good idea! Keeps the place clean doesn’t it! Caitylis x

  • reply
    18 February 2020

    I loved this museum during my last visit and would highly recommend it, medieval was a hit with little man

  • reply
    19 February 2020

    Ah my girls would have loved the children’s museum. We have been to one local to us and it was great! Love the horse photo! Sounds like a great place to visit for all the family x

  • reply
    19 February 2020

    We love Copenhagen, also love that lots of things are free for kids there to. This museum is great, lots to do for the kids

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