English
Sederholm House is the oldest stone building in the Finnish capital. It was built in 1757 in a Rococo style. Today it holds a museum dedicated to the life of Johan Sederholm, a wealthy merchant that lived in the early 18th century.
From the 21st of November of 2012, the oldest house in the city is entirely dedicated to kids thanks to Children´s Town. This museum is divided in independent sections, inviting kids of all ages and their families to discover Helsinki´s past with their own hands, learning about its history and traditions. It´s always a good thing that children learn at a young age that without history, they cannot understand the present.
However, it´s fun for all ages, since the kids can play like kids used to in past times and the parents can remember the times when they were children too.
This place is a review of Helsinki´s 18th century traditions. Children can visit the streets just like they were then, go into the shops and the workshops, see how strong they are by lifting the cargo of a merchant ship, help in a shoemaker´s workshops or even learn how a boutique assistant worked.
| There are also other activities that aren´t strictly from the 18th century. In the upper level, there are lessons that take us back to a 1930 primary school, with the discipline of the mormons of the time. Children there can use the blackboards just like they used to back then.
Also, there´s an old woman´s house from the 70s, in which everyone is invited to reminisce and play with different objects. The visitors can also dial a telephone number in a telephone of back then, because it might be hard to believe but it wasn´t all tactile screens back then. |
Finland is a country with a lot of children´s tradition, and you can clearly see that with the City Museum, which was one of the first ones to introduce proposals for kids back in the 70s.
One of the first museums for children that opened was Tuomarinkylä in 1992, becoming a favourite amongst families and children´s schools despite its remote location. The school museum in Kalevankatu, opened in 2000, is another example.
However, the economic crisis also brought some changes and, in 2010, both of these museums merged into Sederholm House.
And now, with the inauguration of Children´s Town in 2012, more public is expected and the aim is for children to value art and culture in an entertaining and fun way.
It´s open from 1pm to 5pm Tue-Fri and from 11am until 5pm on weekends. It´s free to enter, just like all the activities promoted by the City Museum.
For more information, check out the official website:
http://www.hel.fi/hki/museo/en/Museums+-+Exhibitions/Sederholm+House
Rent accommodation in Helsinki and take your kids to the place of their dreams, where playing and experiencing the childhood of different generations is possible.
