Grilling

You know summer has started when you begin smelling sausage in the air. Major retailers launch the same campaign around grilling season every year: it’s time to brush off the tools and throw some meat or fish on the grill. When I lived in Italy, my family was always lazy to fire up the grill. We procrastinated all summer, because sunny days were the norm there. By living in Finland I have learned to live and appreciate grilling season to the fullest: I love to lay the table on our terrace and eat freshly grilled cheese, sausages, even fish. If you love nature, you can try grilling on the open fire. Many trails have designated pits for campfires (do not start fires in undesignated areas!). If you want to grill like a pro, fish your lunch yourself from a lake!

Swimming in a lake

Finland is know as “the land of a thousand lakes”. You learn that is an understatement when you find out that there are over 187 000 lakes in the country, amounting to one lake every 26 Finns. Dipping into quiet freshwaters is definitely a summer must-do for us living in Finland. The earliest you dive in, the better: whoever dips last to wait for warmer waters, is a chicken in Finland!

Playing Mölkky

Mölkky is a beloved outdoors game that Finnish families love to play. It suits pretty much all ages and it is easy and fun to play. In the game you are asked to throw a wooden pin and hit the numbered wooden skittles. A good aim wins over quantity in this game. Mölkky has gained worldwide popularity – apparently it’s huge in France! – to the point that tournaments are played and associations founded all over the world.
We certainly love a good game of Mölkky and even though we were not familiar with the game when we move to Finland, we have adopted it as one of our beloved family summer games.

Going on hikes

About 75% of Finnish land is covered in trees. Going on hikes in forests or national parks is part of the Finnish summer experience. If you live in Finland, check out the amazing national parks the country features. You can check out some of the hikes we went on near Espoo (Oittaa, Hannusmetsä, Klassarinkierros), in Repovesi or Valkmusa. If you live elsewhere I cannot advise you directly, except for recommending to enjoy nature when it blooms at its best.

Enjoying sauna

Last but not least, the national pride and most beloved tradition of Finland: sauna. Wait: Finnish sauna. It’s an important distinction to make given how picky and proud my fellow Finns are about it. At the bare minimum, you have to enjoy sauna in your birthday suit and keep the temperature between 80C and 110C. During summertime Finns love to heat up in a (wooden) sauna and then dip into the chilling lake waters.

Don’t these sound as wonderful summer activities? Simplest things are the salt of life. Enjoy summer!

This post is a collaboration with Tactic Games, producer of the game Mölkky. Opinions are mine and sincere. Read more about my work values here.
Featured image by congerdesign from Pixabay.

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What is the menstrual cup?

The menstrual cup is a cup made of silicone or latex rubber that is inserted in the vaginal canal to catch and collect period blood. Its insertion is similar to the vaginal ring, if you have ever used it: you fold the cup, insert in a comfortable position, and release. To remove it, pinch its extension and delicately pull. The cup comes in two sizes available (pre- and post vaginal birth). If you have special conditions and want to know more, check out this FAQ section.

An affordable and sustainable option

You can estimate how much money and waste a menstrual cup will save by using this online calculator. A cup There’s no doubt that it’s convenient both in terms of money and eco-friendliness. The cup annihilates the waste you’d produce with pads or tampons. A cup costs around 15-20 euros and lasts for years – accounts here vary. Some guidelines says to replace every year, but that’s definitely too short. I have been using mine for 4 and counting!

Does it work?

Being it, well, a plug, it ends up working better than tampons and pads. I find it convenient especially at night, even during the days when the flood is intense. After years of leaking on the bedsheets almost every month, it was refreshing not to! Sometime, however, my cup does leak. It may be because it’s not well inserted or because it’s full, but few drops – no more than that – have skipped out. This is why I feel most comfortable to combine with the usage of washable pads. When I combine the two, I never have accidents.

Is it convenient?

Definitely. For example, using the cup allows me to go swim utterly worry-free. Whenever I pack for a trip, I don’t have to use any luggage space for tampons or pads. I have stopped worrying about having tampons in the house, I’m always equipped.
The cup can last up to 12 hours, so you do not have to regularly find a place to change it when you are out of the house. Personally, I need to lie down to change it. This is another reason why I chose to have the washable pads as a further insurance. On a long work day, I remove it and finish the day with the washable pad. However, in theory you should be able to change it my standing, whatever feels comfortable for you.

Is it comfortable to use?

Putting the cup in or pulling it out does not bother me. For a long time, I did not feel it at all. In recent years I occasionally feel some light discomfort – the kind you feel only when you start thinking about it, you know. On such days, I use the cup only during nighttime and the washable pads during the day.
Tampons felt uncomfortable and occasionally pads would give me a rash. Nothing of the sort ever happened with the cup!

Where can you find it

There are several producers selling menstrual cups. Two renowned and respectable brands are Mooncup and Lunette (the latter based in Finland, btw). Nowadays, you can find menstrual cups from plenty of retailers, like eco-friendly stores (ex. Ruohonjuuri), pharmacies, sometime hypermarkets. You can buy one also online (ex. Myllymuksut, Amazon).

The menstrual cup is a fantastic everyday asset for women. We do not need pads or tampons anymore! Did you know about the cup? If not, will you give it a try? If you have questions or remarks, let me know in the comments section below.

The post Leave Tampons Behind – My Experience With The Menstrual Cup appeared first on The Elephant Mum.

An inspiring read: Becoming

Are you looking for the next book to read? Look no more. I was completely blown away by the celebrate Michelle Obama’s memoir Becoming. Michelle shares about her family, her intense life before meeting Barack, and their long journey before they even entered the White House. Living under the spotlight for 8 years wasn’t easy. Her memoir is raw, honest, and even though she went through an incomparable experience, most women will relate. Because underneath it all, there’s a woman who fought all her life to be true to herself, find a balance among career, self-realisation, motherhood, and supporting her husband in a demanding career. You’ll love it. I recommend to buy the audiobook on Audible, narrated by Michelle herself. It’s so powerful to hear her story through her spoken words.

Learning new recipes with Yummly

I have recently discovered this fantastic recipe app and it has changed my life. This may sound dramatic, but hear me out. I am used to make a weekly menu every weekend. We are quite picky and don’t want to eat the same dishes over and over. I also appreciate learning new things and trying new flavours. On top of that, I have recently cut my meat intake and this has forced me to expand my vegetarian recipe collection. I have struggled with finding reliable recipe websites. Yummly is super convenient: you can filter recipes with many criteria – special diets, allergies, cooking time, ingredients to avoid, variety of ingredients, and so on. It’s very easy to save recipes to personal collections and dishes are realistic and tested (and reviewed by users!). I have found great new ideas we have tried, tested, and loved! Give it a try, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

A YouTube channel you need to subscribe to

Chris Ulmer was a special need teacher who, quite by chance, became a paladin for diversity and acceptance. His YouTube channel, Special Books by Special Kids (SBSK) now counts 1.5M subscribers. Chris tours the world to interview people of all ages who are living with different kinds of conditions. He gives them a platform to share how they live, love, and more. The channel also became a community, full of engaged supporters who connect with the interviewees to express solidarity and also politely ask questions about the different lifestyles and challenges. I have learned so much from Chris’ videos and I am sure you’ll love them as well.

A sweet animation series on Prime

This original Prime Video series for children is just so cute! Both my kids love it. Personally, I especially appreciate it comes dubbed in a bazillion languages, so it’s multicultural-family-friendly. It’s a story of friendship, positivity, and facing obstacles with imaginative solutions. In some ways, it reminds me of Curious George. I’m always on the lookout for stimulating content when it comes to screen time, and this is a good catch!

An introduction to minimalism

Don’t worry, I’m not here to convert you to minimalism. It’s not for everyone (definitely not for me). However, few months ago my family underwent an interesting change after watching this documentary on Netflix. I had been attracted to the idea of cutting on the amount of stuff we owned for a long time, but struggled to make consistent change. Watching that film together with my husband triggered a real conversation and we took it on to make some adjustments. In few weeks, we cleared the house of several boxes of pure junk. We made space where we didn’t think it was possible. If you are fascinated by doing something like that, the documentary Minimalism can be an easy start to learn more about how you can set your mind to act on it.

I hope you will enjoy these little pearls I have collected for you. If you find any of these useful or enjoyable, don’t forget to let me know. I love to hear your feedback. Have a great and sunny July!

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Last year R had had so much fun that she talked about it for months (not an overstatement!). She kept her medal near her bed and showed it off to friends and her grandparents with pride. She even stored her T-shirt, convinced she would need it the following year as well. Given her enthusiasm, her little brother E was more than excited to take part this year. After a full week of “is it tomorrow?”s, finally the day came and we left in the early morning to reach the Eläintarha sports field in the heart of Helsinki. We picked up the new green T-shirts and a huge bag of goodies offered by the sponsors. This year the age group order had been reverted and small children were expected to run first. During the wait the children were invited to warm up with some music, guided by a trainer and a sponsor’s mascot. Usually E does not engage in these activities, but this time he mimicked everything his sister did and jumped like a crazy rabbit.

We still had some minutes before the run started, so we turned to the several free activities offered by sponsors. E loves mascots and hunted them all to steal hugs (how cute!).

The field was filled with games and exercise tracks. We made time to enjoy them all before and after the run. E loved jumping on the trampoline and on and off obstacles. R tested her skipping rope skills. There were several participants, but the size of the area didn’t allow the place to become crowded. This meant we barely queued, which was nice.

The Valio stand even had free-of-charge face painting. E chose to have a crown painted on his forehead (modest), while R went for a classic set of hearts on her cheek.

Finally the announcer’s voice called their group. It was time to start! We gathered near the starting line and warmed up at little more. Like last year, I noticed how all announcements were communicated both in Finnish and English language. Many of the families taking part were international. As expat parents, it felt relaxing to be able to follow everything without language barriers.
E was excited but clearly nervous. Dad took a minute to hug him tight and speak encouraging words into his ears.

It was almost time to go. While we all counted backwards to 1 loudly, the kids set in the starting position…

… and RAN!

To my surprise, E ran faster than his sister in several parts of the track. Luckily her pride wasn’t bruised. I guess the siblings’ rivalry motivated them both because after a little while we lost daddy. It was tough for me to stay close and take pics in the process. It was so emotional to see them cut the final line in the end!

I hugged them both, I was so proud of their determination. They ran confidently, without checking if I or their father were following or not, and following the track signs without hesitation. They really deserved the medals!

After the run we all enjoyed the snacks offered by the organisers, which included yogurt, fruit bars, and raisins.

Before heading to lunch, we went back to the activity field and played some more. Surprisingly, kids had still some steam to let off.

What a wonderful experience! We loved it and cannot wait to do it again next year. And you should too: make sure to follow the Helsinki Minimarathon on Instagram and Facebook. In 2020 the children’s running event will take place on May 16th. We’ll see you there!

We were granted tickets to the event. Opinions are mine and sincere. Read more about my work values here.

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Useless to say, I had to break the news we were going to my kids only few hours before. Defining them excited is an understatement. They had the time of their life, eating ice cream with little limitations (“Can we really have more??” – I quote). We visited on Saturday 27th, after lunch. Tickets worked in turns of two hours. We entered when one was ending and were lucky to meet little crowd. We could freely tour several stands. Unfortunately I have to say that about a hour later the situation changed and we found it hard to move around with two small kids. I feel this is something families should be mindful of.

We explored especially the ice cream section, being us an Italian family and therefore an absolute authority on the topic of gelato. We had a chance to taste many and our top threes were:
3. Roberts’ Coffee Gelato Factory
2. Kolme kaveria
1. La Gelateria – our winner!
I was especially impressed by La Gelateria’s pistachio flavour, a vegan version made with water. I was skeptic, but I found it as creamy and tasty as gelato should be.

During our visit the main stage was hosting a fierce competition to win “Ice Cream of the Year 2019”. According to the general results, vegan pistachio is a strong trend this year. Bus Gelato‘s version won the coveted title.

Few stands had mascots greeting small visitors or brief activities for children, like a raffle where we won candies.

To break the sugar rush, the organisers had the smart idea of placing a kids’ corner on the second floor. We visited it to unwind from the noise and allow the children to jump some energy off on the bouncy castle. Beside that, the space had chairs and boardgames. I was really glad to have this quiet corner where to rest before hitting the stands again.

Another nice touch were the water fountains, easy to access and absolutely needed! I was expecting somebody would cash out on selling water bottles, but I was pleasantly surprised by this free service offered to visitors.

What’s my final verdict on the event? It was fun, but more suitable to adults or families with older children. The crowd in the final part of our visit made it really hard to move around, let alone reach the stands. Then there’s the fact that small kids are way more sensitive to sugar, so the visit can easily be cut short by how they react to the tastings. I found the event interesting and entertaining for adults, and I would definitely recommend it more for a romantic or friends’ date than a family outing. If you decide to attend, make sure to check the programme beforehand and make sure to get the most from your visit.

It was an interesting experience and the whole family enjoyed it. It was nice to make a big exception on our diet and get our bellies full with delicious ice cream. Would definitely visit again next year, just me and my hubby this time!

We were invited to the fair by its organisers. Opinions are mine and sincere. Read more about my working values here.

The post Kicking Off Summer At The Carnival of Ice Cream and Chocolate 2019 appeared first on The Elephant Mum.

We had a chance to see the new show in Espoo and it was the very first time at a circus for both our kids. They were so excited! Like true enthusiastic first-time parents, we did a lot of things with R back in the day, so it’s quite rare that she and her brother are able to share firsts. I pointed out how awesome it was that they had this opportunity with a circus show.

The show took place on a small colourful tent. Starting at 6pm, it lasted about an hour and a half and consisted of several acts. It included acrobatic exercises, a funny clown’s performances, and short scenes with small animals: a cat, a bunny, several small dogs. All of it except the presenter’s introductions was language-free, which made it accessible for our multicultural family.

The clown made several appearances appreciated by all children. He started by handing out candies and had the young crowd into his pocket right away! He showed several magic tricks which left my kids wondering and trying to find explanations for the rest of the evening. We witnessed a couple of talented acrobats showing their abilities. One presented several balance tricks, like balancing a pile of glasses on a sword, as well as juggling. Another acrobat climbed on ropes and a square-like structure, rotating and backflipping suspended in the air while we were gasping underneath. The dogs had different roles in several parts, some funny and some breathtaking. It was impressive to see what they could do! In my favourite performance they pretended to do math by barking the result of simple additions.

During the short break, kids could ride the pony or have a balloon shaped for a small fee – bring small cash if you plan to attend. Parents were served free coffe and had a chance to buy snacks and juice for the small guests.

We had a very nice family time at Sirkus Caliba! It’s perfect entertainment for small children and a nice diversion for the whole family. Get in touch with Sirkus Caliba to find out if the circus planning a stop near your location, and don’t forget to follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

We were granted tickets to Sirkus Caliba to review the show. Opinions are mine and sincere. Read more about my work values here.

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One new opportunity for natural prevention and treatment opened few months ago in Espoo. Csilla, an expat mom from Hungary, started the first children-friendly salt room in Finland, as well as a shop of natural quality products for children’s care.

Saltyfun’s online shop

Saltyfun acts as distributor of quality products for children’s skincare and well-being. We were given some HerbArting creams and soaps to test, and we did for about a month. The products are natural and scent-free. They have a delicate smell. My youngest (3 years old) has coloured and extremely delicate skin. Every winter, we are forced to be very consistent with his skincare regime (high-maintenance Indian prince). Missing on one day results in immediate dryness, especially on his face. I have learned that not all creams are adequate in protecting and nourishing his skin. HerbArting products worked great! My favourite was the weather protection cream, which I applied every morning before daycare. Despite him playing outside only hours later, the cream protected his skin all day. I didn’t even have to re-apply it when I picked him up. At bedtime, I nourished his skin with the face cream, which has a thick consistency (reminds me of a nappy change cream and leaves some white trace). Thanks to those, his face skin never looked dry!

The shower cream felt really gentle. Its consistency feels like a cream, not a soap. It doesn’t foam and doesn’t leave the child’s skin dry afterwards. The body lotion has a more liquid consistency and is quickly absorbed. While my son prefers oil as it’s warmer on contact, my daughter enjoyed using the lotion for her hands. This past winter, her hands’ skin got quite dry despite thick winter gloves and this cream seemed to help. She would apply it every night and by morning any redness was gone. I was very happy with these skincare products, they get a loud YAY from me.

About salt therapy

I have to admit, when Csilla contacted me it was the first time I ever heard of a salt room. Halotherapy (“salt therapy”) is a form of alternative medicine that dates as back as the 12th century. There are several types of salt-based treatments and Saltyfun uses salt air inhalation. There’s a large anecdotal evidence that salty air can help prevent or reduce symptoms in breathe-related sickness – common cold or cough, sinuses, … – but also and help with skin issues like eczema or psoriasis. Despite how long back this well-being practice dates, there is still a lack of global consensus in the scientific community about its efficacy. Only a handful of good quality studies were carried out and a list of research publications on the practice can be found here. Salt has known anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and liquid-absorbing properties. Some doctors have speculated that getting salt into the airways may thin mucus and facilitate breathing. Salt inhalation is recommended for children older than 6 months and discouraged if one has certain medical conditions, which you can check here. Saltyfun uses a CE-certificated device to spray salt into the air. Until science catches up, we are left with trying and seeing for ourselves.

Our visit to Saltyfun

Csilla explained that salt rooms for children are very popular in Hungary, so much that some daycares have one. While some salt rooms for adults are available in Finland already (for example here or here), Csilla opened the very first for children. An excellent example of an expat importing good ideas to Finland!

Saltyfun is a small and colourful facility located near Iso Omena, Espoo. The place is studied to accommodate every family’s need. Toys are to be found already in the waiting room, where visitors can hang their clothes, leave their shoes, and store their valuables in lockers. The salt room welcomes up to 5 people at a time. There’s a huge sandbox full of pink salt and a huge collection of toys and activities. We stayed for 45 minutes and I had to drag my kids out at the end!

Salt was regularly sprayed in the air, creating a thin fog visible only in some corners. I slightly felt the breathing air was different, but it didn’t affect me. The kids were distracted by playing with toys and barely seemed to notice. They climbed on the slide, played with the pink salt like it was sand, and had fun with the toy kitchen. I was impressed with the toys, that were of excellent quality. My husband and I played table football, purely for testing purposes. Children’s songs were played in the sound system and Csilla made sure they were Italian songs, what a nice touch! My oldest also sat at the small table and got lost into drawing for a while.

While I cannot comment on the efficacy – we only went to one session and benefit shows with regular attendance – I can share the place is fantastic for small children. I can see how mom friends could book sessions together, split the costs and make it a nice playdate.

Wanna try?

If I got you curious, Saltyfun has a great promotion that grants one free session per child. You can book your visit in the webstore. If you have questions, for example how many sessions you should plan or how regular you should attend, Saltyfun has a great FAQ section. You can find Saltyfun also on Instagram and Facebook.

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Not long ago I spotted a new brand on the market: Nom Nom by Lejos. Their snacks are healthy and mostly fruit-made. They have no added sugar and no weird stuff. They accomodate allergies and have gluten-free, milk-free, as well as vegan options. But most of all – not for granted when you go on the healthy side – they taste darn good! If you wanna know where in scale of good, my husband and I have stolen some fruit-oats bars from the kids’ stack more than once (don’t judge!). Here’s a closer look to the products we tried.

Snack bars

The fruit-oats bars were definitely our favourites. They became one of my personal snacks, I tell ya. They are vegan, tasty and slightly sweet. Ingredients include around 40% of oats, fruit and vegetables (powder or juice), sunflower oil, and spices. The sweet flavour is provided by inulin, a healthy alternative to sugar:

[Inulin] can be used to replace sugar, fat, and flour. This is advantageous because inulin contains 25-35% of the food energy of carbohydrates (starch, sugar). In addition to being a versatile ingredient, inulin provides nutritional advantages by increasing calcium absorption and possibly magnesium absorption,^[ while promoting the growth of intestinal bacteria.

Source: Wikipedia.

Another snack we tried was the raspberry-goji bar and that’s another loud YES. The bar is completely fruit made, except for a tiny part of sunflower oil. Kids loved it! The fact that I couldn’t find any in our kitchen and had to look up the ingredients list online is the ultimate proof.

Fruit mash

This snack proved most suitable for my son (3 years old) and my daughter (5) didn’t appreciate it much. My son really liked it and asked for more. Again, the ingredient list gets a stamp of approval: 100% fruit and antioxidant, absolutely no added sugars. The packaging is smart: it comes with two portions and plastic spoons included. They can be stored at room temperature and they make a perfect portable snack. Recommended for kids under 4.

Fruit bites (the perfect fake candies)

I know I will come out as evil, but these fruit bites became one of my secret weapons as a parent. We have a strict sugar policy, but that doesn’t prevent our kids from asking candies at every opportunity (you’ve gotta admire their perseverance).

These organic fruit bites are the perfect way to pretend you are caving in once in a while. They are gluten-free and 95% fruit. They are yummy, but I ate two a moment ago simply for sake of a transparent and honest review.

Sodas

We also were given sodas to try. I don’t give any soda to my kids out of our parental policy, but I was happy to personally try them. Given they don’t contain any added sugar, they are a safe alternative if your kids crave bubbles. They are just vaguely sweet (that’s how I like my soda) and make a perfect self-indulgent alternative to water. I also appreciate they are smaller than normal cans (only 250 ml), as I never can finish a soda by myself. Nom nom sodas get my stamp of approval as well!

The final verdict is HELL YEAH! Our family truly enjoyed these snacks. They are a healthy and consumer-friendly snack option for kids (and not only, ehm ehm).

If you are curious to try the Nom Nom products, you can find them at most grocery stores in Finland. You can also follow Nom Nom on Instagram.

I was sent a selection of Nom Nom products to taste and review. Opinions are mine and sincere. Read more about my values here.

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Light a candle

I never understood scented candles… until I tried good quality ones. As a busy mom, I learned to find joy in small things. Breathing in a pleasant smell puts me in a better mood. I love the ritual of lighting the candle and reminding myself I can take few seconds to make my day better. I have discovered the series WoodWick. They are exceptionally good candles: my medium-sized grapefruit candle lasted around 40 hours and the whole floor was filled with its scent. What makes them unique is their wooden wick that crackles like a fireplace. I bought mine on Amazon, but you can find it in Stockmann as well.

Wash your face

Now that you set the mood with a burning scented candle, indulge in washing the stressful day away off your face. I am nothing close to a beauty expert: I am never willing to spend much on cosmetics and I am always looking for the sweet spot in terms of quality/price ratio. I have now tried the Gisèle Denis cleaning gel and toner for three months and I am very impressed with them. What stroke me right away was the pleasant smell they leave on your skin. They do not leave my skin dry (an issue I had with other products!) and washing my face with them once or twice, I noticed a small improvement in my skin’s health and texture. You can find the Gisèle Denis line K-city markets or on Amazon.

Nourish your skin

An occasional treat for me is putting up a nourishing face mask. Recently, I discovered the Korean line by It’s Skin sold in K City Market (buy online). I love these masks’ smells and they do leave my skin visibly moisturised. Plus, their price is very reasonable!

Watch the adventures of a mom who gets it

While you wait for your face mask to soak into your skin, why not watch a cool TV series? Last fall Netflix aired the funny and real Australian show The Letdown, starring a woman who struggles to embrace motherhood. Her new mom friends have different family situations, approaches, personalities, difficulties. They find a way to stop comparisons and support each other. This show is the real deal! It doesn’t hold back on the frustrations or shocks of parenting. I really loved it and you will too!

Now metaphorically wash your face

Now that you are all pampered, why not start a new book? International bestseller Girl, wash your face by Rachel Hollis is an excellent choice. Rachel picks the false truths women are brought to believe and she dismantles them one by one. If you are a pro at self-demeaning thoughts like I am, you need this read. It’s an honest conversation, a reminder you are not alone in your struggles and how you should be compassionate towards yourself.

I hope you liked my suggestions to take care of yourself. What are your go-to things to cultivate joy and well-being in daily life? Leave me a comment here below.

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Kiasma is the major contemporary art museum in Helsinki and it’s conveniently situated adjacent to the central railway station. Kiasma is part of the Museum Card network and children always enter for free. Moreover, as it’s customary for many museums in Helsinki, entrance is free for everyone on the first Friday of every month.

Visiting museums with small children is always a challenge, but Kiasma organises once a year few weeks of hands-on art workshops targeting every age group: babies, toddlers, and older kids. The goals of the workshops are to facilitate parents to spend quality time with their kids, allowing parents to visit the exhibition while conceding something to the little ones, and introducing the rule-free world of art to children of all ages.

Our experience

My children (aged 3 and 5) and I visited the toddler’s drop-in workshop on a snowy Thursday morning. We entered the museum, undressed from our winter gear and left it to the free-of-charge wardrobe service (a pleasant surprise, as opposed to having to drag winter jackets around). The workshop was set on the last floor, in a small room. There were several activities to choose from, definitely enough to spend half a day there. As soon as we got in, we encountered a table full of mysterious boxes.

Exceeding my expectations, my kids spent a good half hour playing with them. Boxes contained a variety of sensory and visual surprises. E and R were in a frenzy to open all of them, while later they played some version of hide-and-seek where one would hide a specific box and the other needed to find it.

Close to it, two small ball pits with coloured lights invited for a “dry bath” in colours. In the corner, we found a dark box filled with mirrors and sensory objects. Children were allowed to crawl in and use flashlights, or explore using touch. E especially liked being able to experiment with light. I noticed how careful tools had been chosen, to grant safety (no small or sharp objects) and easy use for the little ones (flashlights had soft buttons, for example). My expat mom’s special eye also caught that all activities are described in Finnish, Swedish, and English, making them accessible to all families.

E and R spent some time also playing in the unusual “sandbox” which contained plastic plates instead of sand and coloured lights. Tuija, the workshop main planner, explained one focus was to show everyday objects in a different setting, that is the creative process of many contemporary artists. As a parent, a good chunk of my role includes giving boundaries, rules, and fitting reality into schemes and boxes to feed it to my children. I am excited at the idea that art, even at this simple level, can allow them to explore the free world of imagination and creativity.

After the “dry activities”, it was time to mess around with water colours. The workshop makes available apron of all sizes, including adults’. An interesting surprise were the water painting boards, originally meant for mindful creative activities. You only need water to paint and the board clears by itself when it dries.

Finally, the moment they had been waiting for: real painting! Children were allowed to express their creativity by painting with different brushes and colours on some plastic surfaces, which was later cleaned by the workshop assistants.

Everything was protected in plastic and they had the apron, so they could safely focus on just drawing and having fun. Colours were easily washable from the skin. It was liberating for them!

The art exhibition

After having plenty of fun, we went downstairs to eat. Kiasma has a nice cafe that serves lunch on weekdays, but also some quiet spaces where it’s possible to eat a packed lunch or snack. Strollers and baby carriers are available and can be borrowed for free. The whole museum is fully wheelchair-accessible. Now that the kids were in their best mood, it was my turn to enjoy the museum. Two floors were populated with exhibitions. Even though most works were hard to explain to kids, many were visually attractive and they allowed me to enjoy most of them.

I was slightly worried we would walk into inappropriate content, but anything that was not family-friendly was separate and clearly marked (but still accessible, so don’t let the kids roam with no supervision).

The huge spaces of the building allowed my kids to explore safely. I taught R to observe paintings from different distances, that interpretation of art was always free, whatever feelings or images art would evoke in her where the right answer. After walking the whole exhibition, they insisted to visit the workshop again!

How to be informed of future family activities

Kiasma organises these workshops every year, usually around January, when the museum is less crowded. The toddlers’ workshop is planned towards the end of the week, including Saturday, to allow also working parents to take part. Information are updated on the museum’s webpage. To receive notifications of events directly to your mailbox, you can subscribe to the Kiasma klubi’s mailing list (in Finnish only). Some events are advertised on Facebook, so I invite you to like Kiasma’s page. We had plenty of fun and surely will be on the lookout for the upcoming happenings!

We were granted free access to Kiasma to visit and review the workshop. All opinions are mine and sincere. Read more about my working values here.

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