Programme for children develops understanding of architecture and design

A sports-themed Children’s Design Weekend 12–13 September takes place at the renovated and modernized Helsinki Olympic Stadium. Children’s Design Week at Annantalo 7–13 September focuses on design workshops.

A sports-themed Children’s Design Weekend 12–13 September takes place at the renovated and modernized Helsinki Olympic Stadium. Children’s Design Week at Annantalo 7–13 September focuses on design workshops.

The largest design festival in the Nordic countries, Helsinki Design Week continues the festival tradition of a dedicated programme for children and families for the seventh consecutive year.

Our programme for children offers such activities for the whole family that makes architecture and design familiar to citizens from childhood onwards. Thus we guide them to observe their built environment with a critical eye,” says Helsinki Design Week Programme Director Anni Korkman.

Helsinki Design Week produces the children’s programme, as well as all other programme content, in partnership with external event organizers. All children’s events are free of charge.

Children's Design Week 2019
Children’s design week 2019. Photo: Helsinki Design Week / Aleksi Poutanen

Children are guests of honour at Olympic Stadium

A part of Helsinki Design Week’s in-house production, HDW Children’s Design Weekend is held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on 12–13 September. The weekend features a route designed for children and built on the famous green of the Olympic Stadium. The route’s five playful sports sites combine sports and art, making design visible at the same time. Parents can join their children’s sports performances with instructions stored in QR codes. At the end of the route, children make their own trophies and pose with them on the podium. The trophy materials are available on the Helsinki Design Week website, so the programme can be duplicated at home.

As a part of Helsinki Design Week’s COVID-19 safety guidelines, registration is required to attend this free event.

Workshops at Annantalo

Annantalo, the City of Helsinki arts centre for children, young people and families, celebrates Children’s Design Week 7–13 September with a nature- and future-themed programme.

Workshops on the themes are held at Annantalo for groups from schools and day care centres. For example, 5th graders can create art with soil materials at the Annantalo yard in a workshop that combines mythology, architecture, art and biosciences.

A forest installation has been erected at the Annantalo yard: trunks of trees from forest thinning operations have been used to create a playful space resembling a forest. Three exhibitions on display inside the arts centre focus on ecology, the environment and the bond between a mother and her baby.

Most of the workshops are held outdoors. Safety is ensured indoors with sufficient distances maintained between occupants. Some of the workshops require registration.

Children’s Design Week at Annantalo