Guest Author: Our kid blogger, Messi Jr., is a nine year old fourth grader who loves travel and soccer.
My Iceland trip was awesome.
Iceland Day 1
On day one, as soon as my family and I got to the Icelandic airport, everyone was wide awake because we slept the whole flight. When we got out of the airport, it was very cold and rainy. My family and I got on the bus that would take us to a place that we would get a rental car.
On the bus, I saw two strange things. The first thing that was strange was that out of the window I saw rocks. Some were the size of pebbles and others were the size of cars. The rocks were all different shapes, but many were the size of backpacks. There seemed to be millions. And, there were planes and planes of them. But, they were covered in something. I didn’t know what it was so I asked my dad what it was, and he said it was moss. I thought it was very strange, but I could believe it when I saw it. The other thing I wondered about was the rocks. When I looked closely, there were many holes. I recognized it as a lava rock. I wasn’t surprised since I knew from a book I had read about Iceland that it said that Iceland was formed by volcanos.
Once we got off the bus, we went to a place where we rented a 4×4 car, which meant it can drive through harsh conditions. With the car, we drove to the convenience store and bought some food that we ate at the shop for breakfast. At the store, the Cool One and I both found coins. The Cool One found a 1 krona coin, and I found a 2 krona coin. Next, we went to Costco. At Costco, we bought squeezies for my sister, water bottles for the car, Nutella to put on our bread for breakfast, and rotisserie chicken for our sandwiches.
Before we ate lunch, we went to the lava tunnel, but the noon tour was full. For lunch, we went to a nearby town and picked up some very yummy pizza, which we ate in the car heading toward the lava tunnel. In the lava tunnel, we had to wear headlamps so we could see around the tunnel. We learned that before headlamps and flashlights, all people saw in the tunnel was pitch black. The only way you could see was from small holes on the roof. We also learned that lava once rushed through the tunnel. My sister was the youngest person to ever go in the tunnel.
The next thing that we did was we drove, well we tried to drive to Kerid crater, but we drove into another crater. In that crater, there were many lava rocks. We could also see all the layers of the crater.
The next stop was Kerid crater. The cool thing about Kerid is that the deep crater has a lake at the bottom of it. My dad also said that Kerid was formed 6,500 years ago. On our way to the apartment, my brother, sister and I took a nap in the car. I thought that I had slept for the whole night! We watched some TV, but it was only in Icelandic, so we didn’t understand a thing. We tried to take a shower, but the drain was plugged, so that made it pretty challenging. The day ended with everyone having a good night sleep.
Iceland Day 2
Once everyone had woken up and dressed up, we went to Seljalandfoss, which is a famous waterfall because you can walk behind it. Seljalandfoss is a very tall waterfall. When my family and I walked behind it, we got soaked, but it was worth it because it was amazing.
As we were driving to Skogafoss, we saw Eyjafalljokul, which is a volcano that erupted a few days after my brother was born, which delayed my grandma from flying back to England.
Once we were at Skogafoss, we saw a huge waterfall, and when the water hit the river it had been forming, mist shot up and formed a huge circle.
We also saw a huge glacier that turned out to be the biggest glacier outside of the North and South Poles.
In a bird sanctuary, we saw a few puffins.
At Renisjfara beach, the sand was black! It wasn’t just normal sand, it was volcanic sand! We also saw a lot of basalt rocks. There were also strong waves. My brother, my dad, and I were standing about 2 yards away from where the waves end, then suddenly, a huge wave came and everyone started running, but I tripped over a big rock. I fell down and before the wave went back in, my dad pulled me out. I was wet, so I had to change all of my clothes.
As we drove, we passed the beautiful city of Vik, but we didn’t stop. The next place we went was Vatnajokull, which is the biggest ice cap (other than the North and South poles). It was a very beautiful sight.
The next stop was Jokulsaron. One of the reasons Dad wanted to come to Iceland was to see this site. Jokulsaron is a lake with icebergs. The icebergs and lake come from a glacier that was constantly melting. The ice on the beach was my favorite sight of Iceland. On the beach, when Dad was taking a picture of my brother and me near the iceberg, as he walked backward to get a good shot of us, he tripped over ice and fell backward. When he put his hand down to save himself, he went down so hard he broke the thick ice and hurt his hand a lot.
We went as fast as we could to Hofn hoping to get to Hofn before the guesthouse closed. hoped that we would make it in time so we wouldn’t have to sleep in the car. Luckily, we just made it in time. For dinner, we had pasta with rotisserie chicken. Even though we tried our best to keep my sister quiet, she was still very loud. We eventually got her quiet watching Netflix. We had a good night of sleep.
Iceland Day 3
We woke up in the morning to nice blue skies, which ended up to be a nice, blue, dry, and sunny day. We woke up so late that by the time my family woke up, everyone else in the apartment had left for the day. My mom lost her ring that she was very sad about, but it was a good thing she found it later in the trip. As we drove to Netto, we had an amazing view of a glacier.
For lunch, we stopped on the side of the road where we saw a bench that overlooked the ocean. We ate some of the food we bought at Netto. My sister made a rock collection, which she loved and added to during the trip. We stopped in a tourist office, and we got even more maps! Next, we stopped on the side of the road where we saw a stream, and there was a wonderful view of everything around us. My brother and I skipped a few rocks into the stream.
As we kept driving, near a farm we passed, we saw amazing hovering birds. My dad took a few photos of them hovering and trying to find food.
As we kept driving along, we went into two tunnels. One tunnel was 5 km, and the second tunnel was 6 km! We stopped at Kronan where we got fish, fish stew, and French fries. We spent the night in the fishing village of Eskijfordur. We stayed in a very nice apartment. For dinner, we had the fish and fish stew with the French fries, and we also had peas, and for dessert, we had ice cream. But, that still wasn’t the end of the day!
At 9:30, there was great weather as we were driving to the mine that was famous because it had the most spar crystals in the world. We saw many animals running across the road. Some were so close, the car could have ran over them. Once we got to the walking path, we walked up a big hill seeing thousands and thousands of spar crystals. The mine shaft was blocked off by the rocks, but there were still many spar crystals. My sister, brother, and I made a huge spar crystal collection and left it on a rock.
As we headed to our apartment, we saw the most amazing midnight sun we had seen on the whole vacation. At end the day, we had a good night sleep.
Iceland Day 4
We woke up in the morning and had a quick breakfast. We had a very quick breakfast because we wanted the maximum time at our first hot pot in Iceland. It was a very cold day, which is the best pool weather in Iceland because every single pool is heated by natural magma and lava. My family and I were the only people in the pool. We all had fun on the slides, and when it was time to go, my sister didn’t want to get out. The rest of the day all my sister wanted to do was go back in the pool.
We had lunch in the apartment. It was raining very heavily, and the sky was very ugly white and gray. It was still raining, but we drove to Dettifoss, which is a popular waterfall. On the way, we got gas and looked for reindeer, but we didn’t see a single reindeer. Dettifoss was one of the best sites we saw in Iceland. It is amazing how much water comes down. My sister nearly walked the whole hike by herself to the waterfall.
Guest Blogger: Lisa, the mom behind TwoTravelingTots, is an American expat living in Copenhagen, Denmark and traveling the world with her husband and two young kids. From far off wanderlust destinations like Australia, Thailand and Philippines to more local jaunts like Luxembourg, Finland and Italy, Lisa has traveled to 30 countries and 49 cities with her little ones in tow. Having lived in Copenhagen for over 5 years, Lisa is here to tell us Why You Should Visit Copenhagen with Kids and share her Top 10 Things to Do while there – with some Insider Tips sprinkled throughout. Follow her adventures, tips and tales on Instagram and Facebook. For her detailed tips on Copenhagen, check out #TwoTravelingTotsCPH on Instagram.
Traveling with kids and babies is not easy! Trust me, I know. My family and I travel the world with our 4 and 1.5 year olds. There are certain cities that make the experience enjoyable and magical for both parents and children alike. Copenhagen, Denmark is one of those cities! Denmark was ranked by the UN World Happiness Report as the happiest country in the world in 2016. In recent years Copenhagen, has received world-wide recognition for its New Nordic food scene, Danish design, and hygglig (cozy) lifestyle; however, what isn’t widely known is how child-friendly this city is. It almost feels like every aspect is geared to the reality that people have kids and they travel with them. These things make this city the perfect place for a family visit. From the free strollers found throughout Copenhagen Airport and the Lego play areas at the luggage carousel, to the ease of using public transport with strollers to the countless kids’ activities and green spaces found throughout the city; life in Copenhagen with children is AMAZING!
Copenhagen is in Scandinavia, so the weather isn’t always the best. Summer is by far the best time of the year to visit, with warmer and longer days (sun sets around 9:30 pm). December is also a very special time of year to visit because of the Christmas markets, street decorations and festive moods. However, the days are shorter, darker, and colder (sun sets around 4pm).
This post highlights our Top 10 Things to Do with Children while also including Insider Tips that we’ve learned throughout the 5 years we have lived here. You’ll also find section called “Good to Know Tips” for some general pointers about what kind of clothes to pack, the Copenhagen Card (which provides free entrances to many of the attractions), and public transport tips.
Stroget, the Walking Street, dressed up for Christmas.
No trip to Copenhagen is complete without a visit to Tivoli Gardens, a fairytale-like amusement park located in the heart of the city said to have inspired Walt Disney’s Disneyland. It’s the second oldest amusement park in the world – second only to Bakken, another Danish amusement park located on the outskirts of Copenhagen. Tivoli is only open four seasons a year – the summer period (mid-March – mid-September), the Halloween period (mid-October to November), the Christmas season (Mid-November – December) and the winter season (February) (Please check exact opening times before you go). It is beautiful and magical all times of the year. The Copenhagen Card provides you free entrance, and children under the age of 8 enter for free.
Halloween at the Nimb Hotel in Tivoli Gardens.
#2: CANAL TOUR
Another favorite activity for parents and kids alike is the Canal Tour. Copenhagen is located on a harbor, so on a beautiful sunny day there is nothing nicer than seeing the city by water. This is also a good way to see the bronze statute of the Little Mermaid from the back (in my humble opinion, it is not worth your time to make a trip to see her as she is underwhelming small). You can catch the canal Tour at Nyhavn or Gammel Strand. The Copenhagen Card provides you free entrance to the Canal Tour but only at the Gammel Strand location.
Insider Tip: Strollers are not allowed on the canal boats, so I recommend you leave them by the ticket counters. I suggest investing in a simple flexible bike lock for your stroller so you can just lock it up wherever, and put your mind at ease.
Nyhavn, originally a busy commercial port where ships from all over the world would dock, is now the perfect place to enjoy a canal ride.
#3: ROSENBORG CASTLE
A Royal Hermitage set in the middle of the City Center and the King’s Garden. It was built by Christian IV in the early 17th Century. Not to be missed is the Crown Jewels Exhibit – my kids’ favorite.
I recommend this castle because it’s not too big, easy to do with children and also in the heart of the King’s Garden. So, after a quick tour of the castle, you can set up a picnic in the King’s Garden, let the kids run around or visit the playground in the park.
Insider Tip: If you visit mid-summer, you may be able to catch a free puppet show (currently Tuesday-Sunday at 2pm and 3pm located near the restaurant Orangeriet.
#4: PLAYGROUNDS – INDOOR AND OUTDOORS
Copenhagen can be an expensive city, so a visit to one of the many amazing parks located around town is a good free way for the kids to let off steam.
Outdoor Parks
The biggest open space park is Fælledparken located in Østebro. There are several different playgrounds located in this massive park:
“Mini Copenhagen,” just as it sounds, it’s a playground designed after iconic Danish buildings
A cycling park where kids can rent bicycles for free and practice riding on fake streets
Trampolines and swings
A skateboarding area
An outdoor gym both for kids and parents.
A free waterpark (open in the summers)
“Mini Copenhagen”
Superkilen, is another massive park located in the Nørrebro district.
Superkilen
Indoor Parks/Play Areas
On a rainy day, which is quite often, try the FREE indoor playground called Remisen, located in Østebro, a short 10-minute bike ride or bus ride from the City Center.
Remisen
Ku.Be is another great indoor play area located in Frederiksberg; however, it is not free. There’s a climbing area and a café – great place for kids to get energy out.
The Copenhagen Zoo is a great zoo with elephants, hippos, polar bears, monkeys, giraffes and tons of other exciting animals. Also, there is free entrance with the Copenhagen Card. If you don’t take your stroller, you can rent a wagon for the kiddos. There are also two different playgrounds, a petting zoo and designated picnic areas (you can bring in your own food!).
Copenhagen Zoo
Insider Tip: If a day at the Zoo seems too overwhelming or you’re short on time, try the Free Petting Zoo, ByOasen, in the Nørrebro district.
Copenhagen’s new Science Center is fun for all ages, from little toddlers to parents! Two floors with 16 interactive exhibits from soap bubbles to a Labyrinth of Light to a Tunnel of Senses. There is free entrance with the Copenhagen Card. It’s located in Hellerup – a 15-minute bus ride from the city center.
Experimentarium
Insider Tip: It gets crowded on weekends, so go early. Also, if the café is too crowded, the Waterfront shopping center, located next door, has tons of eating options.
Another favorite is to walk or bike around the lakes that surround the city center. I love to pick up a coffee from Lagkagehuset and a free bread bun (boller) for the kids (see my tips below on “Where to Eat”) and take a nice stroll around the lakes. On a sunny summer day, we like to rent swans at Kaffesalonen and ride them in the lakes. They also have a great food menu!
Rented Swans from Kaffesalonen
#8: SMK – The National Gallery of Denmark
This museum provides more than 700 years of Danish Art. Plus, every weekend there are special art workshops for children, with tips and information on how your family can get creative at home.
Insider Tip: SMK is located near the King’s Garden and can easily be combined with a trip to the Rosenberg Castle.
#9: KLAMPENBORG – Dyrehave and Bakken
Take a 20-minute train ride out of the city center to Klampenborg station to visit Jægersborg Dyrehave and the Bakken amusement park. Jægersborg Dyrehave, the deer park, is a huge forest where approximately 2100 deer live among the woods. Also, located within the forest is Bakken, the oldest amusement park in the world!
Insider Tip: The entrance to Dyrehave is located right near Klampenborg station. When you reach the train station, go up the hill (over the over-pass) and make a left. Also, you can take a horse carriage ride through the park. Final tip, beware of tics.
Horse and Carriage Ride in Dryehave
#10: BABY-BIO
Bring your baby to the movies! As a new parent, the one thing I missed was going to the movies because let’s be realistic you can’t take a crying baby to the movies. However, in Copenhagen there is something called Baby-Bio – a couple of different films showings on specific days where you can bring your baby into the movie theater with you. The lights are not dimmed all the way so you can still see, and if the baby cries it’s no big deal. Also, if your baby is sleeping, you can leave him in his stroller by the movie attendant. Once your baby wakes up, the movie attendant will come get you. Win, Win! Google “BabyBio Copenhagen” for participating theaters near you.
WHERE TO EAT WITH KIDS
There are tons of great restaurants and cafes located everywhere in the city, and pretty much all of them have great children’s menus and high chairs. I’ve highlighted only a couple of our favorite places.
Torvehallerne
A food hall located within the city center near Rosenberg Castle. My kids’ favorites include the Fish and Chips and Oatmeal #2 from Grød. I would suggest visiting Torvehallerne in the morning to grab your lunch for a picnic, then head over to the Rosenberg Castle where you can have your picnic in the King’s Garden. After, you can even wander over to SMK, which is close by.
Inside Torvhallen
Boller (Bread Bun)
A favorite treat or after school snack for my kids is a Danish bread bun called boller (pronounced bo-lla). They can be found at different pastry shops throughout the city – try the ones from Lagkagehuset, Emmery’s and Myers. They come in different flavors – plain, with raisins or with chocolate.
Insider Tip: If you get yourself a treat or a coffee from Lagkagehuset, you may be able to get a free boller for your child – just ask!
Laundromat Café
This café offers a small play area right in the middle of the café, so parents can enjoy a relaxed meal while the kids play. They have three different locations – Nørrebro; Østebro and Frederiksberg C. The food is delicious!
Café Norden
Located right in the middle of the pedestrian walking street, Stroget, Café Norden is a favorite for locals and tourists alike. You can bring your stroller inside, and there’s great seating options upstairs with views of the walking street. The brunch plate is a must-try.
GOOD TO KNOW TIPS
After living in this wonderful city for over 5 years and raising our two kids here, I’ve learned lots of tips and tricks. Here are some of my essential “Good to Know” tips.
Copenhagen Airport
In my opinion, it is one of the best airports in Europe because it’s not too big and overwhelming, there is a kids play area in terminal 2; there are fantastic eating options and best of all there are FREE STROLLERS to use throughout the airport. So, feel free to gate check your stroller as you can just pick one up at the airport – they are around everywhere. They also lay flat, so they are suitable for all ages.
Free Strollers in Copenhagen Airport
Nursing and Diaper Changing Area
I’ve nursed my two little ones almost everywhere in Copenhagen with no issues whatsoever as it is very common here. However, if you’re in the City Center and would like some privacy and a break from shopping and sightseeing, stop by either Illums or Magasin. The rooftops of both department stores offer a special nursing area and diaper changing area – a nice break for parents and kids.
The nursing area at Illums Rooftop.
Strollers and Public Transport
Copenhagen is a very stroller friendly city in the sense that all the roads and sidewalks are paved (aside from a couple cobblestone streets), it’s flat with no hills so it’s a very walkable city, and strollers are allowed in most stores. There is a maximum allowance of two strollers per bus, and the entrance for the strollers is in the middle of the bus. The metro and trains also have special stroller sections.
Insider Tip: If there are already two strollers on a bus and you have an umbrella stroller, just fold up your stroller and get on the bus.
Yes, even our big double stroller fits on the bus!
Copenhagen Card
Invest in a Copenhagen Card: it provides entrance to over 70 museums and attractions plus offers free public transport.
Bring along two children under the age of 10 for free. You can purchase different cards depending on how many days you intend to spend in the city. You can pick one up at the CPH Airport Service Center or throughout the city.
Rain Gear
“There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear.”
I love this old Scandinavian saying!! Depending on what time of year you visit, it is important to pack accordingly – think lots of layers for both yourselves and the kids. In the summer, even though your the weather may reach 65 degrees, in the sun it gets very hot and in the shade it might be too cool. Also, it’s very important to bring a rain jacket and rain boots. I know luggage space is precious – but it tends to rain often, and having the right gear will only make your stay more memorable.
I hope this is helpful! Enjoy your time in this beautiful city!
Guest Author: Our kid blogger, Messi Jr., is a nine year old fourth grader who loves travel and soccer.
I had an awesome Los Angeles trip. I went because my mom had business there. The weather was really hot. The day before we came, it was 104 degrees. While we were there, it was in the 90s. Today, I will tell you about the top four things I did in Los Angeles.
My favorite thing I did was the La Brea Tar Pits. The La Brea Tar Pits are tar pits that trapped animals during the Ice Age so that the animals couldn’t get out. At the La Brea Tar Pits, they dig up the bones from the tar pits. They had saber tooth cats, mammoths, lizards, mastodons, and many more.
My second favorite thing in Los Angeles was Santa Monica. I liked Santa Monica because it was about 90 degrees and felt good to dip my feet in the Pacific Ocean. The other reason I liked Santa Monica was because of the pier. A pier is like a boardwalk over the ocean. On the pier, I saw multiple musicians, a magic performer, and an artist. I bought a painting of the pier from a painter. There was also an amusement park with a roller coaster, ferris wheel and other rides.
My third favorite thing that I did in Los Angeles was the Getty Center. The Getty Center is an art museum. I liked all of the paintings and the architecture. I got a very cool view of the city from the museum. My favorite painting was Van Gogh’s Irises.
My fourth favorite thing in Los Angles was the Disney Concert Hall. The reason I liked the Concert Hall was because of the architecture. The building looked like a lot of metal pieces that fit together. The architect was called Frank Gehry. He also designed a building in University Circle.
A few other cool things I saw were Hollywood, the City Hall, and lots of cars, including Ferraris, Rolls Royces, Lamborghinis, and Porsches. I had a really great trip to Los Angeles.
Guest Author: Our kid blogger, “The Cool One”, is a seven year old second grader who loves travel, soccer and piano.
Three of my favorite things in Iceland were whale watching, Gulfoss waterfall and the Blue Lagoon.
Whale Watching in Dalvik
In Iceland, on day five, my family went whale watching in Dalvik. We went on a boat. It was a big wooden boat. It looked like this one:
There were a lot of people. We saw a lot of humpback whales. They were big and blue, and they had a hump on their back. The whales sprayed water.
I thought that the whale would hit the boat. I was scared. Then, we went fishing. I caught a cod fish. My brother caught two.
They cut up the fish on the boat.
We ate it after. It was good. I had fun.
Gulfoss
On the seventh day of the Iceland trip, we went to the Gulfoss waterfall. It was my favorite waterfall in Iceland. It looked like a cake with two layers.
We went on a long walk along a path to view Gulfoss. We saw a rainbow.
Blue Lagoon
On the eighth day on the Iceland trip, my family went to the Blue Lagoon.
On the way to the Blue Lagoon, I saw a part of the lagoon. It was very blue.
When we arrived, there was a long line to get in. When I got in the lagoon, the water was warm.
Everyone had a silica face mask. It felt really soft. We went into a cave. We made hand prints on the bottom of the bridge.
I really liked our Iceland trip. I would like to go back.
The next thing that we did was we drove, well we tried to drive to Kerid crater, but we drove into another crater. In that crater, there were many lava rocks. We could also see all the layers of the crater.
My second favorite thing in Los Angeles was Santa Monica. I liked Santa Monica because it was about 90 degrees and felt good to dip my feet in the Pacific Ocean. The other reason I liked Santa Monica was because of the pier. A pier is like a boardwalk over the ocean. On the pier, I saw multiple musicians, a magic performer, and an artist. I bought a painting of the pier from a painter. There was also an amusement park with a roller coaster, ferris wheel and other rides.
