Right after we moved to Denmark, we picked up lots of flyers for different places and towns that were in driving distance. One brochure talked all about things to do in Randers, Denmark, and one such event was a children’s Easter craft day at the Randers Håndværksmuseet in the town center. Since we had just gone to Randers a few days before, I thought that this would be an easy trip for me to take the boys on my own.
I also wanted to do something for Easter, since we didn’t have any decorations in our apartment or other activities planned for the holiday. The decorations were in our storage container in the middle of the ocean and wouldn’t arrive until after the holiday was over, and this felt like the best chance for us to do something for Easter. It was also a good excuse to get out of the house. I envisioned that it would be a small room in a big museum where the children could do a few crafts. Boy, was I wrong!!
Sign for Håndværksmuseet in Randers Denmark
Table of Contents
Finding Easy and Cheap(er) Parking
We parked at the Regnskov Randers’ parking lot, which is a paid lot, but it would only be about 7DKK (Danish Kroner, their money= a little over a $1) for one hour (2016). I was familiar with this lot and after a quick trip to Google Maps online, I was able to find an easy path to the museum. All around us were mostly red, brick buildings, but this one was white. It was neat in itself, and we were excited for our Easter fun!
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A bit About the Randers Håndværksmuseet
Håndværksmuseet is a museum that shows you different displays of which tools were used in the olden days of Denmark: old sewing machines, hair dressing chairs, painting supplies, clock maker tools, etc. The day we decided to visit was a day when the children in the area didn’t have to go to school.
It was pretty busy! Many senior citizens were volunteering at different stations on the many floors to help children with crafts. They had lots of different crafts to do, and I loved that the majority of them used natural materials.
Håndværksmuseet in Randers Denmark
First Impressions
First off, I should mention that this museum was free. Keep that in mind when you read about all we got to experience!
When we walked inside the building, to the left was a place where we could see how horseshoes were made. Children as young as 6 years old could make a horseshoe with one of the volunteers. I asked big brother if he wanted to make one, but he said no.
Would you like to make your own Danish Easter crafts? See how in this video on the Danish Gækkebrev!
Language Barriers Weren’t a Problem
We then walked out of the room towards the main foyer and then walked to the right of the entrance. Here we picked up a paper and pencil to tally the number of eggs were could find in the different rooms. There was a bit of a language barrier at first. I think that many older people in Denmark don’t speak English, but what they could say worked out for me. I just didn’t understand enough to direct my children where to go.
No worries. The boys and I went back in the “horse room” to find some eggs, and then we headed for the stairs.
Much Bigger than it Looks
This place was big. I have to say that I wasn’t prepared for all the stair climbing. I am so glad that the boys managed to take a quick cat nap in the car on the way to Randers. There were also so many people all around, that the boys were too occupied with their surroundings to whine or ask for food.
Thank you, God! We walked up what felt like 5 or 6 sets of stairs to the very top. We decided to work our way down. Up there, we saw how shoes and gloves were made. This is also where the boys did their first craft.
Egg Hunt and Easter Crafts at Randers Håndværksmuseet
Leather Keychain Craft
At this table, children could make necklaces or keychains from different leather designs. My boys decided to make keychains. First, the ladies helped them get the claps and rings in place, then they got to use a hammer to fasten the clasps. They turned to the table behind them to use markers and stickers to decorate their creations. 🙂
Making a leather keychain for Easter
This is the finished product. Big brother’s is on the left and little brother’s on the right.;)
Leather keychain for Easter (made by a 3 and 6 year old)
After counting the eggs hidden on this floor, we went down to the next floor which had a wooden train craft, a flyswatter craft and a decorative board with three hooks craft. We decided not to do these crafts, since the areas around them were crowded. Instead, we checked out the different trades displayed on this level and looked for eggs. You can guess that the major trades represented here were woodworking and leather.
Decorating Easter Eggs in Denmark
The next level had paint, clock making, and stone carvings. This is where the boys decorated eggs! Instead of dipping hard-boiled eggs into dyed water, they picked up a paint brush and painted Styrofoam eggs. They had a great time with this! They love painting!
Decorating Styrofoam Easter Eggs at Håndværksmuseet
Decorating Styrofoam Easter Eggs at Håndværksmuseet
Big brother made a metallic blue egg all around, and if you ask little brother, he’d say it is a rainbow. 😉 Little brother lost interest after a bit, so he left half of the egg uncolored. Haha!
Painted Styrofoam Easter Eggs (The Result)
A nice volunteer helped the drying process along by putting the eggs under a hair dryer for a bit. Then we walked down to the next level with our eggs.
The next floor allowed children to make ornaments. I think that the idea of an ornament is more for Christmas in the USA, but the Danes like to hang decorations from tree branches from the ceiling, or they like to put hanging decorations in the windows to decorate for other holidays as well. The next craft had you pick a wooden shape of either a flower, duck, or bunny.
Both of my boys picked brown bunnies, which also had a string at the top for hanging. Many of the decorations were made out of wheat and other items were things like balls, beads, and googly eyes. With the help of a volunteer, big brother fully decked his bunny, but little brother decided that less was more. 🙂
Making Wooden Easter Bunny Ornaments
Making Wooden Easter Bunny Ornaments
Here are their finished bunnies with big brother’s being on the left and little brother’s on the right. Little brother’s bunny had four whiskers, but it seems that one fell off. Haha!
Wooden Easter Bunny Ornaments (The Result)
We searched the floor for more eggs to add to our tally, and then headed down to the last of the display floors. I have to be honest and say that I don’t really remember what was on the floor with the bunny craft. 🙁
Bracelet Making (Not just for girls)
The last of the display floors was a bit more memorable. This floor showed an antique barbershop, a beauty parlor and many old-fashioned cameras. These were probably my favorite displays. The large camera in itself was pretty cool! On this floor, children could play with mannequin heads and do their hair. At the same table, they could make their very own barrettes.
My boys didn’t have a need or desire to play with “girl stuff”, so we went to the other craft, which was bracelet making. Apparently, bracelets weren’t girly. Thank goodness! I get that barrettes aren’t practical for them, so I am hoping that they didn’t want to do that station more for the rationale of it all instead of the terms of sexism. 🙂 Haha! They are little boys; I need to loosen up! 😉
Are you looking to stay in the area in a family, vacation village? Check out what the Landal Green Parks has to offer HERE!
Another volunteer helped with the bracelets, which had a very interesting way of making them. You had to bend the string in have and put the bead on as it was bent. Then when you were done, a special knot was made so that the looped end of the bracelet could go over the knot. I should also mention that the volunteer was a man. A very boy scout-ish bracelet if you ask me! 🙂
Making Bracelets with a volunteer at Håndværksmuseet
Completing the Egg Hunt and Getting a Prize
After searching for eggs on this level, we were finished our search. We managed to find 13. I don’t know if there were more than that, but no one seemed to be concerned about our number! We went to the reception at the bottom of the stairs by the entrance and turned in our tally. The ladies there gave the boys a piece of candy for participating.
Would you like to add some Viking history to your trip? Check out the Vikingegård Fyrkat in Hobro (28 minutes away).
This place was great. I think that the boys would be interested in this museum without the special Easter event, but I have to say that all the crafts and egg hunt made it much more fun! This place is only open a few times each week, and let me remind you that the entrance was free. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon before Easter.
I was beginning to worry that we wouldn’t get to do anything Easter-related this year, since there are always things to do in the States. This event met all of our expectations and more. The fact that they boys learned a bit about how the Danes get ready for Easter and also that they mingled with some local volunteers made my heart warmer!
Checking out a bit of the Town of Randers Before Going Home
I was also interested to see more of the city of Randers, which is what we did after leaving the museum. The boys and I decided to take a walk through the city center on our way back to the car. They ate their candy on the way, and I took a few pictures of cool things along our route. One was what big bro called “the crooked house”! We also passed the main church and a really old, yet cool building.
Old buildings in Randers, Denmark
Old buildings in Randers, Denmark
St. Martin’s Church (Sank Mortens Kirke) in Randers, Denmark (Late 1400s-early 1500s)
At this point in time, we had only gone a few blocks, which was all the distance we were away from the car in the lot at the Randers Regnskov. The path from the church to the Regnskov, however, was decorated with leaves and bugs. The boys loved this! “Don’t step on the bugs!”, they said!
Street in Randers, Denmark
For whatever reason, Randers seemed like a pretty cool place with lots to offer. I know that another visit is in our future! I got a taste of the town, and I know I’ll be coming back for more! 😉
Overall Impressions of Randers Håndværksmuseet
Even after we have lived in Denmark for a number of years, I still love Randers. It is truly one of my most favorite towns in Denmark! If you are wanting to see some more Randers sites, head over to the Randers Regnskov to have a unique experience with animals from all around the world!
If you visit Randers, you can find other museums, plenty of good shopping and cafes, and even an Elvis Museum. See Visit Randers for more! Also, if you are in the area to visit Aarhus, Randers is very close. It only takes 34 minutes by car and 37 minutes by train! You can enjoy all that eastern Denmark has to offer by seeing both of these great cities!
Another great thing about the Håndværksmuseet in Randers is that Easter isn’t the only time that you can enjoy making crafts with volunteers and seeing the cool displays in the museum. Usually during all school breaks, you can find something fun to do at the museum. Check out their website for their full calendar of events!
Have you been to Denmark? Which town is your favorite? How do you like to get ready for Easter where you live?
Hi! I'm Kelly, an American mom and wife to a Dane. After deciding to move to rural Denmark in 2016, I decided to share the highs and lows of expat life in Denmark with lots of fun family experiences and trips in Denmark to make it all a bit more interesting! :) Welcome to My New Danish Life!
Thanks, Kristina. Yes. I really love how Denmark thinks of entertaining children as much as the adults in these historical places. It really helps the whole family have a nice day! 🙂
Yes, hanging ornaments at Easter is quite common here in Germany too, though it’s usually from cherry branches in a vase, or a tree outside. Sounds like a lovely museum.
Thank you. When I think of it, I can actually remember people hanging plastic eggs in trees in the USA too! 🙂 I like that some things are the same in different countries, but there are still aspects that are familiar! 🙂
6 Comments
Kristina
Love to see how other countries celebrate holidays. This does look like a really fun place for kids!
Kelly
Thanks, Kristina. Yes. I really love how Denmark thinks of entertaining children as much as the adults in these historical places. It really helps the whole family have a nice day! 🙂
Cosette
Cool way to get ready for Easter. It’s fun to see different countries having different things to do around the same holidays.
Kelly
Thanks! We really loved how the museum was free, and the volunteers were all so helpful and nice. 🙂
Erin
Yes, hanging ornaments at Easter is quite common here in Germany too, though it’s usually from cherry branches in a vase, or a tree outside. Sounds like a lovely museum.
Kelly
Thank you. When I think of it, I can actually remember people hanging plastic eggs in trees in the USA too! 🙂 I like that some things are the same in different countries, but there are still aspects that are familiar! 🙂