Children's Path: Escape to Moominvalley

The Children’s Path is a path within the Escape to Moominvalley exhibition, designed to be experienced together with children. It offers tips and reflection tasks that support a shared museum experience and encourage exploring the exhibition through play, imagination, and interaction. The Children’s Path includes a map highlighting content tailored for children. In the exhibition space, children can search for hidden Moomin characters and engage with the exhibition in an active way together with their adults. Along the path, adults receive guidance for a safe and inclusive museum visit. The Children’s Path is available as a printed booklet at the museum and can be borrowed free of charge during your museum visit. The content of the Children’s Path is also available in text format on this website.

For adults visiting the exhibition with children

Welcome to the Architecture and Design Museum Helsinki! The museum is a place for everyone and of all ages. In this exhibition path booklet, we have compiled some tips for when visiting the Escape to Moominvalley exhibition with children. Have a fun and memorable visit to the exhibition!

Before the exhibition

A checklist in support of your exhibition visit:

• The museum is a safe space for everyone and of all ages. Everyone is welcome to the museum just as they are!
• There is storage space for a few prams and strollers in the museum lobby. Prams and strollers can also be used inside the museum. During the Escape to Moominvalley exhibition, there is additional storage space for prams and strollers in the exhibition space itself, near the Moominvalley Theatre!
• Visitors are not allowed to touch the works on display in the museum, unless otherwise stated. In the Escape to Moominvalley exhibition it is allowed to touch the contents of the Children’s Path! 
• It is good to keep a distance from the exhibits on display in the museum. A good rule of thumb is to leave an arm’s length between yourself and the exhibit!
• In the museum, primary school-age and younger children must be accompanied by supervising adults at all times. Hold the child’s hand, if possible. Secondary school-age and older children and young people can visit the museum independently and on their own. Do not carry a child piggyback or on your shoulders!
• The museum is a place for leisurely movement. Although there is a lot of space in the museum, running is not allowed. Please be considerate of other museum visitors!
• Eating or drinking is not allowed in the museum’s exhibition spaces. Breastfeeding is allowed anywhere in the museum. You can eat your own food in the Studio space in the basement!
• In the museum’s exhibition spaces there are platforms where you can look at objects and works hung higher up. The platforms can be moved independently!
• You don’t have to be quiet in the museum. You can be excited, happy and chat in the museum!
• All emotions are allowed in the museum. In the museum you can laugh and cry!

Discuss together:

• Have you visited a museum before? Which museums have you visited? What kind of places are museums?
• What kind of exhibition are you going to? What does it feel like going to the exhibition? Is it fun, exciting or perhaps boring?

You are now ready to visit the Escape to Moominvalley exhibition!

In the exhibition

The entire contents of the Escape to Moominvalley exhibition is for all museum visitors! The map has nevertheless been marked with stops specifically tailored for children. The Children’s Path in the exhibition space is marked with a light green stickers. The stickers feature a symbol with an adult and a child holding hands.

You can walk through the exhibition at your own pace and in the order that suits you best. The signposts in the exhibition spaces guide you between the different exhibition rooms.

You can choose your first stop from the map!

Tove Jansson’s real life – Search for and find Moomin figures!

The rooms Tove Jansson’s Studio Home, Tove Jansson’s Helsinki, Tove Jansson’s Summer Cottage and Tove Jansson’s Archipelago each contain a hidden Moomin figure for children to search for and find.

Discuss together:

• Can you find all the Moomin figures hidden in the rooms?
• And can you identify and name all the Moomin figures you find?

Moominvalley – Imagine and explore!

There is a lot to see and experience in Moominvalley together with children. The tiled stove in the Moominhouse salon, the Cave and the Moominvalley bridge offer activities for children of all ages. You can spend a quiet moment reading Moomin stories or relaxing in the tent. In the theatre, you can play and build. In this space, you can take off your shoes and let the children do things safely and freely.

In the Moominvalley content for children, you can find more detailed instructions in support of activities and play.

After the exhibition

Thank you for visiting the Escape to Moominvalley exhibition!

Discuss together:

• What was best?
• What was most boring?
• What was memorable?

Please return the exhibition path booklet to its place before leaving the museum. Before leaving, you can also explore the other exhibitions in the museum. There are activities suitable for children also in the Studio space in the museum’s basement!