Wise Words n.10

Wise words from a Chinese expat in Sweden about the life outdoors, children's education and fitting in while in a new cultural environment.

Recently, this article about a Chinese transplant to Sweden and her perceptions about her move caught my eye in The Local Sweden (The Local is a “chain” so to speak of English-speaking newspapers that’s growing quite a bit – we have a Danish version too!).  She now teaches outside and works with children and after moving from Shanghai, a mega city if there was one, to a smaller town called Linkoping.  I enjoyed her observations but especially the one above, and the one here, regarding her experience learning about the outdoors.

“My teachers were 60 years old and they were so much stronger than I was. I had grown up with concrete, boxes, machines, noise – a completely different environment. I was 23 at the time and I thought to myself: ‘what have I done with my life?”

It’s funny to think that we would have to “learn” how to be outdoors but the more I think about it, prior to coming to Denmark, that could have easily been us…

Out + About: Knuthenborg Safari Park

It might be back to school time, but as we prepare for one more big trip to close out the summer back to the US (I mean, summer officially ends September 21st right?), there are a still a few things from our summer adventures we have to post – especially since many of these activities can still be enjoyed through the fall – like going on a little safari for example!

A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds. A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds.

You’ve seen the Safari Park Playground and got the tips for a successful visit, and if those haven’t convinced you to make a day trip out to the Knuthenborg Safari Park, hopefully these pics will! The park is open through October 18th so you still have a little bit of time to  catch this very safari like experience of animals right here in Denmark, before the winter sets in.

A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds.A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds. A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t think going to a safari park would be that exciting.  First of all, is this really a real way to see animals ? And second of all, we had been on a real safari a few years back (the toddler is the souvenir to prove it), and the experience was so special, I didn’t think a park would even come close.

A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds. A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds.A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds.

And while the park is not a Karen Blixen style safari by any means, it actually comes a pretty solid second.  Also it’s a lot closer and a lot cheaper than packing it up for the African wilds. But more importantly, if you have a child that loves animals, like we do, it will blow their minds.

A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds.A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds.

A couple of things to know…the park is huge, relatively speaking – this is definitely a full day excursion, especially if you want to cover all areas of the park patiently. Also, there are a lot – and I mean, a lot – of animals here.  I had thought it might be a giraffe or two, but there must be easily 20 or 30 of them in the savannah portion.  It’s not just one camel – it’s a whole herd.

A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds.A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds.

Even in the tiger enclosure, there must be about 4 or 5 cats.  When you get out on in the tiger information center and thumb through the book of the many tiger species there used to be and realize that many of them ceased being in the 60’s…70’s…i.e. in our own time, you realize how special that is.  Of all the parts of the park, I found the tigers the most moving.  And they come close – CLOSE – to the car.  I’m not a jumpy person – but most of the time I couldn’t even bring myself to hold up the camera and take a picture, because I was convinced tigers have supersonic hearing and would be able to pick up the sound of the shutter (even through our closed windows!) and attract a little too much of their attention.  They way they move is absolutely stunning, and the fact that they could have you for dinner in one fell swoop but choose not to makes you feel grateful…appreciative even.

A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds.A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds. A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds.

There are also many areas where you can pull over the car to take a closer look, or even get out of the car or open the windows – it all depends on the animals and whether you have good judgment.  But for visitors both big and small, the ability to get so close to so many animals is quite something.

A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds.

Our toddler pointing out plants to avoid because of stings – now who’s guiding who on this nature walk?

A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds. A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds.

Perhaps just as interesting too is the outing itself.  It’s very easy to spend time in Copenhagen and become convinced that you know things Danish.  But the truth is, there’s a big difference between Copenhagen and the rest of this country in terms of what you will experience.  The drive, which is about 1 hr 45 min (and yes, you need a car – you can not just bike through the safari park), is beautiful but it’s also eye-opening.  You’ll learn a little bit about how the rest of Denmark, both in landscape and people, can be.

A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds.A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds. A visit to Knuthenborg Safari Park , an easy day trip from Copenhagen for toddlers, children and animal lovers of all kinds.

Overall, this was one of the more successful day trips we took this summer and something tells me, our toddler’s enthusiasm might just ensure we come back.

This park is huge, and an outing here can take the full day (be sure to read the tips on how to make the most of it) but be sure not to miss:

  • The tiger habitat and enclosure – take the time to get out of the car on the outside of the tiger enclosure to learn about Tiger research stations and brush up on the many species of tiger, most of them gone now
  • The baboon train – this thing is a riot and kids love it – you ride around on this enclosed train in the money area.  We picked the hottest day of the year to come to Knuthenborg so that train was basically like a pressure cooker… You’re given a small portion of feed that looks like fruit loops (but is not so don’t eat it) for the baboons and monkeys who then basically swarm the train (you’re behind windows) and rub their baboon behinds all over trying to get it. The trains are timed at regular intervals and the feed monitored so that they don’t get overfed.
  • Looking around even when it seems there is nothing to see  – in the wolf enclosure, we spotted a den full of new baby wolf pups!
  • The lemur walk – if your children have seen Madagascar, they’ll go nuts.  They’ll probably go nuts anyway – you walk around this portion and the lemurs do too – those tails are even more amazing in real life
  • The petting zoo – there is a whole portion with smaller animals children can pet and touch and we actually missed this portion due to lack of time but I wouldn’t skip out on it next time!
  • Give the bison a big wave for me – I’m from North Dakota!
  • And they have not one but two rhinos…that might not seem like a lot but that’s a whole lot more than you’ll see in most places in the actual wild these days.  They’re gorgeous.

Toddler Travels: Tips for Visiting Knuthenborg Safari Park

Are safari parks still a thing in the US? I remember them being around all the time growing up, until they weren’t.  There is however one in Denmark, and it is definitely a thing.  Given how enamored our tot is with all things animal and being on “the creature trail” (thank you, Kratt brothers, for that), we put the Knuthenborg Safari Park on our summer list.  Much to my surprise, it was a total hit – not just with her but with us too.

Tips for visiting Denmark's Knuthenborg Safari Park with toddlers and children as a day trip from Copenhagen for families.

 

We already posted on the pretty spectacular playground, and photos of the full park will come tomorrow, but since this was the first time we have ever really done an outing like this, I thought the following tips might help others plan this very worthwhile trip:

  1.  Wash your windshields: Perhaps this is obvious.  It certainly became obvious to me once I tried to snap my first photo.  Since most of the photos or videos you’ll get are from behind the safety of your windshield, if you have dirty windows, you will have dirty photos.  And that’s a major bummer when the tiger walks about six inches from your car.
  2. Speaking of tigers, go see them first: One of the best parts, hands down, about Knuthenborg is their tiger section.  There must be about five or six of these cats in their own enclosure, which is so rare these days given how very, very few of them there are in the wild.  And they are just magical… When you enter the tiger enclosure, you’ll feel somewhat reassured with all the double gated safety but man, when that cat literally walks by the edge of your car, your heart will completely drop.  I was equal parts mesmerized and afraid, so the dirty windows didn’t even matter that much in that particular section since I could barely pick up my camera.  It’s something else.  Because of the security procedures to get in and out of the tiger enclosure, there can be a bit of a pile up there if it’s busy, so arrive early and head to the tigers first, then back track to all the savannah animals that everyone else will be distracted by on their way over.  That way, you have those tigers nearly all to yourself.
  3. Pack your Lunch: Normally in most museums in Denmark, there are great cafes .  There is a cheerful cafe here, right outside of the playground and it’s cute on the outside however, it is very heavy on the fried food/fast food aspects.  Maybe it was just that it was so hot out the day we went, but a few fresher/lighter food options would have been welcome.  There is plenty of picnic space at the park so save both grease intake and budget by packing your own, and just stick to picking up ice cream or a drink at the actual park.
  4. Bring a swimsuit and towel: Assuming it’s a nice day, the splash pad at the playground can really take up some time – and the water ride will give you some legitimate splash too.  Having a suit and something to dry off with will make the whole excursion a lot more pleasant for when you have to drive back into the park and home.
  5. Budget enough time for the playground: The safari park playground can easily take as much time as the safari park itself, don’t shortchange it! Your kids will never forgive you – trampolines, ropes courses, pull your own Limpopo River raft…not to mention the usual slides, swings, and the aforementioned splash pad.  This is no in and out in ten minutes operation…
  6. Arrive early: The park opens at 10:00am and we would suggest arriving as close to that hour as possible as there will be few others around at that time but the animals are extremely active.  We arrived pretty close to 10am and there were only a handful of cars but by 11 and 12, it definitely was a little bit more congested.  There is still space enough for everyone, but at the start you can still try to convince yourself that you’re on real safari.  Also, in case the prior few points didn’t make it clear, there is a LOT to do here – truly.  We covered the park and playground pretty well but we didn’t even make it to the petting zoo or a few other corners before having to head back before the park closed. It’s going to cost the same no matter what, so you might as well take advantage!
  7. Allow for a treat: Next to the playground is a pretty extensive gift shop that’s very well done with toys and games that are specifically themed to animals (and also their conservation) – from a tot’s perspective, it’s pretty spectacular when your parents drive you around with the wild animals of your dreams roaming around at will, so let them pick something to remember the day by.  Plus, it will keep them entertained on the ride home if a nap won’t.
  8. Get in the spirit before you arrive: Again, from a tot’s perspective, this is a big deal trip, and we had fun building some anticipation for it.  And between the drive and the cost (209 DKK for adults, 119 DKK for children from three onwards), it’s a bit of investment on everyone’s part.  We drummed up excitement by allowing a few more Wild Kratts episodes and a Daniel Tiger episode on being a safari explorer.  On the way down, we listed to the Madagascar soundtrack and a Putumayo collection of African Music (African Playground, one of our house favorites) on the way down and Paul Simon’s Graceland on the way back.  Part of what made this day trip such a success is that everyone ended up looking forward to it.

The Knuthenborg Safari Park is about 1 hr 45 minutes from Copenhagen by car.  And yes, you’ll need a car as the park itself is drive through – there are plenty of parts to get out of the car and even come up close to the animals but this is one of those few times in Denmark that a car is really and truly necessary.  Stay tuned for more pictures tomorrow!

Sign us up for one more year!

In most places in Europe, September first is widely known as “la rentree” – it’s a universal day for closing up the summer shop and heading back to school.  It doesn’t quite work that way here for us.  First, since forest school is year-round, there isn’t as much of the dramatic “back to school” feel that is otherwise all over my Facebook feed.  And second, for those grades that do go back to school, in Denmark that happens much earlier, about the second week of August so these little worker bees have been at the new school year thing for a bit now.

Our decision to keep forest school in Denmark going for one more year for our toddler and the implication for her education.

Nonetheless, September’s coming definitely has a bit of a “new year” feel to it – we’ll need to stock up on some new gear, and new cold weather kit, and plans are already being made to enjoy fall here in Denmark.  And for us, now that summer is wrapping up, we’ll dive headfirst into our daughter’s last year of forest school.

She’s four this year, turning five later, so this is actually the last year that she could feasibly attend before entering into the more Danish official kindergarten system (“skole”).  But it is technically also the first year that she could have done a pre-K type class in one of the international schools, where we had the option to put her.  It would have meant more structure, more formal English, and probably, more of what we would traditionally expect out of an education for her.  That option was nothing to sniff at; those spots are hard to come by.  And there was a time, much closer to when we arrived, when I couldn’t wait to have one for her.

Our decision to keep forest school going for one more year for our toddler and the implication for her education

But when I looked at the year ahead – our last in Denmark – and really thought about what was best for her, it turns out, I didn’t have to think that long.  Sticking to the forest school was unquestionably the way to go.  Although again, if you had asked me that same question the first year we were here, I would have had to think on that much longer.  But now, after just short of two years there, my daughter is thriving in her forest environment – she loves the outdoors, she speaks Danish like a native, and she is truly, truly learning.  Given how informal the system is, I’m not sure where it all comes from.  I’d like to think it’s a combination of good schooling and hopefully some good parenting (although maybe I’m over-estimating our own contribution).  She can identify any letter, do some basic math, talk my ear off with facts about creatures, and can steer me away from poisonous plants just outside our walkway.  She seems to be doing just fine in terms of life skills if you ask me, and as a good friend of ours likes to say, “Why change a winning team?”.

We’ve got a little less than one year to go here in Denmark – this time next year, our adventures will not only be a more formal kindergarten, but also discovering a whole other part to the globe.  It will be exciting, no doubt – after all, that’s the whole point of this lifestyle.  But I’m starting to get sentimental about our time here too. It’s been a wonderful experience and forest school is a big part of that.  So here is to one more year, may it be the best one yet!