The Children's Library: Build a ship and explore Christian IV's war port
In our children's universe, which is open every other Saturday, you can explore the magical world of books and immerse yourself in creative workshops with space for play and fun for the whole family.
Practical information
It is free for all children and their adults to participate in the Children's Library. The activities are primarily aimed at children aged 5-11, but all children are welcome.
The Children's Library is located in the Galley Hall. You come directly to the Galley Hall from the library's entrance in the Library Garden. If you come through the main entrance to The Black Diamond, follow the signs through the building or ask the staff in the shop for directions. If you come with a pram, use the entrance in the Library Garden.
Food can be bought in The Black Diamond's café. Food you have brought can be enjoyed in the small dining area in the Galley Hall or out in the Library Garden.
Join the library's new children's universe, the Children's Library, located deep under the old library building in the historic Galley Hall. In the hall there are high ceilings, cosy reading nooks, a creative workshop and play activities for young and old.
The Children's Library takes place every second Saturday, where each time we do a new activity in the creative workshop – this time we build ships inspired by Christian IV's warships. In addition, you will also always be able to delve into our collection of special children's books, explore our adventurous filing cabinets, play games or go exploring in the library with, for example, our Diamond Hunt or Treasure Expedition. Read much more about it all below.
Creative workshop - build a ship
This time we are inspired by the Galley Hall, which we will be in. The hall was built by Christian IV as part of his war port. Today the war port is filled with trees, plants and flowers and is the library's garden.
In the creative workshop you can build a ship inspired by Christian IV's warships. With a glue gun, colours and scissors you can decorate your own ship. We have visited the library's bookbinders and looked in their stashes. There we have found beautiful remnants of paper and other material for bookbinding. Along with that, we use new marbled paper to decorate our ships.
Do not forget to also visit the Library Garden and explore the history of the war ports with the experience box The Secret Garden on the Island of Power.
The little special library
In our small library, you will find books that you have probably not seen before. These are old children's books from when your parents and grandparents were children, and they are new children's book works with beautiful and different illustrations. You can also leaf through a beautiful hand-bound edition of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, which was made especially for the Children's Library by bookbinders from the Royal Danish Library.
Adventurous filing cabinets
For the Children's Library, you can also explore our adventurous filing cabinets. Open the drawers and delve into some of the quirky and fascinating books, pictures, letters and more that are stored in the library's collections. They all tell a funny, exciting, strange or perhaps surprising story about what is on the shelves of the big vaults.
Experiences in the Galley Hall and on your own
There are many activities at the Children's Library, and you choose what you want to do. You can take part in today's creative workshop, colour fine drawing sheets, immerse yourself in children's books, or play the library's own version of Ludo, Twister or flip games. There are always children's hosts from the library present who can guide you through the activities. The children's hosts can also tell you about the library's other offers for children, which you can immerse yourself in both inside and outside The Black Diamond.
The Children's Library is supported by the Nordea Foundation.
