Playing Across Denmark: Core Course Week

Monday: February 2, 2026

After an early 6am wakeup and some breakfast, I took the S-Train from my homestay to Dybbløsbro station. My core class was to meet at 7:45am to board a bus to different schools outside of Copenhagen. Our class was broken up into two groups, one that would go to a skovbørnehave, or forest kindergarten, and another that would go to a school for children with disabilities. As part of the group going to the skovbørnehave, I made sure to bring my snow pants, heavy winter jacket, and many layers as I would be spending three hours in the crisp, winter weather with the students!

When we arrived at the school, we were greeted by one of the pedagogues who gave us a tour around the property and explained some of the philosophies behind their teaching methods. We learned that children were trusted to stay within boundaries without the use of a fence and that they had autonomy to choose when or where they wanted to eat lunch or have a snack. Their days were mostly filled of free play and time to explore the environment without pedagogues hovering over them. We observed some children sledding down a small, manmade hill, others swinging in hammocks, and some sitting around a fire. Of course, we ended up joining in on the fun! After lots of sledding and a pick-up soccer game with some of the students, I was joyful, tired, and ready to board the bus to our next destination!

After settling into our hotel in Odense, my class walked to Alfred & Kamila, a restaurant where we got to make our own food with the guidance of a chef! We were broken up into a few different groups, each group responsible for one part of the three course meal. My group learned how to make pear and squash pizza. We shaped the dough, added the cheese, pear, and squash, and then placed the pizza in a brick oven to cook. Once everyone was done making their dishes, we all sat around the tables and enjoyed our delicious dinner followed by crepes for dessert!

Tuesday: February 3, 2026

The next day, my class gathered in the hotel lobby and together we walked to the H.C. Andersen Hus. The goal of the morning was to immerse ourselves in Ville Vau, a play space designed for kids (and adults) to let their imagination come to life. Equipped with both child and adult costumes, a castle, and lights that looped to mimic day and night, there were endless opportunities for play. Grabbing a cape from the castle, I joined my classmates by the pond where we sat around a campfire prepping a fish for dinner.

After lunch, we walked to Kunstmuseum Brandts to see an art gallery featuring paintings from the Danish children's book Den Fantastiske Bus by Jakob Martin Strid. The 200 page book is set in a polluted, dystopian city and follows the lives of the animal residents who are being evicted from their homes. After one of their friend's falls ill, a small group sets out to look for the land of Balanka which is believed to have saffron lilies with magical healing abilities. The characters build a fantastic bus and travel through the mountains, across the North Pole, and up into the clouds eventually landing in the land of Balanka. The book, which took 15 years to write and illustrate, displays Jakob Martin Strid's creativity through highly detailed and vivid paintings that were amazing to see in person!

Wednesday: February 4, 2026

For our final day of our core course travel, we boarded the bus to Billund, Denmark for another day of play at the LEGO House! We started with a guided tour of each experience zone before setting off on our own to explore. During this time, I built and raced a LEGO car, created my own minifigure, and built a LEGO flower to add to a digital world.

The LEGO House was a perfect example of how play and active engagement can motivate children to seek out opportunities for learning. Each of the experience zones offered something different. The blue zone, where I built a car, allowed children to explore physics and develop cognitive skills while the green zone allowed children to expand their social skills through creating minifigures and stop motion videos.

As our time in the LEGO House concluded, we got back on the bus and headed home to Copenhagen.

Final Reflections

Core Course week was such a unique experience and I am appreciative of the opportunities DIS offers for experiential learning. Getting to travel across Denmark and learn from experts in the fields of child development and education allowed me to take everything we had learned in class and find ways to apply it to everyday life. After all of the learning, socializing and fun activities, it is also okay to feel a bit exhausted. While I would have loved to continue exploring new locations in Denmark, by the end of the trip I also felt ready to return to my homestay for a relaxing weekend!

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions about DIS or even core course week specifically!

Vi Ses!