Children’s Museum Festival Turns Into a Weekend-Long Birthday Celebration, 21–22 March, 2026
A festive birthday theme sets the tone for this year’s Children’s Museum Festival as the host institutions mark milestone anniversaries: the Exhibition Centre WeeGee and its museums turn twenty, while Museum Leikki across the courtyard celebrates its thirtieth year. With beloved performers Mimi and Kuku and the Pikku Papun Orkesteri leading the festivities, the festival promises a memorable weekend of fun for families of all ages.
What if you could celebrate your birthday more than once a year? At the Children’s Museum Festival, everyone is a birthday star!
The Children’s Museum Festival is an annual family event organised collaboratively by the Exhibition Centre WeeGee, EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art, KAMU Espoo City Museum, and Leikki – the Museum of Play. Throughout the weekend, exhibition spaces will come alive with music, performances, and hands-on workshops inspired by art, architecture, and history. While the theme changes each year, the festival’s spirit remains the same: a shared celebration of joy and creativity.
Two featured performers will headline the festivities. The Pikku Papun Orkesteri (Pikku Papu Orchestra), a favourite in Finnish children’s music with a history of sold-out performances, will present an energetic concert inviting audiences to sing along and join the adventure. Meanwhile, Mimi the Musician and her hilarious companion, the Clown Lion Kuku, will guide audiences through a lively world of puppet theatre, soap bubbles, and lion-training.
The programme of the Children’s Museum Festival has been developed in collaboration with multicultural families living in Espoo. At the programme stand, visitors can learn more about the work of Nicehearts ry, Familia ry, and the Espoo Mokulat ry, as well as participate in art workshops offered in English, Chinese, Turkish, and Tagalog.
The festival’s numerous workshop stations invite children to create birthday wishes, hunt for lost gift packages, craft festive accessories such as party hats and henna decorations, and more. And what would a birthday be without cake – this time baked from imaginative ingredients such as musical notes, cardboard, and playful decorations. Visitors can also test their skills on a circus obstacle course, embark on a one-minute birthday adventure, and sing favourite birthday songs with karaoke host Juha Heikkinen.
The fun extends beyond the museum walls to Espoo School of Art and courtyard, where Espoo’s Library and Culture Bus Välkky has rolled in for the weekend. All venues are conveniently located around the shared courtyard at Ahertajantie 3 and 5, just a short walk from Tapiola metro station
The programme(external link, opens in a new window) runs Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm, with Museum Leikki open from 10 am on both days. Admission is free for children and included in the museum tickets for adults. Everyone is warmly invited to join us for a joyful weekend in Tapiola, Espoo! For the full programme and additional information, please visit: www.lastenmuseofestarit.fi(external link, opens in a new window).