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Upcoming Children's Programs

Upcoming Adult Programs

Nordic American Voices

Scandinavian Language Institute

For Teachers


Education & Classes

Upcoming Children's Programs

Download a calendar of Kids' Programs in 2011.


Nordic Stories

The first Thursday of each month, 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Nordic Stories


An important note about Nordic Stories: In 2012, Nordic Stories will be moving from the first Tuesday of the month to the first Thursday of the month, to align with the new free day at the Nordic Heritage Museum.

Join us for our fifth year of Nordic Stories, geared toward preschool aged children and their grown-ups. Held the 1st Thursday of each month from 10am to 11am, Nordic Stories features children's stories from the Nordic countries, along with fun craft projects. This is a free program, no reservations are necessary. Please note: This program is not intended for large groups.


Thursday, February 2: Finland: Brave Charlotte by Anu Stohner
Thursday, March 1: Iceland: The Problem with Chickens by Bruce McMillan, illustrated by Icelandic artist Gunnella.



LEGO Workshop

Saturday, February 4, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

LEGO Workshop


Calling all LEGO enthusiasts! Are you crazy for this classic Danish building toy? Then don't miss out on a fun morning of LEGO building with Dan Parker, local Certified LEGO Professional—back for a third year!

Participants can spend time creating on their own with the large supply of LEGO bricks and specialty pieces, or they can join one of Dan’s break-out classes on LEGO tricks and techniques. Explore various aspects of LEGO design along with other LEGO fans!

Registration is necessary. To register, contact Alison Church, Children’s Education Coordinator, at (206) 789-5707 x19 or by email: alisonc@nordicmuseum.org.

This program is for children ages 5 to 12.

The cost for the 3-hour workshop is $45 for Museum members, $50 for non-members. Pre-registration and pre-payment are necessary. For program details, contact Alison Church at (206) 789-5707, ext. 19.



Breakfast at Pippi's and Pippi Longstocking Movie!

Saturday, March 17

Breakfast at Pippi’s: 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Pippi Longstocking Movie: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Pippi celebration


Celebrate that one-of-a-kind Swedish girl Pippi Longstocking at the always popular Breakfast at Pippi’s. Dress up as your favorite character from the Pippi stories and join us for a delicious breakfast of Swedish pancakes complete with live music and dancing for kids! There will also be a craft for children to make.
Appropriate for all ages. No reservations needed.

Cost is $6 for adults, $4 for children (age 5-12), free for children under 5, includes museum admission.

Continue the Pippi celebration with a family viewing of Pippi Longstocking (dubbed in English!) starring Inger Nilsson–appropriate for all ages. No reservations needed.

Suggested donation: $5 for adults, $3 for children.



Barneleikarringen of Greater Seattle

2nd and 4th Sunday of each month, 1:30 – 2:30 pm

Barneleikarringen


Calling young dancers!

Barneleikarringen invites young people to learn Nordic dancing. Students and parents learn fun folkdances from each of the five Nordic countries. Instructors emphasize basic cultural aspects of these countries as well as music and dance steps. No prior experience necessary—all dances are taught. Dances are geared for everyone age 4 and up. We love it when parents, grandparents, and friends dance with the kids. Children also have the opportunity to take part in performances with the group at various locations.

We meet at the Nordic Heritage Museum on the 2nd and 4th Sunday afternoons during the school year, from 1:30-2:30 followed by social time until 2:45. Some practices are at other locations when Museum space is unavailable.

For questions, please call 425. 954.5257 or email Barneleikarringen@gmail.com Visit our website at: https://sites.google.com/site/barneleikarringen/home

The group is sponsored in part by Leikarringen and Leif Erikson Lodge 2-001.



Upcoming Adult Programs



woodcarving

Nordic Woodcarving with Eric Holt

Learn Acanthus Rococo and dragon/Viking styles in this class. Students will concentrate on the fundamental leaf formations of the Acanthus style, working up combinations and the Acanthus curl. Sharpening and basic carving techniques will be covered for beginners.
Class options of 2-5 sessions per month.

Saturdays, 9:00am-3:30pm.

Jan. 28
Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25
Mar. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
April 7, 14, 21, 28
May 5, 12, 19, 26
June 2, 9, 16, 23

Cost is $162.50 for 5 classes; $130 for 4 classes; $97.50 for 3 classes; $38 per day for single classes. *No refunds or credit for classes missed.

Contact Linda Lingle at the Nordic Heritage Museum Education Department for additional course information and registration at 206-789-5707 ext. 21, or email lindal@nordicmuseum.org.



Stranded Colorwork Cardigan with Mary Scott Huff

Four Saturday Sessions beginning January 14, for 18 hours of instruction.

Stranded Colorwork Cardigan


Stranded with Mary! Love the beautiful stranded colorwork from the Nordic knitting tradition? Who doesn’t? In this four -session knitting adventure, students will make their own stranded colorwork cardigans.

From cast -on to bind-off, Mary Scott Huff will guide knitters through the process of creating their own hand-knit work of art inspired by traditional patterns, using both traditional techniques and some modern shortcuts.

If you have ever wanted to understand the construction process of a stranded cardigan but were afraid that the techniques might be too involved or confusing, here is your chance to create a sweater with the help and support of a pro. Mary is the author of The New Stranded Colorwork:Techniques and Patterns for Vibrant Knitwear (Interweave Press, 2009), with a new book, Teach Yourself Visually Color Knitting, due for release in 2012.

Four Saturday Sessions, for 18 hours of instruction:
January 14, 10:00 am—4:00 pm: Getting Stranded
March 17, 10:00 am—1:00 pm: Stranded in the Middle
April 14, 10:00 am—4:00 pm; Making the Cut
May 19, 10:00 am—4:00 pm. All Buttoned Up

Cost: $295 members; $305 non-members.

For further information and a supply list please contact Linda Lingle at 206.789.5707, ext. 21 or lindal@nordicmuseum.org.



Swedish Semlor

Swedish Semlor with Malena Grundel

Saturday, February 11, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm.

Shake off the dreary winter with this delicious Swedish pastry just in time for Fat Tuesday. Experienced baker Malena Grundel will help students make this extravagant cardamom-spiced bun, traditionally enjoyed during the season of feasting before Lent begins. Then all will enjoy feasting on their creations!

Cost: Members, $30; non-members, $35.

Contact Linda Lingle at the Nordic Heritage Museum Education Department for additional course information and registration at 206.789.5707 ext. 21, or email lindal@nordicmuseum.org.




Fishes and Dishes

More Fishes and Dishes with Laura Cooper and Kelly Barry

Saturday, March 24, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm.

Join Laura Cooper and Sommelier Kelly Barry for this unique cooking class as they share recipes, stories, and wine pairing advice from The Fishes and Dishes Cookbook: Seafood Recipes and Salty Stories from Alaska’s Commercial Fisherwomen.

Students will prepare dishes from the book and then sit down to enjoy the dishes and new friends along with a glass of wine.

Cost: Members, $35; non-members, $40.
Includes a glass of wine.

Contact Linda Lingle at the Nordic Heritage Museum Education Department for additional course information and registration at 206.789.5707 ext. 21, or email lindal@nordicmuseum.org.
Class size is limited so please register early.




Card weaving

Nordic Card Weaving with Linda Malan

Saturday, March 31, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Learn to weave like the Vikings! Linda Malan, a member of the Card Weaving group of the Seattle Weavers’ Guild, will introduce students to this ancient weaving technique. A set of 52 weaving cards was found in the Oseberg ship burial, which dates from around AD 800.

Cost: Members, $30; non-members, $35. Materials fee payable to the instructor.

Contact Linda Lingle at the Nordic Heritage Museum Education Department for additional course information and registration at 206.789.5707 ext. 21, or email lindal@nordicmuseum.org.



Members receive a discount on most classes.



Nordic Knitting Cafe

Nordic Knit and Spin Cafe

**Please note: Beginning in February the Knit and Spin Café will move to the first Sunday of each month.

First Sunday of every month, 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Both new and experienced knitters can bring their knitting and spinning projects and find kindred spirits. You don’t have to be Nordic to knit Nordic.

Cost: free, donations welcome.



Nordic American Voices Oral History Initiative



The Nordic Heritage Museum announces the launch of a new and ambitious effort to collect, preserve, and share the life histories of Nordic immigrants and their descendants in the Pacific Northwest.

Nordic American Voices builds upon the expertise gained in the 1999–2000 Vanishing Generation Project, when 123 interviews were recorded by more than 40 volunteers. In 2001 the Museum, together with project partners the Ballard Historical Society and the Swedish Finn Historical Society, published a 289-page book. Voices of Ballard: Immigrant Stories from the Vanishing Generation contains narrative renditions of over 100 interview transcripts. The first edition sold out quickly and is currently out of print. One early goal of the Nordic American Voices project is to publish a new, expanded edition of the popular book.

The scope of Nordic American Voices will reach beyond Ballard, capturing the life stories of individuals throughout the region, from the farming communities of Snohomish and Skagit Counties to Scandinavian settlements in Eastern Washington. These interviews will inform future publications as well as exhibitions in the Museum’s current facility and in the new building planned for Market Street in Ballard.

Another special focus of the project will be to identify and interview individuals living in the Pacific Northwest who can share their memories and experiences of the Nordic countries during World War II, the occupation and the resistance movements, and the Winter War and Continuation War in Finland. These stories will be featured in a range of projects, from educational websites to exhibitions, and will be available to historians and to other Nordic cultural organizations.

YOU CAN HELP
The Nordic American Voices project will thrive with the assistance of many volunteers. The Nordic American Voices Steering Committee also seeks the community’s assistance in identifying interview participants and in conducting interviews. Please consider becoming a project volunteer nominating a narrator by contacting Linda Lingle at (206) 789-5707 ext.21, or lindal@nordicmuseum.org.

Scandinavian Language Institute

SCANDINAVIAN LANGUAGE INSTITUTE NEWS: The new Fall Quarter of Scandinavian language classes will begin the week of October 3 and run for 9 weeks. The Scandinavian Language Institute has scheduled 16 classes slated at the Nordic Heritage Museum in Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish languages. Beginning classes are available in all four languages. In addition to multiple levels being taught Monday through Thursday evenings, there are also daytime classes available in Norwegian and Swedish. Discounts and partial scholarships are available. Registration takes place in class - so easy! Just show up and you're in! For more information including class schedules and tuition costs, visit: www.SLISeattle.com

For Teachers

The Nordic Heritage Museum invites school groups to visit our exhibits, either on guided or self-guided tours. Reservations are required for all group visits at least two weeks in advance. Contact the Education Department at (206) 789-5707 ext.19 or email: alisonc@nordicmuseum.org.

Museum Tours
Guided Tours
Guided tours take place in our Dream of America exhibit and include a curriculum guide, a guide to Washington State EALRs addressed, and a scavenger hunt for students to use on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Bring your class’s study of immigration, Nordic culture, or Washington State history alive with this popular tour. Travel back to the nineteenth-century Scandinavian countryside with your students to begin the journey to America through the Dream of America’s life-like settings and period artifacts. The voyage continues through captivating displays, as students board a ship to cross the Atlantic, and disembark at Ellis Island. Moving through the Midwest, the trek ends in the Pacific Northwest and Ballard, Seattle. Make the Nordic immigrant experience universal with this dynamic tour using role-playing and illustrative props! Minimum of ten students, maximum of 30 on guided tours. Larger groups can schedule back-to-back tours. One chaperone is required for every six students. Self-guided Tours
Teachers are also welcome to bring students on self-guided tours. Scavenger hunts are available for all three floors of the museum.

Outreach Trunks Immigrant Trunk
The Immigrant Trunk is full of hands-on artifacts that reflect common objects brought by Nordic immigrants to America during the nineteenth century. Use the classroom activities and teacher’s manual, personal belongings, and replicas of immigrant documents from the Museum’s collection to bring history alive. Let the Immigrant Trunk give your class a personal glimpse into the immigration period of the late 1800s.The Immigrant Trunk is a great complement to the Dream of America guided tour.

NEW! Nordic Folk Art Trunk
The newly completed Nordic Folk Art Trunk includes a wealth of folk art objects from the Nordic region. Students can explore traditional art forms such as painting, paper arts, textiles, and music. Books, music CDs, and a teacher's manual round out this classroom resource.

Viking Trunk
The Viking Trunk contains faithful replicas of Viking Age artifacts for your students to handle and try on, including clothing, armor, and jewelry. Slides depicting the world of the Vikings, informative books, and a teacher’s manual filled with information and activities for classroom use complete this fun outreach resource. Use the Viking Trunk to discover with your students how the Vikings really lived.

Trolls and Norse Gods Trunk
The Trolls and Norse Gods Trunk is an excellent resource for classes studying folktales or myths, or for those who just love trolls and Norse gods. This trunk contains troll and Norse god costumes, music stories to read in class along with story writing aids, and a teacher’s manual filled with information about trolls and Norse gods and activities to use in your classroom.


Nordic Adventures
Would you like to have someone visit your classroom and give a presentation related to the Nordic countries? The Nordic Heritage Museum has an exciting organization, Nordic Adventures, that can provide classroom presentations on a number of Nordic subjects, including culture, music and dance, arts, history, Norse mythology, and Vikings, to name a few! Presenters are provided FREE of charge to speak to your class! This is a great addition to a Dream of America guided tour, or a fantastic option for groups that cannot afford a visit to the Nordic Heritage Museum.

If you would like to have a presentation from a member of Nordic Adventures, contact the Education Department at (206) 789-5707 ext.19 or email: alisonc@nordicmuseum.org.