During the summer, there are lots of fun Moomin-related activities happening all around the world. In addition, the internet is full of Moomin content to dive into when you want to fill your days with some Moominous fun!
Want to head to a Moomin theme park? Or listen to a podcast about Tove Jansson? Read further for the most Moominous summer activities!
Learn more about Tove Jansson
Guardian’s article about landscapes in Tove Jansson’s work is a beautiful weekend read. Nature plays a big part in Jansson’s novels, and in the article, Susannah Clapp shares how the tiny island of Klovharun affected Jansson’s writing.
You can listen to landscapes, too – enjoy a unique downloadable audio piece from multi-instrumentalist and composer Erland Cooper, which includes field recordings from Klovharun and a new reading of Jansson’s essay ‘The Island’ by her niece Sophia Jansson. The audio piece is a part of the Woman Who Fell in Love With an Island exhibition (read further for more details!)
The beloved classic, Tove Jansson’s The Summer Book is written in a clear, unsentimental style, full of brusque humour, and wisdom. The book tells the story of a child named Sophia, her father and grandmother who spend their summers on a small island in the Gulf of Finland. Central to the friendship between the old woman and the very small girl are their reflections on life and death.
The Didrichsen Art Museum has launched a fascinating podcast about Tove Jansson as an artist. In the podcast, Jansson’s niece Sophia Jansson guides the listener through the inspirations and influencers behind Tove Jansson’s art.
Moominous games for the entire family
Engage in the joys of wordplay! The free printable Moomin activity pages include puzzles, word searches and wordokus for children, tweens and adults. Download and print the pages and spend a fun afternoon with words!
In addition to wordplay, you can also play different kinds of Moomin-themed games! On the webshop, you can find fun games varying from traditional playing cards to puzzles, board games and card games!
Moomins around the world
A must-visit place for all Moomin fans visiting Finland is of course the Moominworld. The theme park has a lot of fun activities both for the young and old.
In the Pellinge archipelago in Finland, you can spend a fun day inspired by the beloved picture book The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My! Island Riddles will take you on a milk-seeking trip to the Moomin primaeval forest and to the same beaches that Tove Jansson used to walk as a child.
The Moomin theme park in Hanno, Japan, Moominvalley Park, is also open for visitors! Until the end of August, there is a beautiful umbrella exhibition in the park.
The children’s cultural centre Junibacken, located in Stockholm, Sweden, has opened a playful new Moomin exhibition! The exhibition is inspired by four Moomin books: The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My, Moominsummer Madness, Moominpappa at Sea and The Memoirs of Moominpappa.
The Moomin Original: 75th Anniversary Special Exhibition in Seoul, Korea is a combination of mixed media featuring projection mapping media art, as well as nearly 250 pieces of Tove Jansson’s original artworks and sketches. There is also a Moomin-themed café and an art shop where visitors may enjoy exclusive merchandise for the 75th anniversary!
For art lovers
Tove Jansson’s love for painting is showcased in the Didrichsen Art Museum in Helsinki, Finland. The exhibition “To paint is to be” presents the background and artistic influences of the multitalented visual artist, illustrator and writer, and concentrates on Jansson’s career as a visual artist beginning with early paintings from the 1930s and 1940s.
The Woman Who Fell In Love With An Island is a unique collaboration between London Wildlife Trust’s Walthamstow Wetlands and The William Morris Gallery in London, UK. In the summer of 2021, visitors of the Walthamstow Wetlands get to enjoy a wonderful nature trail and exhibition celebrating the life and work of Tove Jansson. The project draws on the parallels between the island of Klovharun in the Finnish archipelago, where Tove Jansson spent her summers immersed in nature, and the scenery at Walthamstow Wetlands.
If you can’t make it to the exhibitions, you can get to know Tove Jansson’s art with the help of the Tove Jansson: Desire to Create and Live catalogue! The lavishly illustrated exhibition catalogue was originally published to accompany a European touring exhibition of Tove Jansson’s art. It opens up new and fascinating perspectives on Jansson’s life and work.
♥ Have a Moominous summer! ♥