A free Saturday morning and a kid who needs something new to do? Start here. This is our running list of kids' events coming up soon, from theater and concerts to hands-on workshops and festivals. It updates itself as organizers post new dates, with the soonest at the top, so check back before each weekend.
Imperial Show is a water circus in a big tent: fountains dance in time to music under stage lights while costumed artists perform circus acts and dance.
For the youngest there's a clown with comic gags, plus fairytale characters. A fire show mixes flames, dance and music. It suits families with kids of different ages who want a big, colorful show to sit back and watch.
Wrocław's family-friendly way to mark Polish Independence Day: a cheerful march of several thousand people behind brass bands, majorettes, flag bearers from Gwardia Gryfa and historical reenactment groups. Kids wave small white-and-red flags, school groups parade in themed costumes for a competition, and the vintage Jelcz "Ogórek" bus leads the way.
It ends with everyone singing the national anthem together. Anyone can join along the route.
Centrum Historii Zajezdnia marks Independence Day with a family program. Kids tour the "Wrocław 1945-2016" exhibition with an interactive map, QR codes and NFC tags, collecting 11 virtual stamps for a prize at reception.
The foyer has a free art zone with wreath making, pins, face painting and coloring pages. Actors play historical figures, and entertainer Wujek Lisek joins them.
Eight-year-old Karolcia finds a blue bead that grants wishes. She and her friend Piotrek learn that hasty wishes have unexpected consequences, while the witch Filomena tracks the bead.
A stage version of Maria Krüger's classic Polish children's book at Wrocławski Teatr Lalek, with a 1960s and 70s look: geometric shapes, neon, bright colors and jazz and soul music.
More than 100,000 balloons built into five themed worlds: a jungle of palms, monkeys and parrots, an underwater zone with octopuses, mermaids and pirate ships, landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben, and a space zone of planets and rockets, plus photo walls. International balloon artists build every piece from natural latex. Kids get face painting, balloon-twisting workshops and games led by entertainers, plus a live balloon show.
Spoko Loko is a Polish kids' band of three, Kasia, Mati and Ola, known from their YouTube channel. The show is built for joining in: kids dance and sing along to favorites like "Tańce Połamańce" and "Ciu ciu ła" plus newer songs, with soap bubbles and riddles between numbers. It's all in Polish, though "Głowa, ramiona" is the Polish Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. The band stays for photos afterward.
Teatr Piasku stages Dickens's A Christmas Carol with actors performing inside scenery that an artist draws live in sand and light. Scrooge's change from a bitter miser to a generous man unfolds in pictures that form and dissolve as the scenes play out.
It suits kids who like watching art being made, and older kids who already know the story will catch the most.
A concert from Opera Wrocławska for World Kindness Day, with a trumpet as the main character. Singers, a string quartet, piano and percussion perform songs about joy, sadness, jealousy and kind words.
It suits kids who like live music and can sit still for a show, and the opera pitches it as a chance to talk about emotions and empathy.
Alpacas visit MultiCentrum, a branch of Wrocław's public library, for a Kindness Day session. Kids learn about the animals, touch alpaca wool and feed the alpacas their favorite treats.
It suits kids who like animals and can follow Polish. A guardian comes along, so it works as a shared outing rather than a drop-off.
St. Martin's croissants are a well-known Polish treat, but few kids know where they come from. This session of the Little Readers' Club reads from "Etnogadki", an illustrated book of old Polish rituals and customs, tells the St. Martin legend and its folk customs, then ends with a workshop where kids make and decorate their own early versions of the croissant. Led in Polish by a University of Wrocław literature student.
Szaleni Naukowcy (Mad Scientists) is a staged science show set to music. Four characters, Professor Traut, Nina, Igrek and Człowiek-Robak, run live chemistry and physics experiments: hundreds of liters of colored foam, Tesla coils throwing sparks, a smoke tornado, glowing pigment and lasers.
The organizer bills it as entertainment first, so expect laughs and big effects more than a lesson. It suits curious kids who like noise and spectacle.
Poland's big December book fair fills Centennial Hall with publishers' stalls, including a children's book section that grew out of the Dobre Strony fair. Kids can flip through picture books and new releases before anything goes in the basket. It suits families who like browsing slowly, and it is a good place to start Christmas gift shopping. Everything is in Polish.
A family show from Wrocław's Pantomime Theater, played outdoors in the theater's backyard. Director Artur Borkowski stages a courtyard fairy tale.
It runs with no intermission, so it suits preschoolers who can sit through a short story. Kids who already know the tale get the most out of it, and it's an easy first outdoor theater outing.
Santa is worn out this year, so three elves with clashing personalities, Fircyk, Pyszałek and Złośnik, start work in his workshop to learn how presents get made. Can they get along long enough to finish before Christmas? The show is pitched at preschoolers. Afterward, kids meet Santa and the elves in a decorated cottage, then join in dance games to round it off.
Tarczyński Arena turns into a 3,000 m² Lapland-style North Pole, with snow falling indoors and a chance to meet Santa in person. Each child gets a Santa's Helper Passport with tasks across the zones, from the Toy Factory to the Elf Academy.
Kids decorate gingerbread, make baubles and wreaths, watch elf experiments with smoke and foam, and post a letter to Santa. It suits preschool and primary-school kids.
Before Christmas trees reached Poland, noble families hung a podłaźniczka: a spruce branch hung from the ceiling, decorated with ornaments of paper, nuts and sweet wrappers. At this session of Compendium artisticum, the Pan Tadeusz Museum's Saturday creative studio, kids and grown-ups make old Polish baubles side by side and hear the story of the podłaźniczka. Grandparents are welcome too: the series is built for mixed generations.
Lumina Park is a winter light trail in the wooded grounds of Topacz Castle, just south of Wrocław. This season's theme is a journey through time: a 1.5 km forest path with more than 200 light installations, guided by a character called the Magical Courier of the Ages. Kids walk it after dark, spotting scenes from different eras. It suits families happy with an evening walk outdoors in the cold.
Wrocław's big winter market fills the Rynek, the old market square, and the streets around it with wooden stalls, lights and a giant Christmas tree. For kids, the pull is the Bajkowy Lasek (Fairy-Tale Forest) and a carousel shaped like a Christmas tree. Parents browse gifts and warm up at the food and drink huts.
More than a million people came last season, so expect crowds.
Operanki is Wrocław Opera's hands-on music workshop for preschoolers and the adult who comes with them. Kids and parents sing, dance and play together, led by guest artists.
This season each session visits a different corner of Europe, from a ball at Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace to a Greek wedding and the fiery rhythms of Spain. It's led in Polish.
The Great Elf Factory (Wielka Fabryka Elfów) is a Christmas story kids play through. It opens with a show on stage, then an elf guide leads small groups through tasks and puzzles to brew an elixir that brings back Santa's Christmas mood.
It suits kids who like pretend play and working as a team. It is led in Polish.
Kraina Koni is a Christmas market built around the horses that live at the Partynice racetrack. Between wooden stalls of crafts, decorations and hot drinks, kids can ride ponies, tour the leisure stable to see how the horses are looked after, and ride a Ferris wheel over the lit-up grounds after dark.
There is also a family play zone, live music, and an open stage for young musicians.
A free Saturday morning and a kid who needs something new to do? Start here. This is our running list of kids' events coming up soon, from theater and concerts to hands-on workshops and festivals. It updates itself as organizers post new dates, with the soonest at the top, so check back before each weekend.
Imperial Show is a water circus in a big tent: fountains dance in time to music under stage lights while costumed artists perform circus acts and dance.
For the youngest there's a clown with comic gags, plus fairytale characters. A fire show mixes flames, dance and music. It suits families with kids of different ages who want a big, colorful show to sit back and watch.
Wrocław's family-friendly way to mark Polish Independence Day: a cheerful march of several thousand people behind brass bands, majorettes, flag bearers from Gwardia Gryfa and historical reenactment groups. Kids wave small white-and-red flags, school groups parade in themed costumes for a competition, and the vintage Jelcz "Ogórek" bus leads the way.
It ends with everyone singing the national anthem together. Anyone can join along the route.
Centrum Historii Zajezdnia marks Independence Day with a family program. Kids tour the "Wrocław 1945-2016" exhibition with an interactive map, QR codes and NFC tags, collecting 11 virtual stamps for a prize at reception.
The foyer has a free art zone with wreath making, pins, face painting and coloring pages. Actors play historical figures, and entertainer Wujek Lisek joins them.
Eight-year-old Karolcia finds a blue bead that grants wishes. She and her friend Piotrek learn that hasty wishes have unexpected consequences, while the witch Filomena tracks the bead.
A stage version of Maria Krüger's classic Polish children's book at Wrocławski Teatr Lalek, with a 1960s and 70s look: geometric shapes, neon, bright colors and jazz and soul music.
More than 100,000 balloons built into five themed worlds: a jungle of palms, monkeys and parrots, an underwater zone with octopuses, mermaids and pirate ships, landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben, and a space zone of planets and rockets, plus photo walls. International balloon artists build every piece from natural latex. Kids get face painting, balloon-twisting workshops and games led by entertainers, plus a live balloon show.
Spoko Loko is a Polish kids' band of three, Kasia, Mati and Ola, known from their YouTube channel. The show is built for joining in: kids dance and sing along to favorites like "Tańce Połamańce" and "Ciu ciu ła" plus newer songs, with soap bubbles and riddles between numbers. It's all in Polish, though "Głowa, ramiona" is the Polish Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. The band stays for photos afterward.
Teatr Piasku stages Dickens's A Christmas Carol with actors performing inside scenery that an artist draws live in sand and light. Scrooge's change from a bitter miser to a generous man unfolds in pictures that form and dissolve as the scenes play out.
It suits kids who like watching art being made, and older kids who already know the story will catch the most.
A concert from Opera Wrocławska for World Kindness Day, with a trumpet as the main character. Singers, a string quartet, piano and percussion perform songs about joy, sadness, jealousy and kind words.
It suits kids who like live music and can sit still for a show, and the opera pitches it as a chance to talk about emotions and empathy.
Alpacas visit MultiCentrum, a branch of Wrocław's public library, for a Kindness Day session. Kids learn about the animals, touch alpaca wool and feed the alpacas their favorite treats.
It suits kids who like animals and can follow Polish. A guardian comes along, so it works as a shared outing rather than a drop-off.
St. Martin's croissants are a well-known Polish treat, but few kids know where they come from. This session of the Little Readers' Club reads from "Etnogadki", an illustrated book of old Polish rituals and customs, tells the St. Martin legend and its folk customs, then ends with a workshop where kids make and decorate their own early versions of the croissant. Led in Polish by a University of Wrocław literature student.
Szaleni Naukowcy (Mad Scientists) is a staged science show set to music. Four characters, Professor Traut, Nina, Igrek and Człowiek-Robak, run live chemistry and physics experiments: hundreds of liters of colored foam, Tesla coils throwing sparks, a smoke tornado, glowing pigment and lasers.
The organizer bills it as entertainment first, so expect laughs and big effects more than a lesson. It suits curious kids who like noise and spectacle.
Poland's big December book fair fills Centennial Hall with publishers' stalls, including a children's book section that grew out of the Dobre Strony fair. Kids can flip through picture books and new releases before anything goes in the basket. It suits families who like browsing slowly, and it is a good place to start Christmas gift shopping. Everything is in Polish.
A family show from Wrocław's Pantomime Theater, played outdoors in the theater's backyard. Director Artur Borkowski stages a courtyard fairy tale.
It runs with no intermission, so it suits preschoolers who can sit through a short story. Kids who already know the tale get the most out of it, and it's an easy first outdoor theater outing.
Santa is worn out this year, so three elves with clashing personalities, Fircyk, Pyszałek and Złośnik, start work in his workshop to learn how presents get made. Can they get along long enough to finish before Christmas? The show is pitched at preschoolers. Afterward, kids meet Santa and the elves in a decorated cottage, then join in dance games to round it off.
Tarczyński Arena turns into a 3,000 m² Lapland-style North Pole, with snow falling indoors and a chance to meet Santa in person. Each child gets a Santa's Helper Passport with tasks across the zones, from the Toy Factory to the Elf Academy.
Kids decorate gingerbread, make baubles and wreaths, watch elf experiments with smoke and foam, and post a letter to Santa. It suits preschool and primary-school kids.
Before Christmas trees reached Poland, noble families hung a podłaźniczka: a spruce branch hung from the ceiling, decorated with ornaments of paper, nuts and sweet wrappers. At this session of Compendium artisticum, the Pan Tadeusz Museum's Saturday creative studio, kids and grown-ups make old Polish baubles side by side and hear the story of the podłaźniczka. Grandparents are welcome too: the series is built for mixed generations.
Lumina Park is a winter light trail in the wooded grounds of Topacz Castle, just south of Wrocław. This season's theme is a journey through time: a 1.5 km forest path with more than 200 light installations, guided by a character called the Magical Courier of the Ages. Kids walk it after dark, spotting scenes from different eras. It suits families happy with an evening walk outdoors in the cold.
Wrocław's big winter market fills the Rynek, the old market square, and the streets around it with wooden stalls, lights and a giant Christmas tree. For kids, the pull is the Bajkowy Lasek (Fairy-Tale Forest) and a carousel shaped like a Christmas tree. Parents browse gifts and warm up at the food and drink huts.
More than a million people came last season, so expect crowds.
Operanki is Wrocław Opera's hands-on music workshop for preschoolers and the adult who comes with them. Kids and parents sing, dance and play together, led by guest artists.
This season each session visits a different corner of Europe, from a ball at Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace to a Greek wedding and the fiery rhythms of Spain. It's led in Polish.
The Great Elf Factory (Wielka Fabryka Elfów) is a Christmas story kids play through. It opens with a show on stage, then an elf guide leads small groups through tasks and puzzles to brew an elixir that brings back Santa's Christmas mood.
It suits kids who like pretend play and working as a team. It is led in Polish.
Kraina Koni is a Christmas market built around the horses that live at the Partynice racetrack. Between wooden stalls of crafts, decorations and hot drinks, kids can ride ponies, tour the leisure stable to see how the horses are looked after, and ride a Ferris wheel over the lit-up grounds after dark.
There is also a family play zone, live music, and an open stage for young musicians.
