The educational and leisure programmes at the Museum of Coastal Folk and the Viimsi Open Air Museum offer discovery and meaningful learning for children, young people and adults, helping them better understand the history, culture and traditions of Estonia’s coastal communities.
Our museums offer engaging, educational and meaningful activities throughout the year. Museum lessons, experience programmes and workshops introduce the history, work, customs and everyday life of coastal people living by the sea.
We learn together through stories, objects and shared activities. That way, new knowledge stays with children naturally and memorably.
At the Museum of Coastal Folk, museum lessons focus on maritime life, the marine environment, Estonia and local heritage. At the Viimsi Open Air Museum, museum lessons for kindergarten children and school groups focus on folk calendar traditions and the marine environment.
Our educational programmes for kindergartens and schools are linked to the curriculum and provide a meaningful change from regular classroom learning. A museum lesson or school trip near Tallinn offers the opportunity to learn outside the classroom and experience Estonia’s coastal history first-hand.
Each programme is slightly different. We always adapt the programme to the age, interests, needs and abilities of the group.
Book a museum lesson or school trip near Tallinn.
More information:
Tel: +3725280406
Email: haridus@rrm.ee
FOR KINDERGARTENS
Seasonal and year-round museum lessons on different themes, suitable for the youngest children.
FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL LEVEL I
Educational and playful museum lessons for pupils in grades 1–3.
FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL LEVEL II
Museum lessons on different themes, suitable for pupils in grades 4–6.
PROGRAMS
AT THE COASTAL FOLK MUSEUM
The Coastal Folk Museum offers museum lessons on maritime topics, the aquatic environment, and themes connected to homeland and sense of place.
FOR KINDERGARTENS | YEAR-ROUND
7 JOBS ON A SHIP
Who steers the ship and who keeps the course? Who gives orders, who looks after the crew, and who helps passengers reach the harbour safely? In this programme, children learn about the important roles on a ship and how sailors work together.
FOR ALL SCHOOL LEVELS, FROM KINDERGARTEN TO UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL. ADAPTED ACCORDING TO AGE.
KEEP THE BALTIC SEA CLEAN!
We talk about our home sea, the Baltic Sea, and how human activity affects the marine environment. We explore how fish, birds and marine animals live in the sea, and discuss what each of us can do to help keep the sea clean and full of life.
KINDERGARTENS AND GRADES 1–5 | YEAR-ROUND
THE FASCINATING WORLD OF FISH
In this museum lesson, we explore the fish living in Estonia’s sea and freshwater habitats. We learn how many fish species live in Estonia, which is the biggest and which is the smallest, and how fish live, grow and communicate with one another.
KINDERGARTENS AND PRIMARY SCHOOL.
INTEGRATION PROGRAM | IN FEBRUARY
REMARKABLE ESTONIA
In this museum lesson, we travel through the story of Estonia. We talk about our country’s nature, people and symbols, and look at what life in Estonia used to be like.
LOWER AND UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL | UNTIL NOVEMBER 2026
FORGOTTEN WORK AND TOOLS
In this educational programme, we travel back to a time when many everyday objects were made by hand at home. We explore old tools and try out planing wood or carding wool ourselves.
PROGRAMS
VIIMSI OPEN AIR MUSEUM
At the Viimsi Open Air Museum, museum lessons for kindergarten children and school students focus on folk calendar traditions and the aquatic environment.
IN DECEMBER
CHRISTMAS AT KINGU FARM
Come and spend a cosy Advent season with the Kingu farm family at the Viimsi Open-Air Museum. Old Christmas traditions, games and the smell of gingerbread create a special festive atmosphere for both children and adults.
IN MAY, JUNE, AND SEPTEMBER
WISDOM OF THE THRESHING HOUSE
Let us discover old rural life together. For centuries, the threshing house was the heart of the Estonian farm. It combined living quarters and work spaces, where everyday life unfolded under one roof.
IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER
MAY THERE ALWAYS BE BREAD!
Take part in autumn farm work and bread-making at the Viimsi Open-Air Museum. Guided by the Kingu farm host and hostess, children learn the journey of grain from the field to the mill and from the mill to the child’s cheek.
IN NOVEMBER
MARTINMAS BLACK, ST CATHERINE’S WHITE
Every autumn, the coastal village family of Pringi looks forward to the time when Martinmas marks the end of autumn work and the beginning of winter, and the beautiful St Catherine’s Day mummers bring luck to the livestock. At the Viimsi Open-Air Museum, children can get to know these old and cheerful folk traditions.
IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH
OLD-TIME SHROVETIDE FUN
Come and celebrate Shrovetide at the Viimsi Open-Air Museum as it used to be done in the old days. We catch Shrovetide in a sack, drive out the “pigs” to the field, taste pig’s feet and Shrovetide buns, make spinning tops from buttons and bones, and hold a lively spinning-top competition.
IN APRIL
EASTER AT THE OPEN-AIR MUSEUM
In the Easter programme, we explore old Easter traditions. We dye eggs, examine bird eggs, play spring games and taste egg butter. If the weather is good, we give the village swing a push, because swinging at Easter was believed to bring good fortune.
KINDERGARTENS, ALL SCHOOL LEVELS – ADAPTED ACCORDING TO AGE
KEEP THE BALTIC SEA CLEAN!
We talk about our home sea, the Baltic Sea, and how human activity affects the marine environment. We explore how fish, birds and marine animals live in the sea, and discuss what each of us can do to keep the sea clean and full of life.
KINDERGARTENS AND GRADES 1–5
THE FASCINATING WORLD OF FISH
In this museum lesson, we explore which fish live in Estonia’s sea and freshwater environments. We learn how many fish species live in Estonia, which is the largest and which is the smallest, and how fish live, grow and communicate with one another.
KINDERGARTEN, PRIMARY SCHOOL | AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM
IN APRIL, MAY, JUNE, AND SEPTEMBER
A QUICK COURSE IN COASTAL LIFE
Estonians are a seafaring people, and life by the sea has always been fascinating. In this quick course in coastal life, we learn what one needs to know before heading out to sea in a boat, explore fishermen’s life and discover the skills and wisdom of Estonia’s coastal communities.