About the Concept
Fjölskylduland - Iceland's first Comprehensive Family Center
Fjölskylduland is the first holistic Indoor Playground and Family Center in Iceland. It offers a safe, enriching, and developmentally stimulating environment for children up to six years old. A carefully designed space for creative play and exploration for children as well as a supportive environment for parents and parents to be, with a whole array of workshops, classes, and events. A one-stop family land that Iceland desperately needs.
A Well-Designed Indoor Playground With Skilled and Educated Staff
Fjölskylduland is a well-designed indoor playground and a source of rich sensory input for babies, toddlers and young children. It is carefully designed with natural materials and open-ended toys. Handpicked by developmental therapists, providing the right amount of appropriate stimulation.
Fjölskylduland is a place where skilled and educated staff is present to interact with guests, although the children are under the responsibility of their parents or caretakers.
A Meetup Location and a One-Stop Parent Resource Center
Fjölskylduland is a place where caretakers can socialize, have a good coffee and relax while their children do their hard work: Learn through play!
Fjölskylduland offers educational and recreational courses and classes for parents and families together, that support play, creativity, relaxation and strengthen caretakers in their roles.
Family Center Providing Support For Caretakers
Fjölskylduland will cooperate with a variety of specialists, organizations and individuals who can offer therapy, support and education to families. This service can be offered for children, parents or the family as whole. For example, individual therapy, breastfeeding support, courses and events. If you are interested in joining us and offer your service to families, you are welcome to contact us. More information can be found under “Contributors” at the top of our website.
Helping Children Be Physically Active and Mentally Stimulated While Being Indoors
Playgrounds are great for children of all ages, and Reykjavik is full of good open-air playgrounds where families can enjoy the fresh air, open space, and being close to nature. While playing outside is important for the mind and the body, having the option of a good indoor play area is just as important. We believe that having a warm, inviting place for the youngest children to enjoy on dark and cold days will improve the quality of life for many families.
Fjölskylduland is a well-designed indoor playground — a source of rich sensory input for babies, toddlers, and young children. It also provides open play opportunities that stimulate fine and gross motor skills.
Our environment is about much more than just having a comfy, warm place to play. It’s important for us to expose our children to rich sensory input during their first few years of life. Offering opportunities for kids to use their senses to actively explore their surroundings through what is known as sensory play is essential for brain development because it helps children to build nerve connections in the pathways of their brain.
Young children are full of energy and need plenty of activity time. Toddlers and preschoolers need at least 60 minutes of unstructured physical activity every single day. These regular periods of vigorous physical activity are essential for their growth and development.
Research regarding children´s play has shown that extended periods of self-directed play are powerful in children’s development. When self-directed, children will experiment with challenging activities on their own terms, try their vocabulary in communicating and collaborating with others as well as build resilience through trial and error.
Offering children the opportunity for active, self directed play every day is crucial for healthy development. Active play does more than just entertain children; it also strengthens their muscles, bones, and brains!
A good indoor playground isn’t about fancy, loud, and colorful toys. It should be a screen-free environment that has been carefully designed and specially tailored for a specific goal and age group. The ultimate objective is to support and boost development without overstimulating their sensitive brains. This needs to be a place where all the toys and tools have been handpicked by developmental therapists.
About the Space
Fjölskylduland is located in Dugguvogur 4 in Vogabyggð, within walking distance from public transport. Fjölskylduland offers visually open, supervised play areas, which will ensure that the children are safe while also challenging them to think, explore, interact, and have fun. The staff at Fjölskylduland will interact with and guide guests, but parents are responsible for their children.
Fjölskyldulands indoor playground is a bright open space with different areas, for example, a separate play area for babies, developmental toys, books, blocks, a treehouse, paths for balance bikes, and an area for sensory play.
In addition to the playground, there are two large rooms that can be used for various courses or workshops. You can also find four smaller rooms/offices, a launch, and an eating area for families.
Meet The Founder
Krisztina G. Agueda is a movement therapist who specializes in child motor development. She has been running Hreyfiland – a popular family gym in the capital area – for more than two decades. Hreyfiland offers developmental classes for babies and children from three months up to six years and targeted therapy for developmentally challenged children. Krisztina has created a wonderful community around Hreyfiland. Thousands of kids have participated in her classes, therapy sessions, and sports events.
Krisztina has been dreaming of this place for years. Some aspects of her plans have already been made a reality at Hreyfiland at different times over the past two decades but they have never occurred all at once. Now her long-cherished dream has come true: a center that will be highly valuable for families.