Animal mask making
Reykjavík library and Culture house, Grófin, Tryggvagata 15, 101 Reykjavík Directions
Sat 22.08.2026 13:00
Culture Night | The Animals of Grófin Forest
Once upon a time, a small island named Grófin formed far north in the ocean. On Grófin lived many animals, hidden in a dense forest of fairytales, riddle spruces, fantasy bushes, and Japanese manga trees.
From the very beginning, friendly creatures called librarians have lived on the island. They are very knowledgeable about the vegetation and conditions on the island, so it's always good for curious travelers to come across one on their journey in case questions arise.
On Culture Night, the inhabitants invite you on an expedition through Grófin island, where adventure awaits around every corner.
Schedule from 13:00 – 18:00
Jungle Lego | 1st floor: A mountain of Lego bricks for people of all ages who want to assemble their own creatures. Be sure to make the animal friendly — all the animals on Grófin island are friends, and friends don’t eat each other.
Adventure Selfies | 1st floor: It's nice to have pictures to look back on your exciting adventures later on. Take a selfie with your new friends, Marcus the monkey and Sæunn the snake. No worries — Sæunn doesn't bite, at least not a lot. #dyrinigrofinn
Treasure Hunt | 2nd floor: Do you know all the animals in the jungle? Sneak through the book forest and see if you can find all the animals that have hidden themselves. Move carefully so you don't startle them.Be careful not to mix up the animals, or they'll get terribly offended. The hippopotamus, for example, gets very sad if people think he's a spotted tiger.
PROGRAM:
Kids' Yoga
13:30 – 14:00 | 2nd floor
Stretch out as high as you can, as if you were a giraffe. Then go down on all fours like a lion, the king of the jungle. Next, stand up, spread your arms in a giant gorilla hug, and imagine you're embracing the biggest tree in the forest.
Instructor: María Shanko, the snake trainer
Kids' Quiz
14:00 – 15:00 | The Square, 1st floor
Are you perhaps not only an adventurer but also a true book genius? What's the name of Pippi Longstocking's monkey? Which superhero is both a dog and a cop? A super fun children's book quiz with an animal theme.
Host: Alexander the armadillo
Animal mask making
14:30 – 15:30 | 2nd floor
Have you ever dreamed about being a parrot or a gorilla? Or maybe you'd like to create a brand-new animal species, which could be called the Grófin puma?
A fun workshop where we will make masks inspired by the animal kingdom. Children get to work with diverse materials, textures, and colors and create their own animal masks.
Instructor: Alda Ægisdóttir, explorer and an animal keeper
Kids' Yoga
14:30 – 15:00 | 2nd floor
Stretch out as high as you can, as if you were a giraffe. Then go down on all fours like a lion, the king of the jungle. Next, stand up, spread your arms in a giant gorilla hug, and imagine you're embracing the biggest tree in the forest.
Instructor: María Shanko, the snake trainer
The Magic of Calligraphy
14:30 – 15:30 | 2nd floor
As we all know, animals can't read... or can they?
Guy Stewart demonstrates how to draw letters with calligraphy and guides guests on how to use special tools for it. Who knows — this age-old skill might come in handy if guests get lost on Grófin Island and need the animals' help to find their way back home.
Island Groove – Djasskrakkar (jazzkids)
15:00 – 16:00 | Book Square, 1st floor
Music regularly echoes on Grófin island, as islanders big and small are great music lovers. Therefore, it's a great celebration that Djasskrakkar — a jazz band from an island called Mosfellsbær, located a little further east, made up of kids aged 11–16 are coming to play for adventurous guests. Djasskrakkar have hosted the festival Barnadjass in Mosó from the very beginning.
Flower Crown Making
16:00 – 17:00 | 2nd floor
All good islands grow beautiful, colorful flowers. Grófin island is no exception, and guests get the chance to make fun flower crowns using pipe cleaners, beads, and tissue paper. Perfect to take home and decorate.
Instructor: Sigurrós, the flower elf
I like to move it, move it!
17:00 – 18:00 | Book Square, 1st floor
Can crocodiles dance salsa? What about zebras?
Maestro Jóhannes Agnar Kristinsson leads all the animals in the forest onto the dance floor — two-legged and four-legged, beginners and advanced — and teaches them the basics of salsa dance.
Sing-Along with Valli the Werewolf
18:30 – 19:30 | 1st floor
The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Welcome to the Jungle, Eye of the Tiger, Krummavísur, Dýrin í Hálsaskógi, and all the other fun songs in the songbook.
Sing your lungs out as if you were Tarzan or Jane in the jungle, and get all the animals on site to sing along.
Laugh Like a Hyena with stand-up comedian Andri Ívars
20:00 – 21:00 | 1st floor
When the younger adventurers have gone to bed, Andri Ívars the comedy spirit of Grófin Island, gets the older ones to laugh like hyenas, before heading out to the Culture Night that never sleeps.
Performers
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Culture night Lucky Records
A cultural festival celebrated by the residents of Reykjavik.
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Djasskrakkar
A group of six children aged 10-15 who have learned to play jazz by ear.
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Jóhannes Agnar Kristinsson
salsakennari til margra ára
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Andri Ívars
Comedian and guitarist known for mixing emotional guitar playing into his stand-up routine.
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María Shanko
Kid's yoga instructor
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Guy Stewart
Kalligrafíusýning
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Valgeir GestssonSérfræðingur Tónlistardeildar
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Alda Ægisdóttir
Alda Ægisdóttir , born 1999, uses sculpture, installation and stop motion animation to create a fantasy world where an alien nature is merged with an anime aesthetic. She has exhibited her artwork at various locations across Iceland.
After winning Best Experimental Film at Stockfish 2023 Alda’s first short film Story of a Blue Girl has been screened and gotten multiple awards from film festivals all over the world.
Alda has also worked for Studio Irma, and helped make props for Björk among other projects.
