Children's Shortcuts
What is a shortcut?
The Capital of Children will have safe and fun paths. The shortcuts connect schools and leisure facilities so that children can get around Billund easily and safely. Together with Traffic experts, children and users help to create safe solutions where the paths cross the roads. Along the paths there are also fun places that offer play and exciting experiences.
The shortcuts will be created in stages and will eventually lead to a coherent network of paths. The dead ends are one of the reasons why Billund Municipality has been certified by UNICEF as Denmark's first "Child-friendly City and Municipality".
The Fairytale Grove
In the autumn of 2023, local children from the Klatretræet Kindergarten and neighbors of the area helped create the new space. There was a strong desire for lighting along the path, play opportunities, and a bench where people could take a break during their walk.
The solution was:
New lighting along the path, making it safe to use during the dark hours and allowing the green area to be used in the evening.
A play landscape that invites imagination and can be used by children of various ages, with or without their families.
A landscape-adapted bench where people can sit down and rest during their walk.
Cool 2 School
Volunteer children have joined the workshop for the Cool 2 school-path, and they came with lots of ideas to make the path better. The result is a wider path with better lighting and a track has been laid at the side of the path with different activities; for example to cycle round a coloured post or crawl into a shelter under a colourful sail for a cosy chat.
Billund Sports Centre
The square by the sports centre has become a fun place to be for both big and small and for active and quiet participation. From a cool and fun basketball court with patterns and lights, to a climbing wall and the sports centre's entrance has got new lighting in different.
The Gallery Tunnel
In the Children's Gallery Tunnel, art students from Billund Culture School have exhibited beautiful artworks.
The tunnel is painted in new colors and adorned with these fantastic artworks.
The updated tunnel aims to bring joy and a sense of security to all the residents who use it on a daily basis.
Hello Hello Tunnel
Hello Hello Tunnel was designed by 36 children aged 8-9 years from the International School in Billund. They wanted to make the tunnel more attractive for other children and imagined that the tunnel can also be used as a disco to and from school.
The Talking Bench
When you sit on the bench you will hear sounds, songs and stories created and told by Billund's children. The bench is an experiment, created in collaboration with the town's children and CoC Playful Minds. The children have since experimented with sound design and different challenges, so now it can sing, laugh and tell stories in Arabic.
Light Art
In the long, dark hours of wintertime, there is now the opportunity to dance in the light in the middle of Byens Plads (The Town Square). Between LEGO House and the shopping centre stands a street light, which is actually a light projector. When you go into the ray of light, a character appears on the square and it slowly turns around, until it changes into a new character.
The Balance Track
When children last met up for the Summer Camp, they first got together to discuss ideas. They thought that they would like to build a balance track. On the balance track you can hop from post to post and balance up higher and higher, where they can look down to the beck and the dragonflies that live in the tall grass. When the course of the balance track was planned, the children got busy digging holes and setting posts into the holes.
Kjeld's Orchard
On Åstvej in Billund you will find an apple and pear orchard. The orchard was a birthday gift to LEGO-owner, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. A group of children and young people got together to find a gift and they decided to give him an orchard, which everybody can enjoy.
Pop-up Skate Track
The Pop-up Skate Ramp is a temporary area which provides a setting for the town's skate-enthusiasts. Here, children, young people, adults and seniors come to try to improve their skills on skateboards or scooters, whilst we work on creating a permanent skater environment in the town.
DJ-deck
Turn up and dance in the Capital of Children.
1.Lay your mobile phone on top of the plate.
- Choose a song that you like from the playlist.
- Turn the wheel round
Whoop whoop, now there is loud music for all!
Megebench
When you wait for the bus, it is nice to have something to sit on. Or play on. Or be silly on. Or maybe climb around. Daniel Hansen, aged 12, and Arina, aged 11, have designed the fun bench that you can play on whilst you wait.