You can't play wrong with the Musakärry music trolley

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Musakärry music trolley! The music trolley is a joint effort in comprehensive cultural education by the City of Helsinki and Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra; in addition to touring daycare centres to provide access to a range of rhythm instruments and xylophones, the music trolley brings cultural education based on a child’s sense of accomplishment to early childhood education. The music trolley operates in Helsinki’s Central Early Childhood Education District (Kallio, Alppiharju, Vallila, Pasila, Vanhakaupunki districts) and the daycare centres of Eastern Early Childhood Education District 7.2 (Mellunkylä – Myllypuro districts).

Helsinki’s Central Early Childhood Education District will celebrate music trolley Day on 24 April 2026: at 10.00 am, daycare groups are challenged to play the music trolley's theme song Soittimet lähti reissulle. The composer of the song, music trolley ambassador, composer of children’s music and musical educator Soili Perkiö is the one who designed the range of instruments of the original music trolley in collaboration with the music trolley working group.

The music trolley service was launched in April 2016

The music trolley service was launched in April 2016 in the Central Early Childhood Education District by the of Daycare Centre Manager Inkeri Karhos to support low-threshold arts education in for children. Daycare centre staff are provided with training on how to use the music trolley’s instruments and other musical and expressive elements in their daily work. Participants in the music trolley training are not required to have any musical skills or experience in music.

“With the rhythm instruments and xylophones selected for the Music trolley, it's easy to get excited and playfully explore the possibilities of playing music with children,” says District Manager Sirpa Juuri.

 “With the rhythm instruments and xylophones selected for the Music trolley, it's easy to get excited."

The music trolley’s instruments cannot be played wrong, and they make it easy for the child to experience a sense of accomplishment with simple elements. Through long-term and regular training, the music trolley service ingrains cultural education skills in daycare centres in line with the objectives set for early childhood education.