Danish preschoolers vote on lunch menu in democracy lesson

Children at a Danish preschool cast their ballots on Tuesday to decide whether pizza snails or sausage horns would be served for lunch, in an exercise designed to introduce democratic values at an early age, reports DR.

At Kernehuset kindergarten in Hjortshøj near Aarhus, 40 children aged three to six participated in the vote, complete with campaign posters at child height and a proper ballot box. The contest pitted Sille Pizzasnegl (Sille Pizza Snail) against Palle Pølsehorn (Palle Sausage Horn). After counting, Sille emerged victorious with 28 votes to Palle’s 18.

Five-year-olds Emil, Hans, and Johannes were among the supporters of the winning candidate. “She’s good,” said Emil, while Hans praised “the tomato-sauce-like filling and the crispy bread.” Johannes agreed: “It’s delicious.”

Bettina Kofod Laursen, the kindergarten’s director, explained that the exercise was about planting “the very first democratic seeds.” The children learn not only about voting but also about critical thinking and forming independent opinions, she said.

Jonas Lieberkind, an associate professor at Aarhus University’s Danish School of Education, emphasized the importance of early engagement. “All research shows that the earlier children are engaged, the longer that engagement lasts,” he told DR. However, he noted that Denmark’s reputation for strong democratic values doesn’t always match reality. “We talk a lot about democracy and are quite proud of it, but in truth, we’re not as good at it as we think,” he said, pointing to studies showing that educators and schools often fail to involve young people in decision-making.

For lasting impact, Lieberkind stressed that such early initiatives must be reinforced throughout a child’s education—and at home.