Child Friendly Activities in Stockholm

Museum of Natural History

I am back at work after my week long vacation. We have a few families with small children staying with us now at the Hotel Rival, so I thought I would do a repeat of an earlier article: Stockholm is a great city for children of all ages! Besides miles and miles of park lands and fun boat trips, there are plenty of child-friendly attractions and museums that should keep the small ones busy.

Bears at Skansen.

If animals (whether wild, tame or even extinct are of interest) then you have quite a lot to choose from:

• Skansen- not only an outdoor cultural museum and park, it is a zoo with both Nordic animals (moose, reindeer, wolves, bears, etc;), exotic animals and a petting zoo. A good time to visit is in the early afternoon during feeding time. There are also daily activities for children in their calendar like pony riding for example. They recently also opened an aquarium/aquatic science center called Baltic Sea Science Center. Open year-round.
• The Butterfly House & Shark Tank- an indoor tropical rainforest located in the Haga Park. Besides hundreds of butterflies, you will find birds, fish, insects and tropical frogs. And sharks! Open year-round.
• Kolmården- Scandinavia's largest wildlife park located south of Stockholm with several attractions like Marine World, Safari and Tiger World. It is an hour and a half trip by car or train, so plan for a full day. It is open during the warmer months as well as weekends and during special weeks when children are off from school.
• Museum of Natural History- if your children are more interested in dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals, then this is the place to visit. The museum has great exhibitions on Nordic animals as well and is also the location of the Imax theater Cosmonova. Open year-round.

Entrance to Junibacken...

Perhaps pure frivolity? Amusements parks, story-telling, outdoor fun and toys...

• Junibacken- Indoor amusement park based on the writings of Astrid Lindgren (Pippi Longstocking, Karlsson on the Roof, the Brothers Lionheart, etc;). Rides, story-telling, shows and play areas. Open year-round.
• Gröna Lund- outdoor amusement park with rides, games and shows. Generally open from May through September. 
• Beaches- swimming in the water around Stockholm is not only possible but also popular with locals. One of the best and most family friendly beaches is located on Långholmen. Not far from the hotel! Some islands in the archipelago are popular with families to go swimming and have picnics. Of special note is the island of Grinda.
• Parks and playgrounds- statsitically speaking, you are never more than 300 meters from a park when you are in Stockholm. Most parks have playgrounds, including Mariatorget and Ivar Los park near the Hotel Rival. If you really want to let the kids run wild, take them to Djurgården. The world's first national city park, this isn't only the location of many of Stockholm's top attractions it has acres and acres of park and forest to run around in. One really nice playground close to the hotel is at Ivar Los Park, with beautiful views of the city. 

Beach at Långholmen

And for those interested in science, space or history...

• Medieval History Museum- see how Stockholm grew in the Middle-Ages. Many hands-on exhibitions which makes it a great place to take children. Open year-round.
• Livrustkammaren- The Royal Armoury. Clothes, armour and weapons of the royal family through history. Perfect for future princesses and knights. They even have an area where kids can play dress up.
• Museum of Science & Technology (Tekniska museet)- also a great museum for children with many hands-on exhibitions.
  
• Tom Tit's Experiment- located in the town of Södertälje, just south of Stockholm. Rides, experiments and experiences designed to increase knowledge and interest in science and technology.

Part of the new Robots exhibition at the Museum of Technology (Tekniska museet).

As you can see... plenty of fun activities for children of all ages and interests!