Stockholm has several stages that put on theatre for children from six months upwards: Unga Klara, Dockteatern Tittut, Marionetteatern at Kulturhuset, Pantomimteatern, Teater Pero and Teater Tre. Performances are short, 30 to 45 minutes, and come with an age recommendation you should follow. Sit near the exit the first time, and check the programme and tickets on the theatre's website.
One Saturday in March, a three-year-old on Södermalm sits on a cushion in a dark room watching a puppet cry because it has lost its hat. The child takes off her own hat and holds it out towards the stage. That is children's theatre, and it is not a smaller version of adult theatre. It is a different art form, and Stockholm is unusually good at it. Here is what suits which age, and how to make the visit something your child wants to do again.
Stages that play for children
| Theatre | Where | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Unga Klara | Södermalm | Sweden's national stage for children and young people, new writing, often with a seriousness children appreciate |
| Dockteatern Tittut | Södermalm | Puppet theatre for the very youngest, from around two, in a small room |
| Marionetteatern | Kulturhuset, Sergels torg | Puppet theatre in various forms, for small and slightly older children |
| Pantomimteatern | Stockholm | Theatre without words, which makes it accessible to children who do not speak Swedish or who are small |
| Teater Pero | Vasastan | Physical theatre and mime for children and families |
| Teater Tre | Södermalm | Theatre for children and young people, often from age three |
| Junibacken | Djurgården | Its own stage with performances drawn from Astrid Lindgren's and other children's book worlds |
| Parkteatern | Parks around Stockholm | Free summer theatre, often with daytime performances for children |
Which age copes with what?
- 6 months to 2 years: baby theatre. Dimmed, calm, sitting on the floor, half an hour. It is not about plot but about sound, light and being in a room where something is happening. The child is allowed to move around.
- 2 to 3 years: puppet theatre and simple performances with clear characters. The child talks to the puppets, and that is the idea. Performances of around 30 minutes.
- 3 to 5 years: now there is a plot to follow, a character to root for, and an ending that resolves something. Mime and physical theatre work well, no words are needed to understand.
- 5 to 8 years: longer performances, up to an hour, often with a serious theme: fear, loss, injustice. Unga Klara is known for not dumbing down. The child will want to talk about it afterwards.
- 8 years and up: most of what is played for young audiences, including performances at the big theatres. The child can choose from the programme themselves.
How to prepare your child
- Tell them what will happen. We are going to sit in a dark room, there will be puppets, it might get a bit scary and then I will hold you. Children who know what to expect are rarely frightened.
- Eat beforehand. A hungry three-year-old sees no performance at all.
- Arrive on time but not too early. Twenty minutes before is enough: toilet, coats off, find your seats.
- Sit where you can leave. Near a door, at the edge, with children under four.
- Drop the expectations. The child can sit on your lap, whisper, ask questions quietly. It is children's theatre, not the opera.
- Talk afterwards. On the way home, not as an interrogation. What was the funniest bit? What happened to the hat? That is where the performance sticks.
When your child gets frightened
It will happen, and it is not a reason to stop going. Darkness, loud noises and a character who looks angry are enough for a two-year-old. Go out into the foyer, calm them down, ask whether they want to go back in. Often they do. Sometimes not, and then you go home with half a performance and a child who knows they are allowed to decide. Next time you choose something gentler. The age recommendations on the theatres' websites are set by people who have seen hundreds of children in the audience, and they are usually right.
Tickets, seasons and finding the right thing
Children's performances in Stockholm often sell out, especially at weekends and during school holidays. Book a few weeks ahead. Weekday morning performances are often for preschool groups but open to others, and they are calmer than the weekend ones. The season runs from autumn to spring, with the school breaks as peaks. In summer some of it moves outdoors: Parkteatern plays for free in the parks, and that is the easiest way to try theatre with a child you are not sure will last. If the child wanders off after ten minutes, you have lost nothing.
Why theatre, when there are films?
A three-year-old watching a film sees a screen. A three-year-old watching a puppet cry in a room with thirty other children sees someone who really exists, five metres away, and reacts to it. That is why children talk to the puppets and hold out their hats. Theatre for small children is about being in a room where something is happening, together with others, and about learning to sit still because you want to, not because you have to. It is also one of the few cultural forms where your child and you experience exactly the same thing at the same time, and can talk about it on the way home.
Theatre at home afterwards
The best effect of a performance is the play that comes afterwards. A three-year-old who has seen a puppet show will act it out for three weeks with their own soft toys. Help out: a blanket over two chairs is a stage, a torch is the lighting, you are the audience. More ideas in Games for kids and in Bedtime stories for kids, because the story read aloud the night before is often the one the child wants to act out.
How we do it with our families
Esther took a four-year-old on Kungsholmen to a puppet theatre performance one Wednesday morning when the preschool was closed for planning. They had a snack at home first, arrived twenty minutes early and sat at the edge. After ten minutes the wolf became too much, they went out, stood in the foyer for three minutes, and went back in. The child stayed on Esther's lap until the end and talked about the wolf all the way home. On the note to the parents: theatre, went out once, not scared afterwards, wants a blanket and chairs for a stage in the living room, so there are now two chairs with a blanket over them.
Our nannies are out and about with children in Stockholm every week: parks, libraries, swimming pools and playgrounds. Would you like someone to take the afternoons? Book a free first meeting with the nanny at your home.
Read more: Museums for children in Stockholm · Bedtime stories for kids · Christmas holidays in Stockholm with children · Prices
Frequently asked questions
From what age can children go to the theatre?
There are performances for babies from six months, known as baby theatre, with dimmed lighting, soft sounds and a running time of half an hour. Most children can sit through a performance from two to three years, and from four they can follow a plot. Always choose a performance with the right age recommendation, the theatre has set it for a reason.
How long is a children's performance?
Usually between 30 and 45 minutes for the youngest, up to an hour for children from six. Few preschool-age children last longer than that. Check the length when you book, and choose a performance that starts at a time when your child is usually alert, not in the middle of nap time.
What do we do if the child gets scared or wants to leave?
Leave, without feeling guilty. Most children's theatres are used to it and have a door close by. Sit near an exit from the start with children under four. A child who was allowed to go out and come back in remembers the performance as a good one. A child who was made to stay remembers the fear.
Which theatres in Stockholm play for small children?
Unga Klara, Dockteatern Tittut, Marionetteatern at Kulturhuset, Pantomimteatern, Teater Pero and Teater Tre are well-known stages that play for children, several from the age of two or three. Junibacken has its own stage. In summer Parkteatern plays for free in the parks. The programmes change every season, check their websites.