During jullov (the Christmas school break) in Stockholm, the museums, swimming pools and libraries are what save mellandagarna (the days between Christmas and New Year), and they are usually open with special programmes, but with different hours than usual. The free and best options are ice skating in Kungsträdgården, sledging if the snow comes, and the forest in rain gear if it does not. Check current opening hours on each venue's website the same week.
The 27th of December, nine in the morning. Christmas is over, the sweets are half eaten, the seven-year-old is already bored of the presents and the three-year-old has slept badly three nights in a row. You have ten days until school starts and it is raining. That is what jullov looks like for most Stockholm families, and it can be done well without every day being an outing.
What is open, and when?
| Day | What usually applies | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas Eve (julafton) | Almost everything closed | At home. The forest or a walk in the morning so everyone lasts the evening. |
| Christmas Day | Almost everything closed, few buses and trains | Sledging, a walk, games. Plan no outing. |
| Boxing Day (annandag jul) | Some museums open, check | A quiet day outside. Skansen if you want Christmas one more time. |
| Mellandagarna | Most things open, often with changed hours | Museum, swimming pool, ice skating, library. Go early. |
| New Year's Eve | Many places close early | Morning outside, afternoon at home, early dinner. |
| New Year's Day | Closed and quiet | Recovery. The forest if the weather allows. |
| Trettonhelgen (the Epiphany weekend, 6 January) | Like an ordinary weekend, most things open | The last big outing before school. |
What is worth the effort
- Ice skating in Kungsträdgården. An artificially frozen rink in the middle of town, so it works whatever the weather. Bring your own skates and helmet if you have them, and go in the morning when it is quieter. See our guide to Ice skating with children in Stockholm.
- Skansen. Decked out for Christmas, animals in their winter coats and often a jullov programme. One of the few places where a three-year-old and a nine-year-old have equal fun.
- Tekniska museet and Naturhistoriska riksmuseet. Big, warm and built for children to move around in. Packed at lunchtime over mellandagarna, so arrive at opening.
- The simhall (public swimming pool). Two hours in the pool buys you calm evenings. Check the jullov hours on the municipality's website.
- The sledging hill. If the snow comes. See our guide to Sledging hills in Stockholm. Helmet on, and an adult at the bottom of the hill.
- The library. Calm, free and often with jullov activities. Good for day three, when everyone needs to slow down.
What is not worth it
The post-Christmas sales with a preschooler. The sales are crowded, hot and full of things your child wants. Go on your own one evening instead, or skip it. Long car journeys to relatives three days in a row are not something a child thanks you for either. And New Year's Eve fireworks with a child under four often end in terror: loud, late and cold. Watch from the window, or let your child sleep.
Without snow: that is the usual
Stockholm often has a green or grey Christmas break, and families waiting for snow end up stuck indoors. Plan instead as for a rainy week in November: one thing outside in the morning, one thing inside in the afternoon. The forest is lovely even in rain, if everyone has boots and waterproof trousers. And if the snow comes, that is a bonus. See our guide to Rainy days in Stockholm with kids for a longer list.
Routines that hold through the break
- Breakfast at the same time every day, even if the evening was late. That is the anchor that makes the rest of the day manageable.
- Outside every day, at least an hour, whatever the weather. Children who have not been outside do not fall asleep.
- Sweets at one set time, not all day long. It is a holiday, not a state of emergency.
- Bedtime as usual on the days you are not celebrating. Two late nights a week children can handle, seven they cannot.
- One boring day a week, with no plan. That is when the children play best with their Christmas presents.
Quiet days at home: Christmas crafts and the leftovers
Not every day needs to be an outing. Mellandagarna are also when the children finally have time to play with what they were given, and you can make a whole day of the gingerbread house that never got built, the Christmas crafts sitting in a box and the books that came in the parcels. Put a day with no plan in the middle of the week, ideally after a day out. See our guide to Christmas crafts for children if you want ideas that need no shopping. And make something of the leftovers: the Christmas ham becomes sandwiches for the skating trip, the gingerbread becomes fika (the Swedish coffee break) at the library.
If you are working over the break
Fritids (after-school care) is open most weekdays, but check whether your school closes for a few days or merges with another. The same goes for förskola (municipal preschool). On the days you cannot make it work, a nanny is happy to take whole days, and the best thing for your child is that it is the same person who usually comes. She already knows where the skates are and which sledging hill is the one. Say so in good time, because the week between Christmas and New Year fills up fast. Read more in our guide to A nanny instead of after-school care.
How we do it with our families
Last year Nike had a family in Hammarby sjöstad for three days between Christmas and New Year, with a four-year-old and a seven-year-old, while both parents worked. Day one, ice skating in Kungsträdgården in the morning and the library after lunch. Day two, Naturhistoriska at opening, home by two because the four-year-old was done in. Day three, just the forest in Nacka and Christmas crafts at home, because everyone needed a quiet day. The note said how many sweets had gone and that the seven-year-old had learnt to skate backwards. The same nanny all three days meant the children did not have to start over every morning.
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 in your home.
Read more: Ice skating with children in Stockholm · Sledging hills in Stockholm · Christmas markets in Stockholm with children · Prices
Frequently asked questions
What is open in Stockholm between Christmas and New Year?
Most of the big museums, swimming pools and libraries are open over mellandagarna (the days between Christmas and New Year), often with special jullov programmes, but with changed hours. Check each venue's website the same week, because the hours differ from ordinary days. On Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day itself, most things are closed.
What do we do with the children when there is no snow?
Ice skating on the artificially frozen rinks, such as Kungsträdgården, works whatever the weather. Otherwise the same rules as a rainy November day: museum, swimming pool, library and the forest in rain gear. Snow is a bonus in Stockholm, not something to plan around. Put the skates in the bag on day one, so deciding is quick.
How long is jullov?
About two weeks, from the days before Christmas to the days after trettonhelgen (the Epiphany weekend, 6 January), but exact dates vary between schools. Fritids (after-school care) is open most weekdays, but check whether your school closes for a few days or merges groups. Förskola (preschool) is open most weekdays, but often asks for your holiday schedule well in advance.
What does it cost?
The best of jullov is free: sledging, skating on the municipal rinks if you have your own skates, the library, the forest and Christmas crafts at home. Skansen, museums and julbord (the Christmas buffet) cost money. One or two days like that is enough, the rest you do yourselves. Children remember the sledging hill as well as they remember Skansen.
How do we handle the sugar and all the late nights?
By not pretending it is not happening. Children eat more sweets and sleep worse over jullov, and it is a couple of weeks. Hold on to breakfast, one spell outdoors a day and bedtime on the days you are not celebrating anything. The rest evens out in January.