Gröna Lund, Stockholm's amusement park on Djurgården, works from about age three, when your child is tall enough for the small rides and can stand in a queue without the day collapsing. What decides which rides your child can go on is height, not age, so measure at home and check the limits on the park's website. Count on three to four hours for a preschooler, not a full day.
It is a Saturday in June, half past eleven, and you are standing at the entrance on Djurgården with a four-year-old who has talked about Gröna Lund for two weeks. In three hours she will be sitting on the ground crying because she was four centimetres too short for the ride her big brother was allowed on. That situation can almost entirely be avoided, and that is what this guide is about.
What suits which age?
| Age | What works | What doesn't |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3 | Looking, listening, eating ice cream, the very gentlest rides with an adult | Queues, crowds, anything that spins fast |
| 3 to 5 years | Children's rides, gentle trains, play areas, the game stalls | Roller coasters, the haunted house, anything with height |
| 6 to 8 years | Most family rides, the first proper ride with an adult | The biggest rides, which are height-restricted anyway |
| 9 to 12 years | Almost everything, depending on height and nerve | Being left alone in the park, which we advise against before twelve |
Height decides, not age
Every ride has a height limit, and many have two: one for riding alone and a lower one for riding with an adult. A child who is 105 centimetres can go on considerably more than one who is 95. Measure your child at home against the door frame, write the number down, and go through the list on Gröna Lund's website the evening before. Then you can say at breakfast what the rules are, instead of leaving it to a lad with a measuring stick at the front of the queue.
Tell your child in advance which rides are too big this year. It sounds harsh, but it is far easier to hear at the breakfast table than when a sibling has just climbed aboard. Also say what your child can go on, and ideally that you will do those first.
How long will your child last?
Less time than you think. Gröna Lund is noise, lights, people, queues and sugar, and a preschooler is done after three or four hours. The families who have the nicest time arrive at opening, go on rides while the queues are short, eat early and go home when the first child starts to whine. The ones who have the worst time arrive at lunch, queue in the sun and stay until closing because they paid.
A good rule of thumb: plan two things your child really wants, do them first, and treat the rest as a bonus. And decide on a time to go home in advance, tell your child, and stick to it even if there are tears. Next time it will be easier.
Practicalities: getting there, getting in, food and pushchairs
- Getting there. The tram to Djurgården or the Djurgården ferry from Slussen. The ferry is short and exciting, and you skip the parking.
- Pushchair. You can bring one, but the park is cramped on a sunny day. A light stroller is best, and it has to be left outside most rides.
- Food. Eat properly before you arrive. Check the current rules on bringing your own food on the park's website, and always have a water bottle and a small snack in your bag.
- Toilets. Go when you pass one, not when your child asks. There is no toilet in a queue.
- A rest. Find a bench in the shade by the water after two hours. Ten minutes of calm buys you another hour.
What usually goes wrong, and how to avoid it
- Siblings of different heights. Split up if there are two adults: one does the big rides with the big child, one does the small rides with the small one, and you meet at an agreed time.
- A child who gets scared on a ride. You cannot stop halfway. So choose gentler than you think the first time, and step it up when your child asks for more.
- Game stalls and lotteries. This is where the money disappears. Decide in advance: one go per child, or none at all.
- Sugar. Candyfloss at eleven gives you a child who crashes at one. Save the sweet stuff for last, as a treat on the way out.
- Lost children. Write your phone number on your child's arm or on a note in their pocket, and show your child where to go if you lose each other.
Alternatives if your child is too young
With a two-year-old, Gröna Lund is mostly an expensive walk. Do Djurgården itself instead: Seeing animals with kids in Stockholm, Junibacken with its Story Train, or simply the grass and the water all around. Save Gröna Lund for the year your child asks for it, because that is when they can also manage the queue.
How we do it with our families
Nike has a family in Södermalm with two boys, five and eight, and this summer she took them to Gröna Lund on a weekday afternoon when it was quieter. She had measured both of them the week before and made a list of what each was allowed on, so there were no arguments at the queue. The five-year-old chose the first ride, the eight-year-old the last. After three hours the five-year-old was tired and they took the ferry home from Allmänna gränd. Her note to the parents said that the five-year-old managed a ride he was scared of last year and that the eight-year-old wants to go on the big one next time, once he has grown another three centimetres.
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: Seeing animals with kids in Stockholm · Summer holidays in Stockholm with kids · Things to do with kids in Stockholm · Prices
Frequently asked questions
From what age is Gröna Lund fun?
From about three there are enough rides your child is allowed on to make a day of it. Under three it is mostly lights, music and ice cream, which can be enough for a couple of hours too, but don't pay for a full day.
What decides which rides my child can go on?
Height, not age. Every ride has a height limit, sometimes one for riding alone and a lower one for riding with an adult. Measure your child at home and check the limits on Gröna Lund's website before you go, and you avoid disappointment at the queue.
How long does a preschooler last?
Three to four hours, including food. A six-year-old sibling can manage the whole day, but a four-year-old who has been on ten rides and queued in the heat is done by half past two. Plan to go home then, not to push on. A child who leaves the park happy wants to come back next year.
Can we bring our own food?
Check the current rules on the park's website. What always works is eating properly before you arrive and bringing a water bottle and a small snack in your bag, so you are not stuck in a food queue with a hungry child. Hunger is the most common reason a day falls apart.
How do we get there without a car?
The tram to Djurgården or the Djurgården ferry from Slussen. The ferry is an adventure in itself for small children, and you avoid hunting for parking on Djurgården, which is a project of its own in summer. With a pushchair, choose the ferry, where there is room.