Sledging hills in Stockholm: the best slopes for small children

The best sledging hills for small children in Stockholm are the ones that are low and wide with a long, open run-out: Observatorielunden in Vasastan, Vitabergsparken and Tantolunden on Södermalm, Kronobergsparken on Kungsholmen and the slopes of Hagaparken. Hammarbybacken is for school-age children. Children under three ride on an adult's lap, from three on their own on small slopes, and a helmet from the day they ride by themselves.

Ten centimetres of snow have fallen overnight, it is a Tuesday in January, and a nanny in Vasastan is picking up a three-year-old and a five-year-old from förskola (municipal preschool, from age one) at three o'clock. The sledge is already waiting in the hall. They have an hour of daylight left. This is the afternoon the children will still be talking about in March. But it only works if the hill is well chosen, the clothes hold up and you head home while it is still fun. Here is how.

What makes a sledging hill good for small children

• The run-out. The most important thing. The slope should level out into an open field, not end in a footpath, a fence, a tree or a street. Walk to the bottom and look before the first run.
• The gradient. A three-year-old should be able to walk up it alone. If they cannot, the slope is too steep.
• The width. Narrow slopes mean collisions. Wide slopes mean the little one can ride at the edge while the bigger children go down the middle.
• No obstacles on the slope. Trees, rocks, benches, lamp posts. The snow hides them.
• The way up at the side. On good hills everyone walks up one side and rides down the other. Teach your children this on day one.
• Close to home. Wet mittens after forty minutes decide when the day is over. A hill ten minutes away can be visited every snow day.

Hills that suit families

Hill	Where	Suits
Observatorielunden	Vasastan, by Odenplan	Small children, several slopes of different gradients, right in the city
Vitabergsparken	Södermalm	Small and medium-sized children, busy after a snowfall
Tantolunden	Södermalm	Several slopes, good run-out, often crowded
Kronobergsparken	Kungsholmen	Small, gentle, good for three-year-olds
Rålambshovsparken	Kungsholmen	Low slopes, combine with the ice and the playground
Hagaparken	Solna	Many slopes, plenty of room, pick the one that suits your child
Vanadislunden	Vasastan	Steeper sections, better for children from five
Hammarbybacken	Hammarby sjöstad	Big and steep, school-age children who can steer, with a helmet

Which age can handle what?

1. 1 to 2 years: on an adult's lap in a sledge with a backrest, on the gentlest slope, three to five runs. After that it is cold and boring. The child would rather be pulled along in the sledge on flat ground.
2. 3 to 4 years: their own sledge on a small slope, feet first, with an adult standing at the bottom to catch them. Helmet on. They ride twenty times and walk up by themselves, and that is what tires them out in a good way.
3. 5 to 7 years: a snowracer with a steering wheel on bigger slopes, once you have shown them the brake and the steering on flat ground. Now speed and crashes are the fun part, and the helmet is not up for negotiation.
4. 8 and up: Hammarbybacken and the steep parts of Hagaparken, with friends and an adult nearby. Rules about queueing, walking up and never stopping halfway down the slope.

When it has not snowed

Stockholm has fewer and fewer winters with snow that stays, and many years there are three or four sledging days in total. That means you should take them when they come, even if it is a Tuesday at three o'clock. A nanny who turns up at förskola with the sledge in hand on the day it has snowed gives your child something that cannot be scheduled for a weekend. For the rest of the winter there is the ice, and Ice skating with children in Stockholm only needs cold, not snow. If the ground is bare and it is below zero, head for the ice instead of hunting for a hill with five centimetres of wet snow.

Safety that matters

Sledging accidents fill Stockholm's children's A&E departments during the snowy weeks, and it is almost always the same story: a child who crashed into a tree or another sledge, or who went down head first on their stomach on a slope that was steeper than they thought. Helmet, feet first, a slope without obstacles and an adult standing at the bottom. Never tow a sledge behind a bike or a car, however exciting your child thinks it sounds. And when the hill is crowded and the children are big: leave with the little ones. More on what to do if your child does bang their head in Child hit their head.

Clothing and timing

Snow soaks everything within an hour. Shell clothing or a snowsuit over fleece, waterproof mittens with long cuffs, a hat under the helmet, warm boots with wool inside. Spare mittens in your pocket, because the first pair are wet after twenty minutes. A flask of hot chocolate and a sandwich on a bench halfway through is what turns one hour into an hour and a half. And home before your child cries: fingers first, then toes, then mood. More on layers and cold in Dressing children for the cold.

What a snow day looks like

Pick-up at three with the sledge in hand. Ten minutes to the park. The first quarter of an hour: the little one on a lap, the big one trying alone at the edge. Then they ride separately, the nanny stands at the bottom to catch the three-year-old, the five-year-old walks up the side and rides down the middle. After forty minutes, hot chocolate on the bench. Ten more runs. Home at half past four, wet clothes on the radiator, warm shower, dinner. Both asleep by half past seven. It is the best afternoon winter has to offer, and it costs nothing.

How we do it with our families

Denise looks after a three-year-old and a five-year-old in Vasastan three days a week, and when it has snowed they go to Observatorielunden straight from förskola. She has walked to the bottom of the slope in advance and knows it ends in grass, not on the footpath. The three-year-old rides the smallest slope with Denise at the bottom, the five-year-old the bigger one with a helmet and feet first, and the rule is that he waves before every run so she can see him. The flask is in the rucksack. On the note to the parents: sledging in Obsan, trousers hanging on the radiator, mittens in the drying cabinet, both very tired, dinner at half past five.

Read more: Ice skating with children in Stockholm · Dressing children for the cold · Sportlov in Stockholm with kids · Prices

Frequently asked questions

Which sledging hills in Stockholm suit small children?

The low, wide ones with a gentle run-out: Observatorielunden in Vasastan, Vitabergsparken and Tantolunden on Södermalm, Kronobergsparken on Kungsholmen and the slopes of Hagaparken. Hammarbybacken is big and steep and suits school-age children who can steer. Always check the run-out before you ride: it should not end in a road, a fence or a tree.

From what age can children go sledging?

On an adult's lap on a gentle slope from about one year, on their own on a small slope from three, and on bigger slopes with a steerable sledge or snowracer from five to six. Children under three always ride with an adult, and a helmet is a good rule for everyone from the day they ride by themselves.

Should my child wear a helmet on the sledging hill?

Yes, from the day your child rides alone. Sledging accidents are one of the most common reasons children end up in A&E in winter, and heads and trees are the combination. A ski helmet or skating helmet, warm and with a chin strap. A bike helmet works in a pinch.

Which sledge should we buy?

For children under three, a sledge with a backrest and a rope, which you pull and the child sits securely in. For three- to five-year-olds, an ordinary plastic sledge or a foam mat. A snowracer with a steering wheel and brake from about five, when the child can steer. Bum boards are fun but uncontrollable and only suit gentle slopes.