Sportlov (the February school break) in Stockholm falls in week 9, and staying at home works perfectly well. Skating on artificial ice rinks, the swimming pools, the museums' sportlov programmes and the municipality's free activities fill a week for a child between three and ten. If there is snow, the sledging hill is the best of all. If there is no snow, which is more usual, you do the other things instead.
Half the class is off to the mountains, or says they are, and the six-year-old wonders why you are not going. You have three days off, one child at fritids (after-school care) and one at förskola (municipal preschool), and it is grey and above freezing. That is a typical Stockholm sportlov, and for families with small children it tends to turn out better than the ski trip: no packing, no queuing systems, no frozen three-year-olds in a lift queue.
With snow and without: two different weeks
| Activity | With snow | Without snow |
|---|---|---|
| Sledging | Yes, helmet on and an adult on the hill | No |
| Ice skating | Lake ice only where there is an ice warden, otherwise the rinks | Artificial ice rinks, such as Kungsträdgården |
| Cross-country skiing | Yes, on the tracks around the city | No |
| Swimming pool | Yes, good in the afternoon | Yes, it is the hero of the week |
| Museums | Yes | Yes, with sportlov programmes |
| The forest | Snow play, tracks in the snow | Waterproofs, sticks, puddles |
| Soft play and climbing | Yes | Yes, but packed in the middle of the day |
What the municipality puts on
The City of Stockholm and the neighbouring municipalities run sportlov programmes with free or cheap activities: try-out sports in sports halls, skating discos, crafts and films at the libraries, swimming pools with special children's sessions. The programmes are often published only a week or two before the break, so search the municipality's website at the end of February. It is rarely necessary to book anything expensive.
Ten things that work, sorted by age
- 2 to 4 years: sledging on the small hill, the children's pool at the swimming baths, Junibacken, the forest with a packed lunch, the library.
- 4 to 6 years: a first go on skates with a chair or a skating aid, Tekniska museet, Naturhistoriska riksmuseet, soft play in the morning, baking at home.
- 6 to 9 years: proper ice skating, a day camp in a sport the child likes, a swimming pool with a water slide, a climbing centre, Skansen.
- 9 to 12 years: day camp, cross-country skiing if there are tracks, a day in town with a friend and their own SL card (SL is Stockholm's public transport), a museum they chose themselves.
Day camps: for whom and when
Sports clubs, Kulturskolan (the municipal arts school) and private providers run day camps during sportlov, often from age six or seven, in football, gymnastics, dance, parkour, music and outdoor life. They are a good solution for working families, and children who have a friend with them at camp almost always say it was fun. But they book up early, often in January. And a preschooler is too young: for them, home, förskola or an adult they know is the right thing.
Ice skating: what makes sportlov
Skating is the activity that is easiest to arrange in Stockholm whatever the weather. The artificial ice rinks, like the one in Kungsträdgården, need no snow and no ice on the lake. Children from around four can manage with a helmet, a skating aid or a chair to push in front of them, and most six-year-olds are skating on their own after a week. Only go out on lake ice where the municipality has an ice warden and says the ice is safe. See our guide to Ice skating with children in Stockholm.
Sledging and snow play, if the snow comes
If it snows, the sledging hill is what children remember from sportlov. Helmets on everyone, including the adults going down with a three-year-old on their lap, and an adult at the bottom of the hill making sure nobody shoots out into the road or into a tree. Small children get cold quickly sitting still on the sledge, so alternate between sliding down and walking up, and bring a thermos. An hour is enough for most under-fives. Wet mittens are what ends the day early, so bring a spare pair.
The swimming pool: the hero of the week
If the ground is bare, the swimming pool is what saves the break. Two hours in the water tires a child out better than anything else, and it is just as much fun for a three-year-old in the children's pool as for a nine-year-old on the slide. Go in the morning on the days it rains, when it is quieter than in the afternoon. Many pools have reduced prices or special children's sessions during the break, check the municipality's website. See our guide to Swimming pools for children in Stockholm for which ones suit which age.
How to make the week work
- Write the week on the fridge the Sunday before: who is at home which day, where the child is. Children who know what is happening whine less.
- One activity per day, in the morning. The afternoon at home, in the park or at fritids.
- Take your days off in the middle of the week if you can choose, not Monday and Friday. Then the child gets two days at home in a row and you get days that do not collide with the weekend.
- A nanny for the days that do not add up, ideally the same person as usual. She can take the whole day, pick up siblings from different places and do the skating trip you do not have time for.
- Save one day for nothing. The child needs a day in pyjamas.
How we do it with our families
Denise has a family in Solna with a five-year-old and an eight-year-old, and last sportlov she took the Tuesday and Wednesday while the parents worked. Tuesday: skating in Kungsträdgården in the morning, with a chair for the five-year-old and free skating for the eight-year-old, home for lunch and then baking. Wednesday: Tekniska museet at opening time, home by two. She had checked the museum's sportlov programme on the Sunday and written down two things the children would have time for. The note said that the five-year-old let go of the chair for twenty seconds and that the eight-year-old wants his own skates for Christmas next year.
Our nannies are out 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 · Swimming pools for children in Stockholm · Prices
Frequently asked questions
When is sportlov in Stockholm?
Week 9 for the City of Stockholm and most of the surrounding municipalities, so the last week of February or the first week of March. A few municipalities in the county have other weeks, so check with your school. Förskola is open as usual, but often wants to know if the child will be off.
What do we do if there is no snow?
Skating on artificial ice rinks, the swimming pool, the museums' sportlov programmes and indoor climbing or soft play. Stockholm rarely has reliable snow in week 9, so plan for bare ground and treat snow as a bonus. The swimming pool and the ice rink are the two things that always work, whatever the weather.
What do sportlov activities cost?
Most of what the municipality puts on is free or cheap: sportlov programmes at libraries, swimming pools with reduced prices for children on certain days, ice rinks and sledging hills. Check the municipality's website the week before, because the programmes are published late. Day camps cost more and book up early, but are not needed for a good sportlov.
How old does a child have to be for a sportlov camp?
Usually six or seven, in other words school age. There are day camps in sport, dance, music and outdoor life, and they are often fully booked by January. Preschoolers are at home, at förskola or with an adult they know, and that is what suits them best.
How do we split the week when we work?
Fritids and förskola are open as usual. Many families take two days off each and fill the rest with fritids, grandma or a nanny. What matters to the child is knowing in advance who is coming on which day, so write the week on the fridge the Sunday before.