Most of what is good about the summer holidays in Stockholm is free: staffed playparks (parklekar), paddling pools, swimming spots, the libraries' summer programmes and Parkteatern's open-air performances in the parks. Add a packed lunch and an SL card (SL is Stockholm's public transport) and you have eight weeks to fill. The things that cost money, like Gröna Lund and Skansen, you save for one or two days the child can look forward to.
It is Monday morning in week 27. The förskola (municipal preschool, from age one) has closed its own group for the summer and merged with another, the five-year-old does not want to go, and you have two weeks of annual leave that has to stretch to everything. This is what most Stockholm families' summers look like, and it is possible to make it work without every day becoming a project or an expense.
What is free and best
- Parklekar. The City of Stockholm runs staffed playparks in many districts, with staff, bikes to borrow, water play and sometimes animals. They are the best thing Stockholm has for children between two and ten, and almost no newcomer knows about them.
- Paddling pools. Shallow pools in the parks, for the smallest children. Bring a towel and a change of clothes, and expect the child not to want to go home.
- Swimming spots. Lakes and bays of Lake Mälaren all around the city, many with a sandy beach. See our guide to Beaches for kids in Stockholm.
- Parkteatern. Free open-air theatre in the parks all summer, several shows for children. Bring a blanket and a picnic and arrive a little early.
- The libraries. The summer reading challenge, story times and somewhere cool. And a toilet when you need one.
- The playgrounds. A different one each time. See our guide to Parks in Stockholm with great playgrounds.
Almost free: for an SL card or an ice cream
- The Djurgården ferry. A short boat ride from Slussen, and on the other side there is grass, water and Skansen's fence to peer through.
- Fjäderholmarna. The nearest archipelago island. Check the current timetable on the Waxholmsbolaget website. See The Stockholm archipelago with children.
- Hagaparken. Big lawns, water and a playground. Good for a family with both a baby and a preschooler.
- The public swimming pools. For when it rains or is too hot. Check the summer opening hours on the municipality's website.
- The commuter train to a new swimming spot. For a three-year-old the train ride is an outing in itself. Pick a station close to water.
What costs money, and when it is worth it
Gröna Lund, Skansen, Junibacken and the big museums cost money, and they are worth it about once each per summer, not every week. Save them for days when the weather is uncertain or when the child needs something to look forward to. And go early in the day: fewer people, shorter queues and the child has more energy. See our guide to Gröna Lund with kids for what suits which age.
Eight weeks: how to plan them
| Week | Who has the child | What works |
|---|---|---|
| Last week of June | Förskola or fritids (after-school care), often merged groups | Short afternoons at the playpark, a swim after pick-up |
| July, your holiday weeks | You | An outing every other day, swimming and the playpark in between. Do not plan every day. |
| July, weeks you are working | Förskola, grandma, nanny | The same nanny all week gives the child a routine instead of a patchwork |
| August | Förskola again, often with new children settling in | Calm weeks, early nights, preparing for the autumn routine |
Families who combine förskola, holiday and a nanny do best when the child knows who is coming. A week with grandma on Monday, a nanny on Tuesday, dad on Wednesday and förskola on Thursday is confusing for a four-year-old. Three days in a row with the same person, even if that person is not you, is calmer. Read more about how we arrange it in A nanny instead of after-school care.
Heat, sun and water
- Sunscreen with a high SPF in the morning and again after swimming. Children under one should be kept in the shade, according to 1177 (the national healthcare helpline).
- A cap, a thin long-sleeved top and water in the bag, always. Children do not say they are thirsty until it is late.
- Indoors in the middle of the day on the really hot days. Swim in the morning, rest after lunch, out again at four.
- Life jackets on jetties and rocks, and always an adult within arm's reach of a child who cannot swim. That goes for the paddling pool too.
- A tick check every evening after days in grass and woodland.
The packed lunch that keeps the day from falling apart
The most common reason a summer day ends in tears is hunger, not tiredness. Pack more than you think: sandwiches, fruit, cucumber, water and something the child really likes as a reward on the way home. Eat before the child is hungry, not after. Keep the lunch cool with a frozen water bottle in the bag, and you will have cold water in the afternoon too. See our guide to Packed lunch for children for more.
When boredom strikes
Some time in the middle of July every child announces that they are bored. It is not a problem to solve, it is a state that passes if you do not fill it straight away. Children who are allowed to be bored for a while come up with something themselves, and what they come up with is often better than what you had planned. Have a box of craft things, a book of games and a garden hose ready, and then resist the urge to direct. See Outdoor games for kids if you need a nudge.
How we do it with our families
Sanna looked after two siblings in Vasastan, aged four and six, three days a week for three weeks in July while the parents worked. Every day started at the playpark at ten, with a packed lunch and a slide competition the six-year-old invented. An outing every other day, swimming or the library on the days in between, and always home by three so the four-year-old could rest. The note said where they had been, how much they had swum and whether the tick check was done. When the parents were home on the other days the children carried on going to the same playpark, because they already knew how everything worked there.
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: Beaches for kids in Stockholm · Parks in Stockholm with great playgrounds · Summer holiday activities for kids · Prices
Frequently asked questions
What is free to do with children in Stockholm in summer?
Staffed playparks (parklekar), paddling pools, swimming spots, the libraries' summer programmes, Parkteatern's open-air performances in the parks and every playground. Add a packed lunch and you have a whole day without opening your wallet. The parklekar are what most newcomers miss, and what the children like best.
Which swimming spots suit small children?
The ones with a sandy beach and shallow water that stays shallow a long way out, and where there is shade. Many of Stockholm's lake beaches are calmer than the Mälaren beaches in the city centre. See our guide to swimming spots for children, and check the bathing water quality on the municipality's website. Go early in the day to get the spot in the shade.
How do we manage the summer when we work?
Förskola is open for most of the summer, and so is fritids. For the weeks you cannot cover, a nanny can take the days, ideally the same person the children already know. Say so in good time, because July is the month most families ask, and ask for the same nanny every day so the week hangs together for the child.
What do we do when it is too hot?
Shade, water and calm in the middle of the day. Swim in the morning, rest indoors between twelve and three, out again in the evening once it has cooled down. Children under one should not be in direct sun at all, according to 1177. Offer water more often than the child asks for it.
What suits a two-year-old in the summer holidays?
A paddling pool, a sandpit, a playpark and a short boat trip. Not Gröna Lund, not long outings. What is free and nearby is also what suits that age best. A two-year-old would rather do the same thing again, so find a paddling pool and keep going back to it.