Travel Guides Family Friendly
Lauren Richards
Sweden is often lauded for many of its priorities — among them, a culture that prioritizes children’s well-being. One example is their policy of extended period of paid parental leave — up to 480 paid days off between both parents. Through that lens, it only makes sense that it would be a fairly family-friendly destination, but Sweden doesn’t stop with treating parents well.
With a plethora of playgrounds and parks, museums, and more, Sweden — especially the capital city of Stockholm, thought by many to be one of the world’s friendliest cities — is a perfect European getaway for families with children, especially small ones. You’ll see young families meandering about, some pushing strollers, some sitting to play in green spaces, or visiting kid-friendly attractions. The point is, kids are visible here and, possibly more so than that, families traveling there with children report feeling especially catered to.
Your children will have countless chances to meet new friends virtually anywhere you decide to take them. The majority of restaurants are accommodating, with high chairs and kids’ menus, meaning finding a restaurant that everyone in the family enjoys isn’t as stressful as a task as it sometimes can be elsewhere. All of these factors (and more) make it a place worth visiting with the family.
Kid-friendly scenes in the city
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Sweden offers a large variety of options to entertain the kids. If you’re a family that loves the great outdoors but you don’t want to stray too far from the city, then Stockholm might just be a perfect fit. The city is home to 400 parks, and about 40% of it is made up of green spaces. “Sweden in general is very family-friendly. I would definitely recommend it for a family trip if you can afford it. It’s very expensive, but it has a wonderful mix of nature, culture, history and rivers/beaches, which are the things I look for when planning a family trip,” one reviewer wrote on TripAdvisor.
Nature isn’t the only thing for families to indulge in. Cities have kid-friendly museums, such as the Junibacken, which is based on Swedish children’s literature. Even the museums that aren’t specifically made for children have intriguing child-friendly exhibits for the little ones.
For those in Stockholm, transportation is also an adventure. The Stockholm metro system, known as Tunnelbana, is considered the world’s longest art gallery with masterpieces decorating the stations’ stairwells and walls.
When to visit Sweden
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For those venturing out of the major cities, family fun still awaits you. You’ll find creative playgrounds even in the tiniest of towns, diners with deals for children’s meals, and once again, high chairs. Not to mention the beautiful landscape that consists of sparkling lakes, rolling hills, towering trees, sweeping mountains, and winding streams.
If you’re trying to take advantage of warm weather, clear roads, and the nature scene, be sure to visit in the summer. It’s also important to note that in this season, daylight typically lasts for more than 15 hours, with the longest day in June being more than 18 hours. So if your kids are sensitive to light, pack a sleep mask for them to ensure they get a full night of rest before tackling the plethora of activities waiting for them the next day.
Next time you’re planning a trip with the little ones, consider heading to Sweden for an adventure that’ll captivate the entire family.
