A Family Day In...Stockholm

Hello Jill tell us a bit about yourself and why you know so much about Stockholm?  My name is Jill, I’m originally from bonnie Scotland and I moved to Stockholm 18 months ago ago with my partner, Mattias, who is from Sweden. We met in London almost 10 years ago and when we decided to start a family it felt like the right move to live in Stockholm. After all, its one of the best countries in the world to bring up kids!  

What’s your favourite way to spend a day with the family in Stockholm?

In Summer, our favourite family day out is to take a trip out to one of the many islands in the Stockholm Archipelago with friends and enjoy swimming, paddling, building sandcastles and bbq’ing. It’s pretty idyllic and something we could never have done if we still lived in the UK.   In the Winter, activities might seem limited but the Swedes are so outdoorsy that their favourite saying is “the weather is only as good as your clothing”. We spend most of our free-time making the most of the few hours of sun during the day. But mostly, we spend it in the ritual of “Hygge” which means to enjoy the simple things in life, friends, family, good food and warm drinks. 

If you were visiting which area would you want to stay in?

Visiting Stockholm with kids, I would definitely recommend staying in Södermalm. AirBNB is big in Stockholm and you can get some beautiful apartments to rent, right in the centre of Stockholm at a great price. Södermalm also has brilliant connections to the rest of Stockholm and you can easily access some of the most interesting sights from there. 

Ok, we’ve got 24 hours with our kids in the city what are the THREE things we have to do?

Skansen -  It’s a zoo, anthropological museum and it’s all outdoors.

Junibacken - The world of Astrid Lindgren comes to life through story telling, shows and soft play. It also has a brilliant cafe for small kids.

Gamla Stan - The old town of Stockholm is stunning, perhaps not great for really little ones but being pedestrianised its a wonderful place for toddlers to explore and run around in.

Tell us honestly, what’s the best way to get around the city with buggys or little legs?

By bus, it’s free for anyone with a buggy. But honestly, all modes of transport are pretty awesome. 

We love listening to music where should we head to?

Debaser Sthlm is great, it has something for everyone.

What’s the best FREE thing to do in Stockholm?

The play parks and splash ponds in Stockholm are INCREDIBLE. There are parks almost on every corner in Stockholm and each one usually contains a brilliant play park. Some of the bigger parks have really big play parks with indoor centres with open play groups that are run by the City. 

Our favourites are:

Vasaparken, Aspuddsparken, Rålambshovsparken, Högalidparken and Kristineberg slottparken

Eating out is always tricky when you factor in BF friendly and changing facilities. Where would you recommend for:

A coffee: Bokslukaren is a cute little kids book store with a small coffee shop attached to it or Urban Deli, or Mother Sthlm or Paradiset (Too many to choose from) 

Lunch: Fotografiska is Sweden's museum of photography and the restaurant has just won the title of World's Best Museum Restaurant. 

Dinner: Vapianos is a great "quick fix" but for something a bit more atmospheric try Lilla Ego. 

This is the best thing about Stockholm, everywhere is kid friendly. I haven’t been into restaurant, coffee shop or bistro that doesn’t work for kids or breastfeeding mums. There are places to eat that are more interesting than others however!

We’re on holiday and we fancy a glass of wine…where can we go that will be nice and happy to let kids in?

Head straight to the Boule Bar (Pétanque and Pints) in Rålambshovsparken and then straight to Mälarpaviljongen for a spectacular city view and great food and wine. 

When you bring friends to Stockholm what are they always most surprised about?

Firstly, how beautiful the City is. It is a cross between European Baroque and Scandinavian Chic which is so über on trend at the moment. Secondly, actually how cheap it is. There are a lot of misconceptions about Stockholm being super expensive and a pint of beer being £8 a go. It’s rubbish, Stockholm is as expensive as any major European city, especially in the tourist traps.

If it’s raining where’s good to go?

The Vasa Museum, it’s one of the best maritime museums in the world and is home to one of the best preserved 17th Century ships. There are tonnes of activities for all ages, dressing up, guided tours, films, pedagogic materials and crafts. Second to that is the Historiska Museet, their exhibition on the Vikings is breathtaking!

You’re caught short with the kids - where are the best baby changing facilities?

Åhlens City, it’s a big department store on Sergel’s Torg, the City's main square and also Kulturhuset. Kulturhuset is the City’s arts and drama centre and is home to Rum för Barn (Room for Children) children’s library and creative centre where dance and art classes take place. 

Where should we head for: 

Action and adventure? Skansen 

Creative Fun? Rum för Barn at Kulturhuset or Dieselverkstaden in Nacka  

Fill in the blanks:

The best views of Stockholm are from... Stockholm City Hall - stunning!

Don’t go home before you’ve... eaten as much fika (coffee and cake) as you can get your hands on.

If you leave the kids at home make sure you check out this bar/pub...Malarpaviljongen    

My favourite shop is... Svenskt Tenn or Illums Bolighus  

The best park is... Aspuddsparken and Vinterviken  

The best toy shop is... BR.se  

And finally….what is your insider top tip…..you can almost get to the edge of the Stockholm Archipelago by bus for free if you have a buggy.

You can find out more about Jill and Little Bear Abroad here.

Hope you enjoyed our Travel Tips post. Let me know what you think and where else we should check out. Or if you have some travel tips you'd like to share please get in touch.

**This is not sponsored :)