It's finally time for the sports holidays! And during the school holidays it's fun to do sports! There are lots of activities for children to do in Stockholm during the holidays - for example, ice skating, skiing or climbing. Here are 5 tips on where to find the best places for winter activities for kids.
Research shows that children need to stay active for good health, and more recent studies also show that children and young people are under-active. Too little physical activity leads to poorer physical and mental health in both the long and short term. That's why sports holidays are a great time to take the opportunity to get out and about. For those not going on a skiing holiday, there are many places in Stockholm where you can practice winter sports. Don't forget to alternate your activities with rest and recovery. If you want to have a coffee break, you can check out café and restaurant guide. Winter activities are also great fun to do together, especially with your nanny. Hey Kiddo always has good nannies who are happy to play in the snow during the sports holidays. Here you can read more about our safe babysitters.
5 tips on sports holidays activities for children
1. skiing in Stockholm's beautiful ski slopes
Stockholm has a number of ski resorts that are open to all ages. Try Ekebyhovsbacken, which has a children's lift and Snow Park. Or perhaps Flottsbro outdoor area, which also offers hiking trails and playgrounds in addition to ski slopes. Why not Lida ski slope, perfect for beginners, which also offers ski hire and ski school? In addition to these slopes, there are also Väsjöbacken, Hammarbybacken, Saltsjöbadens ski slope and Ekholmsnäsbacken.
2. Skating in the city
Another winter activity that children usually enjoy is ice skating. Of course, Stockholm has a number of ice skating facilities, but these three are usually children's favourites. The first is Scandinavian Ice Adventure, which is a really fun skiing adventure with music, dancing, ice skating carousel and much more. The second is a classic, namely Kungsträdgården's ice rink. Here you can skate in a beautiful atmosphere, and they also offer skate and helmet hire so you don't have to lug all your equipment from home. There is also Zinkendamm IP, which has both an ice rink and an outdoor pitch.
3. Sledding in Stockholm's best sledding slope
What is the best sledging slope in Stockholm? It's hard to say, there are so many! If you live in Södermalm/Östermalm or nearby, you can go sledding in Vita Bergsparken, Stora Blecktornsparken or Skånegläntan. If you're in Vasastan, you should of course visit Vasaparken, but there's also a really fast sledding hill at Observatorielunden. Kungsholmen's official sledding hill is located in Kronobergsparken, with padded trees and poles for the safety of children.
4. build a hut
Hut building is not a sport per se, but it is quite physically demanding and an excellent activity to do with children. If you don't have snow (which you can use to build an igloo hut), you can collect branches and sticks in the forest and build the hut by a big tree. Bring ropes to tie or secure the branches to make a really good hut.
5. Try your hand at climbing
This is not exclusively a winter activity or sport either, but a fun and enjoyable activity that really exercises the whole body. Stockholm has several climbing gyms to choose from. For example, the Climbing Centre also offers introductory courses where you can try climbing walls as high as 16 metres!
When are the 2022 sports holidays?
Sports holidays take place during different weeks in February and March depending on where you live in Sweden. But why do children get a sports holiday and when was it introduced? Well, the sports holiday originated in the 1940s and was known at the time as the fuel holiday. After the war, Sweden was rationing fuel, so it was very expensive to heat schools. Schools therefore closed for a week to save on heating costs, such as coal and coke. Since then, the holiday has been associated with fun activities, such as skiing or skating, and still is today. It is one of the most popular weeks for winter holidays with the whole family!
Sports holidays in 2022:
- Week 7: Gothenburg
- Week 8: Uppsala County
- Week 9: Stockholm County
- Week 10: Västerbotten
- Week 11: Jokkmokk
If you want to find activities in other cities, this is not a problem. Why not read up on everything about Uppsala.
