Discover Sweden: Top 13 Exciting and Educational Fun Facts for Kids!

1. Midnight Sun Flashlight Tag

Ever tried slipping on shades at midnight while playing flashlight tag under a warm summer sun? You might want to pack those essentials for a trip to Kiruna, Sweden: Located within the Arctic Circle, this northernmost town basks in sunlight for a whopping 47 days straight during summer, leaving you with just a few hours of twilight to catch your breath before you're chasing beams again!
Source => seekscandinavia.com

2. Friendly Fika Breaks

In a land where coffee breaks come with friendship benefits, and even automobiles must halt for a cup and a chat: Swedes cherish their fika, a daily ritual of socializing over beverages and snacks. Fika is seen as vital for sparking creativity and fostering camaraderie at places like Volvo, with no particular food mandates, as long as it's shared and delightful – just like their cheeky term for it, derived from 19th-century coffee slang, kaffi.
Source => swedishfood.com

Did you know there's a town called Hell in Norway, with its own Blues festival and a Miss Universe winner? Discover the devilish charm of this frosty destination.

=> Fun Facts about Norway

3. Pea Soup & Pancake Thursdays

How do Swedes prepare for a pancake snowstorm on a Thursday? They brace themselves with a hearty serving of pea soup, of course! Here comes the peas de résistance: Swedish pancakes are traditionally served as dessert on Thursday evenings, dating back to when Sweden was Catholic and Fridays were fasting days. Now, these pancakes steal the show any day of the week, especially when paired with lingonberries and butter.
Source => true-north-kitchen.com

4. Embracing Lagom Living

When Goldilocks and the Three Bears packed their bags for a European vacation, they found a cozy little home away from home in Sweden: That's because this Scandinavian country has embraced a principle called Lagom, which means 'just right' and encourages a perfectly balanced, harmonious lifestyle that's ingrained in their cultural fabric.
Source => scandification.com

5. Easter Witches, No Vampires

Forget witches and vampires sharing a broom, Swedes host an Easter crossover for kids that's more treat than trick: Swedish youngsters dress up as Easter witches called påskkärringar, going door to door to present locals with drawings, aiming for a sweet payoff in return, and not even a hint of Dracula involved.
Source => sweden.se

6. Eco-Superhero Recycling Rates

In Sweden, they take "waste not, want not" to an eco-friendly extreme, turning trash into treasure troves of energy and recycling like superheroes on a mission to save the planet: In 2020 alone, a whopping 4.6 million tonnes of household waste was managed, where 54% was converted into energy and approximately 86% of PET bottles and 87% of aluminium cans were recycled, inching towards the epic goal of a 90% recycling rate for both.
Source => sweden.se

7. Football Frenzy in Sweden

In a country where the national pastime might as well be kicking a patched-up ball around a frozen fjord, you can't stop Sweden from scoring a "Goooaaal": Sweden boasts a staggering 240,000 licensed football (or soccer) players and 3,200 clubs, making it the nation's favored sport. The Swedish National Football Team has even knocked it out of the park with FIFA World Cup finals appearances and an Olympic gold medal win, giving birth to legends like Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Source => thesporting.blog

8. Sauna Birthday Suits

Swedes like to live life in their birthday suit, especially in saunas: In leisure centers and community swimming pools across Sweden, it's common to find people going au naturel, although younger generations are more likely to cover up. In mixed saunas, a towel is typically wrapped around, while swimwear is often donned in international hotels or spas with clear rules.
Source => routesnorth.com

9. Roam Free with Allemansrätten

Roaming in Sweden: less "where the streets have no name" and more "where the woods have no borders"! In Sweden, Allemansrätten, or the Right of Public Access, allows everyone to freely wander nature, camp, and frolic through the forests, though not in private gardens, dwellings, or cultivated lands. Just remember to sing Hakuna Matata while respecting the environment and fellow explorers!
Source => visitsweden.com

10. Parental Leave Paradise

Talk about an extended Swedish vacay, mama and papa style: Sweden offers 480 days of paid parental leave when a child is born or adopted, with each parent getting 240 days and even single parents bagging the whole 480-day deal! Dad's not left behind, taking around 30% of all paid daddy days, making Sweden a true family-friendly paradise.
Source => sweden.se

11. Crayfish Party Animals

Crayfish in Sweden party harder than your average humans: In fact, they are a treasured delicacy caught at night in lakes and rivers using netted pots baited with small fish, leading to the grand tradition of kräftskiva, or crayfish parties - social gatherings where even the imported crayfish from China, Turkey, and the US get to join in on the fun.
Source => visitsweden.com

12. Saturday Candy Wall Indulgence

In Sweden, they don't say "Life is like a box of chocolates," they say "Life is like a wall of candy, but only on Saturdays" – and it's scientifically proven: Known as Lördagsgodis, this nostalgic tradition has children and adults alike waiting all week long to grab their favorite sweets from grocery store candy walls on Saturdays, a practice that began as a health recommendation in 1959 after studying the effects of a high-sugar diet on patients at a hospital in Lund. So go ahead, indulge guilt-free once a week, the Swedish way!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

13. World's Largest Candy Store

If you've got a sweet tooth that never takes a day off, we've got the perfect bucket list destination for you: Sweden is home to the world's largest candy store, Candy People in Stockholm, boasting over 1,500 scrumptious sweet treats from all corners of the globe, including famous Swedish candies like "Fish" and "Salty Licorice".
Source => en.wikipedia.org