Swedish games for kids are fun and engaging activities steeped in history and tradition. Sweden is the third-largest country in Western Europe, blessed with beautiful landscapes and a rich Nordic cultural heritage. Playing in Swedish games is one way to get kids involved in learning world cultural traditions and participating in group activities.
May Day festivities in Sweden wouldn’t be a proper celebration without a maypole dance. May Day is a popular celebration in many European countries and is a way to engage communities in enjoyment of spring and friendship.Although maypole dancing isn’t a game with a winner, it is a dance that has directions and encourages kids to work together. Create a maypole dance for kids by erecting a pole, or stake, in an outdoor area. Children can each tie a long length of ribbon, about 6 feet, to the top of the pole and then hold it taut while standing in a circle with the other children who are participating in the maypole dance. Children can then walk and weave the ribbon together around the maypole, working together until their entire ribbon has been wound around the maypole.
A popular board game in Sweden is Svea Rike, or Rule Sweden. The game is based on 300 years of Swedish history and uses a deck of cards, power plays and masterminding to win the game. Svea Rike is a game that can be played over several days, involving thought and concentration. Svea Rike can be purchased at most toy stores or found online. Although Svea Rike might not be appropriate for younger children, it is a game that can aide in teaching Swedish history, turn-taking and working together to elementary school-aged children and older.
The game Kubb, a classic Viking game, is another popular game in Sweden. Kubb can be played with kids as young as six and with small or large groups of players. Players enjoying a game of Kubb throw sticks at a “king.” The king can be any object, or an actual Kubb game set online. Children can toss their throwing sticks in a helicopter throw, trying to make the stick go end over end and knock down the king for a win. “Kubbs,” or wooden blocks, are placed along the sides of the playing fields and must be knocked over before the playing team can knock over the king. Children can enjoy playing by following Kubb rules or by creating their own tossing-the-stick game.
Sarah Lipoff has been writing since 2008. She has been published through BabyZone, Parents, Funderstanding and Education.com. Lipoff has worked as a K-12 art teacher, museum educator and preschool teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Science in K-12 art education from St. Cloud State University.