Sweden

 


Enjoy a glimpse into Sweden's geography, history and culture with the kids, and print out our flag printables to capture what you have learned, and remember the Swedish flag...

Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm, Sweden

Learn about Sweden

Geography of Sweden

  • The Kingdom of Sweden in northern Europe is a Scandinavian country. It is connected to Denmark by bridge and shares a long border with Norway and Finland.
  • Lake Vanern, the largest of Sweden's 97,000 lakes, contains 20,000 islands. The manmade Gota Canal links the Baltic Sea to the lake.
  • There are 94 churches on the island of Gotland, site of the walled town of Visby, once an important Hanseatic port and said to be the home of the original Goths.
  • Sarek was the first National Park in Europe when it opened in 1909. It is vast, with 100 glaciers and 200 mountains over 1800m, and is home to elks, bears and lynx.
  • Visitors to Swedish Lapland can stay in the Icehotel, made of snow and ice. Bring a warm sleeping bag and you may see the Northern Lights!

History of Sweden:

  • From 800-1150AD Swedish Vikings sailed longships to the far east and south of Europe. Some people think that the Rus people, after whom Russia was named, were from the coast of Sweden.
  • Modern Sweden can be traced to June 6th 1523 when the nobility resisted Danish rule and declared Gustav Vasa King.
  • Between 1560 and 1810 Sweden built a large trading empire when reached its pinnacle under King Charles X.

Stockholm

  • Stockholm, the capital city, is built on 14 islands. Gamla Stan, the old medieval town, is home to the Royal Palace, which has over 600 rooms.
  • The Vasa ship is the oldest preserved 64 cannon Man of War. This ornately carved symbol of Sweden's past is Stockholm's major tourist attraction.
  • Stockholm is also home to the Grand Hotel, host of the annual Nobel Prize Ceremony. The prize is named after the Swedish inventor of dynamite.

Swedish Culture

  • Swedes love drinking coffee and eating cinnamon rolls. The word 'fika' describes the daily ritual of meeting friends for a coffee break.
  • Swedish culture has produced world famous icons from Abba, the pop band, to retailer Ikea, Volvo cars and Ericsson the technology company.
  • Children everywhere love to read the Pippi Longstocking books by Astrid Lindgren. Pippi's surname in Swedish is Langstrump.
  • Winter sports are popular. Sweden have been ice hockey world champions six times. Bandy, played on ice with a round ball, has a World Cup each year in Sweden.

About the Swedish Flag

Sweden Flag

The Swedish flag has a golden yellow Nordic cross on a blue background. Sweden adopted its current flag on June 22, 1906, but the country celebrates Flag Day on June 6.


Our Sweden Resources

Dala Horse Craft

Dala Horse Craft

Dala horses (or Dalecarlian horses) are carved and painted wooden horses originating in the Swedish province of Dalarna. Originally made as toys for children, they are now a recognised symbol of Sweden. Have a go at making your own with this lovely Dala horse craft!

Sweden Booklet

Sweden Booklet

Print and fold this little booklet for your Sweden studies - using the folding instructions here. We have a lined or a blank version available.

 

Sweden Bookmarks

Sweden Bookmarks

We have both colour and black and white versions of our Sweden bookmarks - perfect for handing out to Sweden supporters in the World Cup, perhaps!

Sweden Fact Worksheet

Sweden Fact Worksheet

Here is our fact-finding worksheet about Sweden, which asks the kids to research some useful knowledge and also practise their location skills.

Sweden Flag Printable

Sweden Flag Printable

Blue and yellow are the colours of the flag of Sweden. We have five versions of the flag to download and print to suit all sorts of projects.

Sweden Location Worksheet

Sweden Location Worksheet

Where is Sweden on this location worksheet? We have two levels – one with the names of countries included, and one much harder without.

Sweden Notebooking Page

Sweden Notebooking Page

Write about Sweden on our notebooking page - choosing from two versions below. Notebooking page 1 has space for a map, illustration or photo.

Sweden On Map Of Europe

Sweden On Map Of Europe

Some parts of Sweden get a lot of snow – and the children will understand why when they see its location at the north of this map of Europe.

Sweden Worksheet

Sweden Worksheet

Use this worksheet to begin your studies about Sweden. It asks the kids to find out a few easy facts about the country and then write down what they have learned.

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