Stockholm

Holidays by Destination Europe Sweden Stockholm Shopping 

Design

If you are interested in modern Scandinavian design there is a useful leaflet called Design Guide which details outlets which might be of interest. Some of these sell items for children though, intriguingly, the design classic, the Tripp Trapp high chair from Stokke, is not as widely found as might be expected.

Children's Stuff

There are a number of smaller outlets which might be of interest, most on the Osterlanggatan in Gamla Stan, the old town (the street with more elegant ‘tourist' shops than those found in the more popular Vasterlanggatan). Kalik? at number 18, http://www.kalika.se produces its own quirky velour toys, hats and outfits, for example in bee-style stripes or ladybird spots. KV Bootes 2 is at number 3 with for example knitted items including hats and gloves. Fidibus at number 10 has a wide range of wooden toys including the Stockmar brand but has only limited opening times. Textilana at number 26 has interesting simple prints of for example horses, owls and cats on items like bodysuits, sleepsuits and teeshirts. On the same street Carina & Winnie at 11-18 (next ot the Ice House) has good quality linen items, including for children.

Other outlets which might have something are 10 Gruppen/Swedish Designers at Gotgatan 25 www.tiogruppen.com, or Design Torget in the basement of the Kulturhuset at Sergels Torg, http://www.designtorget.se, designed as a showcase for both better and less well known designers who are vetted by a jury before being accepted.

Among more conventional toyshops BR Leksaker, a Danish chain, with a branch for example in the Gallerian shopping mall on Hamngatan, allows children and young people to play computer games or build with Lego.

Books are almost as important in Sweden as in the UK and there are some fine children's titles for sale, including in English translations. Classics include Selma Lagerlof's The Wonderful Adventures of Nils and titles as well as a wide range of titles from the doyenne of Swedish children's writing, Astrid Lindgrin. It is worth investing in a copy of Pippi Longstocking before visiting so that children will be familiar with one of the themes of Junebacken, the Lindgren children's attraction.

There is a decent selection in different languages in the bookshop above the tourist office but even department stores like Ahlens carry children's books in English.