The Best Family-Friendly Things to Do in Malmö with Kids
- andrew
- 13 hours ago
- 6 min read
Malmö is one of Sweden's most family friendly cities but because of it's proximity to Copenhagen it is often overlooked. The city has lots of great public parks and activities to keep kids entertained and is really flat meaning you can easily cycle around everywhere and head to the beach. We have visited Malmö a few times as a family but most recently when our daughter was 3yrs old and my son was a 3m old baby. Here is the guide to the best things to do in Malmö with kids.
Getting Around
Malmö is one of the easiest cities in Scandinavia to navigate with a pram. It’s relatively small, flat and the pavements are wide so it’s easy to push a pram around but there are also cycle paths alongside most main roads, so you could easily hire a bike and cycle around the whole time whilst you’re here.
Things to Do in Malmö with Kids
1. Folkets Park
This is Malmö’s oldest playground but it’s so much fun for kids of all ages. We were staying nearby so visited most days on our last trip because it was the perfect way for my toddler to burn off energy!
Folkets Park’s playground has a fun cycle safari area with tricycles and balance bikes, all with helmets, all free to use. But the best part is the outdoor bubble trampolines which she would go and play on all by herself. There’s a big and small one and plenty of seating so you can just watch the kids have fun! I loved grabbing a coffee from the cafe Sallys just next to the trampoline area and relaxing whilst she bounced around.
The whole park has good shade cover, picnic benches, toilets, and there’s a free water fountain to refill bottles. There's also a skate park, various climbing frames and swings and a splash pool so pack a spare set of clothes if you want to let your kids run around in the water. Because the park is so big and varied you could spend the whole day here if you really wanted (on the first day we ended up spending about 4 hours here and refuelled with coffee and falafels)!
2. Funny’s Äventyr
Funny’s Äventyr is a storybook-themed indoor play world with famous Nordic children's characters like Moomin, Pettson & Findus and Alfie Atkins. These are books I grew up with in my childhood and which I read to my daughter so she was excited to visit and see some familiar faces but even if your kids don't know these characters there is plenty to explore.
The design has interactive worlds with slides and toys that kids can play with leaning more into imaginative play. There is also a fairytale carousel when you sit down and it spins around. You then listen to the stories of Aladdin, Alice in Wonderland and Little Mermaid watching a handmade set light up as the story is told and you can select your language (English, Swedish, German, Danish) on your headphones.
A few things to know: there are theatre performances and storytelling sessions where the actors dress up as the characters and perform for the kids but this is all only in Swedish so you're probably better off skipping and letting them play around instead.
They don’t allow prams inside but there is a covered outdoor parking space for prams. We left ours there safely, others were locked but we didn’t have a padlock so just had the brakes on and that was fine. We brought our baby carrier with us so my son could sleep there.
Entry is either all day or from 3pm. We chose the all-day entry and arrived after lunch. There's a cafe with decent food for kids and adults, so you can easily make it a full day out.
Book tickets here: Malmö: Funnys Äventyr – Play exhibits, theater & shop Use the GetYourGuide app and apply the code TODDLERTRAVELDIARIES5 to get 5% off your total booking price
3. Malmö Castle and Lunch at Slottsträdgården
We didn't go into Malmö Castle as our daughter was only 4m old when we visited Malmö for the first time but we had a lovely lunch in Slottsträdgården. The food here is so tasty and locally sourced but the best part is sitting outdoors in the pretty garden feeling surrounded by the flowers and nature. Whilst my daughter would probably enjoy the castle much more now but if you decide to skip the castle make sure you don't skip the cafe in Slottsträdgården!
4. Saluhallen Food Hall
Malmö’s food hall is buzzing and has some really tasty options including Falafel & Burgers which does the tastiest falafel we've had in the city (but on pure value the 25 kr falafel shop near Folkets park still wins), Hedvigsdal Pizza serves tasty wood-fired pizza and Favvo Glass is an ice-cream stand that's perfect for dessert!
5. Ribersborgsstranden Beach
Known locally as Ribban, this is Malmö's city beach and it has a long sandy stretch with shallow water that makes it easy and safe for young kids to paddle in. It's about a 20 minute walk or a quick bus or cycle ride from the centre, and there's decent parking nearby too if you'd rather drive.
Behind the beach there is a playground (Öresundslekplatsen), a minigolf course (Ribban Green Golf), volleyball nets, and football and basketball courts, so there's plenty to keep kids of all ages entertained.
At the northern end of the beach is Ribersborgs Kallbadhus, a wooden bathhouse on a pier dating back to 1898, with saunas and a café. It's on our to do list to do when we come back but we might have to wait until the kids are a bit older so we can properly enjoy it!
Finally, if you're around on a Saturday morning, there's a free 5km parkrun along the coastline which is a great way to enjoy the salty air and sea views whilst exercising.
6. Day Trip to Copenhagen
The train from Malmö Central to Copenhagen takes around 20-30 minutes and crosses the Öresund Bridge. As Sweden is much cheaper than Copenhagen this is a great way to experience it at fraction of the price. Highlights of Copenhagen include visiting the pretty Nyhavn where you will see colourful houses lining the streets with boats parked up in the marina. The area is full of cafes and bars so you can easily have a coffee looking out onto the sea whilst your kid counts how many boats there are.
On one of our day trips to Copenhagen from Malmö we headed to Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and you can read about it here: Is it worth visiting Louisana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark with Kids?
7. Pildammsparken
We didn't manage to visit here but this is a large park with a lake where you can hire pedal boats, meaning that it is probably more fun with slightly older kids. One of the most fun parts here is the fountains which also put on an impressive light show every evening after sunset. There are two themed playgrounds here, Spindellekplatsen (the Spider Playground) is built around a giant black wooden spider with a slide built into it, surrounded by five small themed play houses connected by tunnels you can talk through, plus a caterpillar climbing frame and swings, including baby swings whereas Teaterlekplatsen (the Theatre Playground) leans into imaginative play with a theatre theme.
Where to stay in Malmö
Best for: families who want to be within walking distance of Folkets Park and the beach, with table tennis and shuffle board to entertain you all
A 4-star hotel a short walk from Folkets Park, the rooms are spacious and the hotel is well set up for families with cots also available. It's a comfortable hotel with a relaxed and playful vibe. The location is great but the best thing about this hotel is definitely the breakfast!
Best for: families who want a charming boutique hotel in the Old Town with a cosy atmosphere and great location
Home Hotel Baltzar has really cosy interiors which match how old this 18th century building is but it’s been recently renovated so feels comfortable here. The rooms are spacious but if you want a really special view then there are four tower suites on the upper floors where you enjoy views over Malmö. The staff are very welcoming and the hotel is well catered towards kids too.
Best for: families who want the most central location in the city with larger modern rooms, close to Saluhallen and the Öresund waterfront.
Right in the centre of the city next to the concert hall, Clarion Hotel Malmö Live has larger, more modern rooms than most of the other hotels in the city centre, so if you’re wanting maximum space in the most central location then it’s hard to beat the Clarion.
Final Thoughts
Malmö is a really family friendly city with plenty to keep kids entertained. There are playgrounds everywhere and all are really well designed meaning kids are always playing outside. The city is so flat and the pavements are wide with dedicated cycle lanes meaning it's so easy to push a pram around. As the city is so small you can easily walk, cycle or take public transport between attractions.
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