NOV20
All country briefings

Europe · Country briefing

Sweden

A child-friendly mission briefing for 20 November — capital, climate, school day, languages, fun facts, native animals, and five questions to ask the class on the other side of the world.

  • Capital
    Stockholm
  • Population
    ~10 million
  • Time zone
    Europe/Stockholm (UTC +1)
  • Currency
    Swedish krona (SEK)
Sweden, with Stockholm marked
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Climate in November: Cold; short daylight especially in the north.

Stockholm, the capital of Sweden

The capital

Stockholm

Photo · Unsplash

Fun facts

What makes Sweden a bit special.

  • Islands

    Stockholm is built on 14 islands

  • Midnight sun

    In summer the sun barely sets up north

  • Hockey & skiing

    National winter sports

  • Fika

    A daily coffee + sweet treat ritual

  • ABBA & Spotify

    Both came from Sweden

  • Forests

    Cover 70% of the country

Native animals

Wildlife your partner class might know best.

  • 🫎

    Moose

    Sweden has the densest moose population in the world

  • 🐻

    Brown bear

    Sleeps for 5–7 months a year

  • 🦌

    Reindeer

    Herded by the Sámi people in the north

  • 🐈

    Eurasian lynx

    Europe's only big cat

  • 🦅

    White-tailed eagle

    Has a wingspan of 2.5 metres

School life

In a Sweden classroom

Many schools include outdoor play even in cold weather. Fika (snack break) is a daily ritual for many.

Typical school day: Often 08:00–14:30, with shorter days for younger pupils.

School year: Mid-August to mid-June.

Greetings to learn

Say hello like a local

  • Hej!
    Swedish · hey

Five questions to ask

Conversation starters

  1. 01How much daylight do you have today?
  2. 02What's your favourite school subject?
  3. 03What music do you listen to?
  4. 04What food do you eat at school?
  5. 05What's a Swedish word you love?

What not to assume

Friendly cautions

  • ℹNorthern Sweden has very different daylight from the south.
  • ℹSchool lunch is free for all pupils.

Culture

Food, music, sport, festivals.

  • Food

    • Meatballs
    • Knäckebröd
    • Cinnamon buns

  • Music

    • Pop
    • Folk
    • Choirs

  • Sport

    • Football
    • Ice hockey
    • Cross-country skiing

  • Festivals

    • Lucia (13 Dec)
    • Midsummer
    • Christmas
Reflection prompts
  • “How would shorter daylight change your day?”
  • “What would your fika be?”

Could your class meet Sweden?

Choose Swedenwhen you register — we’ll show you the time-zone feasibility.

Register your classroom