Oh my goodness, Swedish blogger Elisabeth Dunker took this photo of a slide in her town of Gothenburg. Just a neighborhood playground, no biggie! Would you be brave enough to slide down? Elisabeth's 11-year-old son Otto sits on a plastic bag to go faster.P.S. My favorite thing about Sweden, and babies sleeping outside.
(Photo by Elisabeth Dunker)
You are correct, everything about Sweden is awesome. I have blonde hair so I tell people I'm Swedish (but I'm really not.) I can dream, right?
ReplyDeleteJust curious re:Your favorite thing about Sweden - have you been taking Toby out to play every day rain or snow or shine? I've been consciously trying to get out for daily walks with my 4 month old (either in a sling or stroller) just to get her (and me) some fresh air.... but some days it's just SO uninviting out there! I'm sure she doesn't notice since she's warm and bundled - but I am seriously looking forward to spring!
ReplyDeleteI don't live in Sweden, but I do live in Eau Claire, WI and we actually have an old park that has two slides just like that - almost like dueling slides! I definitely loved going down them when I was little.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun, but i wonder if the kids get scared because it's dark inside the slide :)
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to dream up feasible excuses to relocate to Sweden for years. They seem to be so child orientated over there and I'm pretty sure I'd have to be dragged away from a playground like that myself! x Becky
ReplyDeleteBasically, Europe has this whole commuting meets playing thing down pat. Remember that Dutch train station slide! The US, or at least Chicago, has so much catching up to do.
ReplyDeleteSweden is absolutely one of the best countries, everything looks amazing there. If I have it my way I'd move there. Thanks for sharing this awesome picture x
ReplyDeleteHoly cow! That looks amazing! As a kid, I would totally have tried the plastic bag trick... head first too! I was such a tomboy!
ReplyDeletewww.BeReadyBravely.com
I can brave out going on an open slide but the one above makes me claustrophobic. I could watch others with a withdrawn breath though :) x
ReplyDeletewww.todaymyway.com
My boyfriend and I spent some time in Stockholm a few years ago, and I can attest that the playgrounds there -- among other things -- are incredible!! So creative and unusual and fun, and they seem to be everywhere...
ReplyDeleteOh wow - just a little neighborhood park. ;-) I've never been to Sweden, but I've always wanted to vist. Someday ...
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool! My little one would love this when she's older, I'm sure! She loves the little slides now. So, this would rock! Moving to Sweden. : )
ReplyDeleteThat looks amazing! Sweden just seems like the coolest, most progressive place. My great-grandparents came over directly, and had 7 children in America. They were the coolest people I knew. I think the only thing I would not be able to handle about Sweden is the long, dark, seemingly never-ending cold cold winter!
ReplyDeleteThat's sweet!! I'd love to play on it!
ReplyDeleteThe Occasional Indulgence
My mother-in-law told me about this and I must admit, when my daughter was a baby she'd have the most amazing outdoor naps. We lived in Kelowna B.C at the time so, if after a walk, my daughter was still sleeping I'd push her into the backyard (where I could see her) and take care of things inside. I must say, I was a bit uneasy about it (even with a fenced yard). Okay, now this will sound crazy (I'll blame it on new motherhood and lack of sleep induced paranoia), but on more than one occasion, I had thoughts of large birds swooping down and grabbing her. That's when I knew that I needed more sleep. Anyway, I love the idea and love the pictures you posted. It seems old school and really speaks to the idea of a village raising a child. Great post.
ReplyDeleteI have to go to Sweden one day!! It always looks so beautiful and has such fun things!!
ReplyDeleteErgo - Blog
This is awesome -- I really want to visit Sweden -- they seem to do everything better there.
ReplyDeleteSweden is like a different world! Great design, cool quirky vibes, and simple awesomeness!
ReplyDeletewhat?! i want to go to there!
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I must concur. Amazing. I read the other blog you posted about the babies sleeping outside-wow. Can you imagine doing that in nyc? I think about how my mom told me that the first three month of my life she took me and my sisters to the hapmtons, and she said she would leave me in a little basket on the beach to sleep all the time. nowadays people would have tents, or send there Nanny back to the house the the child could nap. To this day, I always have my best napping outside on a beach. Sweden is amazing.
ReplyDeleteThis awesome playground in Doylestown, PA isn't too far from NYC. It's called Kids Castle. This isn't my blog, but it has some good pics of the playground. http://lampesalots.blogspot.com/2011/08/kids-castle-doylestown.html
ReplyDeleteI'm with Otto ;)
ReplyDeletecool....
ReplyDeletehttp://lejlatravels.blogspot.com/
Sweden rocks. I work for a Swedish company and our whole campus follow the swedish design aesthetic. We have horses, and a huge man made lake with turtles and fish with coin feeders. I would move to Sweden for the excellent education system and the THREE years maternity leave! Alas, I am not too fond of long winters and I would miss the sun horribly :)
ReplyDeleteAs a kid I would've loved this! As an adult all I can envision is getting stuck in there and having a panic attack. Ah, to be young again...
ReplyDeleteSweden rules. If it wasn't a tunnel design (claustrophobic) it would be AMAZING!
ReplyDeleteI studied in Sweden for a while and loved it, but it's not a perfect country! The country does have a lot of its priorities straight, but I found it's no use to idealize a place too much. I loved my experience in Sweden but there are beautiful things happening everywhere you go! Love you blog, Joanna xx
ReplyDeleteI would love to visit Sweden! I guess my last name, "Lindberg", is like the "Johnson" of Sweden. Wouldn't it be a blast to do a tour of Scandinavia? Sweden, Norway, Denmark... and then maybe swing over and visit Iceland because that country looks baller too.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Frankfurt Germany growing up and there was a local park with these kinds of slides! It was awesome, we begged our parents to take us every weekend
ReplyDeleteWe have these awesome slides near my home in Madrid, also ina public park http://imagenes.viajeros.com/fotos/j/jt/jtpwoqgk-1336680013.jpg I'm always tempted to slide on those myself :D
ReplyDeleteMy fiance and I would like to live in Sweden at some point in our lives. He has dual citizenship and I have a lot of family over there. It would be such a nice change of pace.
ReplyDeleteAlso, their maternity and paternity leave is amazing. Check out this article: http://www.npr.org/blogs/babyproject/2011/08/09/139121410/parental-leave-the-swedes-are-the-most-generous
This looks so fun! We used to have cool slides like that in the parks when I was younger, but they've all been replaced with smaller plastic slides that I guess are safer.
ReplyDeleteKristina
Kristina does the Internets
We have slides like that in parks in Japan. I think I have a few photos on my blog at www.erinmcclain.org
ReplyDeleteThis slide reminds me of the slides in Estes Park, Colorado. My husband and I went down them after he proposed to me. We sat on burlap sacks, and I screamed the whole way down!!!
ReplyDeleteReading this just before I board a plane from Rhode Island to Zurich! Can't wait to see Switzerland for the first time :)
ReplyDeleteoh yes about Sweden!
ReplyDeletei've been more intrigued by it ever since i read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series.
i won't mind to move and live in Sweden
Yes, exactly, Sweden WHY are you soooo very awesome. Just wish it would transcribe some of its awesomeness here.
ReplyDeleteHaha - I´m SO glad you like bits and pieces of my country. As it happens, I love your country and visit as often as I can so I´m glad the love is mutual..! :-)
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a slide like that where the top was my home and when I got out I was at work. Would make the commute so much more fun!
ReplyDeletekassia x
http://kassiastclair.com/
Being a Swede and Stockholmer I can only agree about Sweden:) But really, we do have some long cold snowy winters here so we need to make up for that in everything we do! But I can honestly say, with three young children, that Stockholm city is extremely child friendly, with many parks and children everywhere even in the streets, if you ever want to visit. And I was glad to confirm that I also thought NYC was totally ok with children when we visited last spring, since everyone is so polite and service minded there. Caroline
ReplyDeleteWe have one of those here in our town in southern Germany. I tried it once and it was FAST! My daughter loves it though! xxx
ReplyDeleteWow! That looks fun. I can't imagine anything like that around here though. I am sure it would violate a million safety standards here in Canada.
ReplyDeleteI love long slides. We have a park near my house with slides shaped like dinosaurs (Vincent Lugo Park). As a kid, and sometimes even now, I'll take a piece of wax paper and sit on that to go faster. Oh the memories!
ReplyDeleteSwedens IS awesome! But so is North America. I am a Swede who grew up in Canada but have spent most of my adult life in Sweden. My first baby was born in Atlanta, GA, and my second in Stockholm, Sweden. I have had great - but very different - experiences in both places.
ReplyDeleteI recently did an interview for Hellobee on motherhood and maternity leave in Sweden - about gender-neutral pre-schools, our insanely good paid maternity leave, babies sleeping in strollers outside cafés, dressing kids for tons of outdoor play in all kinds of weather... http://minipiccolini.com/2012/06/interview/
Amazing! Sweden really is awesome, so stylish, the people, regular homes, basically anything and everything.
ReplyDeleteMy friend lives in Sweden, she's studying photography and I thought you might enjoy these she took of her daughter, especially the third one down, love it. :)
xo from Iceland
haha forgot the link: http://martafotografi.blogspot.se/2013/02/blog-post.html?spref=fb
DeleteAwesome! Reminds me of our WWI Memorial Park in North Attleboro, MA. For any Boston area readers, its a fabulous park! 3 playgrounds, sculptures, a giant sandbox that is like going to the beach, and a super long slide. Its also got a petting zoo, but, frankly, I find that part depressing b'c of the animals tiny little enclosures. The kids love feeding the animals though.
ReplyDeletehttp://playground-hoppingmass.blogspot.com/2012/09/julias-garden-and-playground-at-wwi.html
I don't care if I might get stuck, If I saw this I would be in it!
ReplyDeleteI am Swedish and it makes me proud to read all the positive comments about my country. I live in the very south of Sweden, very close to Denmark and the winters here in the south are lighter and shorter than up north, so it's not that bad. Come visit!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for a wonedrful, interesting and inspiring blog, Joanna, I read it every day!
I made it a point to play on a particularly excellent playground in Sweden while I was there last year. I'm 23 and still had a blast! My favorite? The tire swing zipline!
ReplyDeleteI'm Swedish by heritage and I studied abroad in Stockholm my junior year of college. You are so right - Sweden is amazing. It has its own flaws, obviously, but there is so much progressive, wonderful stuff going on there, everyone should visit :)
ReplyDeleteI does look it would be a fun ride. Just looking at it makes me feel a little sick. My biggest fear would be if the kids got stuck inside. Cool photo though.
ReplyDeleteI was recently in Sweden and was blown away by the country and culture. Such a beautiful place! I was also incredibly impressed by the whole leaving babies outside to sleep!
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! My kind of park :)
ReplyDeleteA bit scary.. no?
ReplyDeleteOh i so love Sweden as well!
ReplyDeleteThis is the coolest slide ever!
ReplyDeleteWow! I was a little supprised going through my Google reader finding a picture of the slide in Plikta, Slottsskogen, Gothenburg. I used to play there when I was a kid! About a kilometer from that slide there was a similar slide decorated as a snake, sadly it was torn down a couple of years ago. Thanks for bringing back good memories :)
ReplyDeleteMy sister-in-law is on an lds mission for our church in Sweden. I am so going to tell her to go here on her day off! Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteI applied for bible school in Sweden starting this fall. If I get in, I can't wait to explore all the different yet awesome things that are unique to Sweden!
ReplyDeleteVery cool. It reminds me of a kindergarten in the town (near Frankfurt, Germany) where my dad now lives which has a similar slide leading from the first (US second) floor classroom out to the playground - how incredible would that be if you're small?!
ReplyDeleteWe have a slide very similar to that in the town park in Telford, Shropshire , UK ...as you say no big deal just the town park : )
ReplyDeleteThat looks so so so so so fun!
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Sweden is stunning tourism destinations for vacations. I had visited this place before 8 months for 10 days. It was an awesome experience.
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