Viking Day with Crafts – 2026

Our Viking Age crafts programme is back!

Booking period:

To book the programme, please send your enquiry by email to: bokning@storholmen.org

Duration: Approximately 4 hours
Maximum group size: 30 people (or by agreement for larger groups)
Price: SEK 5,400 incl. VAT
Booking: By email: bokning@storholmen.org
Questions? Email info@storholmen.org or call +46 70 342 51 70.

Please note: Schools in Norrtälje Municipality may be eligible for a discounted price, with support from Roslagens Sparbanks Stiftelser. Contact us to find out more!

Programme 2026
Viking Day with Crafts – 4 hours

Programme time: 10:00–14:00, or by agreement.

Vikings dressed in authentic clothing welcome you to Storholmen Viking Village. Here, students will experience everyday life during the Viking Age through practical activities and living history.

We explore how people in Roslagen were connected to other parts of the world and how trade, travel and cultural encounters contributed to the exchange of ideas and inventions that still influence our society today. The programme is linked to the Swedish national curriculum (Lgr22) and explores people’s living conditions, cultural encounters, and the connections between past and present.

Belonging to a family – what did it mean?

Upon entering the Viking Age environment, we begin with a ceremony that marks the transition into a Viking Age role-playing setting. The children are divided into smaller groups, or “kin groups”, which work together throughout the day.

We talk about the importance of family and kinship during the Viking Age and what it meant to be excluded from one’s kin group. We also discuss outlaws, who could be forced to live outside society.

Games encompass all aspects of life

In the reconstructed environment of the Viking Village, we gather in the courtyard to try different games described in the Icelandic Eddas or preserved through Scandinavian gaming traditions.

The groups meet and compete in traditional games such as domarring, sparka bläse, släppkäpp, Viking-style cockfighting, and more.

Games were not only for children. They could create friendships and alliances, or serve as training for conflict and battle.

Lunch break with the opportunity to grill

The students eat their own packed lunches and have some time to explore the surroundings. There is also an opportunity to grill food – please let us know when booking, and we can prepare a bed of glowing embers.

Try Viking Age Crafts and Everyday Activities
Bake bread over an open fire

Gather around the campfire and bake bread using different types of flour and herbs. This activity is carried out independently by the group. You bake and taste the bread and collect the herbs you need from the herb garden and courtyard.

The Eddic poem Rígsþula describes the food eaten by different social classes, where the wealthy ate wheat bread while enslaved people were given coarse food made from husks and leftovers. A teacher’s guide is provided upon booking to help accompanying teachers prepare for the visit.

Working with Wool

We gather around the table and work with wool in ways similar to those used during the Viking Age. While working, we talk about how wool was used for clothing, rope and other everyday objects, and why this material was so important in a society where people made use of the resources provided by nature.

This activity provides an understanding of traditional crafts, sustainability and the relationship between animals, people and materials – with a focus on learning by doing.

Runes, Magic and Belief

We learn more about Viking Age religion and magic. Through the study of runes, we discuss cultural contacts and how ideas spread between different parts of the world.

We also explore social classes, power and status in society, including how magic could provide influence – for example through the role of the völva, a female seer or practitioner of magic.

This activity is also connected to the nearby burial ground and focuses on how people remembered and honoured their dead.

Gathering and Reflection

We take a walk among Viking Age graves and ancient, twisted oak trees. A Viking guide leads the group to the burial ground and the Norra Malma Nature Reserve.

We reflect on who was – and who was not – allowed to share in the community represented by the burial ground. We talk about beliefs surrounding death and the afterlife, and what may have happened when someone was laid to rest more than a thousand years ago.

We also discuss how we mourn and remember the dead today, and how these practices can be both very different and surprisingly similar across time and cultures.

In case of bad weather, we gather inside the longhouse instead.

Practical Information

Please wear clothes suitable for outdoor activities and the weather. Let us know in advance if any children cannot eat flour or dairy products, or if anyone in the group has a disability or requires special accommodation.

There is a swimming beach next to the museum. The nearest bus stop is Svanberga affär, approximately 400 metres from the Viking Village. Follow the path towards the beach.

Accessible toilets, including an accessible restroom, are available at the museum.

Activities may vary depending on the size and age of the group, as well as the weather.

We look forward to receiving your booking enquiry!