Sjöfartsmuseet Akvariet

Our kids go to an English-speaking preschool, so their friends are from all over the world.  I've noticed some differences with Swedish preschool (compared to the US).

• Longer hours: Monday-Friday 9-2, longer if both parents work. Bowen takes a nap at school.
• Longer school year: August-June; it is seen more as daycare than school and many Swedes skip town in July.
• Focus on play instead of academics (even for 5-year-olds).  
• Playtime outside every day, regardless of weather.  "There's no bad weather, just bad clothing."
• Bring home artwork at the end of the month, not every day.
• Go on field trips without signed permission forms or parent volunteers.

Today was one of those field trips, and the kids donned their vests and rode the tram to the maritime museum & aquarium.  I tagged along because I hadn't seen it yet.  They walked through the aquarium area before I got there, and then I joined them in the history area.

Coupled with Gothenburg's long shipbuilding history is Sweden's point of emigration, and the first exhibit I saw was a model of the Kalmar Nyckel, the ship that brought Swedish settlers to America.  What is really cool to me is that Steve and I used to lived in Delaware close to where the Kalmar Nyckel landed, and it used to dock for tours in our neighborhood on the river.

The maritime museum is one of five museums in town that share an annual membership fee, so now I look forward to going to the other four.

Bowen with his teacher

View of the river from the museum