For Families: Mulle Mecks Playground
Author Lisa Ferland takes you behind the scenes of Mulle Mecks Playground for kids.
All photos by author
Has your child ever wondered what it would feel like to fly an airplane or drive a car? Maybe they dream of taking off in a rocket ship or steering a boat?
Mulle Mecks Playground, based on the children’s book character, mechanic, and carpenter Mulle Meck, was designed to foster children’s imagination, inventiveness, and willingness to try new things.
First opened in 2008 in Solna, the playground evokes the same imaginative spirit as Junibacken and children can explore fairytale environments like an airplane hangar, an old truck, and car located in Daisy Diesel’s garage, a boat in small water pond, rocket ship, flower maze, and a short zip-line. Designed by the same artist, Tor Svae, who constructed similar playscapes in Junibacken, children of all ages will love exploring this well-loved playground.
My kids, aged five- and two-years-old, absolutely loved racing from the boat to the airplane, to the rocket ship, eager to pull all of the levers, twist dials, and push buttons. At this playground, there are no rules and the more things there are to shift, pull, and spin, the better.
Mulle Mecks Playground is large enough to maintain a young child’s attention for a few hours and yet small enough that parents often feel comfortable allowing their children to explore unattended. Each play structure contains many interactive aspects to foster your child’s imagination.
Be prepared to go on a wild plane ride, take off on a rocket ship, or act as co-captain of the boat, as your child is in their childhood fantasies. Mulle Meck will spark curiosity, and his inventiveness is evident throughout the playground as scrap metals were used to build staircases, slides, and benches.
One of the staircases reminded my two-year-old daughter of the staircase Elsa creates in the movie, Frozen. She spent 20 minutes running up and down singing the song “Let it go” to the delight of those around us.
Children can climb into Daisy Diesel’s Garage, but keep in mind that it was not built for adult-sized people. Be sure that your child can navigate the playspace solo or be willing to convince them to climb and crawl back to you on their own.
There are some water features throughout the park: a water pump that sends a small stream of water down through various dams that children can pull up and down via pulleys, and a small pond near the boat. Bring a change of clothes or remove shoes and socks as adventurous children are likely to get a bit wet.
The creators of Mulle Mecks Playground believe that learning and play are inextricably linked, and this is reflected in their integration of a library within the playground itself. It’s red doors are open to reveal colorful children’s books for both reading on-site or to borrow to read at home. Mulle Meck also has other themed parks located throughout Sweden that also might be worth exploring.
The playground is open, free, and suitable for all ages, but children 2 to 7 years of age will probably enjoy it the most.
Things To Consider
There is no toilet at the playground. You have to walk approximately 10 minutes from the park to find a public toilet.
I’d strongly suggest bringing a picnic as the options for food are quite limited. There are plenty of shady areas to set up a picnic blanket. There is a small cafe located within the playground that is open during the summer season. Also, there is a mobile ice cream stand located across from the entrance that takes Swish payments only (no cash).
