In Salten you can let your kids run wild

Kids today get to travel to exciting places, their toy boxes overflow with toys they never play with, and kids know their way around social media much better than their parents ever will. Their boundless energy, their effervescent zest for life and their insatiable curiosity can often get lost in the everyday hustle and bustle of life, however. That’s why you should bring your little angels to Salten, where they can revive all of their senses.

Unleash your little rascals in this vast play pen

Salten, the central part of Nordland between the Arctic Circle and Tysfjorden, is like a giant play pen for your kids. There is plenty of room, few dangers and lots of exciting things to do. Kids SHOULD be stung by nettles, get pebbles in their shoe and trip and skin their knee. Your young hopeful should not have to enter aduĺt life without ever carving a willow flute, skipping stones into the ocean, building a dam in the creek or climbing trees.

Salten is a landscape with a lot of firsts for young minds

Salten is a good mix of bold, varied landscapes and vibrant local communities. If you bring your kids to an island community, they can run around on the beach, explore old wharf houses and boat houses and go for a walk in the woods. If you go to the mountains, they can jump across creeks, pick berries on the hillside and climb up to a viewpoint. The forests at the heart of Salten are sunny and provide nature’s own climbing frames, with a soft bed of moss to land on should they fall.

Below are 11 activities to do with your kids in Salten:

This is a small collection of ideas about things to do. Some of these activities are free, others come with a small fee, but all of them are perfect for creating a story your child will want to tell their friends about when kindergarten or school starts up again in August.

1. Glacier hiking: Have your kids strap on a helmet, tie them to a rope and go for a hike on Svartisen, Norway’s second largest glacier. Be sure to take pictures—your kids will want to show them off when school starts again!
2. Go fishing: Nothing says Northern Norway more than a fishing trip! Kids turning their noses up at fish back home will gobble it right up when they’ve pulled it out of the water themselves.
3. Norwegian Aviation Museum: The country’s largest aviation museum is a kid’s dream. A flight simulator, guided tours through the museum and a nook with parent parking; this is the perfect place to spend a rainy day.
4. RiB to Saltstraumen: Saltstraumen seethes, bubbles and boils—this natural wonder is fascinating for children and adults alike. And the RiB ride from Bodø is just plain fun!
5. Spelunking: Salten is full of caves. Some are for experts only, but a surprisingly large number of them are thrilling for kids.
6. Kayaking: The many islands and lovely sandy beaches in Salten are perfect for children learning how to paddle a kayak.
7. Nordlandsbadet: On a rainy day, Nordlandsbadet is the perfect way for your kids to let off some steam. Jump from the 5-metre, speed down any of the three water slides or ride the waves. Younger siblings love the kiddie pool.
8. Run the stairs: The Fykan steps are a 1100-step, wooden stairway in Glomfjord. Kids who are quick on their feet can make it to the top much quicker than their slow old parents.
9. Stand-up paddle board: It’s a well-known fact that we lose our balance with age, so if you take your kids stand-up paddle boarding, they will leave you behind.
10. Bodø Action Hall: Perfect for a rainy day! Play laser tag, escape from escape rooms or mow down your opponents playing paintball. Open season on parents!
11. Hiking: Salten is full of mountains. Some are great for those with little feet, others let gangly teenagers roll their eyes at how slow their parents are. Spectacular views are guaranteed, whichever route you go.

Read more about family adventures in Bodø and Salten at Visit Bodø and check out the activity calendar here.