Gymnastics for children in Malmö

When can your child start?

Many children start gymnastics early. The Swedish Gymnastics Federation's children's gymnastics is for ages 3 to 12 and is built on varied, playful training of basic motor skills. For the youngest there is family gym, where children aged 3 to 6 train together with an adult. It is a common first activity.

The federation counts children's gymnastics up to and including the year a child turns 12. Play is central, and children should also get to try other sports. The federation's guidelines say that groups for children up to 12 should not be divided by how skilled the children are, and that elite-focused gymnastics should not exist for children under 13. Children may compete from the year they turn 7, mainly close to home and in simple formats. Results should get little attention.

Questions to ask the club

Can your child try it? Ask whether your child can join a couple of sessions before you decide.

What does it cost, and what is included? Ask what the term costs, whether a membership fee is added, and whether competitions, leotards or camps cost extra.

What clothes are needed? Ask what your child should wear and whether anything of their own is needed, for example a leotard for displays.

What is expected of you? In family gym, you take part in the training. In other groups, ask whether parents can watch and whether the club expects help at displays and competitions.

How many coaches does the group have? According to the federation's guidelines, the club should match the number of coaches to the group's size and level, and at least one adult over 18 must be present at every session. Many coaches in Swedish sport are not yet adults themselves, so ask how the group is staffed.

What training do the coaches have? The club must follow the federation's training requirements for its coaches. The first step in the federation's coach education is the basic gymnastics course, Gymnastikens baskurs. Ask which courses the coaches have taken.

Does the club take references and criminal records extracts? The Swedish Gymnastics Federation's guidelines say the club must ask for a limited extract from the criminal records register for anyone with direct and regular contact with children, and recommend taking references when a new coach is hired. The extract is a requirement for all sports clubs. Ask whether the club does both.

Gymnastics in Malmö

Kul i Malmö is the city's calendar of free activities for children and young people, and most activities need neither registration nor membership. When we read the calendar in September 2026, it included trial gymnastics sessions. The programme changes, so check the calendar when you want to try.

If a gymnastics club has joined Fritidskortet, the national leisure card, you can pay the term fee with the card. The card applies from the year a child turns 6, so you pay for family gym for younger children the usual way. Read more about Fritidskortet in Malmö

How Playsa helps

On Playsa you can see gymnastics groups in Malmö with ages, district and times where the club has given them, and whether there is a trial session. Always ask the club whether there is a place.

Sources

Read on 17 September 2026. The sources are in Swedish.

• Svenska Gymnastikförbundet, "Barngymnastik"
• Svenska Gymnastikförbundet, "Familjegympa"
• Svenska Gymnastikförbundet, "Anvisningar för barn- och ungdomsgymnastik" (fastställda 2022-02-25, reviderade 2023-03-31; barngymnastik till och med 12 år, gruppindelning, tävling från 7 år, minst en vuxen, registerutdrag, referenser vid nyanställning, utbildningskrav). Sida:
• Svenska Gymnastikförbundet, "Grundkurser"
• Riksidrottsförbundet, "Föreningar ska kontrollera registerutdrag"
• Malmö stad, "Om Kul i Malmö"
• Malmö stad, "Kul i Malmö", kalendern
• Fritidskortet, "Så använder du Fritidskortet"
• Riksidrottsförbundet, "Riktlinjer för barn- och ungdomsidrott"