Seeing The Northern Lights With Kids: A Family Guide

Taking children to see the Northern Lights is one of the great family adventures, but chasing the aurora with kids in tow brings its own challenges. Cold, late nights and long waits are a lot to ask of little ones. With the right planning, warm clothing and realistic expectations, a family aurora trip can be the holiday of a lifetime.

This guide covers the practical side of a family trip: how to keep everyone warm, what to pack and layer, how to handle late nights, and how to fill the daytime so the whole experience is magical rather than a test of endurance.

Keeping children warm

Warmth is everything on an aurora trip, and it matters even more with children, who feel the cold faster and complain about it louder. Arctic winter temperatures regularly sit between -10°C and -30°C, and watching the aurora means standing or sitting still outdoors for long stretches, which feels far colder than moving around. A cold, miserable child will cut your night short, so getting this right is the single most important thing you can do.

The answer is layering. Dress everyone in three layers: a thermal base layer against the skin, a warm insulating mid-layer such as fleece or down, and a windproof, waterproof outer shell. Avoid cotton, which holds moisture and chills the body; merino wool and synthetic thermals are far better. Many aurora tour operators and hotels in Lapland lend out heavy thermal oversuits and boots for both adults and children, which can save you buying expensive kit your children will quickly grow out of, so check before you travel.

Don't forget the extremities

Cold hands, feet and faces end more aurora nights than anything else. Pack insulated, waterproof snow boots with thick thermal socks, warm mittens (warmer than gloves for small hands), a hat that covers the ears, and a neck gaiter or balaclava. Disposable hand and toe warmers that slip into mittens and boots are a small, cheap lifesaver on the coldest nights, and children love them.

Handling the late nights

The aurora is usually at its best between 10pm and 2am, well past most children's bedtimes. A little planning makes this manageable. Let children nap in the late afternoon or early evening so they have energy for a late night. Keep the first outing short to see how they cope, and build up from there. Warm hotel rooms, cabins or glass igloos with a view of the sky are worth the extra cost with children, as they let little ones rest or warm up indoors while an adult keeps watch, dashing out only when the lights appear.

Make the daytime the main event

Here is the key to a happy family aurora trip: treat the Northern Lights as a wonderful bonus, not the whole purpose. The aurora is never guaranteed, and pinning a child's hopes entirely on it risks real disappointment. Arctic destinations are packed with daytime magic that children adore, so build the trip around those and let the lights be the cherry on top.

Husky sledding is a firm family favourite, as is meeting reindeer, snowshoeing, tobogganing and snowmobiling (with passenger sleds for younger children). In Finnish Lapland you can visit Santa Claus and cross the Arctic Circle, which is pure magic for younger children around Christmas. Many of our destination pages list family-friendly excursions; Rovaniemi, the official home of Santa Claus, and nearby Levi and Inari are especially geared up for families.

Keeping children engaged while you wait

Even with the best planning there will be waiting. Turn it into part of the adventure. Bring a flask of hot chocolate and snacks, build a snowman, make snow angels, or tell stories about the myths and legends of the aurora while you watch the sky. Older children often love being given a job, such as watching the forecast, spotting the first faint glow, or helping with the camera. Giving them a camera or letting them trigger the shutter can turn a long wait into a highlight.