Pienten Helsinki
Where to go during Christmas week and the holiday break December 23, 2019 - January 6, 2020
What to do and where to go with children at Christmas and during the holiday break in Helsinki and the surrounding area
During the Christmas and New Year holiday break in Helsinki, you can adventure, experience and see all sorts of things. In addition to event tips, Little Helsinki recommends day trip destinations and other independent adventure tips all the way to Epiphany. Find current tips for celebrating New Year's in Helsinki with children in the New Year's in Helsinki article.
Little Helsinki wishes our readers
a wonderful Christmas time and
all the best for 2020!
Things to do and Christmas atmosphere
Ice skating on Christmas Eve is available at Malmi ice hall on December 24, 2019 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free admission.
Sleigh rides at Seurasaari on Boxing Day, December 26, 2019 from 12-4 p.m. (fee-based, 5 €/person). If there's no snow, wagon rides are available instead. You can grill and eat your own packed lunches at the celebration field grill area, and both a kiosk and the island's café serve visitors. Read more on Seurasaari Foundation's Facebook page.
Fallkulla farm is open every day until Epiphany January 6, 2020 daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free admission to the farm. Read more on Fallkulla's website.
Winter Garden fills with Christmas greenery and decorations and you can enjoy the Christmas atmosphere until Epiphany. During Christmas, the Winter Garden hosts programs: Christmas concerts, Christmas carols and children's puppet theater performances. Check the Winter Garden's special opening hours during Christmas on the City of Helsinki's website (closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). Free admission.
Puppet Theater Sytkytin's Children's Flower Ballet Stories are performed at the Winter Garden during the Christmas and New Year holiday break. Admission to the performance is free and it's suitable for all ages.
Sytkytin puppet theater performances at the Winter Garden at Christmas 2019:
Thursday December 26, 2019 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Sunday December 29, 2019 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Monday January 6, 2020 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
In Swedish: Arne Alligator & Djungeltrumman/ Arne Alligator Concert at the Swedish Theatre on December 27, 2019 at 4 p.m. and December 28, 2019 at 11 a.m. Tickets 16 €-25 €. Read more on the Swedish Theatre's website.
Fortress Elf Self-Guided Route on Suomenlinna from November 30, 2019 to January 6, 2020.
Read more about the self-guided elf adventure on Suomenlinna's website.
Suomenlinna Toy Museum and the Café Samovarbar located next to the museum are open during December from November 30, 2019 – January 8, 2020 daily (not on public holidays). Museum admission 3 €-7 €.
Suomenlinna Fortress Christmas offers experiences and Christmas atmosphere until January 6, 2020. A nice destination for the whole family with lots to see and wonder about! Read more and check the island's service opening hours on Suomenlinna's website.
Manta Markets around the Havis Amanda statue until January 8, 2020. Read more on the event's Facebook page.
Things to do at home
Your child's first ballet experience from the home sofa? The National Ballet's Pippi Longstocking ballet is now available in full on Yle Areena. Strong recommendation from the Little Helsinki background team!
You'll find in Areena in honor of Christmas, also gems of Finnish children's culture: the Hay Hat and Blanket Sock film, Tiny Kakkonen's new Christmas concert (from December 24, 2019) and Santa Claus and the Witch's Drum based on Mauri Kunnas's book. It's also worth watching episodes of Elf Academy!
To the museum
Most museums in Helsinki are open during the Christmas and New Year holiday break (not necessarily on public holidays). Check more detailed opening hours on the museums' own websites under "special opening hours" or similar.
Helsinki City Museum and its Children's City is always a safe choice for a small museum visit. History is played here too! The City Museum is open until 10 p.m. during Lux Helsinki. Free admission.
Fun Christmas orienteering at the Helsinki City Museum from December 1, 2019 to January 6, 2020 during museum opening hours. Free admission.
Tram Museum in Töölö is also worth a visit. Free admission. Note, however, that the museum is not open on public holidays; more detailed opening hours can be found here.
Kaisaniemi Botanical Garden enchants in the winter darkness. Admission fee.
National Museum is a place to wonder at Finland's history and play in the museum's Attic. Admission fee.
Natural History Museum is a must-visit museum destination for children. Admission fee.
Newspaper Museum where you can, for example, marvel at typewriters, faxes and other old newspapermen's tools, browse old newspapers and become acquainted with newspaper work in many ways. Free admission.
Hotel and Restaurant Museum and Theatre Museum at the Cable Factory have lots for children to do and experience. Admission fee.
Also remember: Toy Museum Horseshoe, House Museum Glims and Haltia Nature Center in Espoo
To the museum with children? Read Little Helsinki's article series My Museum Friend and I, where we adventure in Helsinki's museums with children.
To get active
Ice skating on Christmas Eve is available at Malmi ice hall on December 24, 2019 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free admission.
Ice Park at Rautatientori is open during the Christmas and New Year holiday break and skating is available daily (weather permitting). Fee-based. Read more on the Ice Park's own website.
Ice skating is available at least at several of the city's artificial ice rinks. There's a small admission fee for artificial ice rinks. Read more about admission fees and opening hours on the City of Helsinki's website.
Current ice conditions can be found in the ulkoliikunta.fi service (change activity to skating).
At the Ski Hall in Kivikko, skiing also takes place during the holiday break, so skis received as gifts can be tried out right after Christmas. Fee-based. Read more about special opening hours and admission fees for Christmas on the City of Helsinki's website.
Current conditions of outdoor ski trails can be found in the ulkoliikunta.fi service (change activity to skiing).
Downhill skiing is available even in Southern Finland; current ski resort information can be found in the Ski.fi service.
Uutela Star Trail leads to adventure in nature during the December darkness, as the Uutela trails are adventured with a flashlight and the glow of stars in December. Read more about the Star Trail on the event's Facebook page.
Uutela Kota is also open during the holiday break on the following dates (changes possible, information is updated on the kota's Facebook page):
Tuesday December 24, 2019 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Thursday December 26, 2019 from 12 to 3 p.m.
Saturday December 28, 2019 from 12 to 3 p.m.
Sunday December 29, 2019 from 12 to 2 p.m.
Wednesday January 1, 2020 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Swimming halls throughout Helsinki are partially open during the Christmas and New Year holiday break. Fee-based. Check the more detailed opening hours of swimming halls on the City of Helsinki's website. Also remember Leppävaara Swimming Hall in Espoo, Kerava Swimming Hall and Porvoo Swimming Hall.
You can also hike at Christmas! Sipoonkorpi, Nuuksio, Luukki, Talosaari, Lammassaari and even Suomenlinna are wonderful hiking destinations in winter too. Pack a snack and warm clothes! Read tips about hiking destinations for example in Little Helsinki's day trip articles.
Sipoonkorpi has, for example, an easy accessible Pony's Heritage Mail Route, which leads to a grill area and a shelter for warming up. Tip from experience: With small children, Pony's Heritage Mail Route is worth walking from the beginning to the grill area and returning the same way, not circling the route. The grill area usually has plenty of ready-made firewood, so bring matches and snacks. There is a new bridge connection from Kuusijärvi to Sipoonkorpi.
The City of Helsinki's outdoor recreation areas can be found on the Helsinki Gets Active website. Have you already visited, for example, Uutela's new kota or the university's arboretum in Viikki?
Interesting, new hiking destinations can also be found in Uusimaa Recreation Area Association's destinations.
Day trips
There are several day trip destinations within an hour's drive of Helsinki for holiday break fun. Atmospheric Porvoo, Lahti and Launee Family Park, Espoo's many possibilities, Loviisa's old houses and Onneli and Anneli playgrounds, in Vantaa Heureka and a spa...
Animals
Fallkulla farm is open every day until Epiphany January 6, 2020 daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free admission to the farm. Read more on Fallkulla's website.
Haltiala Farm's animals are also outdoors in winter and the farm has a nice playground to play in.
Lux Korkeasaari light art event takes over the zoo from December 25, 2019 to January 8, 2020. The zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (January 4-8, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.). Admission fee.
Kungsbacka Farm in Porvoo is open at Christmas on December 28-29, 2019 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Admission fee 5 €. More information on the farm's Facebook page.
Rehndahl Farm in Kirkkonummi is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. until New Year's. Admission fee 5 €.
Libraries
Libraries' story times and rhyme sessions take a Christmas break, but children's departments can spend independent reading time, play, play games and draw during the holiday break. More detailed library opening hours can be found on the Helmet website. For the first time this year Kallio Library and Rikhardinkatu Library are also open on Christmas Eve.
Playgrounds
Some of the City of Helsinki's playgrounds are open during weekday holidays too. More detailed information can probably be found on the parks' own websites.
Other events
Uutela Star Trail leads to adventure in nature during the December darkness, as the Uutela trails are adventured with a flashlight and the glow of stars in December. Read more about the Star Trail on the event's Facebook page.
To the circus: Dance Theater Hurjaruuth's Winter Circus Bau performances continue until January 12, 2020 at the Cable Factory. Fee-based. Check the performance schedule and ticket prices on Hurjaruuth's website.
Theatre Cat's vacation adventures at the Theatre Museum on January 2-3, 2020 from 12-3 p.m. for vacation visitors at the museum's admission price. Read more about Theatre Cat's vacation adventures on the museum's website.
LUX Helsinki illuminates the city again January 4-8, 2020. Read more on Lux Helsinki's website. Also remember Lux Korkeasaari.
Helsinki Places article is the salvation for boring days!
Current tips for celebrating New Year's in Helsinki with children can be found in the New Year's in Helsinki article.
