Mellunmäki Playground

The Mellunmäki Playground renovation project was completed in its entirety in October 2023, when a new playground building was finished in addition to the renovated outdoor area. Take a virtual tour of the playground and see more photos of Mellunmäki Playground at the end of this article!

This article was first published in July 2023.

The renovated Mellunmäki Playground was an absolutely wonderful surprise, and the park made it straight to the Small Helsinki team's Top-5 playground list in Helsinki on the very first visit!

At the time of the visit, the playground was not yet fully complete: work on the other end of the yard and the playground building was still ongoing, and for example the lamp posts were not yet installed throughout the park. However, this didn't bother us, as the playground already offered plenty to do and completely new elements by Helsinki standards.

The playground has been renovated with mostly wooden play equipment from Kompan, like many other new playgrounds and play spaces. As a special feature, Mellunmäki Playground has an owl that functions as both a climbing frame and a slide, which has been seen before in new Kompan playgrounds abroad. The owl is the park's main attraction and an impressive one at that, and it seems to be very popular with children. We've already nicknamed the park the Owl Playground!

The new playground seems to have been in demand in the area, and many had already discovered it just a few days after completion. And it's no wonder – the whole setup is extremely functional and will expand further when the other end of the park is completed. The best features of Mellunmäki Playground are its forested, peaceful location with plenty of shaded areas – shaded playgrounds are rare in Helsinki. The playground was built around a forest theme and here you can meet an owl as well as at least a fox, hare, and bear. There are activities for children of various ages.

In addition to the impressive owl climbing frame, Mellunmäki Playground features swings, two trampolines, a smaller climbing frame, various acrobatic equipment and a hand-over-hand wire slide, a small multi-use court, a small skate/scooter area, as well as a seating and lounging area. Next to it is a sand-surfaced sports field. The play area of Mellunmäki Playground is only partially fenced; a possible smaller play area enclosure should be clarified during autumn 2023.

Overall, the renovation of Mellunmäki Playground is scheduled to be completed in October 2023, after which the park will again host guided activities on weekdays. However, the play area is already largely in use now.

The Small Helsinki team enjoyed spending time in this shaded park where the number of play equipment and especially the owl climbing frame made an impression. The park's soundscape, surrounding trees, and peaceful location were this playground's trump cards. The overall setup was nearly perfect and we will certainly be back here again!

Mellunmäki Playground is located at Pyhätunturintie 2. It's approximately 900 meters from Mellunmäki metro station to the playground. The main line 560 bus stops (Mellunmäentie H4360 and H4361) are near the park.