Ad: Children's Fair with Kids

*This article was created in commercial collaboration with the Children's Fair.

The Children's Fair is being held for the 20th time at Helsinki Expo Centre from Friday to Sunday, April 14-16, 2023. In this whole family favorite event, children are also well taken care of, and a fair day flies by in no time. Pienet Helsinki's collaboration article with the Children's Fair offers tips on everything the fair offers for families with children adventuring at the fair.

Note that the Children's Fair's allergy-free day can be celebrated on Friday, April 14, 2023, and on Saturday and Sunday the Pet Fair is also held at Expo Centre.

The Children's Fair is being held this weekend for the 20th time and offers plenty to see, experience, and buy in a large exhibition hall. With 205 exhibitors and 10,000 square meters, it's guaranteed that boredom won't catch up with you, and from Pienet Helsinki's perspective, the best part is that the fair stands have been specifically designed with children in mind! In addition to the exhibition stands, there is a diverse program on six different stages: lectures, children's performances, fairy tale and character meet-and-greets, and other programs for children's tastes. The Children's Fair program in its entirety can be found on the event's website.

New at the Children's Fair this year is, for example, a circular economy area, which includes, among other things, children's flea markets offering second-hand finds and the Vaatelaastari® – repair clinic that advises on clothing repairs. There's also a new program room for babies called "Pienokaki" for the very youngest and their parents, as well as a morning session for expectant parents.

There is something to do at the Children's Fair for everyone from the very smallest to school-age children. Traffic Village's pedal car school, police and rescue department booths, Pomppilinnamaailma (bouncy castle world), mini fair rides (additional fee required), play and movement stations at various stands, and Mr. Hakkarainen's book café are sure to please many children. YouTubers, HELride's skate area, game booths and sales stands, bounce houses, and areas focused on reading and books will also interest school-age fair visitors. Babies and expectant parents are also remembered this year! Expectant parents' morning is celebrated on Saturday, and other programs for babies and those in the baby phase are offered every fair day. The fair also highlights children's rights, sleep, parenting, and different forms of play. You can explore the fair's various activities through this link.

The Children's Fair is prepared for small visitors with separate snack areas, changing stations, nursing and feeding corners, and quieter café areas, for example, with nap time in mind.

At the changing station, it's easy to care for small fair visitors.

The eastern entrance of Expo Centre is fully accessible, so if you arrive at the fair with strollers or prams and want to avoid elevator queues, you should use this entrance.

The fair also features a cashback campaign, where for every €100 worth of purchases or according to your total purchases, you receive one Expo Centre gift voucher, which entitles you to one visit to any event during public hours in 2023.

Pienet Helsinki's quick tips for the Children's Fair 2023:

Elevators are crowded due to strollers and prams. The eastern entrance, located to the right of the main entrance (as you face it), past the hotel, is fully accessible (= no elevator queues!), so it's worth using with strollers and prams.
For younger children in particular, tags with your contact information are available near the outer doors, which you can add for extra safety.
Take advantage of the fair's services: stroller parking, changing station, nursing and feeding station, snack eating areas...
Balloons are given away at many stands, but a strong spring breeze took many a child's balloon and caused disappointment. Keep this in mind if you leave Expo Centre with a balloon.
Check out the program in advance and especially which stage the performances are on, so you'll save time and won't miss anything important. The fair map can be found, among other places, in the fair guide.
You can manage the fair hustle and bustle with children as long as you remember that you don't have to do everything, take breaks, and be prepared for some waiting. At least on Friday, for example, performances had plenty of space.

Pienet Helsinki's wish for next year's fair: a large playground, perhaps as the centerpiece of the fair?

In connection with the Children's Fair, the Pet Fair is being held on Saturday and Sunday, April 15-16, 2023, for the first time in a long while.

Children's Fair at Helsinki Expo Centre from Friday to Sunday, April 14-16, 2023!

Tickets €23 / €16 / €10, under 4 years free. Children under 12 only with an adult.
Pre-purchased tickets to the Children's Fair at a discounted price!

Children's Fair with Kids - Ideas for a Fair Day

Pienten Helsinki had two delightful five-year-olds as fair companions, and it was great fun searching for all the cool things the Children's Fair offered them. Balloons, sticks, bounce houses, and a mermaid and glitter tattoos were mentioned when I asked about the impressions and fun things after the fair day. And all of these were available! Almost every fair stand had something small or big to do for children: we saw dozens of drawing and craft stations, several play and movement areas, stickers and treats were offered in many places, as well as samples. Bounce houses had their own area, as did paid amusement rides. The Children's Traffic City was its own experience where, after pedal car school, you could get a real pedal car driving license! Fairy tale characters flickered both on the program stages and at fair stands, and the fair atmosphere itself seemed to have its own appeal.

Here are tips and fair impressions of the 2023 Children's Fair in picture form.

In the Children's Traffic City, you learn traffic rules in pedal car school starting every 15 minutes. Traffic education is designed for 5-8 year olds.

At the Children's Fair Traffic Village, you can see police and rescue vehicles and ask any questions that interest you.

A fire truck has also been brought to the Children's Fair Traffic Village!

Admission to Pomppilinnamaailma (Bounce House World) is included in the fair ticket and bouncing is under an adult's supervision. The area can accommodate 140 children at a time, so be prepared for a short wait. Toddlers have their own bounce house area.

The Mini Fair area has several amusement rides and other fair atmosphere.
Mini Fair next to Pomppilinnamaailma is paid separately
(price examples: ride tickets €4, bungee trampoline €6, games €1)

Ruffle Army's giant bubble show is seen on the Vekarat stage
every fair day.

At Ruffle Army's booth, you can get a glitter tattoo and makeup
for a small fee.

In the Good Circulation – circular economy area, tips are given and assistance provided with clothing repairs, second-hand finds are made, and tips for more responsible
everyday life with children are shared.

The Children's Fair also features Finland's largest family café by MLL (Mannerheim League for Child Welfare).

There are a total of six program stages at the Children's Fair and the schedules for stage programs can be found on the event's website.

The fair also features music time and children's concerts.

Fairy tale characters appeared both on program stages and at fair stands.

The mobile library, Mr. Hakkarainen's book café, publishers' sales booths, and book gifts inspired reading.

At HELride's skate school, you can try the sport with instructors' assistance.

Heureka's booth offers science experiments!

The game area offers activities for school-age children.

There were several game store sales booths at the Children's Fair this year.

The fair also offers many opportunities for great fair finds!

Psst! And finally, a little task for small fair visitors! We found something familiar in the rafters. Mimi the cow and a raven had climbed up to the exhibition hall ceiling to swing! Can you find them?