Where to go with children in Helsinki? What child-friendly activities can you find in Helsinki this week? Small Helsinki's weekly "Where to Go" series finds activity ideas and tips for family-friendly events and things to do in Helsinki and the surrounding area.

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Current Topics

  • Midsummer in Helsinki article suggests what to do and where to go with children on Midsummer. Also includes a list of Helsinki's Midsummer celebrations.
  • Playground summer dining lunch menus this week:
    - Monday, June 16, 2025: Chicken soup M G N S K
    - Tuesday, June 17, 2025:     Lentil vegetable soup M G K Veg
    - Wednesday, June 18, 2025:     Old-fashioned fish soup M G N SK
    - Thursday, June 19, 2025:     Ground beef risotto M G S K
    - Friday, June 20, 2025    : Midsummer Eve, playgrounds closed

MONDAY, JUNE 16, 2025

Events and 
Activity Tips

  • Playground lunch menu on Monday: Chicken soup (M G N S K)
    Lunch is served at all open playgrounds. Bring your own lunch container, utensils and drink!
  • Playgrounds' summer season begins and open playgrounds this week are:
    - Playgrounds Etupelto, Filpus, Intia, Iso-Antti, Isoneva, Kannelmäki, Kiikku, Kurranummi, Lehdokki, Linja, Linnunrata, Lohikäärmepuisto, Maunula, Mellunmäki, Orava, Piika, Rudolf, Ruoholahti, Rusthollari, Seppä, Tuorinniemi, Ulvila Viikkari, Arabia, Brahe, Ida, Kotinummi, Lahnalahti, Laurinniitty, Maasälpä, Munkki, Mustakivi, Mäkitorppa, Nuoli, Nurkka, Strömberg, Taivallahti, Torpparinämäki, Trumpetti and Viiri.
    Summer meals are also served at MLL's Family Home Unikko from June 2-27, 2025 (not on June 6 and 20, 2025).
  • Children's Traffic Town at playgrounds:
    - Playground Lahnalahti 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
    - Playground Ruoholahti 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
  • Plumber Orchestra at playground Rusthollari (Puotila) on Monday at 10:30 a.m.
  • Baseball Takes Over Stadi Playgrounds tour at Playground Intia (Kumpula) on Monday 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.-2 p.m.
  • KEMUT summer music school at playground Etupelto (East Pakila) on Monday at 10:45 a.m. (ages 2-3) and 1 p.m. (ages 4-6). Free admission.
  • Helmet Library children's events can be found on Helmet's events page.
  • Last week before summer break! Albert's Living Room is open on Mondays 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m. (International Monday).
  • Art Stories art workshops at Annantalo courtyard Monday to Friday 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Free admission.
  • Driving go-karts at Tattarisuolla with Children's Traffic Town instructors. At Tattarisuon motorway track (Tattarisuontie 30-32) you can drive go-karts on Monday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. You can reach the Tattarisuon motorway track by walking distance with buses 553, 77 and 69. There are also parking spaces nearby. Free admission, no advance registration required.
  • Helsinki City Folk at Espa stage on Monday 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Folk dancers and folk musicians from the capital region in colorful national costumes bring their Midsummer greetings to Espa stage. 

TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2025

Events and 
Activity Tips

  • Playground lunch menu on Tuesday: Lentil vegetable soup (M G K Veg)
    Lunch is served at all open playgrounds. Bring your own lunch container, utensils and drink!
  • Playgrounds' summer season begins and open playgrounds this week are:
    - Playgrounds Etupelto, Filpus, Intia, Iso-Antti, Isoneva, Kannelmäki, Kiikku, Kurranummi, Lehdokki, Linja, Linnunrata, Lohikäärmepuisto, Maunula, Mellunmäki, Orava, Piika, Rudolf, Ruoholahti, Rusthollari, Seppä, Tuorinniemi, Ulvila Viikkari, Arabia, Brahe, Ida, Kotinummi, Lahnalahti, Laurinniitty, Maasälpä, Munkki, Mustakivi, Mäkitorppa, Nuoli, Nurkka, Strömberg, Taivallahti, Torpparinämäki, Trumpetti and Viiri.
    Summer meals are also served at MLL's Family Home Unikko from June 2-27, 2025 (not on June 6 and 20, 2025).
  • Plumber Orchestra at playground Etupelto on Tuesday at 10 a.m.

  • Baseball Takes Over Stadi Playgrounds tour at Playground Linja (Kallio) on Tuesday 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.-2 p.m.
  • KEMUT summer music school at playground Kiikku (Kontula) on Tuesday at 10 a.m. (ages 2-3) and 11 a.m. (ages 4-6). Free admission.
  • Helsinki Police Band's Teddy Bear Corps performs at playground Rudolf (Laajasalo) on Tuesday 11:15 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Apologies that the event was incorrectly listed in last week's tips!
  • Children's Traffic Town at playgrounds:
    - Playground Rudolf 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
    - Playground Tuorinniemi 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
  • Helmet Library children's events can be found on Helmet's events page.
  • Summer music school on Annantalo's A stage on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Free admission.
  • Art Stories art workshops at Annantalo courtyard Monday to Friday 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Free admission.
  • Espoo: Summer Pictures art workshops at Children's Culture Center Aurora Tuesday to Thursday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free admission.
  • Nordic Library on Kaisaniemenkatu is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 12 p.m.-7 p.m. Wonderful children's section and you can borrow many children's books in all Nordic languages. The Nordic Library has its own library card, which can be obtained in exchange for a passport.
  • Last week before summer break! Kindergarten Museum is open on Tuesdays 12 p.m.-7 p.m. Museum admission fee.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2025

Events and 
Activity Tips

  • Playground lunch menu on Wednesday: Old-fashioned fish soup (M G N S K)
    Lunch is served at all open playgrounds. Bring your own lunch container, utensils and drink!
  • Playgrounds' summer season begins and open playgrounds this week are:
    - Playgrounds Etupelto, Filpus, Intia, Iso-Antti, Isoneva, Kannelmäki, Kiikku, Kurranummi, Lehdokki, Linja, Linnunrata, Lohikäärmepuisto, Maunula, Mellunmäki, Orava, Piika, Rudolf, Ruoholahti, Rusthollari, Seppä, Tuorinniemi, Ulvila Viikkari, Arabia, Brahe, Ida, Kotinummi, Lahnalahti, Laurinniitty, Maasälpä, Munkki, Mustakivi, Mäkitorppa, Nuoli, Nurkka, Strömberg, Taivallahti, Torpparinämäki, Trumpetti and Viiri.
    Summer meals are also served at MLL's Family Home Unikko from June 2-27, 2025 (not on June 6 and 20, 2025).
  • Plumber Orchestra at playground Maunula on Wednesday at 11 a.m.
  • Children's Traffic Town at playgrounds:
    - Playground Viikkari 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
    - Playground Linnunrata 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
  • Baseball Takes Over Stadi Playgrounds tour at Playground Mäkitorppa on Wednesday 1 p.m.-2 p.m.

Small Finland - over 800 reasons to travel in Finland with children!

THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2025

Events and 
Activity Tips

  • Playground lunch menu on Thursday: Ground beef risotto (M G S K). Lunch is served at all open playgrounds. Bring your own lunch container, utensils and drink!
  • Playgrounds' summer season begins and open playgrounds this week are:
    - Playgrounds Etupelto, Filpus, Intia, Iso-Antti, Isoneva, Kannelmäki, Kiikku, Kurranummi, Lehdokki, Linja, Linnunrata, Lohikäärmepuisto, Maunula, Mellunmäki, Orava, Piika, Rudolf, Ruoholahti, Rusthollari, Seppä, Tuorinniemi, Ulvila Viikkari, Arabia, Brahe, Ida, Kotinummi, Lahnalahti, Laurinniitty, Maasälpä, Munkki, Mustakivi, Mäkitorppa, Nuoli, Nurkka, Strömberg, Taivallahti, Torpparinämäki, Trumpetti and Viiri.
    Summer meals are also served at MLL's Family Home Unikko from June 2-27, 2025 (not on June 6 and 20, 2025).
  • Children's Traffic Town at playgrounds:
    - Playground Filpus 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
  • Baseball Takes Over Stadi Playgrounds tour at Playground Munkki (Munkkiniemi) on Thursday 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.-2 p.m.
  • Helmet Library children's events can be found on Helmet's events page.
  • Nordic Library on Kaisaniemenkatu is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 12 p.m.-7 p.m. Wonderful children's section and you can borrow many children's books in all Nordic languages. The Nordic Library has its own library card, which can be obtained in exchange for a passport.

FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2025

Midsummer Eve

Events and 
Activity Tips

Midsummer in Helsinki article suggests what to do and where to go with children on Midsummer. Also includes a list of Helsinki's Midsummer celebrations.

  • Summer in Helsinki series already has over 60 articles full of ideas for spending the summer! 
  • On Midsummer Eve, playgrounds, libraries, cultural centers and museums are closed.

SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2025

Midsummer Day

Events and 
Activity Tips

  • Midsummer in Helsinki article suggests what to do and where to go with children on Midsummer. Also includes a list of Helsinki's Midsummer celebrations.
  • On Midsummer Day, libraries, cultural centers and museums are mostly closed.

SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 2025

Events and 
Activity Tips

  • Many museums return to normal summer opening hours after the Midsummer break on Sunday.
  • At Lasipalatsi courtyard, around the Amos Rex Museum hills, Yinka Ilori's Trans­pa­rent Happiness artwork opened on Midsummer Eve, emphasizing play, interaction and being together. You can bring your own basketball or ping-pong paddles, as play is permitted in this artwork. Sports equipment can also be borrowed from Amos Rex Museum in exchange for a deposit during its opening hours. Free admission.

Small Finland - over 800 reasons to travel in Finland with children!

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