What to do during winter break week in Helsinki and the surrounding area?

Winter break is celebrated in capital region schools during week eight. Move, be outdoors, have adventures, experience and see - Helsinki and the surrounding area have plenty to offer for the break week. Pienten Helsinki's tips for little ones during winter break has been compiled with small children and their families as well as elementary school-aged children in mind.

The cover photo is from Kruunuvuorenlammens brand new beautiful boardwalks.

Winter break week events and activities

  • Helsinki city libraries throughout Helsinki offer winter break activities for children: story hours, workshops and themed days.
  • Espoo: Ice disco at Espoonlahti Forum ice rink (Espoonlahdentie 2–4) Tuesday 20.2 5pm–7pm. Free admission.
  • Espoo: Winter break workshops at Children's Cultural Center Aurora Tuesday to Thursday 20.-22.2.2024 10am-1pm. Free admission.
  • City Winter Fun at Paloheinä on Wednesday 21.2.2024 3:30pm-6:30pm. Free admission.
  • EasySport winter break event at Töölö Kisahalli Monday to Wednesday 19.2.-21.2.2024 11am-2pm. Tickets €2/€3.50.
  • Espoo: Hop on Hop off sports event at Esport Arena (Tapiola, nearest metro station Urheilupuisto) Monday to Thursday 19.-22.2.2024 10am-3pm. You can come to move around whenever you want and stay as long as it suits you. You'll need indoor sports shoes, a water bottle and snacks or money if you'd like. Monday also features adaptive sports. Free admission.
  • Vantaa: Winter break fun at Energia Arena Thursday 22.2.2024 9am-1pm. Free admission.
  • Espoo: Espoo city organizes very diverse programming during winter break for all ages! Read more from Espoo city's pages!
  • What should we do today? Check out tips for boring days from Pienten Helsinki!

Commercial partnership Leffat / SF Studios

Movies during winter break!

The best movie tips for the whole family during winter break:

  • Straw Hat, Blanket Slippers and Chicken

    Straw Hat, Blanket Slippers and Chicken is a joyful family film about friendship and chickens! 
    Book your movie tickets through this link!
  • Aarne Alligator and Jungle Friends

    A charming animation consisting of short stories and perfect for the family's youngest ones' first cinema experience (the film is only 60 minutes long)!
    Book your movie tickets through this link!
Aarne Alligator is now adventuring at the cinema. The film is excellent as a first cinema experience for little ones.

To the museum during winter break

Note! Many museums are closed on Mondays! (At least Amos Rex (closed Tuesdays), Helsinki City Museum, Tram Museum or Newspaper Museum are open on Mondays)

The best museum tips for adventure with children can be found in Pienten Helsinki's theme article!

Winter Break at Merkkiin on Ludviginkatu (formerly Newspaper Museum) Monday to Sunday. Free admission.

Menox! workshop at Helsinki City Museum Monday to Friday 19.-23.2.2024 12pm-3pm. Free admission.

Kindergarten Museum is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays 12pm-7pm. Small admission fee.

Theatre Cat's break adventure: Lighting! At Theatre Museum Tuesday to Friday 11:30am-2:30pm. Museum admission fee.

Professor Pea's time travel at Hotel and Restaurant Museum Tuesday and Wednesday at 1pm and 4pm. Museum admission fee.

Espoo: Winter Break Fun at Glims Tuesday to Sunday 10am-4pm (Sunday 11am-4pm). Museum admission fee, free entry on Wednesdays.

Espoo: Winter Break activities at Nature Center Haltia Monday to Sunday 10am-5pm. Museum admission fee, also free programs available.

Espoo: Winter Break at Museum Play. Museum Play's hours during week 8 are: Monday and Tuesday 10am–5pm, Wednesday to Friday 10am–7pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am–5pm. Museum admission fee.

Vantaa: Winter Break art workshop at Artsi at Vantaa Art Museum Artsi's studio Tuesday to Thursday 1pm-3pm. Free admission.

Vantaa: Winter Break at Aviation Museum Monday to Sunday. Museum admission fee.

Vantaa: Heureka Science Center has opened a new Journey into Space exhibition. Science center admission fee.

Tuusula: Winter Break at Lotta Museum Tuesday to Sunday 10am-5pm. Museum admission fee.

Kerava: Sinka winter break family days at Sinka museum center Tuesday to Thursday 12pm-4pm. Museum admission fee.

Järvenpää: Winter break fun for kids at Järvenpää Art Museum Wednesday to Friday. Museum admission fee.

Hyvinkää: Winter Break Week at Railway Museum Tuesday to Sunday. Museum admission fee.

Adventure playgrounds during winter break

Adventure playgrounds open during winter break 19.-23.2.2024 can be found through this link.

Adventure playgrounds inform about their programs in Helsinki city's event calendar and on the playgrounds' own Facebook pages.

All of Pienten Helsinki's play location tips can be found through this link.

Outdoors and movement 

  • Where are the best sledding hills in the capital region? Check out the sledding hill tips from Pienten Helsinki!
  • EasySport winter break event at Töölö Kisahalli Monday to Wednesday 19.2.-21.2.2024 11am-2pm. Tickets €2/€3.50.
  • Espoo: Hop on Hop off sports event at Esport Arena (Tapiola, nearest metro station Niittykumpu) Monday to Friday 19.-22.2.2024 10am-3pm. You can come to move around whenever you want and stay as long as it suits you. You'll need indoor sports shoes, a water bottle and snacks or money if you'd like. Monday also features adaptive sports. Free admission.
  • Vantaa: Winter break fun at Energia Arena Thursday 22.2.2024 9am-1pm. Free admission.
  • Ice skating at an ice rink? Public skating times for Helsinki and the capital region can be found in Pienten Helsinki's theme article.
  • Ice skating outdoors? Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa ice rink condition information can be found in the Outdoor Recreation.fi service. Artificial ice rinks are free to skate on this year as well.
  • Cross-country skiing tracks can be found at least at Malmi airfield area and Tuusulanjärvi. At Tuusulanjärvi it's also possible to rent equipment and snow scooters from Hotel Gustavelund's lobby.
  • Espoo: Ice disco at Espoonlahti Forum ice rink (Espoonlahdentie 2–4) Tuesday 20.2 5pm–7pm. Free admission.
  • City Winter Fun at Paloheinä on Wednesday 21.2.2024 3:30pm-6:30pm. Free admission.
  • Skiing trail condition information for Helsinki and the capital region can be found at the Outdoor Recreation.fi service. Easy trails suitable for children can be found for example at Paloheinä and Tullisaari in Laajasalo near the park's small play area.
  • Espoo: Espoo city organizes very diverse programming during winter break for all ages! Read more from Espoo city's pages!
  • Swimming at a pool! Swimming pools are open during winter break mostly normally and for example at Sports Halls swimming pools they also offer winter break programs.
Helsinki's only officially maintained sledding hill is located at the Paloheinä outdoor recreation area.

Adventure and hiking during winter break

  • Uunisaari in front of Kaivopuisto has gained a bridge connection for the winter months and on the rocky island you can gaze at the horizon and marvel at passing ships and shore waves and listen to the sound of ice floes.
  • Hiking is also great in winter! Have you ever visited in winter Lammassaari, Kruunuvuorenlammella (which now has mostly newly completed boardwalks!), Matosaari or Stansvik manor park? Also Talosaari, Vartiosaari (weather permitting), Tullisaari, Kivinokka, Seurasaari and Pukkisaari and even Suomenlinna are wonderful hiking destinations in winter as well. Pack snacks in your backpack and dress warmly!
    More hiking location tips for Helsinki adventures can be found in Pienten Helsinki's Helsinki locations article.
  • New barbecue spots have been built including at Tullisaari manor park and Stansvik in Laajasalo. You need to bring your own charcoal/firewood. Older barbecue spots can be found for example at Uutela, Seurasaari and Kallahdenniemi beach in Vuosaari. Uutela hut is presumably open also at least part of winter break week (opening hours are updated on the hut's fb page) and Paloheinä outdoor area's new barbecue hut will be opened for use at City Winter Fun on Wednesday 21.2.2023.
  • Sipoonkorpi National Park has for example an easy-access Tasakallio – Storträsk trail and the Byabäcken nature trail, previously known as the Puuna Heritage Post route, which leads to a barbecue spot and hut for warming up. Tip from experience: with small children the Byabäcken trail is best walked to the barbecue spot and back on the same route, not as a loop. The barbecue spot usually has ready firewood available, so bring matches and snacks. Note however that some trails may be slippery due to variable winter weather.
  • Also a trail from Kuusijärvi to Sipoonkorpi is worth trying and experiencing a beautiful bridge route into the national park. 
  • Helsinki city's outdoor areas can be found at the Helsinki in Motion page.
  • New and interesting hiking destinations can also be found in the Uusimaa Recreation Area Association's locations.

Animals in the city

At Haltiala farm you can see farm animals on outdoor pastures also in winter. At Falkulla and Haltia, cattle and horses usually spend time outdoors on nice days around 10am-2pm at Falkulla and throughout the day at Haltia. Haltia also has a play area, although covered with snow. The farm buildings are closed during winter break week.

Fallkullan farm is open to visitors during winter break Sunday 25.2.24 10am-2pm. Free admission. At other times the farm has activities for pre-registered youth. However, you can move freely in the outdoor areas of the farm also at other times.

Winter Garden is open during winter break and the garden's carp pond and warmth are good reasons to visit the Winter Garden! Here you can enjoy your own snacks under the palm trees! Free admission.
Note! Due to maintenance work at the Winter Garden, access to some buildings is restricted as follows: Palm House and west wing are closed to visitors weekdays 10.2.-1.3. Half of the palm house and west wing are open to visitors weekends.
Winter Garden opening hours:
– Monday to Thursday 10am-4pm
– Friday closed
– Saturday and Sunday and public holidays 10am-4pm

Husö riding school's horses may be seen along the Talosaari outdoor trail (owned by Helsinki city) also in winter.

Korkeasaari Zoo is open normally during winter break. Zoo admission fee.

Also remember: Pienten Helsinki's Animals in the city article!

At Haltia farm in winter.

Day trips

Day trip tips for winter break within about an hour's travel from Helsinki are plentiful!

In Espoo Angry Birds play parks, numerous outdoor recreation areas and for example the beautiful Träskanda manor park are excellent day trip destinations with children. Espoo city also organizes very diverse programming during winter break for all ages! Read more from Espoo city's pages!

Porvoo and for example old Porvoo attractions, a beautiful sledding hill in national landscapes and Moomin adventure park. Koko slope is located almost in Porvoo's center and also has a sledding hill there.

Lahti and Launee family park and large ski jumping hills are worth seeing. Lahti also has extensive cross-country skiing trail networks.

Kirkkonummi and Linloon and Porkkala outdoor areas.

Inkoo's Degerby for nature peace and grilling at Kopparnäs recreation area.

Also remember: Small Finland - over 700 reasons to travel in Finland with children!

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