Päiväretket on Pienten Helsinki

A Christmas Adventure at the Winter Garden

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 22:47:14 +0200

This article was first published in December 2024.

Where can you find Helsinki's best picnic spot during the winter season? Warmth and light even during the dark times of year? Well, just north of Töölönlahti Bay, from the warmth of the Winter Garden beneath palm trees and banana plants! The Winter Garden is the city's hidden gem, and it's definitely worth visiting with children too!

The Winter Garden is always wonderful, and really perhaps one of Helsinki's most beautiful places. And since entry is free and it's almost always open (closed on Fridays when the plants and fish are tended to), it's easy to pop in multiple times or spend longer there. There's no café at the Winter Garden, so you can bring your own packed lunch, which you can enjoy at tables in the greenhouses while listening to the sound of the waterfall and admiring the garden's hundreds of plants. Kids especially love the carp swimming in the garden's pond and the large spiky cacti.

Animals in the City

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 23:30:26 +0200

Animals in Helsinki and the Capital Region

Article published 22.7.2017, updated 28.9.2025

Sheep, cows, horses, chickens... In Helsinki and its surroundings, you can see and pet farm animals in several places. Summer sheep and cows doing landscape maintenance can be found just a stone's throw from Helsinki's city center. The cover image of this article is from Bosgården farm in Porvoo.

Note! Always check opening hours and other current information before visiting.

Little Helsinki Summer Special: Little Turku

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 22:57:46 +0200

The Little Helsinki and Little Finland background team is on vacation and having adventures in Finland. Little Helsinki's summer special gathered summer activity tips for Turku with children. And there's so much fun that Turku has to offer! This article includes tips from the latest trip as well as from previous visits to Turku.

What would you recommend experiencing in Turku with children?

The article's cover image is from Adventure Park.

Little Finland Adventures: Vääksy

Sun, 16 Jun 2024 19:00:00 +0200

Published 10.7.2020

The Little Finland team's adventures series visits places recommended by other families in the Little Finland service. This time we took a detour through Lahti to Vääksy and Pulkkilanharju. The Lahti and Vääksy combination makes for quite a nice day trip, especially when traveling from Southern Finland, and there would be plenty to do for several days.

Vääksy, located in Asikkala, is known for its canal, which connects Lake Päijänne and Lake Vesijärvi. And since our little adventurers had never seen a canal before, it was clear that we had to visit Vääksy. Asikkala is at quite a convenient distance for a day trip from Southern Finland, so the decision to go was easy. We could easily make it here for a day trip and on the way we could also stop in Lahti, at least at the Laune Family Park, which children love.
At this point, it should be noted that the trip was made by car, so without better information I don't dare say how you could get here in any other way. Maybe by train to Lahti and then by connecting service to Vääksy? This possibility should be investigated more carefully.

Helsinki Islands: A Hot Summer Day at Mustasaari

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 11:00:44 +0200

A Hot Summer Day at Mustasaari in Helsinki

This article was first published on 1.7.2018 and updated on 3.6.2024.

If you're looking for activities and an outing destination for a summer day with children, summer Mustasaari in Seurasaarenlahti is an excellent choice! An island full of summer activities perfect for kids, sunshine and sea breeze, and delicious giant cardamom pastries!

Mustasaari is open 4.6.–11.8.2024 as follows:
Tuesday and Friday to Sunday 9 am–5 pm
Wednesday and Thursday 9 am–8 pm
The island is closed on Mondays.

Home by evening – day trips with children: Eastern Uusimaa

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 12:13:02 +0200

Home by evening – day trips with children:

Sipoo, Porvoo and Loviisa

Published 29.6.2017, updated 8.7.2021

About an hour’s journey from Helsinki, there are many excellent and unique day trip destinations from a child’s perspective. The Pienten Helsinki summer series introduces child-friendly, low-threshold day trip destinations in neighboring municipalities and towns; for example, farm animals, nature spots, unique playgrounds and swimming areas, as well as cultural attractions. Also includes tips for childcare facilities along the way.

Picnic at the Summit of Kruunuvuori

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 08:00:00 +0200

Kruunuvuori Villa Area in Laajasalo

Published 4.10.2017

The Kruunuvuori villa area is located in Kaitalahtipuisto in Laajasalo. The area gets its informal name from the wooden villas built in the early 20th century, unfortunately almost all of which have been destroyed. From the summit of Kruunuvuori, spectacular views open up to Suomenlinna, the city center and downtown skyline, Korkeasaari, Mustikkamaa, and numerous other islands and well-known landmarks.

The terrain is dense, overgrown, and unkempt deciduous forest with rocky ground, steep ascents, and ravines. The route is quite difficult to walk and for small children it's worth bringing a backpack carrier and leaving strollers at home. Due to the difficult terrain, the area cannot be recommended for those taking their first walks in the forest, but for small and large adventurers, Kruunuvuori is all the more fantastic a hiking destination. You can reach Kruunuvuorenranta by bus number 88 from Herttoniemi. A nice cycling route to the area runs from Herttoniemi along the shore through Tullisaari Park.

First Destination: Kruunuvuori Lake

We set our first goal to find a lake from the center of the villa area. We set out from Kaitalahti, following a fairly wide path from the end of the Main Road that led up a steep slope. At this point it was clear that strollers have no business here. The path winding through dense forest is occasionally rocky and at other times completely muddy in the forest, so rubber boots or water-resistant hiking boots are a good choice here, if not a requirement. After walking for a while, we came to a crossroads from which we could see the lake peeking through the trees in the autumn sun. The secret lake had been found!

[caption id=“attachment_1592” align=“alignnone” width=“2000”] Kruunuvuori villa area lake[/caption]

Helsinki Places

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 08:30:00 +0200

Little Helsinki's ABC

Published 4.7.2018, updated 1.6.2020 (122 locations)

The Helsinki places featured in Little Helsinki’s stories and articles are now available in one place as a directory. Wonderful places, fun attractions, plenty to see and experience with children - Helsinki’s treasures! The basis for this story is One Hundred and One Places in Helsinki, but good attractions for children are added to the list frequently. The story contains a lot of insider knowledge about Helsinki with the goal of creating a comprehensive directory of Helsinki’s places.

Helsinki's Islands: An Early Fall Trip to Suomenlinna

Sun, 29 Aug 2021 23:00:00 +0200

Peaceful Suomenlinna

First published 31.8.2017.

A calm Wednesday in late summer and early fall took us on a trip to Suomenlinna, when the playgrounds weren’t calling but the weather was just right for outdoor adventures. In late summer, Suomenlinna feels spacious—we got window seats on the ferry better than expected and explored in complete peace. Besides the island’s residents, there was just us and some tourists visiting Finland.

Another great thing about late summer trips is that you can grab fresh provisions from the Market Square. Suomenlinna’s shop is open year-round and some of the cafes stay open quite late, so there are plenty of options for snacks.

Home by Evening – Day Trip Tips with Children: Lahti

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 00:01:00 +0200

Home by Evening – Day Trip Tips with Children:

Lahti

Article first published in 2018

Lahti has been the go-to destination for the Small Helsinki team for many summers: when it rains and is windy in Helsinki, the sun often shines in Lahti and it’s even pleasantly warm. Lahti has proven to be a charming city that offers plenty to see and do for children. The journey from Helsinki is conveniently covered not only by car but also by train, and many attractions, such as Lahti harbour and Launee Family Park, are within a reasonable walking distance from Lahti railway station. The city’s architecture also pleasantly surprised us.

Home by Evening - A Day Trip to Espoo with Kids

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 06:00:00 +0200

Published 12.7.2019

Our dear neighboring city Espoo has invested significantly in recent years in children's culture and activities for kids. The city also attracts playpark tourists with its Angry Birds playgrounds. So it's finally time to list the favorites of the Little Helsinki team and the places that have been on our to-do list for our neighboring city Espoo.

The cover image is from Träskändan Manor Park.

Experience at least these places with kids in Espoo

To Espoo by Metro

Following HSL's zone reform, with an AB-zone ticket you can travel all the way to Matinkylä in Espoo, and there's plenty to see along the metro route. The new west metro stations are attractions in themselves, and much more is being built along the route, so even a little train-spotter will find plenty to marvel at.

Quick tip for the weekend: Be a tourist in Helsinki!

Sat, 26 May 2018 00:09:13 +0200

Be a tourist in Helsinki!

This weekend's quick tip recommends venturing out as a tourist to central Helsinki right now, in May, and enjoying the city in its summer glory. Helsinki is at its best right now in terms of weather, nature, and events: the Ihana Helsinki festival is taking place at Espa this weekend, Big Band music will swing from the Espa stage, and a short walk away you can travel the world at the Maailma kylässä festival.

[caption id=“attachment_4450” align=“aligncenter” width=“824”] Ornamental crab apple trees are blooming in Espa Park.[/caption]

By Metro West! Lauttasaari and Koivusaari

Fri, 08 Dec 2017 23:18:07 +0200

Published 2017, updated 4/2022

To Lauttasaari by the West Metro

With the West Metro, family-friendly destinations that were previously difficult to reach by bus are now much more accessible. Small Helsinki tips to Lauttasaari and the Espoo-side corners of the West Metro take you to, for example, museums, nature trails, playgrounds and a library. Espoo's investment in family services in recent years is visible in family services at shopping centers, beautiful playgrounds and amazing children's cultural offerings. Small Helsinki's "By Metro West!" series first part takes you to Lauttasaari and Koivusaari, Helsinki's westernmost metro stations.