What to Do? Tips for Boring Days

What could we do today? Ideas for days when it would be nice to go somewhere together. Twenty easy and free destinations in Helsinki with children.

The "What to do today" tips have been created based on our own needs: we often wonder on Sunday mornings with sleepy eyes what on earth we could do today and where to go, but coming up with ideas feels challenging and all the nice places are forgotten.

The list has been compiled from easy places where you can drop by without major planning or advance preparation. All the places on the list also have free access and are open mostly very widely. This is a list you should return to again and again! The map at the end of the article makes navigation easier and also shows what activities can be found in nearby areas.

The cover image of the article is from the boardwalk connecting Pukkisaaret islands near Seurasaari.

The article was first published in 2021 and updated in October 2025.

What to do today?

1. Winter Garden

Helsinki's Winter Garden on the north side of Töölönlahti is open year-round and offers experiences in beautiful old greenhouses. It's also worth having a picnic here and enjoying your own snacks under the palm trees. In the Winter Garden's fountain, carp swim and the vitamin-eating plants in the display cases are sure to raise many questions in a little adventurer's mind. The Winter Garden also displays holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, with flowers and decorations. In summer, an impressive rose garden blooms in front of the Winter Garden. Special mention for clean toilet facilities, which also offer a diaper changing option. You unfortunately cannot access the garden with strollers, but a covered stroller park can be found on the right edge of the courtyard. Free admission.

Winter Garden opening hours 2025:
Open Monday to Thursday 10-16 and Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 10-16.
The Winter Garden is closed on Fridays (plant maintenance day).
Watch for possible special opening hours!

2. Haltiala Farm Animals

Haltiala Farm Animals on the border between Helsinki and Vantaa is the city's farm animals yard, home to at least sheep, cows, chickens, pigs and horses in summer. During summer months, the animals live outdoors, and for this reason the farm can be visited from morning to evening without a schedule. Did you know that police horses vacation in Haltiala's fields during summer? During colder seasons, most of the farm's animals are indoors and visits should be timed according to opening hours. Haltiala's courtyard also has a nice farm-themed playground. Haltiala farm has free admission.

Also remember the nearby Niskala Arboretum.

Also read: Pienten Helsinki's Animals in the City article

3. Seurasaari and Pukkisaaret

Seurasaari in Vähä-Meilahti is a wonderful outdoor recreation island and an open-air museum site. The open-air museum buildings belonging to the National Museum are only open during the summer season (and there is also an admission fee to the museum), but otherwise Seurasaari is always open and you can go outdoors whenever you want. Seurasaari has good and clear trails, with several picnic spots along the routes and a bonfire area at the edge of the festival field (the city often provides ready-made wood, but this is not guaranteed) and the island also has a small beach. Seurasaari is known for its tame squirrels, which you see on the island almost always.

From the middle of Seurasaari's bridge, you can also turn onto a small path that leads to Pukkisaaret and via a boardwalk to Western Pukkisaari and an Iron Age marketplace. The marketplace has old buildings and other things to marvel at. The Western Pukkisaari, maintained by an association, is a general recreation area of the city and can be visited whenever you like.
Walking around Seurasaari with strollers works easily, but the Pukkisaaret route is not fully accessible and the boardwalk is quite high, so this should be kept in mind with smaller children.

Those arriving at Seurasaari by car should be prepared to find parking spots a bit further away too. The Seurasaari Foundation organizes events in the area, for example at midsummer and Christmas.

*The Pukkisaaret boardwalk in spring 2021.*

4. Uunisaari

Uunisaari off Kaivopuisto is an easily accessible destination from autumn to spring (November-April, when a pontoon bridge runs from Merisatamanranta on Ehrenström Street to Uunisaari. The footbridge is removed around mid-April so that the Kaivopuisto boat traffic can pass by the island. During summer, Uunisaari is accessible by a short boat ride and a shuttle between the island and the mainland charges a small fee for the trip. Visiting Uunisaari is therefore also possible and recommended in summer, as the island has beautiful rocky beaches for picnicking and a city-maintained beach. The beach also has a few children's play structures, though their condition and number decrease year by year.

Through Uunisaari you can also visit the nearby Liuskaluoto island and islet.

5. Lammassaari and Kuusiluoto

Lammassaari and Kuusiluoto are small islands in Vanhankaupunginlahti bay. The islands are city-owned and open recreation areas for everyone, but Lammassaari also has summer cottage areas rented for private use. You can still move around the entire island along trails freely, marvel at nature and animals from bird towers and explore boardwalk routes.
The broad boardwalks leading to Lammassaari mean that the trip works even with strollers or wheelchairs. You can push a small stroller onto the accessible bird tower, but for longer adventures it's worth preparing with, for example, a baby carrier. In the 2024 season, the boardwalks to Kuusiluoto were also renovated and now you can access the island more easily and even during high water, which was previously difficult when the old boardwalks were often flooded.

Kuusiluoto is an interesting destination just a stone's throw from Helsinki's city center. From the island's southern beach you can see the Kalasatama tower buildings and the metro, from the western shores only reed beds and nature reserves. Sheep live on Kuusiluoto from June through late autumn, moving freely around the island. Remember to close the gate leading to the island!

6. Roihuvuori Water Tower Area

A trip to the foot of Roihuvuori's water tower to gaze at the city's rooftops and marvel at the enormous water tower is an experience and a good destination for an outing. The water tower is located at the top of a high hill and you can reach it along a gravel road through Sahaankuja or along rocky forest paths from Tuhkimontie. From Roihuvuori's water tower, the journey can continue along paths to the first playground, Tuhkimo, which opened as a playground called Tuhkimonpuisto in August 2024. A wonderfully wooded (and shady on hot days) playground that received funding as an OmaStadi project and the park came back to life. Tuhkimonpuisto also has a skate park. Walking distance from Tuhkimonpuisto, higher up on Roihuvuori, is a Japanese-style garden (see more details below).

On the other side of the water tower, from Jättiläisenpolku, you'll find Roihuvuori's cherry blossom park, which is worth visiting at least in May during cherry blossom season. The cherry blossom park also hosts the hugely popular Hanami Festival every May.

Walking distance from the water tower is a nice Roihuvuori library with a great children's section! Children will surely also be interested in the street names named after fairy tale characters in the Roihuvuori area: in addition to Tuhkimontie, you can find, for example, Punahilkantie, Prinssitie, Ruususenrinteen and Satumaanpolku.

7. Roihuvuori Japanese-style Garden

Roihuvuori's Japanese-style garden along Roihuvuorentie (address Roihuvuorentie 10) is a fascinating small park that has been designed with Japanese character around bridges and other garden structures. The place is not large, but it's worth stopping by on a passing visit, visiting Tuhkimonpuisto playground at the same time, or having a picnic during cherry blossom season.

*Roihuvuori's Japanese-style garden offers interesting sights.*

8. Kruunuvuorenlampi

One of Helsinki's unique forest ponds is found in Laajasalo, in the Kruunuorenranta neighborhood and offers a magical experience in the embrace of an ancient forest. In summer, water lilies bloom in the fairy-tale pond and in winter you can even ice skate on the frozen surface. The forest pond area has several picnic spots and beautiful scenic rocks with views of Helsinki's city center, Kruunusillat bridges and Kalasatama's tower buildings. Kruunuvuorenlampi is one of Helsinki's treasures, a secret few know about!
Boardwalk trails and viewing platforms were built around Kruunuvuorenlampi in 2023-2024, making the place more accessible. Some of the trails are partially accessible. The area also has information signs that tell about the area's history and villa life.

Near the pond you'll find a great Kruunuvuorenranta sports park with playgrounds, Oil Tank 468 light art installation, Tullisaari manor park and three nature reserves. You can also reach Kruunuvuorenranta via HSL ferry connection from Meritullintor year-round.

The path to the lake starts from Päätie 41 and the accessible route from Kultakruununkaarelta.

9. Uutela

The Uutela outdoor recreation area in Vuosaari charms with its versatility. The vast area, encompassing forest meadows, old trees, rocky shores and bogs, offers hikers and nature lovers experiences and peace in all seasons. At Uutela you can also explore two different marked nature trails.

Several good picnic spots can be found and at Niemenapaja's bonfire site you can warm up your own food, if you remember to pack firewood too. Uutela's cabin has mostly been open on Sundays, when volunteer cabin keepers maintain the fire (check opening hours via the link). During summer, sheep live at Uutela for landscape maintenance purposes.

Near Uutela, from around Aurinkolahti's shore, for example Kahvila Kampela operates, from where you can buy picnic food and salmon soup if hunger strikes. Open fires are not allowed at Uutela.

10. Media Museum and Archive Merkki

Topsy Turvy – Pippi Longstocking 80 Years Exhibition at Merkki until 30.12.2025.

Media Museum and Archive Merkki (formerly the Päivälehti Museum) on Ludvikinkatu is an easy and always free museum to visit with children. Merkki is open mostly daily from 11-17, keeping in mind any special opening hours.

The museum offers children a small corner built around Helsinki Sanomat's Children's News and different magazines. It also features Donald Duck and Finnish children's book classics as well as Donald Duck's car. The museum has changing, often children-focused and high-quality exhibitions. A wonderful and completely child-led interactive Topsy Turvy – Pippi Longstocking 80 Years Exhibition at Merkki until 30.12.2025.

Also read: Museums with Children in Helsinki

*Topsy Turvy – Pippi Longstocking 80 Years Exhibition at Merkki until 30.12.2025.*

11. Helsinki City Museum's Children's City

Children's City is the Helsinki City Museum's own children's museum on the edge of Senate Square. In the two-story museum in Sederholm House, children can play! Children's City and the Helsinki City Museum have always free admission.

Helsinki City Museum is open mostly daily, but watch for possible special opening hours!

Also read: Museums with Children in Helsinki

*Helsinki City Museum's Children's City.*

12. Tram Museum

The Tram Museum in Töölö showcases Helsinki's public transport, particularly old trams and other objects related to public transport. The museum hall has real trams from different decades and you can board the trams to experience old-fashioned travel. The museum reopened in its renovated form in March 2022. The place is fully accessible and easy to visit with children. Tram Museum has free admission.

Tram Museum is open mostly daily, but watch for possible special opening hours!

Also read: Museums with Children in Helsinki

13. Lauttasaari Beach Playground

At Lauttasaari beach (so-called Casino Beach) there is a large play ship where older children enjoy playing and climbing. For very small children the play ship is challenging, but a small slide on the other side of the ship will entertain them for at least a little while. A cafe also operates next to the beach from spring through late autumn.

Near Lauttasaari beach you'll also find Lahnalahti playground and Nuori Suomi sports park. From the beach, there are nice shore routes in both directions with beautiful scenery and fun places to explore. Walking towards Vattuniemi's tip takes you to Särkiniemi outdoor recreation area, which includes magnificent open seaside views and wartime artillery positions as well as another beach (Veijarivuori) and a small playground. From the play ship in the other direction you'll reach the natural Takaniemi and Länsiulapanniemi's cottage village area. On this route, when spring sunshine warms the rocky shores, you might spot a glimpse of grass snakes. At Länsiulapanniemi operates the legendary Buffetti cafe, worth stopping at if it happens to be open just then.
You can also walk around almost the entire Lauttasaari along the shores.

Lauttasaari also offers a real summer adventure spot for older children: the secret island Sisä-Hattu!

14. Vennyn Park Playground

Kuninkaantammi, one of Helsinki's newer residential areas, has a completely different outdoor playground than Helsinki's other play areas. Vennyn Park is built around climbing and slides, not forgetting a playground for smaller children and various swings.

Read more: Pienten Helsinki article on Vennyn Park playground

*Vennyn Park playground in Kuninkaantammi.*

15. Kaivopuisto Playgrounds

Kaivopuisto has a couple of different playgrounds. Meripuisto Playground is built around a green sea monster and a sea theme and the spacious park has activities for both small and slightly older players. Meripuistonranta playground is fenced. On summer evenings, hot air balloons sometimes rise from next to the playground under right wind conditions.

From the western edge of Kaivopuisto, beneath the rocks, you'll find a smaller Kaivopuisto Playground, whose special feature is certainly Helsinki's longest (and steepest?) slide. The park is otherwise quite modest and not the best destination for very small children, but older kids will enjoy exploring this rocky playground. Near Puistokatu you'll also find a smaller, fenced Kaivopuisto playground suitable for smaller children.

16. Helsinki Playgrounds and Play Areas

Helsinki has over 60 playgrounds and over 200 play areas! Pienten Helsinki encourages you to explore new playgrounds and get to know the city through play! All of Pienten Helsinki's playground articles can be found via the link and the articles will surely find many new playground adventures!

*Ruoholahti's computer-themed playground was designed by author Linda Liukas.*

17. Central Library Oodi

Central Library Oodi, between Helsinki's Central Station and Töölönlahti, is a destination worth visiting with children. A large children's own library section, play opportunities, a secret fairy tale room (undergoing renovation in autumn 2025) and generally just Oodi's architecture and the central library's many possibilities offer activities for all ages. On Oodi's second floor you'll find computers, gaming opportunities, various machines and equipment as well as spaces for rent for your own work. Learn more about Oodi's possibilities from the library's website. Weekdays also see the playroom Loru operating in Oodi and there are a couple of different cafes in the library. Overall, Oodi is a unique facility on a Finnish scale where all user groups have been considered. At the edge of the children's section, a designated space has been reserved for young visitors to eat their snacks and there are high chairs for small library visitors.

Outside Oodi, a climbing structure for older children. In summer 2024, a temporary Töölönlahti Summer Park with playgrounds opened nearby. The playground also has water play opportunities during summer. From the Töölönlahti side, you'll find another, slightly older children-friendly Töölönlahti Playground as well as a small shaded playground for younger children from Töölönlahti parks.

*Central Library Oodi's children's section.*

18. Suomenlinna

Suomenlinna is worth visiting year-round: the ferry ride to the island itself is an experience for the little ones. Take a trip to the island's small playground, visit the island's museums, marvel at the submarine or the old dry dock. Exploring the tunnels by flashlight is also a unique experience! You should get to know Suomenlinna with children based on different themes, always a little at a time.

Walking around the entire island and experiencing all the sites in one visit with children is certainly too much for most, but with shorter visits and well-planned destinations you'll get much more out of trips to Suomenlinna. Suomenlinna is a fascinating and truly versatile destination even with children. You can get snacks from the island's small shop or from cafes and restaurants, some of which are open during the winter season. Suomenlinna is not fully accessible in all respects and you need to move especially carefully with children on steep walls.

Also read: Pienten Helsinki article on an Early Autumn Trip to Suomenlinna

*Suomenlinna's shipyard, one of the world's oldest still-operating dry docks.*

19. Tullisaari

Tullisaari is a large old park area in Laajasalo. Varied terrain, island destinations around the park, old buildings and a small playground as well as, in winter, ski trails and sledding hills make the park a wonderful adventure destination for children too. This easily overlooked gem is one of Helsinki's finest parks.
From Tullisaari, near Pyysaari, you'll also find a small beach among the rocks. On the same trip you can also explore, for example, Kruunuvuorenranta's Oil Tank 468.

*Tullisaari manor park in bloom in spring 2025.*

20. Art Throughout the City

Hunt for statues and fountains throughout the city

HAM Helsinki maintains a database of public art and target maps showing hundreds of artworks found in public places throughout Helsinki. HAM has also created themed routes around the works, which you can browse on the museum's website. Favorites of the Pienten Helsinki team include, for example, Helsinki's smallest statue, Wise Mouse on the steps of the National Archives (access only during archive hours), the giant seagull sculpture on the Tennis Palace building's end, Havis Amanda fountain at Market Square and the Kaisaniemi Park's elk with a prominent tail.