Pienten Helsinki
April activities and events in Helsinki
What kid-friendly activities are there in Helsinki? Where to go with small children on weekends? What to do on a rainy day? Pienten Helsinki's weekly series searches for activity tips and suggests child-friendly places in Helsinki and the surrounding area. The website's target audience is preschool-aged children and families with small children.Pienten Helsinki’s “Where to go this week” articles are published by Monday at the latest and suggest all sorts of things happening in the city for families with children. The 2018 fourteenth “Where to go this week” list takes you to baby events, building skyscrapers, instrumental trails and children’s concerts. In Espoo, a children’s event called Spring Tickles begins on Wednesday, which brings wonderful programs to the children’s culture center Pikku-Aurora and Espoo’s cultural center in Tapiola on April 4-7, 2018. Check out Tickles’ program here.
New on Pienten Helsinki’s pages: a list of art exhibitions suitable for children and the latest publication of the Museum Buddy and I series, which has adventures at the Toy Museum Horseshoe. COMING soon! Little Finland takes you on a journey around Finland and suggests fun places to visit with small children. Stay tuned!
Pienten Helsinki is turning 1 year old soon and the page’s future for the fall is open. The entire project started very small, from one mother’s idea to make Helsinki more child-friendly and help others find good things to do with small children. Have you found Pienten Helsinki’s articles helpful in your daily life? Could the page be even more? What would you like to read, what information are you looking for? Or are there already enough similar websites and information sources? All thoughts, development suggestions, comments and anything that comes to mind are welcomed with great joy, as they help us see what the future brings. Leave a comment on the Compliments and Comments article, send an email (mari@pientenhelsinki.fi) or comment on Pienten Helsinki’s Facebook page.
Tuesday » | Wednesday » | Thursday » | Friday » | Saturday » | Sunday »
MONDAY April 2, 2018 activities are in last week's article due to Easter.
TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2018
Events:Story time at Kallio Library at 9:30 a.m. Story time at Malmi Library at 9:30 a.m. Story time at Kannelmäki Library at 9:30 a.m. Story time at Herttoniemi Library at 9:45 a.m. Story time at Töölö Library club room at 10:15 a.m.
Story yoga at Paloheinen Library at 5 p.m.
Reading dog at Töölö Library at 6 p.m.
Family ball games continue at Pallomylly indoor hall in Myllypuro sports park. In family ball games, all children under 9 years old play with an adult on soft artificial turf. Free play, tricks, running or practicing walking. Family ball games Tuesdays 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. Free entry for morning ball games, evening ball games cost adults a Pallomylly entrance fee (€3.50).
Princess Sleeping Beauty puppet theater play at Puppet Theater Sampo on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Tickets €12. More information and ticket reservations on Sampo’s website.
TIP: Shopping center Kaari hosts weekly Tuesday Tempests with musicals for babies and toddlers and story times for all little ones. Read more on Kaari’s website, advance registration required for musicals.
TIP for Espoo: Linna Theater’s Tatu and Patu at Work musical theater performance at Sellosali on Tuesday at 9 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets from €6. Performance is recommended for ages 3+. Read more about the performance on Sellosali’s website.
TIP for Espoo: MLL’s International Family Café at Sello Library’s Children’s Area on Tuesdays 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Read more on the library’s website.
TIP: BABY events also have a new, dedicated Facebook group. You can find it by searching for “Vauvan Helsinki” or through Pienten Helsinki’s Facebook page.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018
Events:Story time at Jätkäsaari Library at 9:30 a.m. Story time at Arabianranta Library at 9:30 a.m. Story time at Lauttasaari Library at 10 a.m. Story time at Oulunkylä Library at 10 a.m. Story time at Pukinmäki Library at 10:15 a.m. In Swedish: Evening story time at Berghäll Library at 6 p.m.
Ava and the stubborn trumpet, a theatrical story performance at Paloheinen Library at 10 a.m. Read more on the library’s website.
Singing session led by Terttu Paija at Tapulinkaupunki Library at 10 a.m.
Russian-language children’s club at Malmi Library Wednesdays 10-11:30 a.m.
Reading dog Hasse at Vuosaari Library’s children’s section at 5:30 p.m. Read more on the library’s website.
FOR BABIES and parents: BabyKino at Kallio Library. Movies with your baby on Wednesdays at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. BabyKino’s own Facebook group can be found here, where the week’s movie is published and you can vote on future programs. TIP for Espoo FOR BABIES and parents: Babykino at Ison Omenan Library on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The library’s website explains what Babykino really is.
Käpylä Music Institute’s Little Mermaid performance at Malmitalo on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Tickets €16.50, family tickets also available. Read more and reserve tickets on Malmitalo’s website.
TIP: Kindergarten Museum is open every Wednesday from 12-6 p.m.
TIP for Espoo: See what activities Spring Tickles offers today on the event’s own website.
TIP, also FOR BABIES and parents: An updated list of MLL family cafés operating in Helsinki, created through collaboration between Pienten Helsinki and Uusimaa MLL, is now available on Pienten Helsinki’s website. There are family cafés almost every day of the week throughout Helsinki!
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018
Events:Story time at Tapulinkaupunki Library at 9:30 a.m. Story time at Laajasalo Library at 9:45 a.m. Story time at Vallila Library at 6 p.m.
Story yoga at Maunula Library at 9:30 a.m. More information on the library’s website.
Toddler time at Kallio Library’s Story House at 10 a.m. Suitable for 1.5-3 year olds. Read more on the library’s website. Toddler time at Paloheinen Library at 10:30 a.m.
Muksukino films take over Myllypuro Media Library and Mylläri community center on Thursdays at 10 a.m. This week’s film is Fly, Pikkuli, Fly!. Read more about Muksukino on the library’s website.
FOR BABIES and parents: BabyKino at Maunula House lobby on Thursday at 10 a.m. Read more on the library’s website. The event is organized in collaboration with the library and MLL Pakila and MLL Oulunkylä.
Princess Sleeping Beauty puppet theater play at Puppet Theater Sampo on Thursday at 10 a.m. Tickets €12. More information and ticket reservations on Sampo’s website.
Family ball games at Pallomylly indoor hall in Myllypuro sports park. In family ball games, all children under 9 years old play with an adult on soft artificial turf. Free play, tricks, running or practicing walking. Family ball games Thursdays 4-5 p.m., €3.50 entrance fee for adults, free for children.
TIP for Espoo: See what activities Spring Tickles offers today on the event’s own website.
TIP for Espoo FOR BABIES and parents: At baby meet-ups in Espoo city museum Kamu (WeeGee building, Tapiola), a singing journey into the past is created and old and new children’s songs are sung together with the little ones on Thursday from 12-1 p.m. Free entry. Read more on Kultur Espoo’s website.
TIP: To the movies! Supermarsu, Scarecrow, Bundle and Ruben Brothers and The Moomins’ winter magic are currently playing in cinemas and are suitable for little ones’ first movie experience.
FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2018
Story time at Roihuvuori Library at 9:45 a.m. In Swedish: Story time at Berghäll Library at 10 a.m.Toddler time at Malmi Library at 10 a.m. Story yoga at Arabianranta Library at 10 a.m.
FOR BABIES: Baby nursery rhyme time at South Haaga Library at 10 a.m. FOR BABIES: Baby nursery rhyme time at Malmi Library at 11 a.m.
MLL family café Fridays at Itäkatu family center’s first floor lobby from 9:30-11:30 a.m. The family café, open to all families with small children, allows you to visit on your own schedule to play, spend time and get to know other families in the same life situation. Read more on Itäkatu family café’s Facebook page. All of Helsinki’s MLL family cafés around the city can be found here.
Naperokino at Annantalo Fridays 10 a.m.-12 p.m. This week’s theme is city and society. Read more about Naperokino on Annantalo’s website.
Princess Sleeping Beauty puppet theater play at Puppet Theater Sampo on Friday at 10 a.m. Tickets €12. More information and ticket reservations on Sampo’s website.
Herring Mystery dance theater performance, where friends Himanen and Piepo find a strange object near their lair. The performance is shown at Stoa on Friday at 10 a.m. Tickets €5 / €10. Read more and reserve tickets on Stoa’s website.
Colorful Everyday workshop is Stoa’s new morning workshop open to everyone, where this week you’ll felt a soft pot holder. Workshop in Stoa’s Terrarium (2nd floor, elevator in lobby) on Friday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. More information on Stoa’s website.
TIP for Espoo: See what activities Spring Tickles offers today on the event’s own website.
TIP for Vantaa: In Tikkurila Library in Vantaa, Let’s Sing Together with Children event on Friday at 10 a.m. You can bring your own instrument or borrow one from the library. Read more about the fun group singing session on the library’s website.
TIP: Pienten Helsinki’s celebration article, One Hundred and One Places in Helsinki, takes you around Helsinki to places that appeal to children, are especially child-friendly or simply fun places to visit with little ones.
SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 2018
Events:Story time at Vuosaari Library at 10:30 a.m. Story time at Munkkiniemi Library at 11 a.m. Story time in Spanish at Kallio Library at 12:30 p.m.
Toddler time at Roihuvuori Library at 10:30 a.m. Children’s Saturday at Puistola Library from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. This week’s theme is My Little Pony. In Swedish: Pony Day and Rhyme Jam on Saturday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Töölö Library.
Maunula Sports Fun Saturdays from 9-10:30 a.m. until April 7, 2018 at Maunula sports hall. A shared sports activity for the whole family with things for even the smallest ones to do. Free admission for children, adults €3.50. More information on Helsinki liikkuu website. The last Sports Fun in Maunula this spring.
MLL Oulunkylä Spring Flea Market at Oulunkylä Primary School on Saturday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. More information about the event on MLL Oulunkylä’s website.
Skyscraper Family Day and LEGO® workshop at Vuotalo on Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free admission. Read more on Vuotalo’s website.
Instrument Trail at East Helsinki Music Institute in Roihuvuori on Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. More information on the music institute’s website.
Herring Mystery dance theater performance, where friends Himanen and Piepo find a strange object near their lair. The performance is shown at Stoa on Saturday at 11 a.m. Tickets €5 / €10. Read more and reserve tickets on Stoa’s website.
Princess Sleeping Beauty puppet theater play at Puppet Theater Sampo on Saturday at 12 p.m. Tickets €12. More information and ticket reservations on Sampo’s website.
Puluboin and Poni’s Songs at Vuotalo’s Vuosali at 1 p.m. Tickets €6. Tickets and information about the “splashy and bouncy music concert” on Vuotalo’s website.
Eeva-Leena Pokela and Loiskis Orchestra perform at G Livelab on Saturday at 1 p.m. Tickets €12 / €18. More information on the organizer’s website.
Saturday Workshops at Kiasma in March-April on Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. Workshops suitable for ages 3+ to adults operate on a walk-in basis and the workshop theme changes weekly. Kiasma’s admission fee applies. Read more on Kiasma’s website.
ToPos Toddler Club at Munkkiniemi Yhteiskoulu’s hall on Saturday from 2:30-4 p.m. This open event promises activities, games, obstacle courses and ball games. More information on the event’s Facebook page.
Pupu Longear Adventure Again - book launch event at Children’s Book Kiosk Touka on Saturday from 3-5 p.m. Read more on Touka’s Facebook page.
TIP for Espoo: Tickles Disco and Costume Party at Espoo Cultural Center’s Louhisali on Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. The program features DJs Ottopetteri and Skenikswee, Ruffle Army glitter tattoos and Spektri ribbon dancers. Read more on the event’s Facebook page. Free admission. The event is part of the Spring Tickles event. At Espoo Cultural Center also Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. other Spring Tickles programs. Read more on Tickles’ website.
TIP for Espoo: Pebble Stone Case concert at Espoo Cultural Center’s Tapiola Hall on Saturday at 3 p.m. Tickets €15, family ticket €50. Read more on the event’s Facebook page. The event is part of the Spring Tickles event.
TIP for Espoo: Children’s Saturday at Sellosali at 2 p.m. you’ll hear folk music when Melkutus Festival Concert and young folk musicians take the stage. The concert is recommended for ages 5+. Tickets €10 / €5. More information on Sellosali’s website.
TIP for Espoo: At Children’s Culture Center Pikku-Aurora, Craft School Robotin Open Day programming workshop from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Read more on Pikku-Aurora’s website.
TIP for Vantaa FOR BABIES: At Taidetalo Pessi’s family day there’s programming for baby families on Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. VauvaVau - dance performance at 10 and 11 a.m. (tickets €5 / €7) workshop at 12 p.m. (free admission). Read more on the event’s Facebook page.
TIP: Haltiala Farm Animals is open year-round and for example cows go outside even during cold months. A visit to Haltiala is worthwhile at least to see the cows, play in the excellent playground and take a walk in beautiful scenery. Also the farm’s restaurant Wanha Pehtoori operates year-round. The sheep farm opens again around Easter, when you can see newborn lambs up close.
SUNDAY, APRIL 8, 2018
Events:IMPORTANT! Sports Fun in Myllypuro has ended this spring.
Bamse Day at Lauttasaari at Bamses språkbad language immersion preschool on Sunday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Read more on the event’s Facebook page.
Tip for parents: Finnish Brands Spring Pop-up at Kumpula Kylätila on Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. More information on the event’s Facebook page.
Children’s Sunday at Art House Kirpilä in Töölö on Sunday from 12-4 p.m. Check out the day’s program on the event’s Facebook page. Free admission.
In Swedish: Children’s Sundays at Kino Engel. Children’s movie screenings at Kino Engel in Swedish. Tickets €10.50. Read more and see the program on Kino Engel’s website.
TIP for Espoo: Welcome Back - a family bird walk to Laajalahti on Sunday from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Departure for the bird walk from Villa Elfvik’s grounds. Read more on Villa Elfvik’s website.
TIP for Porvoo: MLL’s Great Secondhand Children’s Items Flea Market at S-market Näsi parking garage on Sunday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. More information on the event’s Facebook page.
TIP for Sipoo: MLL Sipoo Secondhand Children’s Items Flea Market at Söderkulla S-market parking garage from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. More information on the event’s Facebook page.
TIP: Fallkulla Farm Animals is also open to the public during winter: Wednesday-Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The youth-run café Kilikuppila also opens again, but remember to bring cash for café snacks. Free admission. Read more on the Helsinki youth services website.
Don't forget these either:
Daily Paper Museum's new interactive exhibition suitable for all ages Pelle Fearless - The World's Most Fearless Inventor is on display until fall 2018. Daily Paper Museum has free admission. Pienten Helsinki visited the World of the Fearless, read more and see photos here.New on Pienten Helsinki’s website: a list of art exhibitions suitable for children!
