Tips for celebrating a rainy May Day in Helsinki with children

Published 30.4.2018, updated 25.4.2019

This article was first published on May Day 2018, when the weather forecast for Helsinki looked gloomy for picnic plans. Pieni Helsinki updated the article with information for May Day 2019 - just to be safe!
What can you do with children if a muddy picnic is out of the question or if you're not interested in celebrating in the rain at May Day square and the fairground? What can save a rainy May Day and what to do with children? Pieni Helsinki tried to come up with quick solutions to save May Day.

Pieni Helsinki's May Day in Helsinki 2019 event tips can be found here.

Many cafés and restaurants are open on May Day too, so it's worth asking about cancellations at May Day brunch reservations, at least outside the city center. From cafés, at least Kahvila Puhuri (open on May Day 11am-2pm) and Puhvetti (open on May Day 12pm-5pm) in Lauttasaari, Cafe Monami at Rastila Manor and Kahvila Kampela at Vuosaaren Aurinkolahti are open without table reservations. Restaurant Stansvik's café in Laajasalo serves without reservations (brunch fully booked) and at Arabianranta Kaffila Bokvillassa May Day is celebrated.

Korkeasaari Zoo can be experienced from a different perspective and you can study the animals living indoors at the zoo in detail and take your time. You can enjoy picnic snacks, for example in a cottage, and the island's restaurants are also open. On May Day, you can also travel to Korkeasaari by boat from the Market Square pier. Entrance fee applies.

Fallkullan farm animals is open on May Day from 10am-3pm. Read more on Fallkullan's Facebook page. Free entry to the farm.

Haltiala farm is always open, but farm activities opening hours for May Day weren't immediately available. Head to restaurant Vanha Pehtoori in Haltiala's courtyard for muffins (vegan) and defy the weather in mud pants and other outdoor gear, greet the cows and play in Haltiala's excellent playground? Free entry to the farm.

Haltia - Finnish Nature Centre in Nuuksio, Espoo is open on May Day from 10am-6pm. You can grill your own snacks in the yard cottage as part of a May Day picnic. Entrance fee, museum card also accepted!

Tiedekeskus Heureka on the Vantaa side is open from 10am-6pm. Entrance fee applies.

At home you can set up a picnic on the living room floor or build a fort to enjoy May Day treats.

Or bravely defy the weather and experience a different May Day by jumping in mud puddles? If you're really bored, supermarkets are open and selling May Day balloons and treats for any occasion.

For May Day 2019, the following events could be expected to be at least partly indoors:

Happy May Day!