Tips and Guides - August

The first incredible summer in the history of park hide-and-seeks officially ended on August 1st, 2018. However, some park hides received an extension and in August you can still search for treasures! Thank you at this point to everyone for the wonderful adventure!

But what exactly is Park Hide-and-Seek? Park Hide-and-Seek is a type of children’s geocaching, a treasure hidden in a designated area in advance. Park Hide-and-Seek differs from geocaching in that you don’t need a phone or coordinates to find it, just sharp eyes: you can only find the hide through verbal clues. In summer 2018, park hides were located in several playgrounds in Helsinki as well as a few other places in central Helsinki. The first clues for Park Hide-and-Seeks were published on Helsinki Day, June 12th, 2018. A total of 29 hides were available to search in summer 2018, but some hides received an extension and the adventure continues in August with the help of 14 hides. The exact list of August park hide-and-seek locations and clues to find the hides can be found below. More about Park Hide-and-Seeks and the ideas behind the adventure can be found here and in Helsinki City news

If you wish, you can share experiences and photos, tell about your adventures and give feedback on the project, for example on social media with the following tags: #puistopiilo #pientenhelsinki #leikkipuistot. A Facebook event invitation has also been created for the event.

Questions, feedback and, for example, reports of broken or missing hides can also be sent via email to mari@pientenhelsinki.fi.

The visual design of Park Hide-and-Seek 2018 was created by Helsinki-based visual designer Lotta Maija Paananen.

Park Hide-and-Seeks to search for in August 2018:

  • Design Museum and Museum of Architecture summer courtyard (Ullanlinnankatu 2-4)
    • Park hide-and-seek in place until August 31st, 2018.
    • My home is in the museums' courtyard. Adventure in the yard and peek into the middle planter. Strawberries and pumpkins grow around me.
  • Korkeasaari Zoo
    • Park hide-and-seek in place until August 31st, 2018.
    • NOTE! Finding this park hide-and-seek requires zoo admission fee.
    • Hide location in Korkeasaari: Your first task is to find a ship stranded on the island, near which you can dig for treasure.
    • Clue to finding the hide: Near the Pirate's Path you will find a chest, black and large, inside which is a treasure for you.
  • Playground Arabia
    • Park hide-and-seek in place until August 31st, 2018.
    • At Christmas you would find gifts there, now you will find something else as a surprise.
  • Playground Herttoniemi
    • Park hide-and-seek in place until August 31st, 2018.
    • When the summer sun warms you, the pool water will cool you down, there are two doors next to it, when you stretch your gaze you will have a "squirrel-like" task.
  • Playground Hilleri
    • Park hide-and-seek in place until August 31st, 2018.
    • A colorful cat peeks at what the rabbit next to it is doing. The rabbit hides the park hide-and-seek in its nest. (Additional clue: search the yard for a cat and look through the cat's eyes, in which direction is it LOOKING BESIDE IT. The rabbit's nest can be found there.)
  • Playground Kesanto
    • Park hide-and-seek in place until August 31st, 2018.
    • Where the festive "Anna" tree grows and the flag waves. In the depths of the lilac bush, in a peaceful place in the stone wall's shelter. From there the park hide-and-seek reveals itself.
  • Playground Mellunmäki
    • Park hide-and-seek in place until August 31st, 2018.
    • From the information board, walk towards the two bears 28 adult steps. Walk towards the red elephant 29 adult steps. Walk to the bench next to the sandbox 9 adult steps. Turn towards the forest.
  • Playground Myllynsiipi
    • Park hide-and-seek in place until August 31st, 2018.
    • Large steps lead to the upper terrace, hopefully you won't meet a giant there. Walk the sandy path, don't close your eyes. When you look up from below, something red will also flash there.
  • Playground Mäkitorppa
    • Park hide-and-seek in place until August 31st, 2018.
    • From the deck of a small sailboat, you can peer through a telescope. When you look towards the tree, you notice that a bird's home lurks in the foliage. There's a place for the hide in the birdhouse!
  • Playground Nurkka
    • Park hide-and-seek is in place until August 24th, 2018.
    • It is hidden in the forest, inside an old stump.
  • Playground Traktori
    • Park hide-and-seek is in place until August 31st, 2018.
    • Look, in the shelter of the spruce under the branches, there is a small nest for a squirrel. The baby squirrels play there and eat seeds above the park hide-and-seek.
  • Mustapur play area (volunteer parent-run park hide-and-seek)
    • Park hide-and-seek is in place until August 31st, 2018.
    • These four brothers don't roll - they have a steady style. You will find the brothers behind the Sahara.
    • Behind the Sahara four brothers stand. They only stand still - nowhere they go.
  • Tori-Korttels Central Park (Katariinankatu 2/ Sofiankatu 1/ Aleksanterinkatu 22)
    • Park hide-and-seek is in place until August 31st, 2018.
    • Pull the lion by its tail!
  • ESPOO: Children's Cultural Center Pikku-Aurora/ Träskändan Park (Träskändänristi 4, 02940 Espoo)
    • Park hide-and-seek is in place until August 31st, 2018.
    • Pikku-Aurora participates in Park Hide-and-Seeking, but the cultural center's own yard was reserved for excavators all summer. Espoo's first park hide-and-seek can be found next door in Träskändan Park.
    • Clue to the hide: Step down from the old mansion's terrace at Träskändan into the formal garden. Walk past the garden smelling the flowers. Cross the lawn to the right towards the river and bridge, but don't cross the path, instead stop at the giants. Peek deep into the back one-legged one's lap.

Guide to finding Park Hide-and-Seek:

  1. Read the clue carefully before searching: Park Hide-and-Seek clues can be found on the bulletin boards of the participating playgrounds and at www.pientenhelsinki.fi/puistopiilo. Let the search begin!
  2. Park Hide-and-Seeks are located outside on the playground grounds, in natural places – not for example in play equipment or buildings.
  3. When facing challenges, it's always worth asking for help, for example from park staff (weekdays 9am-4pm) or joining another group of searchers.
  4. When you find a Park Hide-and-Seek, you can jump with joy, but remember to do it secretly because someone else might still be searching for the same hide ;)
  5. You should find a notebook and pen in the hide, and we hope you will leave your own greeting; it can be your name, a poem, a story or even a drawing – anything! It's nice if you also remember to add the date.
  6. When you're done, carefully close the hide's container and hide it again in the same place where you found it, because other adventurers also want to find this Park Hide-and-Seek.
  7. Awesome, you are now Park Hide-and-Seek finders, great guys! It's nice that you adventure in Helsinki! More hides and new clues can be found on the Little Helsinki Park Hide-and-Seek page at www.pientenhelsinki.fi/puistopiilo.
  8. Now you can sneak quietly away from the park hide-and-seek and go explore what else this playground has to offer!

www.pientenhelsinki.fi/puistopiilo

[caption id="attachment_4658" align="aligncenter" width="339"]Park Hide-and-Seek is a joint project of Little Helsinki and Helsinki City's playground activities. Park Hide-and-Seek is a joint project of Little Helsinki and Helsinki City's playground activities.[/caption]