Exploring Helsinki with Kids
For nature-loving families and Scandiphiles alike, discover why the cosmopolitan capital is the creative pulse of the world’s happiest country.
For the design-bent, it’s no secret Helsinki has long been the sleeper hit across the Nordics.
More under-the-radar than Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo, and evocative of a smaller Scandinavian San Francisco with its design ideas and generous access to green space, the Finnish capital is what any Scandiphile loves about this region of the world— art intertwined with nature.
Parents who still revel in the memory of wandering through pop-up concept spaces and minimalist ceramic shops without having to factor in the distance to the nearest playground (hand raised!) will just as easily find Helsinki to be an almost revolutionary amalgamation of both— yes we can— still appreciate art with kids in tow.
Like its Nordic neighbors, family-friendly is infused into Finland’s culture (try an all-age sauna experience!). Chalk it up to a solid social structure, emphasis on nature, education, universal generosity and parental support which has made Finland the top spot on the U.N. World’s Happiest Countries list for the fifth year in a row (and one of the best places in the world to raise children).
We visit Helsinki during a pan-Scandinavian road trip in August. Summer in this part of the world stop is eighteen hours of sunlight, connect-the-dots coastlines of parks and saunas with staircases plunging into the Baltic Sea, and farmers plopping wild-foraged berries into the hands of our toddler at the Kaupahalli.
And there’s so much more. Here are some of our kid-friendly finds that make this city to this day one of our favorite European capitals to date.
But First, Sustainable Helsinki.
Finland has also been on the global radar lately, passing arguably the most ambitious climate target into law, electing one of the world’s youngest heads of state into office, and yes, being totally happy.
It’s also become a pioneer in urban development, even by Europe’s standards— in Helsinki, a whopping 75% of movement is walking, cycling or public transport. Jimmying a travel stroller across town has never been so easy, especially with the promise of Pulla (cardamom-spiced sweet buns) at one of the coffee carts. There’s also the Think Sustainably site which rates restaurants, shops and lodging based on various environmental criteria.
And nature— part of the Finnish modus operandi— Helsinki’s residential areas are surrounded by a blanket of forest, green spaces, and the shimmering Baltic. It somehow nudges both visitors and its residents to want to take care of the earth instinctively.
Run Around Market Square
The Kauppatori is the center of the action in Helsinki and a great place for both kids and parents get a sense for the city. This open-air market on the harbor front is packed with local merchants serving up artisanal Finnish salmon sandwiches, Lohikeitto soup or locally-sourced jams by the booth. Can you say cloudberries?
There’s also the Kaupahalli or Old Market Hall, Senate Square and Children’s Town. Catch the ferry connection to Suomenlinna, the Korkeasaari Zoo, or a boat boat trip to Porvoo from here.
Take the Ferry to Suomenlinna Sea Fortress
Head out to Suomenlinna Fortess Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site off the coast of Helsinki, for few hours excursion. It’s a 25-minute ride on a water bus from Market Square to the six connected islands. Suomenlinna was originally created by the Swedish Crown in 1748 to protect Sweden (Finland was a part of Sweden at the time) from Russia’s expansion. There’s open green spaces to run around, tunnels to explore, cannons to climb, or simply playing by the water. Stop in for a coffee and cinnamon bun at Cafe Samovarbar, inside the Toy Museum.
Helsinki’s Design Museum in the walkable Design District.
Walk Around Helsinki’s Design District
Traveling with kids doesn’t mean you have to abandon all creative pursuits (though you may want to keep an eye on your toddler if venturing in to Lokal, not speaking from experience, of course). Design is part of Finland’s national identity— it declared independence from Russia in 1917 and had to build— and Finnish design has been recently front of mind with an almost-Guggenheim and Amos Rex, a subterranean art museum near the Oodi Library. Don’t forget its roots in Scandinavian minimalism, though, with a color nod to the East. Look no further than the bold, geometric designs by Marimekko, or the water-shaped glass pieces of Alvar Alto as the historical origin point of Finnish design.
Head to the Design District just south of the center in Punavuori to the Design Museum (a good intro to Finland’s design history and spacious enough for kids to wander freely). Make sure to cross the street to Momono— we still cherish the cork spice shakers we bought there. Lokal is just down the street— along with its stunning ceramic and glass pieces made at the artist collective Fiskars, it also has a small coffee shop in the back (just remember the toddler tip!). There’s also the Iittala & Arabia Design Centre fusing two of Finland’s most iconic brands together, with a design lab supporting local artists.
Eat + Stay
+Story at the recently revamped 19th-century Kaupahalli on the waterfront.
+Löyly (meaning “spirit” in Old Finnish) is a hypermodern solar-powered spa, but has a restaurant on site as well. Depending on your childs’ sauna experience, it’s also a fun excursion and reveling in a totally Finnish experience.
+Krog Roba is a former police station transformed into a Nordic-inspired restaurant. Bonus points for the courtyard for kids to run around.
+Glo Hotel Art for the magical art nouveau castle vibes and kids treats, located in the Design District.
+Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna is the former functionalist Vaakuna building, located next to the main train station . We love it for their kids’ accessories like binoculars and hobby horses, soundproof windows and Think Sustainably criteria.
The interior of Temppeliaukio Church in Helsinki.
Church of the Rock
Temppeliaukio Church, or the Church of the Rock, is an architectural must, both for adults and kids. Designed by brother-architects Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen (their last name translates appropriately to “Finnish”) who won a competition after World War II, it’s built into granite rock with an ice-age era crevice for an altarpiece. Kids will love marveling at the copper dome giving vintage Star Trek vibes, or even catching a concert with spacey acoustics.
Above the church is a city park worth walking around so you can see the top of the church and overlook of the neighborhood.
Discovering the Passio Musicae Sibelius Monument in Helsinki’s Töölö district.
City Walk from Sibelius Park to Helsinki Oodi Central Library
Do a multi-kilometer walk across the city starting at Sibelius Park— the monument dedicated to Finnish composer Jean Sibelius is more Stranger Things than stylised organ pipes to us, but cool, nevertheless— then head across town to the walking path at Töölönlahti Bay. Grab a coffee or hot chocolate at a mobile bike cafe and check out the Winter Garden and bespoke wooden villas along the water.
Your kids will love Oodi Central Library no matter their ages. Not only a serious architectural statement, it’s also a cultural campus hosting regular film screenings, a state of the art recording studio and 3D printing projects. Bonus: there’s an adventure playground, basketball court and skate area out front. It’s in the same courtyard as the Helsinki Music Center and for the extra dose of contemporary art, Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art with Saturday workshops for all ages.
Coffee and making friends at Töölönlahti Bay with Bike Cafe Finland.
Oodi Library’s designer cultural campus.
Lastly, Sauna.
For Finns, sauna is an integral part of life and quite possibly one of the secrets of many’s happiness ingredient. Many Finnish women go through labor in sauna, and children are integrated naturally into the heat-soaked rituals.
Though we didn’t take the plunge ourselves— our one-year-old was with us and sadly, we’re not yet sauna experts— it’s definitely worth having a meal at modernist Löyly at the end of the peninsula or popping into the Zen-inspired minimalist Kulttuurisauna to round out your family’s quintessential Helsinki experience.
Get There
Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport sits 18km north of the city, but just as easy to reach Helsinki by ferry if traveling from mainland Europe via car. Try the tram around the city, and of course, walking!
Because Helsinki sits on the southern coast, it’s a perfect gateway to a Finland road trip.
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