Summer camps and courses
The City of Espoo Youth Services organises summer activities for young people aged 9–17 in the form of courses and camps. The total number of camp and course places available is approximately 1000.
Thank you for the summer – see you this autumn at the youth centres!
Espoo Youth Services would like to thank all children and youth for a wonderful Young Espoo summer and wish everyone a great start to the new school year. Although summer is coming to an end, autumn means that all the fun starts again at the youth centres! You’ll also find all the youth workers at the youth centres, so be sure to check the opening hours of your local centre here.
Registration for next year’s summer activities opens on 15 March 2027.
Frequently asked questions
The summer activities of the City of Espoo Youth Services are intended for young people born in 2006–2013 (aged 9 to 17) living in Espoo. In the harrastushaku.fi service, the camp/course presentation indicates the intended age group of the summer activity in question.
Online at harrastushaku.fi(external link, opens in a new window). You can find all summer activities offered by Espoo Youth Services by entering NEkesä in the search field. The summer camp and course selection will be listed in the harrastushaku.fi service starting from 1 March 2023. Registration for summer activities will open on 13 March 2023 at 9:00, when a registration link will appear in each camp and course presentation.
All summer activities of Youth Services can be found in the harrastushaku.fi(external link, opens in a new window) service (enter NEkesä in the search field). Registration for courses and camps will open on 13 March 2023 at 9:00, when a registration link will appear in each camp and course presentation. You can register through this registration link.
All camp and course fees are to be paid online upon registration. The payment will guarantee the cam/course place. It is possible to obtain an exemption from the fee on financial grounds, for example. In such a case, please contact at your earliest convenience Hanna-Leena Strang-Kilpelä, Youth Work Coordinator, hanna-leena.strang-kilpela@espoo.fi.
Yes, it is! Please contact Hanna-Leena Strang-Kilpelä, Youth Work Coordinator, hanna-leena.strang-kilpela@espoo.fi.
A camp/course letter will be sent to all those registered for summer activities closer to the start date of the camp/course in question. The letter will indicate the schedules, practical matters and arrangements, such as dining, dressing, weather-appropriate equipment, etc.
In the harrastushaku.fi(external link, opens in a new window) service, the camp/course presentation indicates the name and contact information of the instructor in charge of the summer activity in question. A camp/course letter will be sent to all those registered for summer activities at the latest two weeks before the start date of the camp/course in question. The letter will indicate the schedules, practical matters and arrangements, such as dining, dressing, weather-appropriate equipment, etc
Yes they can, and yes they will. The skilled youth instructors of the summer activities know how to take everyone into account and ensure that nobody is left alone.
Participation in a camp/course is not possible when ill. Please inform the instructor in charge of the activity immediately. If young person falls ill during a camp/course day, the instructor in charge of the activity will contact the guardian immediately. The fee will not refunded if the young person falls ill during the activity.
Please inform the instructor in charge of the activity immediately. This way, the place can be offered to others. The fee will be refunded if the cancellation has been made 14 days before the start of the activity.
The age limits of the gaming camps are set according to the games to be played at the camp. In Finland, the National Audiovisual Institute provides the guidelines for age limits. The age categories of games are set in Finland in accordance with the age rating system of PEGI, Pan European Game Information. Further information is available at kavi.fi/ikarajat/yleistieto/pegi(external link, opens in a new window)
The age limits follow the guidelines of the National Audiovisual Institute, according to which we cannot bend the age limit rules.
The age limits of the camps are set according to the games to be played at the camp. The children’s age limits are indicated in the Harrastushaku.fi(external link, opens in a new window) service under the camp-specific presentations. We cannot deviate from the age limits set by the Act on Audiovisual Programmes. In the case of the gaming camps, age is not determined on the basis of the year of birth. Instead, participants must be of the required age before the camp starts.
The gaming camp is about exploring the world of games and practicing team and individual game playing in a group. Skilled youth instructors ensure a safe game playing environment during the camp. In addition to playing games, the camp activities include outdoor recreation, dining and doing other fun activities included in the camp programme.
Consult Youth Services about accessibility before registering. Accessibility is not only about physical access or mobility. It is about recognising and accommodating people’s differences when planning and delivering activities.
The information requested on the registration form is important in advance, as it enables Youth Services to prepare appropriately—for example, by ensuring sufficient staffing if a participant requires additional support or an assistant during the activity.
Youth Services’ summer activities follow safer space principles, which are reviewed together at the beginning of each activity. The safer space principles are intended for everyone involved in youth activities, and everyone participating in Espoo Youth Services’ activities is expected to commit to following them.