Fun summer activities for children and young people

The school year ends on Saturday 1 June 2024 in Espoo. You can find the term dates and holidays for schools and early childhood education on our website. During the summer holidays, Espoo offers early childhood education and education/training services in a reduced capacity.

General upper secondary schools will have their graduation ceremonies on Saturday 1 June. “I wish graduates a joyful day! You can be happy and proud of your achievement,” says Tapio Erma, Director of Upper Secondary Education and Youth Services.

The autumn term of schools starts on Thursday 8 August 2024. 

Information on school enrolment for pupils who move during the summer.

Services for special needs pupils who are moving to Espoo will not be available in July. You can contact special support planners as of 1 August via email at erityinentuki@espoo.fi. You should primarily contact the local school in the area you are moving to. The pupil must attend the local school until they receive a decision on special support.

We will start processing school transportation applications and supporting documents of pupils who have moved to Espoo during the summer in the order of arrival in August. School transportation will start at the earliest on 19 August 2024 or 26 August 2024 for pupils who receive a favourable decision. The criteria for granting school transportation benefit and application instructions are available here[SN1] .

The official application period for afternoon activities in basic education for the school year 2024–2025 has ended. The decisions were made on 17 May 2024 and are available through Wilma or have been sent by post if guardians have so requested. You can also apply for afternoon activities during the summer through Wilma or a printable application. Applications received in May–July will be processed before the beginning of the school year. If the child’s situation changes during the summer and your family wants to cancel the afternoon activity that has already been granted, you can do so through Wilma or by sending an email to iltapaivatoiminta@espoo.fi.

Matters related to Swedish-language services are available in the Swedish version of this news article.[SN2]

Espoo’s residents’ parks offer fun activities to children of all ages throughout the summer. The parks are open from 8:00 to 16:00, but the yard areas are also available for play outside these hours.

This summer, the parks offer a range of activities, including crafts, music, art workshops, obstacle courses, water games and barbecues. All of Espoo’s 16 residents’ parks will be open until Midsummer. The following residents’ parks will be open all summer, also in July: Hiirisuo, Latokaski, Matinkylä, Perkkaa, Suvela, Tapiola and Viherkallio. Read more about summer activities at residents’ parks.

Also check out other free-of-charge summer activities for children and young people and join in the fun. NuoriEspoo’s Skeittikontti skateboarding container, located at the Matinkylä skatepark, will serve as a pop-up youth centre in the summer. Its main purpose is to support the activities taking place at the skatepark. You can also borrow equipment and protective gear at Skeittikontti. Skeittikontti is open all summer starting from 3 June. Moped activities will be organised from 3 to 20 June and from 29 July to 2 August. Young people get to tune up their mopeds in a safe environment together with youth workers. Three youth centres are open in Espoo in the summer. These are Pointti (Leppävaara), Matinkylä and Suvela.

Espoo’s mobile youth centres, the Kerttu camper van and the Keijo van, will also be available throughout the summer. Mobile youth centres can be ordered to a desired location. At the end of the summer, there will be a pool party for young people at the Leppävaara outdoor swimming pool! Check the opening hours of all summer activities on our website and Instagram.

Finland’s Eurovision representative, Windows95man, will celebrate his homecoming by performing in his hometown of Espoo. The concert will be held at the Vaakunatori square in Espoon keskus on Friday 31 May at 19:00. Admission to the event is free. Read more about the event here.

The best way to celebrate is by staying sober. The Western Uusimaa Police Department wants to remind guardians and other adults not to give alcohol to minors.

EHYT (Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention) also encourages families to tell their children aged over 18 not to buy alcohol to underage siblings or friends, as alcohol can have serious impacts on their health and wellbeing. It is important to remind young people that adulthood comes with many freedoms and rights but also with greater responsibility. Sometimes, when there are minors in the same friend group, young people can forget this responsibility. Read more about the ‘Hakematta paras’ campaign of Ehkäisevä päihdetyö EHYT ry(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish).

The police also wants to remind parents that if their child is out celebrating, the parents should be available if anything should happen. Agree on a curfew and how the young person gets home. Ask them where they will be spending the evening so you know where to reach them. You as an adult are primarily responsible for them.

It is also important to remember other safety issues during the end-of-school weekend and throughout the summer. The Western Uusimaa Rescue Department reminds everyone that a campfire is an open fire and not allowed without the landowner’s permission. Disposable grills are also considered an open fire. When a wildfire warning is in force, it is forbidden to start an open fire. There is a risk of the fire spreading through vegetation or reaching nearby buildings. Even when the use of a disposable grill is permitted, you should not put it in the bin until the fire is out and the grill is cold.