Espoo Hobby Path offers over 200 free hobby groups for pupils in grades 3–9
The free hobby groups of the Espoo Hobby Path, which implements the Finnish Model of Leisure Activities in Espoo, start on 16 September 2024. The hobby groups, of which there are more than 200, offer a wide range of activities: various arts, sports and outdoor activities, handicrafts, cookery and digital hobbies. Registration for hobbies has started on Thursday 29 August 2024.
Espoo Hobby Path emphasises accessibility in its hobbies. Hobbies are organised as soon as possible after the school day at or near the school or via a remote connection. The hobbies are free of charge and the hobby activities do not require previous experience or special equipment. One can registrate for the groups throughout the school year, and some groups also provide a snack for participants.
In addition, dedicated groups have been established for children and young people in need of special support. Hobbies are also organised in Swedish and English.
Meaningful instructed leisure activities
The City of Espoo aims to ensure that every child and young person has at least one meaningful hobby. Therefore, the hobby selection of the Espoo Hobby Path is designed to reflect the wishes and opinions of children and young people.
“At the City of Espoo, we have realised that hobbies being free is not, by itself, enough to encourage children to participate in hobbies. The hobbies we offer must be genuinely meaningful and of high quality. The experience of meaningfulness is the sum of many factors, but interesting content, friends, the experience of being part of a group and a competent and encouraging instructor help engage children and young people in hobbies,” says Specialist Kimmo Sillanmikko who is responsible for the operations of the Espoo Hobby Path.
“Hobbies can genuinely support children’s and young people’s participation in and commitment to the community, as long as we ensure that their voices are heard in the planning and implementation of hobby activities,” Sillanmikko continues.
New experiments and hobby innovations
Espoo is known as a city of innovation, and the Espoo Hobby Path wants to be a pioneer in testing and enabling new kinds of hobbies and ways of being involved in hobbies. Experiments have revealed that there is a high demand for instructed remote hobby groups related to things like programming and gaming. For the school year 2024–2025, the range of remote hobbies has been expanded.
All the groups of the Espoo Hobby Path can be found through the Hobby Search on the city’s website. Schools will also send parents Wilma messages to inform about the available hobbies.
Read more: Espoo Hobby Path.