Fun summer activities for children and young people
Another school year is now over, and it is time to enjoy the summer holidays. The Western Uusimaa police and rescue departments encourage young people to celebrate safely. The City of Espoo has planned plenty of summer fun for its residents. Residents’ parks, for example, offer enjoyable activities free of charge. Likewise, Nuori Espoo organises a wide range of free-of-charge activities for young people during the summer.
The school year ends on Saturday 31 May 2025 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 31 May 2025.
“Cheers to our new graduates! You have completed your studies and passed the demanding and internationally respected matriculation examination. My warmest congratulations! I hope the knowledge you have gained will support you on your path towards further studies and your future career. I wish you and your families a joyful and sunny day of celebration,” says Tapio Erma, Director of Upper Secondary Education and Youth Services.
The autumn term of schools starts on Thursday 7 August 2025.
Information on school enrolment for pupils who move during the summer.
In Espoo, support for pupils is primarily provided at the pupil’s local school. The pupil attends instruction at their local school, where any potential need for support is assessed. Guardians of pupils with a special support decision who are moving to Espoo should contact the local school based on their new address. Pupils attending Swedish-speaking schools are requested to contact skolanmalan@esbo.fi
In Espoo, teaching for pupils with disabilities is organised centrally at specific schools. Pupils with disabilities are assigned a school place by the administration of the Finnish Basic Education Unit. Guidance and counselling related to this are primarily provided by special support planners. If needed, the local school can also provide advice on matters concerning pupils with disabilities. Instruction for Swedish-speaking pupils with disabilities is organised in collaboration with Helsinki.
Services for pupils with a special support decision will not be available in July. You can contact special support planners as of 1 August via email at opetuksentuki@espoo.fi.
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 18 August 2025 or 25 August 2025 for pupils who receive a favourable decision. The criteria for granting school transportation benefit and application instructions are available here.
The official application period for after-school activities in basic education for the school year 2025–2026 has ended. The decisions were made on 20 May 2025 and are available through Wilma or have been sent by post if guardians have so requested. You can also apply for after-school 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 an after-school activity that has already been granted, you can do so through Wilma or by sending an email to iltapaivatoiminta@espoo.fi or eftis@esbo.fi if the matter regards a Swedish-speaking school.
Fun summer activities for children and young people
Espoo’s residents’ parks will again offer a wide range of summer activities for the whole family. The parks are open from 8:00 to 16:00, but the yard areas are also available for play outside these hours.
All residents’ parks will be open until Midsummer. The Soukka, Perkkaa, Olari, Suvela and Tapiola residents’ parks will be open all summer.
How about an art workshop, obstacle course, making magic dough, or fun outdoor games? Or would you like to draw on the asphalt with chalks, ride on a hobbyhorse or learn how to make play dough? You can try all these and many other fun activities at our parks – free of charge! The activities vary from park to park, so check your park’s webpage for the summer programme. The parks also share information about their activities on social media.
This July, residents’ parks also offer free lunch to under 16-year-olds. Food will be available to about 150 children at the Soukka, Perkkaa, Olari, Suvela and Tapiola residents’ parks. Bring your own bowl, spoon and water bottle or cup and come have lunch at the park!
Read more about summer activities and free lunches at residents’ parks.
Also check out other free-of-charge summer activities for children and young people and join in the fun. Nuori Espoo Skeittikontti (skateboarding container) in the Matinkylä skatepark and Nuori Espoo Kesämökki in the Laaksolahti sports park will serve as pop-up youth centres during the summer. You can also borrow equipment and protective gear at Skeittikontti. Skeittikontti is open all summer starting from 2 June, and Kesämökki is open from 16 June until 18 July. Youth Services will also organise moped activities from 2 to 19 June and from 28 July to 1 August. This allows young people to work on their mopeds in a safe environment together with youth workers.
Three youth centres are open in Espoo for the first weeks of June. The Juvanpuisto youth centre is open from 2 to 13 June, Mon–Wed 10:00–18:30, Thu 13:00–21:30 and Fri 14:00–22:30. The Suvela and Soukka youth centres are open from 16 to 19 June, Mon–Thu 10:00–19:00.
Espoo’s mobile youth centres, the Kerttu camper van and the Keijo van, will be touring the city all summer. You can contact our team via Snapchat or Instagram and ask our mobile youth centres to visit a specific location. The summer will end with a pool party at the Leppävaara outdoor swimming pool on Espoo Day, 30 August! Check the Youth Services Instagram account @nuoriespoo or our website for the latest updates.
The police and rescue department encourage young people to celebrate safely
The Western Uusimaa Police Department will be monitoring youth gatherings and intervening in substance use or the possession of items that may pose a danger to others during the school graduation weekend. The police will confiscate things like alcohol or a knife found in a young person’s possession.
The police encourage guardians to agree on clear ground rules with their children.
“Talk with your child about where they are planning to go and how they will get home. Make sure that both you and your child keep your phones on throughout the evening. This way, you can stay in contact with each other, and authorities can reach the guardian if needed,” says Chief Inspector Hannu Väänänen.
In recent years, the police have seen increasingly younger schoolchildren out on graduation evenings. According to the police, children of primary school age should stay at home.
It is also important to remember fire safety during the end-of-school weekend. 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. Both involve a risk of fire spreading into the environment. You should never put a disposable grill in the bin until the fire is out and the grill is cold. When a wildfire warning is in force, making any kind of open fire is prohibited.