Fun summer activities for children and young people

The school year ends on Saturday 30 May 2026 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 30 May 2026. “Congratulations to all those graduating this spring – general upper secondary school and vocational school graduates alike! Degrees and achievements come and go, but what ultimately matters most is growing into your own person and finding your own path. Becoming who we truly are and maturing are primary, lifelong tasks for us all,” says Jussi Paavola, Director of Upper Secondary Education. 

The autumn term of schools starts on Thursday 13 August 2026.  

Afternoon activities for primary and lower secondary school pupils will also continue in August. The application period for afternoon activities in the school year 2026–2027 has ended. The decisions were made on 18 May 2026 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 an afternoon activity that has already been granted, you can do so through Wilma or by sending an email to iltapaivatoiminta@espoo.fi. 

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

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

In the summer of 2026, Espoo’s residents’ parks will again offer a wide range of free activities for the whole family. Nearly all residents’ parks will be open in June, but most of the parks will close for the summer starting at Midsummer. The Latokaski, Matinkylä, Suvela, Tapiola and Viherkallio residents’ parks will remain open all summer. The parks listed above will provide free lunches from 1 July this summer. The lunches are intended for children and young people under the age of 16. Bring your own bowl, spoon and water bottle or cup. Read more about the park lunch service here.

The parks are open from 8:00 to 16:00, but the yard areas are also available for play outside these hours.

The parks’ programme features physical and creative activities, crafts, games and play. Examples include exercise and obstacle courses, traditional games, pavement chalk art, bead crafts, a ball circus and a puppet theatre. Sounds fun, right? Read more about summer activities at residents’ parks.

Espoo’s Youth Services also offers a wide range of free activities for children and young people in Espoo during the summer. Activities take place across the city – at youth centres, outdoors and at various events. The summer programme includes open activities at youth centres, camps, short courses, excursions and mobile youth work. Activities are planned for young people of different ages, and it is easy to join in, either alone or with friends. There are still a few places available in the summer courses organised by Espoo’s Youth Services. Check out the courses and sign up. 

Someturva (help against online bullying) supports pupils and students in their free time, including throughout the summer holidays. Guardians can also contact Someturva for help; they can report an incident on behalf of their child or together with them. Someturva is available in primary, lower secondary and general upper secondary education. The school-specific code can be obtained from the principal. Someturva is not available in early childhood education.

The Western Uusimaa Police Department will, as usual, monitor youth gatherings when schools end. The police will intervene in the use of intoxicants and the possession of any items that may pose a danger to others. If a young person is found in possession of things like alcohol, drugs, e-cigarettes or knives, these will be confiscated by the police.

Guardians are responsible for their children, which is why it is important to discuss at home in advance where the young person plans to spend the end-of-school celebration and how they will move around during the evening. Both the guardian’s and the young person’s phones must have the sound on throughout the evening so that they can reach each other. The guardian must also be reachable in case authorities need to contact them regarding the young person’s situation.

Also, do not provide alcohol to a minor! Ehyt ry’s campaign on the subject reminds guardians that they play an important role in supporting the wellbeing of young people. It is worth talking with young people about the risks of alcohol and other intoxicants and reminding them that a responsible adult does not provide alcohol to minors. Hakematta paras – ethän välitä alkoholia alaikäiselle! - EHYT ry(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish).