Hobbies give joy in doing things together – Espoo Hobby Path offers more hobbies next school year
For children and young people, an important part of the Espoo Hobby Path is having the freedom to do their own thing and spending time together. Thanks to the grant Espoo has received for the implementation of the Finnish Model for Leisure Activities in the school year 2026–2027, the city will be able to organise more hobbies in the next school year.
This school year, the Espoo Hobby Path has offered more than 200 free hobby groups for pupils in grades 3–9. The number of children and young people taking up these hobbies increased from the previous school year. Based on the feedback collected, children and young people have been able to realise their own wishes and have a say in their hobbies. Being together and spending time with friends has also been important for them.
Hobbies will continue in the autumn with an even wider selection than before. The Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland has granted Espoo 750,000 euros for the implementation of the Finnish Model for Leisure Activities. The grant has increased, and as a result, the city will offer around different 300 options for hobbies in the next school year.
“It is great that we can offer an even higher number of children and young people in Espoo the opportunity to enjoy hobbies that meet their wishes. This also helps us promote one of the goals of the Espoo Story: every child and young person has a hobby they enjoy,” says Susanna Tommila, Cultural Director.
The Cultural Promotion and Partnerships service area under the Cultural Unit coordinates the Espoo Hobby Path. In order to organise recreational activities, they work in close cooperation with comprehensive school education in Finnish and Swedish, libraries, Youth Services and Sports and Exercise Services.
The options include art, exercise, sports and outdoor activities, hands-on activities, cooking and digital hobbies. The hobbies offer children and young people a safe space where they can be themselves and learn new skills. Hobby Path promotes the goal of the Espoo Story of creating a city where every child and young person can feel that they belong and are treated in a respectful manner. Everyone is welcome to the hobby groups regardless of their language skills, functional capacity or past hobbies.
The next school year’s hobby groups will begin on 7 September 2026. You can find the free hobbies of the Espoo Hobby Path through the Hobby Search on the city’s website. The hobbies will be added to the website during August.