Residents’ parks invite you to enjoy the summer together – a wide range of free activities for families with children

This year, too, residents’ parks bring joy, togetherness and a versatile set of activities for families with children. The parks are popular places for spending summer days, providing fun activities and company for both children and adults. And best of all, the activities are completely free of charge.

Nearly all the residents’ parks are open in June. Summer opening hours vary, but most parks take a summer break beginning from Midsummer.

The Latokaski, Matinkylä, Suvela, Tapiola and Viherkallio residents’ parks are open throughout the summer. The Mankkaa and Pisa parks are closed this summer due to renovation work.

During the summer, residents’ parks organise diverse and engaging activities that children of all ages can enjoy. How about different activity trails and obstacle courses, traditional playground games, pavement chalk, crafting with beads, circus games or blowing bubbles?

In many parks, you can also play picture-based orienteering games, care for hobby horses, jump on a trampoline, and ride bicycles and kick scooters. Children can take the scooters to a repair shop and a fuelling station to keep the fun going!

Those who like calmer play are sure to enjoy den games and playing house, superhero-themed crafts, immersive story times, reading corners or lying in a hammock.

On hot days, children get to enjoy refreshing water games. So make sure you pack a towel and swimwear or a change of clothes. It is also a good idea to bring a sun hat and sunscreen – and don’t forget your water bottle.

In the summer, most park activities take place outside. The parks offer lots of different outdoor and sand toys, games and other play equipment to visitors.

Many parks also offer guided physical activities for the whole family, such as opportunities to try different track and field sports, gymnastics and basketball. Espoo Sports and Exercise Services and our partner sports clubs provide instruction to park visitors.

The summer at the parks also includes various events. During the summer, many of the parks will get visits from, for example, Children’s Cultural Center Aurora’s Summer Tour, the Case of the Singing Bookworm, and Espoo’s library and culture bus Välkky, which bring shows and the joy of reading to the days at the park. You can also borrow books to take home from the Välkky mobile library with your Helmet library card. 

The Lystiloiskis! water skills tour will also stop in the parks in June. The tour is organised jointly by the City of Espoo and the Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation SUH. On the tour, you will hear what is meant by water skills and get to discuss topics such as children’s swimming ability. The tour also includes fun water-related activities for children.

If you have clothes that your child has outgrown or toys they no longer play with, you can bring them to the park for others to use. Several parks organise recycling and swap events in the summer, which offer a great chance to get rid of things you no longer need and make great finds. 

The parks’ summer traditions also include Midsummer parties, which are organised in most parks.

Meals will be offered again at the parks this summer, which has been a popular feature. In July, all five parks that remain open during the month offer free warm meals for children and young people under the age of 16. 

The meals offered at the parks make families’ daily lives smoother and enable them to spend entire summer days in the park. Children will have more fun playing when their bellies are full. Bring your own bowl, spoon and drinking bottle or mug, and come and enjoy lunch at the park. For more information about meals at parks, see this page.

Meals are not offered at the parks in June, but you can still eat your own packed meals and heat up your food in the park. You can also grill food in many parks in June. Please note that you may only grill pre-cooked food (no raw meat) at the parks so that everyone will have time to grill their food.

The parks that remain open in the summer are open on weekdays from 8:00 to 16:00. During the opening hours, staff are available, and customers have access to the park’s indoor facilities, such as toilets and kitchens. You can also play independently in the outside spaces when the park is closed.

Everyone is welcome to the residents’ parks! However, please keep in mind that young children must be accompanied by an adult. School-aged children may spend time in the parks independently with their guardian’s permission and responsibility. The staff provide advice and guidance to visitors if necessary.

The parks offer different activities. See the website of each park for more detailed information on activities, exceptional opening hours, days when you can grill at the park and the start of a possible summer break. 

• Hiirisuo residents’ park (closed 19 June–2 August 2026)
• Järvenperä residents’ park (closed 19 June–2 August 2026)
• Karakallio residents’ park (closed 19 June–2 August 2026)
• Kivenlahti residents’ park (closed 19 June–2 August 2026)
• Kylätalo Palttina residents’ park (closed 19 June–2 August 2026)
• Leppävaara residents’ park (closed 19 June–2 August 2026)
• Olari residents’ park (closed 19 June–2 August 2026)
• Perkkaa residents’ park (closed 27 June–2 August 2026)
• Soukka residents’ park (closed 27 June–2 August 2026)

• Latokaski residents’ park
• Matinkylä residents’ park
• Suvela residents’ park
• Tapiola residents’ park
• Viherkallio residents’ park

• Mankkaa residents’ park
• Pisa residents’ park