Guided after-school activities for schoolchildren are intended for pupils in grades 1 to 2 and for pupils who have been issued an administrative decision on support for learning. Families pay a fee for the activities, but parents can apply for a fee reduction or exemption based on their income.
After-school activities include play, physical activity and spending time outdoors together with other children. Children are also provided a nutritious snack at the after-school activity.
“We offer versatile, inspiring and high-quality after-school activities to children who have recently started school”, says Mervi Tulppo, the Head of Comprehensive Education Leisure Activities.
Parents and guardians have also been very pleased with the quality of the activities and how they make the everyday lives of families better.
“It is important to us that children have a safe place to go after school. Children will also enjoy themselves when they are able to play and spend time with friends,” say the parents of Neela, a second grader who has a spot in after-school activities.
In Neela's own opinion, the best thing about after-school activities is playing games with friends and enjoying snacks.
Apply during the application period to ensure a place for your child
Each year, approximately 11,000 children participate in after-school activities in Helsinki. These activities are organised at schools and near schools, at a total of roughly 250 activity locations across the city. The activities are organised by associations, private service providers and playgrounds, for example. The guided activities last until 16.00 or 17.00.
After-school activities are always applied for for one school year at a time. Therefore, parents and guardians of current first graders must also apply for a place if their child is to participate in the activities during the following school year.
When allocating places, the order in which the applications have arrived is irrelevant as long as the place has been applied for during the application period. If no place can be provided at the preferred location, the child is offered a place at another activity location in the area.
If the parents or guardians submit the application after the application period, it will not be processed until August. In this case, getting a place is uncertain as the groups in the family’s own neighbourhood may be fully booked.
Parents and guardians of future first graders can now create accounts in Wilma
After-school activities are applied for in Wilma, where parents and guardians can manage matters related to their children's schooling.
Parents and guardians of children starting school in the autumn who do not have a Wilma account can create one by using Suomi.fi e-Identification from 16 March 2026 onwards. This way, the parent or guardian will have access to Wilma before their child starts school. Parents and guardians who already have a Wilma account can also add their child starting school to their own account.
Find instructions for creating a Wilma account at hel.fi/wilma-en.
If the parent or guardian is unable to apply for a place in after-school activities via Wilma, they can alternatively fill out a PDF form. You can find more detailed instructions at hel.fi/afterschoolactivities.
After-school activity fees
After-school activities are subject to a fee, which includes a snack and accident insurance. If the child attends the activities until 16.00, the monthly fee is 100 EUR. The fee for activities lasting until 17.00 is 120 EUR per month. The parent or guardian can apply for a fee reduction or exemption based on their income level.
