The Finnish Model for Leisure Activities in Helsinki

Poika ja hulavanne

The Finnish model for leisure activities is a project by the Ministry of Education and Culture (Minedu) where the main objective is improving the well-being of children and young people. The aim is to offer leisure activities in connection with the school day that they enjoy and one that is free of charge.

The activity selection and offering are arranged at schools with the children’s and young people’s wishes in mind. According to pupil surveys, the most popular activities desired included parkour, climbing, cooking, film and animation, visual arts, game design and programming.

As such, the provision of opportunities and activity-related information is especially aimed at children who do not have hobbies. The activities organised in connection to the school day cater to children and young people who may normally have limited opportunities to try out different leisure activities and enable them to find paths to long-term hobbies.

The key principles of the Finnish model followed in Helsinki include:

Preventing social exclusion
Reducing inequality
Improving well-being
Empathy skills
Creativity and critical thinking
Supporting physical exercise
Alleviating loneliness; supporting friendships
Supporting families
Increasing skills, sense of achievement, strengthening the identity of children and young people.

Free-of-charge leisure activities are provided in all comprehensive schools

Leisure activities are offered in Helsinki for pupils in grades 3–9 at their own school or in its vicinity after the school day and before 17:00.

The City of Helsinki is committed to building the free-of-charge after-school leisure activities into a permanent operating model. The new model was piloted in Helsinki in spring 2021, whereby leisure activities were provided for pupils in grades 3–6 at 21 schools. In the 2021 autumn semester, activities were offered for pupils in grades 3–9 in all of Helsinki's 102 comperehensive schools. In the spring of 2022, the activities were xpanded to cover private, agreement and state schools as well. Activities continue during the school year 2022-2023.

The spring term 2023 activities will start on 16 January

Information about the leisure activities and how to sign up for them will be available on the nuorten.hel/thefinnishmodel website and on the schools’ own websites under ‘Our school / Club and hobby activities.’ Guardians and pupils will be notified of activities via Wilma.

Register for the activity groups directly with the activity providers. Activity groups for secondary school pupils can be joined without advance registration. If you have to cancel your registration, please contact the activity provider as soon as possible. The activity providers will also report any vacancies in the groups as a result of cancellations and additional groups. The participants of the Finnish Model Leisure Activities are covered by insurance for the duration of the activity.

The health and safety instructions of the authorities will be taken into consideration when arranging activities following the Finnish model: Coronavirus updates from Helsinki

Helsinki is looking for more actors for organising the activities

The leisure activities following the Finnish model are arranged in cooperation with organisations, clubs, companies and other actors. Activities are organised at all comprehensive schools in Helsinki in Finnish, Swedish and English. Helsinki is now looking for more actors for organising the activities. Read more

Become a Finnish model partner

The leisure activities following the Finnish model will be arranged in cooperation with associations and other operators. Sign up as a partner in the Finnish model for leisure activities and read further instructions here

Contact information

In Helsinki, the leisure activities under the Finnish model are coordinated by the Culture and Leisure Division together with the Childhood and Education Division.

Project Manager (City of Helsinki, Culture and Leisure)

Irma Sippola, tel. +358 (0)9 310 71640, +358 (0)41 512 1795, irma.sippola@hel.fi

Project coordinators by area (City of Helsinki, Childhood and Education)

Susan Demirtas (East, Southeast, digital activities and other hobbies ), tel +358 (0)9 310 38170, +358 (0)40 682 6599, susan.demirtas@hel.fi

Sanna Lesonen (South, West, Centre, sports activities), tel. +358 (0)9 310 35022, +358 (0)40 835 8200, sanna.lesonen@hel.fi

Pinja Rosenberg (Northeast, Swedish-language schools, culture and arts activities), tel. +358 (0)9 310 35165, +358 (0)40 682 6870, pinja.rosenberg@hel.fi