Free-of-charge leisure activities for pupils in grades 3–9!

The Finnish model for leisure activities offers a huge variety of activities in and around Helsinki’s schools. Discover free-of-charge after-school activities on the schools’ websites. You can also take part in leisure activities at another school. Come and join us and bring a friend!

What are my options?

The leisure activities have been chosen based on the wishes of children and young people living in Helsinki. Each Helsinki school offers three different types of leisure activities to choose from: sports, culture and digital or other.

At the moment, you can choose your favourite activity from over 30 different options. You might be interested in, for example, parkour, football, basketball, gym training, circus, dance, theatre, visual arts, street art, cinema, animation, cooking, history, coding, game design or activities with animals. Come and discover a new hobby with us!

How do I get in?

  1. Look for your school in the list below and click on the link to your schools’ club and leisure activity website.
  2. Explore the options at your school. You can also choose an activity organised at another school.
  3. Enrol directly with the organiser. No advance enrolment is required for grades 7-9

In Helsinki, pupils in grades 3–9 can enrol for leisure activities:

Who invented the Finnish model for leisure activities?

The Finnish model for leisure activities is a project by the Ministry of Education and Culture to improve the well-being of children and young people. The aim is to enable every child and young person to have a leisure activity in connection with the school day that they enjoy and one that is free of charge. The project was launched in 2021 and now includes nearly 250 municipalities all over Finland.

In Helsinki, free-of-charge leisure activities after the school day have become a permanent operating model. Leisure activities under the Finnish model are offered in all comprehensive schools in Helsinki and in most private, state and contractual schools.

The City of Helsinki is committed to improving opportunities for children and young people to have hobbies on the basis of the following principles:

· 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 peopl