Visit The Happiest Country In The World: What To Do In Finland With Kids

Finland is the perfect country for outdoor loving families who want to experience one of Europe’s most intriguing nordic cultures. Weather you visit in the winter or the summer, each season holds its own unique charm and offers something for everyone in your family.

Husky dogs and reindeer rides, Finnish candy aisle, seeing the northern lights

Untouched nature, unique coffee culture, authentic sauna experience, beautiful Finnish textiles

Fins believe that learning is best achieved through a little bit of risk in play, so some of the towers on Finnish playgrounds are a lot taller than you would see in other countries and a lot more precarious-looking. But try to step back and let your kids explore. You’ll be surprised by what they’ll push themselves to do if they’re given the chance.

Finland is very allergen-friendly. Almost everything in grocery stores is labeled for gluten, dairy and nut allergies. Most restaurant staff is also well-trained and happy to help with any concerns.

It might come as a surprise, but Finland is enjoyable all year round. It just depends on what your family enjoys on vacations. Summer days are long and mild, and allow for lots of outdoor exploration. Winters hold their own special appeal and will certainly leave a lasting impression with your kids with lots of snow activities, snow-covered forests and the northern lights. Winter is the busy season in Lapland, especially around Santa’s official hometown, Rovanemie. So expect prices to be at their peak and lots of crowds. In the south, however, you may have many of the major sights entirely to yourself if you decide to visit in the colder months.

To appreciate Finland’s diverse landscape and explore some of the more remote areas, Cat suggests you visit for at least 2 weeks. If you only have 1 week, it’s best to pick between the north or the south.

Norwegian Airline regularly offers flight deals from major U.S. cities to Helsinki. Also, keep your eyes open for deals where kids fly for free. Finnair, SAS and British Airways have offered deals like this in the past, and not just to Finnish destinations. 

Kids ride free, up to a certain age, on most Finnish trains and ferries. Be sure to check before you buy your tickets.

Finnish people consume the most coffee in the world and the Finnish language has even distinct words for different types of coffee breaks, such as aamukahvi (morning coffee), päiväkahvi (day coffee), iltakahvi (evening coffee), and the most important, saunakahvi (sauna coffee). So, don’t worry about getting your coffee fix after your jet-lagged kids woke you up at 5 a.m.

Finland’s capital city has a cosmopolitan feel, but access to nature is never far. It’s also the perfect home base for day trips to the surrounding towns and islands. The town of Porvoo is a popular day-trip destination from Helsinki. Its tiny colorful houses offer Instagram-worthy pictures. Another fun day trip from Helsinki takes adventurous families across the Baltic Sea to Estonia and the medieval town of Tallinn.

Sampling Finnish chocolate, year-round outdoor swimming pools, harbor boat ride

Trying local foods, traditional sauna with ocean views, visit a unique rock-carved church

Helsinki offers something for parents and kids alike. Here are some of Cat’s favorite activities.

An institution in Finland, Fazer is a family-run chocolate manufacturer that offers family-friendly tours, unlimited samples and terrific goody bags. Do we need to say anything else?

Don’t worry, you don’t have to brave the Arctic temperature. Within Helsinki’s harbor, families  can visit Allas Sea Pool, a family-friendly pool and sauna landscape. The water is drawn from the Baltic Sea and the heated pool offers a welcoming 80 degrees Fahrenheit  (27 degrees Celsius) year-round. This is also a terrific place to introduce your kids to a traditional Finnish sauna experience. Cat took her son when he was just 3 years old, and he loved it. For her in-depth advice on how to visit a sauna with kids, read Cat’s sauna guide and make sure you listen to the full podcast episode.

Every Finnish town has a central market, but Kauppatori market in Helsinki is the biggest and most famous in Finland. You’ll find lots of local offerings, and it’s a terrific place to grab food. Make sure you sample at least some of the sausages. Your kids will like them, too! And if it’s raining, head over to Kauppahalli (Old Market Hall) for an indoor version of Helsinki’s famed market.

Fort Suomenlinna is a must for any history-loving family. But outdoor-loving families may find it equally charming, due to its unique sea location. A short ferry ride from downtown Helsinki, this UNESCO heritage site stretches across 6 islands. In addition to the main fort, families will find a submarine, a few cafes, and even a brewery. Cat recommends visiting in the spring and summer, when the island is covered in flowers and temperatures are more conducive to an ice cream treat.

Temppeliaukio Church (Church of the Rock) might be one of the most unusual churches you drag your kids to see, but it’s worth it. Hidden under an unassuming mound of stone, this church is built directly into solid rock and is fully underground.

5 days will let you take in all that Helsinki has to offer, while also allowing you to take a few day trips.

Cat’s family enjoyed staying at the Clarion Vantaa for their spacious family rooms and abundant breakfast buffet. The family rooms even come with a little toy box for kids. The hotel is near the airport, but you can get into Helsinki in less than 30 minutes by train, and the train station is just outside the hotel.

At first glance, Tampere might seem a bit unassuming, but any parent who loves Scandinavian textiles and graphics will not want to miss this town, just 2 hours north of Helsinki. Tampere is the center of the Finnish textile industry and the perfect place to buy unique souvenirs made in Finland. It’s also home to an incredible textile workers museum that will appeal to parents and kids alike, thanks to its many hands-on exhibits. In summer, families can also visit Särkänniemi, an amusement park owned by the city of Tampere. Kids will love the rides and parents will appreciate that there is no hefty cover charge — instead, you only pay per ride and parents watching from the sideline have free admission. Särkänniemi is also home to an aquarium, a zoo and the largest tower in Finland, which also boasts a spinning restaurant.

Rides at Särkänniemi, breathtaking views from the Näsinneula observation tower.

Learning about Finland’s textile industry, buying unique souvenirs, a meal with rotating views

A must for any castle-loving family, Turku is known for its incredible 13th-century castle, one of the oldest buildings in Finland. According to Cat, it’s also one of the most child-friendly castles you will find in Europe. They offer kid-focused guided walking tours and workshops specifically designed for little ones. There is even an entire kids section, the Children’s Castle, where children can dress up in costumes and partake in other hands-on activities. During the summer the castle might get crowded, but nothing compared to similar historic sites in other parts of Europe. In winter you will most likely have the castle entirely to yourself.

Wearing knight’s armor at the dress-up room, seeing the treasures of the Castle Elf 

Rich history, amazing architecture, uncrowded experience

Cat recommends Hotel Centro Turku, which offers spacious family rooms and a delicious breakfast buffet. Your kids will love sampling the fresh pastries with cloudberry jam.

Lapland in the winter is what most parents (and travelers, in general) will picture when they think of Finland — snow-covered forests, husky sleds, reindeer, ice fishing and the northern lights. If you are a kid who believes in Santa, you might also think of his hometown, which can be found far up north in Finland. While winter is the main tourist season in Lapland, summers also delight with tons of hiking opportunities, foraging for berries and experiencing the midnight sun. 

Getting up close with reindeers, riding with huskies, meeting Santa

Eating smoked salmon, seeing ice castles, chasing the northern lights

One of the biggest attractions when visiting Lapland is a sled ride through the snow-clad landscape. Your family can choose between husky dogs or reindeer rides and there are plenty of outfitters to pick from. But do your homework and make sure you go with a reputable company who treats their animals well. Cat’s family chose Safartica.

Staying in a glass igloo is a once-in-a-lifetime experience your kids will never forget. And if you are lucky, you may even see the northern lights right from the comfort of your room. On the contrary, staying at a snow hotel is probably something you’d want to skip, especially with kids. Cat’s family tried it, and despite the arctic sleeping bags, they got uncomfortably cold around 3 a.m. Instead of spending the night at a snow hotel, Cat suggests you buy a day pass and visit during the day.

The northern lights are phenomenal in Lapland, and it’s an experience your family doesn’t want to miss. They are best seen from November through March, and they tend to come out late, past midnight. While you might pause at the thought of overtired kids the next day, Cat ensures us it’s worth it to stay up for this natural spectacle. And while you could join an organized tour to see them, she thinks it’s more fun (and practical, with kids) to go out and look for them yourself. Cat suggests you find a public shelter with a fire pit, preferably next to a lake for a clear sightline. Then grill some sausages, make hot cocoa, play some games, and wait. You will not regret it. If you are interested in capturing the northern lights with your camera, Cat also has a guide on how to do it.

Rovaniemi is the official hometown of Santa. So, if your little ones believe in the jolly man with the white beard and the red coat, you’ll want to take them here! The best part, meeting him at the Santa Claus Village is completely free. However, private meetings and visiting his reindeers do cost money.

In January 2017 Cat Holladay moved from Gainesville, Florida, to Finland, with her son and husband. Upon her arrival, Cat was greeted with freezing temperatures and only 6 hours of daylight. Despite these minor drawbacks, she embraced everything Finland had to offer and immersed her family in its culture, history and nature. Now a mom of two, she is back in the States and still misses Finnish coffee culture, cozy winters and the seemingly endless summer days. You can read about her expat adventures and family travels at The Compass Is Calling. And, don’t miss her incredible Nugget itineraries.