UNICEF, OECD and Save the Children rank Finland in the top three for child wellbeing every year running. It is not a marketing slogan, it is the reason your four-year-old can safely cross a Helsinki street without holding your hand, and the reason there are changing tables in most men's toilets. If you travel with kids, this city is the easiest Nordic capital you will visit.
The walk
- 1
Korkeasaari zoo
Mustikkamaanpolku 12Zoo on a small island, focused on northern and mountain species. Reachable by bridge, bus, or summer ferry. Animals with space. Playgrounds inside the zoo.
Under-7s free. The ferry from Market Square is part of the experience, not a chore.
- 2
Heureka science centre
Tiedepuisto 1, Tikkurila (Vantaa, 20 min by train from centre)Hands-on science museum. Everything in English too. Expect to stay four hours and leave before you have done half. A ball-track room that keeps 9-year-olds for an hour.
- 3
Suomenlinna sea fortress
Ferry from Market SquareUNESCO island fortress, 15 min ferry from the centre. Tunnels, cannons, a submarine museum, plus grass fields for lunch. Children can run free, the island is flat and traffic-free.
Pack a picnic, food on the island is expensive and just okay.
- 4
Linnanmäki amusement park
Tivolikuja 1Non-profit amusement park, revenue goes to child welfare charities. Entrance is free, you pay per ride or with a wristband. Older wooden roller coaster from 1951. Open May to October.
- 5
Oodi central library
Töölönlahdenkatu 4Not just a library. A free building with 3D printers, sewing machines, gaming rooms, a rooftop terrace and a children's area that treats children like customers. No reason to skip it.
Open daily till 20:00. Toddler-safe. Proper baby-changing rooms.
- 6
Kaisaniemi playground
Kaisaniemenranta 6Free, central, clean, with toilets, a supervised kids' area in summer and a café. The Helsinki public playgrounds are a legitimate tourist stop, this is one of the best.
What tends to surprise visitors
- •Public transport is free for under-7s, on a pram or scooter. Adults travelling with prams ride the tram for free too, enter via the middle doors.
- •Most men's bathrooms have fold-down changing tables. Nobody will look at you strangely.
- •Hot food at kids' pricing exists in almost every restaurant, including tasting-menu ones. Ask about the lasten annos.
Where to eat
Story (Central Market Hall, Eteläranta 14) has proper kids' menus and toys. Fafa's (wraps, many locations) is cheap and kids will eat it.
Practical
HSL day ticket 11 euro adult, under-7s free. Strollers allowed on every tram, bus, metro. Family-friendly restaurants mark themselves with a pram sticker in the window.
Next walk
Four saunas, one day
Free, cheap, mid-range, premium, in that order