Visit Helsinki with Kids
Welcome to Helsinki, my home town. Here are my tips for travelling with kids to Helsinki.
Heading to Lapland for Christmas and have a lay-over in Helsinki? Wondering what to do with the kids for a few days? Here is our local's guide to keeping them happy.
Visiting Helsinki with children:
- Stockmann department store has lovely Christmas windows for children that is really nice and it is located just a few blocks away from our Director's choice hotel.
- The Natural History Museum - here you can get to know the Finnish wildlife as well as other interesting animal exhibitions.
- The Christmas markets that are located in different places in Helsinki. The ones closest to our hotel is the Senaatintori market. There is also a Christmas "world" opposite of the Stockmann department store where you can meet Santa Claus and his helpers.
- If you think the children would need to get to run around a bit indoors, there is a great indoor playground in Hakaniemi. You can find more information about the playground here.. You can also go ice-skating in the main square in front of the station. Hiring skates and also stands so the kids don't fall over is pretty straight forward and good value. Not open early!
Eating with children in Helsinki:
- Karl Fazer Cafe - A great place to go for breakfast/brunch or lunch and it is situated just across the street from our Director's choice in Helsinki. Karl Fazer was the founder of Fazer that is the flagship of Finnish chocolate and sweets. (My mum sends me their sweets with regular intervals no matter where in the world I live).
- Dinner: I would say all restaurants in Helsinki are child friendly. There are high chairs everywhere and some restaurants have a small kids section where children can play, draw pictures and even watch cartoons. Almost all places offer a kids menu but if you would rather have smaller portions of something from the main menu, the chefs are usually more than happy to provide you with that.
- If your sweet tooth is aching, visit the Roobertin Herkku at Fredrikinkatu 19. It's an old school candy shop with glass jars filled with candies...we Finns love (love) candy :)