This school year, the Finnish model for leisure activities is offering free-of-charge leisure activities for over 13,000 schoolchildren in grades 3–9 in Helsinki. With approximately 400 weekly activity groups and over 84,000 activity sessions per year, The Finnish Model for Leisure Activities in Helsinki is a notable provider of leisure activities in Finland.
Free-of-charge leisure activities promote equality
Leisure activities integrated into the school day have become a permanent operating model in Helsinki and a key part of the City's service provision.
“Increasing the well-being of children and young people through enjoyable leisure activities is an important priority for us. The Finnish model for leisure activities has provided the pupils of Helsinki’s comprehensive schools with a great opportunity to participate in high-quality leisure activities free of charge. This is a significant step towards a more equal city where every child and young person has the chance to participate in high-quality leisure activities regardless of their family’s financial situation,” says Head of the Culture and Leisure Division Juha Ahonen.
The leisure activities based on the Finnish model for leisure activities emphasise community cohesion, unity and making friends. The Finnish model for leisure activities plays a key role in strengthening the feeling of inclusion of children and youth.
“Participating in guided activities with peers reduces loneliness in children and young people and increases their feeling of security,” says Regional Manager Tiina Hörkkö from the City of Helsinki’s Youth Services. “The Finnish model for leisure activities has allowed us to increase the provision of free-of-charge activities and strengthen inclusion, especially in residential areas where participation in leisure activities is lower,” Hörkkö adds.
For this year, Helsinki has allocated EUR 400,000 for activities based on the Finnish model for leisure activities. The City’s self-financing supplements the EUR 900,000 grant granted for the activities by the Ministry of Education and Culture for the 2024–2025 school year.
New additions include ice games, padel, geocaching and manga
The range of leisure activities available at Helsinki’s comprehensive schools is based on pupils' wishes. Each school offers a wide range of different leisure activities, including sports, cultural, digital and other activities.
Here are just some examples of the leisure activities that schoolchildren can engage in after the school day: parkour, basketball, volleyball, futsal, dance, gymnastics, swimming, climbing, gym training, cheerleading, circus, film, comics, theatre, band activities, choir singing, visual arts, fashion drawing, programming, game design, esports, cooking and animal hobbies.
“New additions this school year include ice games, padel, geocaching and manga,” says Project Manager Irma Sippola from The Finnish Model for Leisure Activities in Helsinki.
Registration is open
Pupils and guardians are informed about the activities via Wilma. The activities can be explored on the schools’ websites and on the City’s new Hobbies website at harrastukset.hel.fi/suomenmalli (Link leads to external service).
Registration for the activities is currently open. The activity groups will convene weekly at schools or nearby facilities from 2 September 2024 onwards.
