What do you do on Sunday?

[Shangri-La]

Hi everyone!

My daughter is 3 yeras old and we live in Helsinki. Lately I have been wondering a lot what we do on Sunday? Sometimes, we found in Hesari which tells us interesting programs and shows in different places. But like today, we went there before the show started but all the tickets were sold out already, and then we wen to the next place and it was the same... My duaghter is social, open, enjoys very much to play with other kids. However, in our neighbourhood, there is no one at her age who she can play with occassionaly....

With this weather, we cannot go out very often and when she is at home, she is just wanting to watch TV all the time....

[karen]

We had four play dates this past weekend. I usually try to arrange two but we got lucky this weekend and there were more kids wanting to play (and parents willing). I've taken the kid to HopLop in Vantaa on Saturday evening and it wasn't very busy. Sunday evening could be the same. Ds loves using my craft supplies so I make that available to him all the time. We have games and puzzles, too.

[Rosamunda]

There is usually free public skating in the ice rinks on Saturdays and Sundays for an hour or so. The opening times will be somewhere on http://www.helsinki.fi or http://www.espoo.fi etc I have seen families there with tiny tots. Hockey sticks are not allowed during public skating (at least not at our local rink), so it is not too hairy scary.

Otherwise I guess museums are "indoors" but there are not many suitable for little kids in Helsinki (Sea Life? ). And soooo expensive! I was gob-smacked yesterday: I took my youngest to Espoo City museum because he is doing a history project at school. Kids are for free but for an adult the entrance is TEN EURO!!!! The city museum takes up ONE ROOM. You can see/read everything in 30 minutes. But, impossible to buy a ticket for just one exhibition. I didn't have the time or inclination to visit all the other rooms (EMMA, Kellomuseo, Helena Rautavaara museum etc). So in the end I coughed up 40 euro for an annual ticket.... I hope they have a decent selection of temporary exhibitions this year (I know there is a Monet exhibition coming in March) so I get my money's worth

[littlefrank]

Winter Gardens is free, they have a fish pond inside and tables & chairs so you can sit and eat.

http://www.hel.fi/wps/portal/Rakennusvi ... ter+Garden


Seurasaari is good you can feed the ducks etc in the winter, the squirrels feed from your hand, it's obviously free just to walk around and look at the buildings from the outside, in winter they usually put out a sledge that you can push your child on and it goes round and round and round and round...

http://www.nba.fi/en/seurasaari_openairmuseum

Kaivopuisto is a great park, large kiddies playground, lots of places to explore, sledging in the snow...

http://www.hel2.fi/Tourism/en/Ohjelmaa_ ... rd2=Puisto

[ScubaGirl]

I have to admit, I hate Sundays (or at least the mornings) for this same reason. The streets are full disgusting drunks reeking of piss, wandering around from the night before. Dodging vomit & half eaten kebabs/burgers is about the most exciting thing we do . Nothing is open until 11 or 12. Afternoons are much better. I take her to various cafes or to a mall and let her run around while I have a coffee.

In the summer I take her to Linnanmäki almost every day. The entrance is free and she loves to just look around. The park itself is actually open at least an hour before the official opening time, you just can't go on any rides until then. I can't wait to go there this summer now that she can walk/run! FYI, even babies can go on certain rides there as long as an adult is with them. I was able to take my daughter on 9 rides last summer & she was only 7-9months old. She was oblivious to what was happening though, so most of the time we were there it was just to walk around.

@ penelope, I took my daughter to Sea Life and it was a big disappointment. Costs a fortune to get in and I could've just as well taken her to various pet shops to look at the aquariums on display there, LOL. It was really "cheap" looking imo.

[ScubaGirl]

Winter Gardens is free, they have a fish pond inside and tables & chairs so you can sit and eat.

http://www.hel.fi/wps/portal/Rakennusvi ... ter+Garden

The Winter Garden is closed for repairs 15.1.–10.3.2008. btw, is it really a good place to take kids? I've only been there once (years ago) and quite frankly I thought it was very sad. Of course I look at things differently now that I have a child and I honestly can't remember if it's something I think she would like. Was it interesting for your daughter?

[littlefrank]

Winter Gardens is free, they have a fish pond inside and tables & chairs so you can sit and eat.

http://www.hel.fi/wps/portal/Rakennusvi ... ter+Garden

The Winter Garden is closed for repairs 15.1.–10.3.2008. btw, is it really a good place to take kids? I've only been there once (years ago) and quite frankly I thought it was very sad. Of course I look at things differently now that I have a child and I honestly can't remember if it's something I think she would like. Was it interesting for your daughter?

Thanks for the info about the Winter Gardens being closed, I've been taking my daughter since she was 4, she loves it, the flowers, fish and the fact she can climb the trees outside and we can have a little picnic there. I suppose if I was on my own it would be a 30 minute walk round, but then if I wanted to read a book/newspaper in peace and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle, then the Winter Gardens is perfect.

[sahboo]

hi
there is lots to do about helsinki,there is hop lop in espoo or vantaa.check out the web site http://www.hoplop.fi
you can always swim as its cheap and you can stay as long as you like,there are nice pools all over helsinki.
there are lovely parks,esp ones by the sea,check out hel.fi and check out the pools,parks beach etc.
kiasma the art gallery in town often has workshops for kids,you do it with them,some in the afternoons on wkends too http://www.kiasma.fi
sarah

[sinikala]

Winter Gardens is free, they have a fish pond inside and tables & chairs so you can sit and eat.

http://www.hel.fi/wps/portal/Rakennusvi ... ter+Garden

The Winter Garden is closed for repairs 15.1.–10.3.2008. btw, is it really a good place to take kids? I've only been there once (years ago) and quite frankly I thought it was very sad. Of course I look at things differently now that I have a child and I honestly can't remember if it's something I think she would like. Was it interesting for your daughter?

Thanks for the info about the Winter Gardens being closed, I've been taking my daughter since she was 4, she loves it, the flowers, fish and the fact she can climb the trees outside and we can have a little picnic there. I suppose if I was on my own it would be a 30 minute walk round, but then if I wanted to read a book/newspaper in peace and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle, then the Winter Gardens is perfect.

Winter gardens are ok for about 10 mins, 20 if you include a bit of a sit down.

The Botanical gardens near Pitkäsilta are a bit more comprehensive

http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi/english/exh ... /index.htm

Kids under 7 get in free, but adults have to pay. Open 10-15 on a Sunday.

[karen]

The Winter Garden usually has some chicks in an incubator right before Easter. Dh and I got married there so I'm kind of partial to it.