Free activities with children in Jyväskylä Region
There are many free activities to do with children in the Jyväskylä Region throughout the year. Magnificent nature attractions, lovely playgrounds, interesting museums and action-packed activities will delight those travelling with children. Pick up the best tips for free activities with children in the Jyväskylä Region!
Harju and Toivola Old Courtyard in Jyväskylä
The Harju ridge located in the centre of Jyväskylä is a popular outdoor area favoured by locals and a nice destination for families with children. The Natural History Museum is located atop the ridge in Vesilinna. There is free access to the museum. The Natural History Museum showcases especially the versatile natural environment in the Jyväskylä Region. When you visit the museum, you should also climb up to the observation tower at Harju to admire the scenery. Access to the observation tower is during the opening hours of Café & Restaurant Vesilinna. A visit to the observation tower is free of charge.
Toivola Old Courtyard in the centre of Jyväskylä is an idyllic place to stop by with children. In the Handicraft Museum, you can experience how a family of craftspeople lived in the 19th century. Admission to the Handicraft Museum is free throughout the year.
Extra tip: The museums in the centre of Jyväskylä are free of charge for children: The Aalto2 Museum Centre is free of charge for children under 7 years of age, the Jyväskylä Art Museum for children under the age of 24 and the Craft Museum of Finland for visitors under the age of 18.
Things to do outdoors
There are a large number of playgrounds in the Jyväskylä Region: in Jyväskylä alone, there are over 100 municipal playgrounds. Places worth a visit include the idyllic Mäki-Matti family park next to the Harju ridge, the Kurkisaari family park in Keuruu close to nature and the Leininkinpuisto park with barbecue area in Uurainen.
Physical activity parks offer opportunities for various games and activities. As an example, the sports park at the outdoor swimming pool in Jämsä offers a chance to enjoy a summer day by swimming, playing ball games and driving on the pump track. Pedal cars can be driven in Huuha traffic park in Äänekoski and Viitaniemi traffic park in Jyväskylä.
Extra tip: You can test your wits in the free outdoor escape room of Pappilan Pakopelit in Keuruu. The outdoor adventure “Captain’s Quarters” is perfect for playing with children and runs from May to September. The adventure takes place in the beautiful Old Keuruu area and can be completed at your own pace.
Nature excursions in Jyväskylä Region
There are numerous child-friendly nature destinations in the Jyväskylä Region where you can enjoy memorable adventures. You can hike in the natural environment in places such as all of the four national parks in the Jyväskylä Region. They all also contain easier routes suitable for children. Nature hikes with children can also be enjoyed in many other nature attractions in the Jyväskylä Region, such as the Häähninmäki outdoor recreation area in Hankasalmi. The outlook tower offers magnificent views!
The Jyväskylä Region has many child-friendly nature trails, such as the Konttivuori nature trail in Uurainen and Keskisenlampi nature trail in Hankasalmi. The Konttivuori nature trail is quite short, and at the end of the trail there is a lean-to where you can enjoy a packed lunch.
Extra tip: Oravivuori in Korpilahti, Jyväskylä, hosts one of the two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Jyväskylä Region: An arc point in the Struve Geodetic Arc. A path of about one kilometer leads to the top of Oravivuori hill. At the top is a triangulation tower with a magnificent view of Lake Päijänne. Please note that the path is partly steep and best suited for walking with a little older children.
Splash around and admire the lake sceneries of Jyväskylä Region
The Jyväskylä Region contains countless child-friendly beaches that offer families the opportunity to enjoy water and sun. The most popular child-friendly beach in Jyväskylä is Tuomiojärvi beach, which is also great for picnics due to its large sandy and grassy areas. Äänekoski has the Äänejärvi beach, which has been delimited safe for children. The beach also contains a physical training park. Children looking for wilder things will enjoy the beach at the centre of Joutsa, as there is a three-storey jumping tower on the beach. A visit to South Konnevesi National Park can also be combined with a beach day, because the Häyrylänranta beach is right next to the national park. At this beach, you can take a dip in one of Finland’s clearest waterways.
Extra tip: The most diverse urban harbour in Finland, the Lutakko Harbour in Jyväskylä, offers beautiful sceneries and a magnificent setting for hanging around. Various events are also part of the summer atmosphere in the harbour area. Also check out the other pleasant harbours in the Jyväskylä Region, such as the harbours in Laukaa and Korpilahti.
Interesting summer destinations in Jyväskylä Region
The Lehtisaari island located in Tuomiojärvi in Jyväskylä is a great place to spend a summer day in the middle of Jyväskylä. You can spend a nice summer day on the island by bathing in the sauna, swimming, barbecuing and playing. Transport to the island is by rowing boat, and all activities on the island are free of charge. Note! In the summer of 2024, Lehtisaari will be closed due to construction work.
On a summer day, you can also admire the sheep which graze in different parts of Jyväskylä, delighting passers-by. Animal lovers can also check out the alpacas and other furry friends at the Haanpää summer café in Korpilahti with free access.
Extra tip: Entrance to the Nokkakivi Amusement Park in Lievestuore in Laukaa is free, and the prices of park passes are also reasonable. There is also a free arcade where you can enjoy the thrill of classic games.
Winter magic in Jyväskylä Region
The Jyväskylä Region offers diverse opportunities and activities in winter to enjoy the great outdoors with children. On snowy winter days, cross-country skiers are served by the extensive network of skiing tracks with suitable routes for skiers of all levels. While skiing, you can stop by for a cup of coffee at Latu hut or bring your own snacks and enjoy the winter atmosphere in one of the many lean-tos in the region. Other parts of the Jyväskylä Region also have many different types of cross-country skiing tracks. Up-to-date information on these is available in the Ladulle.fi service.
The Jyväskylä Region is an excellent environment for ice skating, as there are both ice-covered lakes and specific skating rinks. Weather permitting, a long skating track is ploughed onto the ice of Lake Jyväsjärvi, where you can enjoy the thrill of speed and beautiful sceneries not only by skating but also by skiing, walking or kicksledding. In Jämsä, there are as many as three tour skating tracks in the winter. The shortest ones of these are also well suited for children.
Extra tip: The Jyväskylä Region contains an abundance of sledding hills, the speed of which will charm even the more active winter enthusiasts. You can go sledding in places such as the Harju ridge in the centre of Jyväskylä.
Events in Jyväskylä Region
Numerous free events suitable for children are arranged in the Jyväskylä Region throughout the year. Every year in early summer, the Yläkaupungin Yö urban festival is held free of charge, and children are also considered in its events. Some of the events of the children’s festival LystiKylä are free of charge, as are some of the events and workshops of Lasten Lysti. Secto Rally Finland, a part of FIA World Rally Championship, starts with a family-friendly free event at the Jyväskylä harbour on 31 July 2024. The highlight of the autumn is the free event Valon kaupunki which extends over several days and fills Jyväskylä with magnificent light artworks.
Extra tip: You can admire light art in Jyväskylä not only during the Valon kaupunki event: Jyväskylä already has more than 100 permanent illuminated items, such as bridges, building facades and works of art. Can you spot Matti Nykänen’s ski jump in its evening lighting in the Jyväskylä skyline?
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