Winter holiday activities [City of Tampere]

Schoolchildren in Tampere will be on winter holiday from 24 February to 2 March 2025. Check out the fun activities for schoolchildren and their families! The programme is mainly free of charge.

Adventure in the Hometown of the Moomin Museum from 22 to 23 February

Play and adventure are at the heart of Tove Jansson’s beloved Moomin stories, and this is also reflected in the winter event!

Take a peek into the world of Moomin books at the Main Library Metso, let your imagination fly in Rulla, marvel at the Moomins’ birth story in the Moomin Museum, or participate in winter fun in Sorsapuisto Park.

Grab an adventure map and have a fun day discovering one Moomin site after another. At the same time, you can take part in a competition to win a private tour at the Moomin Museum, including a workshop and a meal at the restaurant.

On your quest through the Adventure in the Hometown of the Moomin Museum, you will discover the following event contributors:

Moomin Museum
Tampere Art Museum
Tampere City Library
Culture House Laikku
Museum Centre Vapriikki
Children’s Cultural Centre Rulla
Sports activities for the entire family in Sorsapuisto Park, organised by the City of Tampere

Adventure in the Hometown of the Moomin Museum

Mermaid swimming during the winter holiday week

Embark on an adventure into the realm of mermaids! Children and young people have the opportunity to try mermaid swimming at all the swimming pools in Tampere during the winter holidays, between 25 February and 28 February. Groups are available for children aged 4 to 15, with instruction provided by Kalypso Water Dance School. Mermaid swimming is available for the price of the pool entrance fee. View group details and sign up to secure your place in the course.

Lapsia merenneitopyrstöjen kanssa uima-altaan reunalla.

Test your skills on the Wibit Aqua Track

You can enjoy an exciting adventure on the popular Wibit Aqua Track at the Tampere Swimming Centre during the winter holidays. Come and test your balance and agility – climb, jump over obstacles and go down the slide. The Wibit Aqua Track is open to water-loving ninjas from Monday 24 to Wednesday 26 February, and on Friday 28 February, from 9:00 to 14:45. It is intended for children and adults who can swim.

A wibit track and children in the swimming pool.

Winter holiday events at the library

The library hosts a variety of events over the winter holiday week, including dance, film, fairy tales and games! The library’s events are free of charge.

Saturday 22 February

13:00 Dance Theatre MD: Take a peek into the Dancing Moominvalley at the Sampola banquet hall

Tuesday 25 February

10:00 Story hour at the Lielahti Library

Wednesday 26 February

10.00–17.30 Winter holiday film marathon at the Koilliskeskus Library

Thursday 27 February

10:00 Children’s film (for all ages) at the Koilliskeskus Library
13:00 Children’s film (for ages 7 and up) at the Main Library Metso
14:00–17:00 Winter holiday VR gaming at the Main Library Metso

Friday 28 February

10:00 Baby-friendly film screening at the Main Library Metso
13:00 Children’s film (for ages 7 and up) at the Main Library Metso
15:30 Children’s film (for ages 7 and up) at the Koilliskeskus Library

Saturday 1 March

13:00 Children’s film (for ages 7 and up) at the Main Library Metso
14:00 Story hour at the Sampola Library

Libraries' opening hours and contact information

Moomin characters on stage. — Glimpses of Dancing Moomin Valley. Image: Harri Hinkka © Moomin Characters

Winter holiday in Vapriikki

Vapriikki offers activities every day during the winter holiday week, including Monday. The daily themes introduce visitors to the different exhibitions. The museum provides guided tours, hands-on workshops, and a range of fun activities. The museum orientation track awaits – finish it and earn your reward! You can enjoy the full programme with the Vapriikki ticket. Welcome!

Mon 24 February Forest Monday
Tue 25 February Diamond Tuesday
Wed 26 February Game Wednesday
Thu 27 February Star Thursday
Fri 28 February Post Office Friday

Vapriikki

Three children look at a moose in a museum exhibition, one points a finger at it.

Youth Culture Centre Monitoimitalo 13 and the youth centres

The Youth Culture Centre organises thematic days during the winter holiday week. They all feature free activities and experiences for young people keen on exploring different topics.

Monday 24 February WORD! – A theme day for literature, writing and animation
Tuesday 25 February ART! – A theme day for art and artists
Wednesday 26 February K-POP! – A theme day for K-pop dance and Korean culture
Thursday 27 February COSPLAY! – A theme day for those interested in cosplay and con culture
Friday 28 February ROCK! – A theme day for those who love listening to music, composing, or playing instruments

Youth centres around the city remain open during the winter holidays, offering a variety of special activities for young people.

Events at Children’s Cultural Centre Rulla during the winter holiday week

Adventure Houses art workshop

22 to 23 February 10:00–16:00 Children’s Cultural Centre Rulla

Did you know that Tampere is home to the only Moomin Museum in the world? Grab an adventure map and enjoy a fun day in town, navigating from one Moomin site to the next!

At Rulla’s art workshop, you can create two-dimensional houses from recycled materials. Is your home a tall tower, similar to the Moomin House, or is it more of a floating or mobile creation, perfect for adventure?

Cultural Cooperative Uulu’s Biisinikkarit songwriting workshops

22 to 23 February 11:00–12:15 and 13:00–14:15 Culture House Laikku’s Lecture Hall

Join us to create your own song at Uulu’s Biisinikkarit songwriting workshop! Together with the instructors, we will craft a brand new song, drawing inspiration and the theme from the participants. Of course, we’ll also write the lyrics and create the melody and arrangement. Creating a song together offers a fresh perspective on creativity – it shows that everyone can be creative and make music themselves! Aimed at children aged 3–8. Smaller children can join in with an accompanying adult.

Sign up for the workshops in advance via Rulla’s website.

Winter fun in Laikunlava Park

27 February 11:00–14:00 Laikunlava Park

Outdoor winter holiday event in Laikunlava Park. Winter spells with Hile and Huurre, snow painting, play activities for children, and a park café.

To the circus!

1 March 2025, 12:00–12:40 Culture House Laikku’s Music Hall

A new concert based on the Sirkukseen [To the Circus] book by Kirsi Kunnas! Enjoy a performance that blends various art forms, creating an inclusive and engaging experience, brought to life by Simon Llewellyn and Silja Palomäki. You will be whisked away to the circus by the musical adaptation of Kirsi Kunnas’s poems, with a score designed uniquely for this occasion.

Exhibitions

A Friend by the River exhibition Wed 12:00–18:00, Thu–Fri 9:00–14:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–16:00 Rulla’s exhibition space
Rulla’s Poetry Living Room & Tumpkin’s Fairytale Hideout Wed 12:00–18:00, Thu–Fri 9:00–14:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–16:00 Rulla’s Estradi space

A smiling man holding three red balloons. A smiling woman with a ukulele.

Let’s eat! Cooking courses for children and adults

A cooking course for adults and children aged 7–12, where you’ll make easy and affordable vegetarian dishes.

Etelä-Hervanta School 24 February 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–17:00
Kaukajärvi School 25 February 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–17:00

Sign up is open until 16 February.

Sign up for cooking courses

Haihara Art Friday 28 February in the Haihara Art Centre’s Talli building

A free art workshop open to everyone. Come and enjoy a lovely afternoon filled with art and great company! In the workshop, you can try different art techniques, such as painting, drawing and crafts. There is also an art station for children.

Guided by two artists, we will also create a Kaukajärvi-themed spatial artwork, which will be displayed at the Haihara spring events.

Kaukajärvi Association’s pop-up café will be open during the event.

Haihara Art Friday

Flower paintings by schoolchildren at Sara Hildén Art Museum

Heikki Marila's exhibition has been complemented by flower paintings by schoolchildren and secondary school students from Pirkanmaa, which can be seen on the museum's downstairs digital display. 18 schools from Pirkanmaa took part in the project.

Heikki Marila 8 February -18 May, 2025 at Sara Hildén Art Museum.

Children’s Pirkkaset

Children’s Pirkkaset is a collaborative Children’s Culture Month across the municipalities of Pirkanmaa. During this time, children’s culture takes centre stage and can be seen and heard throughout the region. Children’s Pirkkaset takes place in February, focusing on the theme of participation. Cultural Cooperative Uulu’s Biisinikkarit songwriting workshop will tour and perform as part of the events. The programme is designed for children aged 0–12 and their families.

Ursa star shows in Särkänniemi

Enjoy guided star shows during Winter holidays. Shows are in Finnish.

Planetarium - Särkänniemi

Winter nature hike to Tesomajärvi

Nature hike on Sunday 2 March at 11-13, starting in front of K-market Virontörmänkatu (Virontörmänkatu 9). We will go to Tesomajärvi to watch the spring coming, hear how Finnish nature survives the winter and prepares for spring, observe nature and get to know the natural life of Tesomajärvi. Dress warmly, bring a sitting mat, a small snack and binoculars if you wish. Unfortunately, the tour is not accessible. The total length of the route is about 2 km. Free of charge, no registration required.

Winter nature hike to Tesomajärvi (in Finnish)

A squirrel sits on a branch of a snowy tree.

Skiing and skating

There's still time to enjoy the winter weather on the ski tracks, on the ice and at the rink.

Outdoors activities and hiking

Shall we go on a forest hike? Winter holidays are a good time to explore nearby nature spots. Use our handy map service to find hiking trails, fireplaces and services.

Tampere city region hiking map (in Finnish)

Events during the winter holidays

See here for the nearest upcoming events. Events will open in the Tampere events calendar. The City of Tampere is not responsible for events organised by other event organisers.