The most fun we’ve lately had has been outdoors: we’ve been ice skating. There is quite an amazing difference to last year, when we would go ice skating to places where we could take toboggans for kids, or there was a playground next to, to get more than 5 minutes on skates. This year my 4 yo even skates backwards and jumps and even the 3 yo is happy to skate for 30 minutes before climbing the snow walls!
I like skating outdoors but if the weather is not appealing, there are quite a few free indoor opportunities as well.
The indoor ice skating rinks (jäähalli) in Helsinki have a few time slots were you can ice skate for free even if you are not a part of a team (source in Finnish):
Pirkkola 2
3.9.2014 – 29.4.2015
Wednesdays 1.30 – 3.00 pm, sticks allowed
Wednesdays 3.30 – 5.00 pm, no sticks allowed
1.11.2014-30.4.2015
Saturdays 8.00 – 11.00 am, no sticks
2.9.2014 – 28.4.2015
Address. Talttakuja 6
Tuesdays 1.45 – 2.45 pm, no sticks
Tuesdays 1.30 – 2.30 pm, sticks allowed
Myllypuro
4.9.2014 – 29.4.2015
Thursdays 1.00 – 2.30 pm, no sticks
Paloheinä
14.8.2014 – 23.4.2015
Address Pakilantie 122
Thursdays
separate rinks for those with and those without sticks
– rink 1 12.00 – 1.00 pm without sticks
– rink 11.45 am – 12.45 pm, sticks allowed
Ice skates can be sharpened by Malmi, Myllypuro and Paloheinä rinks.
Please find all artificial ice skating rinks (tekojääkenttä) and ice “fields” (luistelukenttä) in all suburbs here.
Long distance ice skating tracks on the Baltic Sea are typically cleared outside Munkkiniemi and Puotila, when there has been long enough proper minus degrees and the sea ice is thick enough.
Free But Fun 
[…] it is chilly enough, usually in November. But the indoor rinks have free ice skating times as well, here are the schedules for last year but with links to the homepage were to check the times for this year. And yes, the […]
[…] still ice skate whenever we have time. The weather has just been perfect for […]
Free ice skating. Every second time you post a blog I think about moving to Finland…
…and then you remember how warm it is elsewhere…?! 😀
I guess there is that 🙂 . But you make the cold look like so much fun!
My brother once said “it’s all a matter of attitude. And clothing. ” 🙂
And the clothing no doubt helps set the attitude 🙂