Lapsimessut (Children’s Fair) is one of our favourite happenings to attend as a family. I have written already how it was one of the first special events we took part in as a family of four last year. I was very excited to go back this year as well and I can say it lived up to our expectations.
The Fair took place on the weekend 22.-24.4.2018 and we went on Sunday, which turned out to be a great choice, as I heard the biggest crowd had been witnessed on the previous day, Saturday. Our party was made up by my husband, me, and our toddlers R (5) and E (almost 3). The first positive surprise was finding a free of charge and guarded strollers’ park:

I picked up a programme for the day, but frankly I could not get a hold of the kids who were running from stand to stand in full excitement. There was plenty to do, planned by all the brands taking part.

Some castles brought in by HopLop, free of charge.

Soft play area.

R and E meeting one of the mascots.

Learning how to drive, stand set up by City of Helsinki.

Muumitalo is a big hit every year!

All activities we took part in were free of charge. R enjoyed especially the stand of Children’s Traffic City, where kids could take turns and learn how to drive on the streets. She and the other children were briefed about street rules and then they could try cars with pedals on a track. E loves climbing and jumping more than anything else. We found three soft play areas where he could let all the steam off. Mascots were walking all around the fairs, waving at and hugging children. It was cute to see E so relaxed he would let go and hug them.

We had the chance to also watch a mesmerising giant bubble soap show by Ruffle Army.

We were disappointed by our lunch experience. We sat down at the Street Kitchen restaurant and paid about 50 euros for a buffet whose quality and offer was frankly very well below that price. To be fair, there’s plenty of options to choose from (including a fast food), so one can eat cheaper. However, that’s an hidden cost I feel like warning other families on.

Visitors can access also the parallel animal fair Eläinystäväni with the same ticket. We had a break from the physical activity and went to explore the event. E went nuts for the dogs and wanted to pet each and all of them.

The kids meeting a police dog.

R making friend with a parrot.

There was a reptiles’ section!

Biggest dog I’ve ever seen.

We could study also rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, and much more.

We left in the afternoon, having spent about four hours in. R had some more energy to use, but E is still a regular napper and had started showing signs of tiredness. He went off as soon as he hit the car seat:

I call this “The Lapsimessut Effect”.

It was fun! Kids were excited, the place’s services were fully tailored for our family needs, and we parents could even discover new brands and events. As usual, I came home with my bag full of discounts, vouchers, flyers. This year has confirmed Lapsimessut is an event we do not want to miss as a family.

This post was sponsored by Messukeskus, but opinions are mine and sincere. Read more about my work values and commitment to transparency here.