The aim of the Finnish Model for Leisure Activities is to allow every child and young person to engage in fun and free hobbies during the school day. The Finnish model combines listening to children’s and young people’s preferences for hobbies, coordinating existing good practices and ways of working, and cooperation between schools and hobby providers.

Children’s hobby preferences have been mapped through school surveys both nationally and locally.

The Janakkala model for Leisure Activities is based on the idea that every child living in the municipality should have an equal opportunity to participate in hobbies. Various hobbies and exploratory hobby activities will be organized in all primary schools, including schools in child protection facilities or special schools, based on children’s own wishes.

A Wide Range of Activities on the Hobby Platter

Doing things together, the joy of movement, learning new things, overcoming oneself. No performance pressure, relaxing and recharging batteries. That is what hobbies are at their best.
Even if one travels to school by school transport, they can still participate, and we ensure that the ride home is waiting after the hobbies. In hobbies starting at 1 PM or later, a small snack is provided for primary school students.

You can find hobby groups at uusi.kuntapalvelut.fi/janakkala/fi. Each school has its own hobby platter. From the left menu on the page, you can select a school and see the hobbies available at that school. All planned groups are displayed on the pages. To start a hobby group, there must be at least 6 registered participants for team sports and generally 3 for other hobbies.

Outreach Leisure Activities

The coordinator of leisure activities travels to all schools in Janakkala to conduct outreach leisure activities. This may involve guiding students to various hobbies, mapping local hobby opportunities, and supporting the student if needed.

Through outreach leisure activities, students are met where they are in the school’s everyday life.

The work emphasizes individual guidance and individualized, supported hobby trials, especially for those children and young people who face obstacles in participating in hobbies. The leisure activities coordinator actively seeks solutions and alternatives for these children and young people in cooperation with their network. The activities will extend to schools operating within child protection institutions. Efforts are made to provide meaningful hobbies for these children and young people while also helping them connect with their local communities.