7 Helsinki summer games
Feeling like winning? Or hanging out in the park with your friends, but not sitting? Or perhaps you’d like to kickstart your brain outdoors in the midst of summery urban nature and practise some strategic thinking? How about breaking a sweat while having fun? Why not try all of it!
This is the Helsinki summer games list for you!
1. MÖLKKY: A relaxed day in a park with friends and family
The one and only, original Finnish classic, MÖLKKY, is a game that is simultaneously so easy and simple, and challenging and fun, that it has taken over the world like a whirlwind (of flying wooden blocks)!
Mölkky suits pretty much anyone from kids to elders and can be played together almost anywhere in the parks and yards of Helsinki as long as there is some flat ground, space and no cars nearby. You need the original Finnish Mölkky set, containing 12 numbered wooden blocks and a wooden throwing block, with which to knock over the others. And some paper to keep track of the points according to the rules. Whoever reaches 50 points first, is the winner. But – and this the catch – it has to be exactly 50, otherwise you’ll drop back to 25 points.
Oh yes, Mölkky is highly addictive. The ratio of luck, precision (of throwing and aiming) and strategic thinking makes Mölkky the perfect summer game – relaxed and yet exciting.
Borrow a Mölkky set from the libraries in Helsinki (if you have a library card) or ask from cafes, bars and canopy kiosks that are placed in parks. Or buy a set of your own! It makes sense, as it’s likely you’ll be hungry for the game also after the first try (remember, it’s addictive)! You can purchase your own Mölkky from many of the department stores and game shops in Helsinki.
And just as a hint: The next Mölkky World Championship 2026 will take place – you guessed it – in Helsinki in August!
TIP: Want to borrow a game, but don’t have a library card yet? Here’s how to get it!
2. PARK CHESS: Food for the brain and meeting new people
Fancy exercising your brain and strategic skills, but don’t feel like sitting down or spending a beautiful summer day indoors? No worries, there are over 20 park chessboards around Helsinki and multiple small chessboards in various parks and sports venues.
The most legendary park chessboard is in Kaivopuisto, with an active community of volunteers, who also have the key to the box that holds the big chess pieces – unless the game is already on, of course! While mingling with the local chess masters and making new friends you can also ask about upcoming park chess tournaments.
If you’re looking for a park chessboard closer to the center, head to Hesperianpuisto in Töölö, but first, visit Oodi library and ask for the key to the box that holds the chess pieces from the info. You’ll need a library card for that.
If it happens to be a rainy day, it’s ok: You can find people playing chess in Oodi right next to the info, every day! Just join in and checkmate.
On a hot day you can also enjoy chess while swimming. Yes, you can find outside chess boards in Swimming stadium and Kumpula outdoor swimming pool as well. Just ask for the pieces from the info.
3. STREET PING PONG: Break a sweat on the flowery Summer Streets of Kallio!
Summer Streets of Kallio are here again! The Summer Street concept takes over the space usually reserved for parked cars and offers it to the summer people of Helsinki – and ping pong (among other things)! The haven of flowery terraces and a range of cultural and artistic activities reaches through Kallio (one of the liveliest areas in Helsinki) from Fleminginkatu, to Porthaninkatu and Vaasankatu.
You’ll find the ping pong tables on Fleminginkatu next to the lively Karhupuisto. Bring your own bats and balls or borrow them from the nearby Kallio library. The system is simple: Wait for your turn and play, or ask someone to play with you. After all it’s summer, a perfect time to make new friends, as summertime helsinkians are truly a breed of their own!
You can also find outdoor ping pong tables in many of the sports parks and playgrounds of Helsinki, including Swimming Stadium and Kumpula outdoor swimming pool.
4. NIGHT TIME BASKETBALL: DJs and hoops in the bright night!
The night time street basketball events known as Yökoris have been running in summery Helsinki already since 1998. Bright nights, DJ’s, hanging out with friends and making new ones, fighting for the kingdom of the court or just throwing some hoops together makes up an experience that attracts young people to hang out together summer after summer. The events are part of Helsinki YMCA’s Street zone youth action – which also includes street football and volleyball.
You can find the summer schedule on Instagram.
The vibe of Yökoris is worth experiencing for anyone, but if you’re not a night person or perhaps a bit older already, don’t worry, you can find action on the dozens of outside basketball courts in Helsinki throughout the summer! A great place to start is the court in front of Oodi. Or try the Swimming Stadium. Or Brahenkenttä in Kallio. Or the brand new courts in Oulunkylä.
5. BEACHVOLLEY: Feel the heat, the sand and the perfect set
It’s getting hot in here? Hot enough for some sandy beach activities? There are 20+ beachvolley courts in Helsinki, both on actual beaches – by the sea and the river Vantaa – and on dry land, and oh yes, by the pools in Kumpula and the Swimming Stadium.
To choose the spot closest to you, just visit the Helsinki sports place listing, and type in beachvolley. Voilá. Or head straight to the most popular beach in Helsinki – Hietsu (officially Hietaranta beach).
You can also join the The Hietsu Beach Volley Club to find a whole community. Find out more about weekly events, tournaments, membership and beach etiquette here.
6. DISC GOLF: Make your discs fly… by the Sibelius monument!
If you like admiring beautiful scenery and strolling in a park, and are a fan of Sibelius, this is a perfect Helsinki summer game option for you: A day of disc golf in Meilahti.
Start by practising with a couple of baskets in Sibelius Park, and while you’re at it, check out the monument for the Finnish national composer. Then hop on the bus 24 or 25 or tram number 4 or walk for 20 minutes to Meilahti Sportspark and get serious – with a total of 16 holes. The Meilahti course is said to have a lot of “character”, but don’t worry, if it gets the best of you, you can always grab something to eat and drink from the Sports Centre cafe and have a picnic on the beautiful smooth rocks by the sea. And while playing, keep in mind that there are other people in the park – so keep your eyes open and be mindful.
You can find frisbee gold discs in most sports shops and department stores in Helsinki, but again(!), you can also borrow them from Helsinki libraries. Isn’t it amazing?
If you’re hungry for more frisbee golf courses in Helsinki, there are many!
TIP: If you’re a fan of smaller golf courses, there are many options for minigolf in Helsinki!
7. BOARD GAMES: Enjoy a cold drink and the buzz of summer terraces
Ok, knackered yet? Enough of throwing and walking and sweating and aiming? But still a beautiful summer day and feel like playing? Well, sit down, have a cold drink and dwell into a selection of board game classics or card games on the terraces of Helsinki. Many pubs, bars and cafes have a good selection of games, just ask!
Another option is to borrow a game from one of the libraries and play in the park. Or stay and play at one of the Helsinki library summer terraces, for example in Kallio, Rikhardinkatu or Töölö.
If you’re truly into board games, you must check out Cafe Boardgame. Yes, the name says it all. During autumn and winter people book a table in advance – that’s how popular the place is – but during summer months you’re likely to find space even with a bigger group of people without reservation. Cafe Boardgame’s menu will help you to last through a full on summery game night. Enjoy!
7,5. One more thing… PESIS: Find a team, fall in love (with the national sport)
Yes, Helsinki, summer and pesis (short for pesäpallo, the one and only original Finnish baseball) belong together. Pesis is a game that most certainly every Helsinkian (and every Finn) has played in school as a kid with various degrees of either love or hate for the game. But in truth – outside the school context – played together with a summery ease, pesis is absolutely lovable and perfect for a mixed group of people of different ages and experience.
For the game to be truly fun, you need enough people (two teams) and proper equipment, that is, baseball bats and gloves. The best way to get started is to find a team or group of people who already play somewhere and join them. A great starting point is to check out the club Puna-Mustat whose mission is to make Finnish baseball accessible for everyone in Helsinki. Their Pesistiistai concept (Baseball Tuesday) brings people together to play on Tuesdays in Ullanlinna (Johannes sports field) and Käpylä (Akseli Toivonen sports field) throughout the summer!