HELSINKI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua)-- The World Children's Day which falls on every Nov. 20 was marked on Monday. As the world is pursuing to guarantee children's rights, kids in Finland have been offered one of the world's soundest safety networks, of which one remarkable example is the playparks.
Almost every neighborhood in Helsinki has the access to a free public playpark. Usually in a fenced open area equipped with playgrounds, classrooms and recreational necessities, the playparks provide a variety of indoor and outdoor afterschool activities for children who can also enjoy fee lunch during the summer holiday.
Ville is an 8-year-old Finnish boy living in Helsinki. His parents are both wage earners, but they have rarely been worried about their son's after-class life especially during the summer holiday.
In the summer this year, Ville first spent a week at a football camp, several days with his father to Sweden by cruise ship, and a week at his grandparents' by the lake. The rest of the two-month holiday were spent almost in the playpark Viikkari, about five-minute walk from home.
Ville recalled that his holiday was "extremely great". His mother told Xinhua: "I am very grateful to the playpark where my son has a safe place to play and also to have lunch. We have nothing to worry about."
The playparks have been providing free lunches to children under the age of 16 during summer holidays since 1942, which has become a problem solver for the working couples. During summer holidays, the website of the Helsinki municipality will publish a menu as well as ingredients and nutrition facts every week.
During the last summer, playpark Viikkari organized a variety of themed events. In the Nature and Environment Week, instructors took children to the surrounding forest and have an adventure; In the Animals Week, the children were brought to visit the zoo; On the Washing Day, children were taught how to wash their clothes and toys.
In school days, the playparks serve as an amusement park for after-school kids. When the primary schools are empty usually at 1-3 p.m., the playparks are filled with joy and laughter. "Children like here, and so do the parents, because we have a fence and we have expertise," said Laura, a teacher at the playpark Linja.
It was 2 p.m. when Xinhua reporters visited the playpark Linja, and it was packed with around one hundred kids, most of them playing outdoors in the Nordic autumn atmosphere. Boys are trained by Teacher Kari, and girls run chasing Teacher Laura.
There are some 70 public playparks in Helsinki, all financially supported by the municipality. "Although there has been continuous slashing at the education expenditure, the fund for playparks has never been reduced, because people like here so much and they refuse any kind of spending cut," said Laura.
Public playparks have a root in Finnish history. In 1915, Finland began to build simply equipped small parks for children in order to encourage them to do outdoor activities. In the period of over 90 years, the playparks have been constantly enlarged, renovated and improved, becoming popular places favored by several generations.
