School life
In a Finland classroom
Local school customs vary. The best way to learn about a class's day is to ask them directly.
All country briefings
Europe · Country briefing
Finland
A child-friendly mission briefing for 20 November - capital, climate, school day, languages, fun facts, native animals, and five questions to ask the class on the other side of the world.
- CapitalHelsinki
- Population~5.7 million
- Time zoneEurope/Helsinki (UTC +2)
- Currencyeuro (EUR)
Finland, with Helsinki marked
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Climate in November: Cold autumn moving towards winter; short daylight in the north.
The capital
Helsinki
Photo · Wikimedia Commons
Fun facts
What makes Finland a bit special.
Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi
The official home of Santa, where you can meet him any day of the year
Open lesson
188,000 lakes - the land of water
Finland has more lakes per person than any country on Earth
Open lesson
The Northern Lights
Green and purple curtains of light dancing across the winter sky
Open lesson
Saunas - Finland's hot steam rooms
There are more saunas in Finland than cars
Open lesson
The Moomins
Round, hippo-ish creatures from Finland's most-loved books
Open lesson
World's happiest country
Finland has topped the world's happiness league many years in a row
Open lesson
Tap any card to open a class-ready mini-lesson - for the teacher to walk through, or an older child to read aloud.
Native animals
Wildlife your partner class might know best.
- 🦌
Reindeer of Lapland
There are about as many reindeer as people in northern Finland
Open lesson
- 🐻
The brown bear - Finland's national animal
Big, quiet, and asleep for half the year
Open lesson
- 🦡
The wolverine - small but mighty
About the size of a dog, with the strength of a bear
Open lesson
- 🦭
The Saimaa ringed seal
One of the rarest seals in the world - and it lives in a lake, not the sea
Open lesson
- 🐈
The Eurasian lynx
Europe's only big cat, hiding in Finland's forests
Open lesson
Tap any animal to open a class-ready lesson about it.
Greetings to learn
Say hello like a local
- Hello!Finnish
Five questions to ask
Conversation starters
- 01What does your school day look like?
- 02What do you eat at lunch?
- 03What games do you play at break?
- 04What's the weather like today?
- 05What do you wish more children around the world knew about your country?
What not to assume
Friendly cautions
- ℹFinland has many regions and communities - there is no single experience.
- ℹClimate, food, and traditions can vary widely from one part of the country to another.
Culture
Food, music, sport, festivals.
Food
Music
Sport
Festivals
Tap any chip to open a class-ready lesson - what it is, why it matters, fun facts.
Reflection prompts
- “What's something you'd love to share about your school day?”
- “What's the most surprising thing you'd love to ask the other class?”
Could your class meet Finland?
Choose Finlandwhen you register - we’ll show you the time-zone feasibility.