Photo: Jenniina Nummela

Aapeli – open daycare center

Welcome to the open play space in the center of Riihimäki!

You can come to the open daycare according to your own schedule. Participation in the activities is free of charge. Children are welcome to the open daycare, baby group and family cafés with a parent, grandparent, godparent or other adult close to the child. In the open daycare, children are always under the responsibility and supervision of the adult who comes with them.

You can find the monthly changing program on this page, under the current program heading. Participation in the program is voluntary, and you can just come and take a breather and have a cup of warm drink.

The activities of the open daycare and clubs are led by an early childhood education teacher. Participation in the activities and programs is voluntary, and there is always space for free play. The activity sessions are short moments with changing themes. The planning of the activities is based on the early childhood education plan and the ideas, thoughts and needs of the children and families.

There are no activities during the school holidays, autumn, Christmas, winter and summer.

Class schedule. Monday playgroup 9-12. Tuesday open daycare 9-14, Koto Café 14.30-16. Wednesday playgroup 9-12, open daycare for under threes 13-16. Thursday MLL family café 9.30-12. Friday open daycare 9-12, baby group 12-14, Pehmeiden arvoen family café 14-16.30.

Games, activities and coffee

Aapeli – open daycare always has toys, games, craft materials, modeling clay, various rhyme and activity baskets, and books for your child to use freely. We do crafts, the children have playmates, and adults have coffee and peer support.

During the open daycare, there is the opportunity to enjoy coffee and tea. A refrigerator, microwave and dishes are available for storing and heating your own food. High chairs and a changing table are also available.

Aapel also operates play clubs for 3-5 year olds, where you can apply for an early childhood education place with a play club application. You can find more information at the end of this page, under the play clubs heading.

Welcome to play!

How do I find Aapeli?

Aapeli – open daycare is located on the third floor of the main building of the Junailijankatu daycare center, at Junailijankatu 14, Riihimäki. Feel free to walk through the daycare center’s playground and follow the Aapeli signs attached to the fences. The entrance is on the playground side, strollers and prams can be left under the canopy in the stroller parking lot near the entrance.

A drawing of the yard of the Junailijankatu daycare center. From the gate on Jarrumiehenkatu, the path is marked with steps to the front door leading to Aapeli. From the gate on Junailijankatu, the path is marked with steps through the gate separating the different yard areas of the daycare center to the front door leading to Aapeli. The drawing was made by Susanna Tromp. — A sketch of the route to Aapeli from the entrance gates on Jarrumiehenkatu and Junailijankatu.

Aapeli – an open daycare center is a playground in the middle of Riihimäki, and our play weather is warm and dry even in March!

On Tuesdays

The open daycare also offers supervised programs until around 11 a.m., and the open daycare is open until 14 p.m.:

3.3. fairy tale session
March 10.3th exercise
March 17.3th music
24.3. stunt track
31.3. animal shelter – you can also bring your own stuffed toy to pet

From 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Koto café – a language club for housewives, run by the integration services of the City of Riihimäki, will meet in Aapel. The language club will teach Finnish, drink coffee and meet other mothers who are learning Finnish. Children aged 0-5 can be brought along, and Koto café can help with their care.

On Wednesdays

The open daycare is open for children aged 0-3 from 13 pm to 16 pm.

On Thursdays

The MLL family café is open to everyone at Aapeli premises from 9:30 am to 12 noon.

On Fridays

The open daycare also offers a supervised program from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.:

6.3. art
March 13.3th robotics
March 20.3th crafts
March 27.3th animal theater

Free socializing and program in the baby group from 12-14:

September 6.3th, baby color bath
March 13.3th stretching time
20.3. rhymes
March 27.3th animal theater

From 2-4:30 p.m., the Soft Values Family Café welcomes you.

Please note that at the beginning of April, Aapeli will be closed for the Easter holidays on Friday, April 3.4rd and Monday, April 6.4th.
The playgroup for children aged 3–5 is held on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Junailijankatu daycare center, in the premises of Aapeli – open daycare center, at the address Junailijankatu 14. The child will be accompanied by an adult to the playgroup under the supervision of an early childhood education teacher. During the introductory period, an adult may accompany the child to the club. Currently, the clubs have a morning group that meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 am to 12 pm. Each club group has a maximum of 13 children and an early childhood education teacher. A lot of time is reserved for play in the clubs. In the clubs, we consider it important to strengthen the interaction between children and the ideas, thoughts and needs of children and parents, because the activities are planned based on them.

The afternoon group of play clubs is currently on break. You can ask Aapel about the afternoon club situation. The afternoon club is open from 13 pm to 16 pm.

Activities include crafts, painting, singing, playing, reading, playing and gymnastics. Along with play, we practice emotional and interaction skills. The clubs operate from August to May. Clubs are closed during school holidays.

Club fee

For supervised club activities, we charge a fixed monthly fee of €46,20/month if the child attends the club twice a week, and €23,10/month if the child attends once a week. You can apply for a payment exemption.

Applying to clubs

You can apply for clubs by logging in to the eDaisy link on this page and filling out the early childhood education application there. You can select club activities as the area and Aapeli – open daycare center as the location. Please indicate the number of club days in the service need section.

The application is valid until the child gets a place or the application is cancelled. You can apply for play clubs all year round. If the club groups are full, we will put the application in a queue. We will distribute club places to new children in the order in which applications are received. We will inform you about the club place in writing or by phone. If you do not receive a response within two weeks of sending it, call and confirm the situation with Aapeli.
On Fridays from 12 to 14 p.m., a baby group meets at Aapeli – an open daycare center. The babies' own time provides a moment where they can peacefully explore a new place and play on the soft floors.

The group has short, baby-friendly activity sessions with changing themes, as well as visitors who are relevant to the baby's life. You can find the monthly changing program on this page, under the current program heading. Participation in the program is voluntary, and you can just come to take a breather and have a cup of warm drink. There is always time for parents to share their thoughts on everyday life with a baby with others in the same situation. Together, new insights can also be gained for coping with everyday life.
Aapeli – open daycare center’s activities include clubs, an open daycare center, a baby group, and parent-led groups such as the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare’s family café and the Soft Values family café.

Common operating principles of an open daycare center
- Let's be together, let's do it together.
- We take care of the children together, and the responsibility for the child always lies with the adult who accompanies the child.
- Adults help children to ensure peace in the play.
- Finally, let's put away the toys and games.
- We will come healthy to the open daycare center.
- The operating hours of the groups are observed.