Guide to enjoying winter holiday in Rovaniemi with Children

It is cold during the winter season in Rovaniemi that is a fact; however, dressing your child according to the conditions will help keep your child warm in most weather the arctic winter can throw at you.

Firstly, base layers. This can be thermals or tights and vests, and for the feet add some woollen socks on top of your regular cotton socks.

Then add your child’s normal clothes on top of the base layer. Something comfortable and flexible is recommended such as a fleece or woollen jumpers and jogging bottoms/college pants. This is because your child will be wearing heavy and warm outdoor clothes on top of these.

For getting around and about by yourself we recommend your child is wearing a thick jacket and salopettes/ski trousers or winter overalls. Your child will need thin woollen gloves with some big mittens over the top. Allow some space in the glove as the trapped air will help keep those fingers warm.

The boots should be lined with fleece or wool and big enough to allow woollen socks to be worn. Some space between the foot and boot is essential as this trapped air will help insulate the feet.  Finally, a woollen/thermal hat, or balaclava and a scarf to keep the cold and wind from the cheeks and nose.

When you undertake an activity with a safari company in Rovaniemi they normally provide you with their own outdoor winter clothing. It is strongly recommended that you wear the clothes they provide during a safari. If you do not undertake any safaris whilst in Rovaniemi but are simply out and about you can still rent winter clothing from most of the safari providers.

Moving around Rovaniemi with children during the winter is easy enough but you should consider the ‘mode of transport’ you use for your child. A pushchair/stroller is suitable for moving around the city centre as the streets are well maintained and cleared of heavy snow. If you plan to travel further afield from the centre, for example Santa Claus Village, or if there is a lot of snow it is worth considering some kind of rucksack or sling in which you can carry your small child or you may be able to rent/borrow a sledge (in Finnish a “pulkka”).

These maybe found at some of the hotels around the city, and there is also some in Santa Claus Village but by no means a guarantee so remember to have a ‘mode of transport’ with you for carrying you little ones if needed. When travelling by sledge or by pushchair/stroller it is always advised to have a fleece or woollen blanket or reindeer skin down as insulation first and then your child covered with a blanket.

As stated before, it is cold in Rovaniemi during the winter. However, this should not stop you enjoying the activities on offer in Rovaniemi with your children, only you should check the daily weather conditions and remember to take heed of the advice offered to you by the safari operators. They work every day in the winter conditions and are very knowledgeable on all things cold. They do their best to ensure you and your child will be ready for the safari you are going to undertake. It is important to remember, that if they advise you to reconsider going on the safari due to extreme temperatures, listen to them.

Temperatures frequently drop to -15 c or lower and when you take into consideration the wind chill as well it can get cold. Whilst you as an adult are enjoying an active safari your child’s participation maybe less active and therefore they will feel the cold a lot more. When selecting which safaris to undertake during your holiday to Rovaniemi consider the ‘taster safaris’. These enable you to experience husky, reindeer and snowmobile safaris in a shorter space of time thus limiting you and your child to unnecessary exposure to extreme cold.

About the author

Andrew Capey is a British guy who has been in Lapland since 2015 and in Finland since 2005. He has worked in Children’s education and now currently works as a guide and in sales for a safari company in Rovaniemi. He is married with a Finnish wife and two Children.