Every Child is Valuable – Hämeenlinna celebrates Week of the Rights of the Child, 16–22 November 2026

The week will be visible in the city’s early childhood education and basic education through the units’ own events and actions. The city’s cultural services are also participating in the theme week. For the duration of the week, the Hämeenlinna Main Library will feature a book exhibition related to children’s rights, and Skogster Museum offers self-guided crafts related to the theme of the Man and How to Make Him exhibition during museum opening hours.

The Children’s Saturday of the Week of the Rights of the Child will be celebrated at Gallery ARX’s Beyond the Light exhibition on 21 November from 10 am to 3 pm. Visual artist Anna Hyrkkänen’s exhibition invites visitors to explore coloured light and shadow and play with light effects.

The Week of the Rights of the Child also coincides with the lower secondary schools’ Influence, Don’t Complain (V-päivät) events, where 8th-grade pupils present their development ideas to city decision-makers. On the Day of the Rights of the Child, 20 November, the recipient of the Young Influencer of the Year award will also be announced. The award aims to make youth participation visible and encourage young people to find their own ways to influence their environment.

Opportunities for youth participation can also be explored on Wednesday, 18 November, at the Youth Council’s general meeting, held at 5 pm in the auditorium of the Wetteri City Hall. The event will feature youth councillors sharing their experiences of making an impact, alongside discussions on current city affairs. Markku Rimpelä, Strategy Director for the City of Hämeenlinna, will join the discussion with the young people.

A community artwork created during a meeting of primary school student councils is on display in the lobby of Wetteri City Hall. At the heart of the work is a chair on which pupils have written their messages to decision-makers. The piece makes children’s thoughts, experiences, and wishes visible, serving as a reminder of children’s right to be heard in decision-making. It emphasises the role of children as experts in their own daily lives and encourages the consideration of their views in city development.

Long-term work to promote children’s rights

The Week of the Rights of the Child supports Hämeenlinna’s long-term commitment to being child-friendly. The city has been part of the UNICEF Child-Friendly City model since 2012 and received Finland’s first Child-Friendly City recognition in 2013. The recognition has since been renewed several times, most recently in 2025.

With the latest recognition, Hämeenlinna has moved into the alumni phase of the model, where the goals of a child-friendly municipality have been integrated into the city’s permanent structures and operations. The work is guided by the Child-Friendly Hämeenlinna programme, which serves as the city’s welfare plan for children and young people until 2030.

Children’s rights are also reflected in the City of Hämeenlinna’s strategy. The city aims to be an attractive place for families with children and to strengthen the well-being, participation, and opportunities for children and young people to influence matters affecting them. The Week of the Rights of the Child highlights this long-term work and reminds us of the right of children to be heard and treated with respect in all city activities.

During the Week of the Rights of the Child, Hämeenlinna’s city communications will highlight concrete examples of how the rights and participation of children and young people are promoted through everyday actions and decision-making.

Pre-events for the Week of the Rights of the Child

Open Cultural Centre ARX’s Valoilmiö festival kicks off the celebrations for the Week of the Rights of the Child as early as 12–14 November. Approximately 1,600 children and young people participated in this year’s festival through preliminary workshops. The festival culminates on Saturday, 14 November, with the Light Caravan parade, which travels from the ARX building to the Hämeenlinna Market Square. 130 children participated in creating the parade’s illuminated figures and lanterns.

Valoilmiö is a free festival suitable for the whole family. The installations are lit each day of the festival from 5 pm to 9 pm. Valoilmiö is also celebrated in the district of Tuulos on 13 November from 4 pm to 9 pm. In addition to the light installations, the programme includes exhibitions, performances, historical re-enactors, and workshops. There are also several stations dedicated to play.

Further information