{"id":50752,"date":"2022-04-01T22:52:24","date_gmt":"2022-04-01T14:52:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/?p=50752"},"modified":"2024-04-24T14:35:19","modified_gmt":"2024-04-24T06:35:19","slug":"diy-northern-lights-in-finland-with-kids-7d-6n","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/2022\/04\/diy-northern-lights-in-finland-with-kids-7d-6n\/","title":{"rendered":"DIY Northern Lights in Finland with Kids (7D6N in Lapland)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We typically end our trips with a blog post. This trip was in Dec 2018 and we didn’t want it to ‘end’. But alas, all good things do. So here it is, sharing our experience how we caught the Aurora Borealis with the kids who were then 10 and 4 years old respectively.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Lapland<\/strong> is Finland\u2019s northernmost region, a sparsely populated area bordering Sweden, Norway, Russia and the Baltic Sea. It\u2019s known for its vast subarctic wilderness, ski resorts and natural phenomena including the midnight sun and the Northern Lights. Capital Rovaniemi is the gateway to the Lapland region. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aurora Borealis with Kids?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes it\u2019s possible! We did it Free and Easy with both kids, in -29C, basking under the glorious Aurora Borealis\u2026with Santa Claus thrown in! Here\u2019s how we did it back in December 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Behold the Aurora Borealis with the kids – Dana 10, Buddy,4. <\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why DIY?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Catching the Aurora Borealis (or Northern Lights) is perhaps one of the most unforgettable experiences one can ever experience on their travels. No wonder it is on most travellers\u2019 \u2018bucket list\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before we go any further, it is important to understand that the Aurora Borealis is a phenomenon that happens virtually every night over the wintry skies of countries in the Northern hemisphere during the Winter season. It is just a matter of which part of the night it happens, at which part of the sky and is your view covered by clouds when it happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We often hear of travellers who have joined packaged tours but miss out on seeing the Northern Lights.\u00a0 We chose to do it DIY so that we can stay 4 nights in Finnish Lapland to hedge our chances to witness the Northern Lights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting a Local Guide:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Getting an experienced local guide who helps you to plan is key. An experienced guide will have the skill and intuition to predict when the Northern Lights will take place and also plan appropriate activities for the family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We engaged Gareth, a very experienced and friendly local guide in Finland to plan our DIY trip, down to the last detail of where to stay, what to buy and how to keep the kids warm and happy in the extreme weather.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our parting shot with Gareth at Kittil\u00e4 Airport.<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Gareth and his lovely wife Elina are currently taking a hiatus from tour-leading for family reasons.\u00a0 We hope the insights and tips we share here will help you to plan your family\u2019s DIY tour to chase the Northern Lights. Here are what other travellers have said about Gareth’s tours on Trip Advisor<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Season:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is important to remember is that this is done during a very chillingly cold winter, out in the Finnish Lapland where the highest temperature is only 1C while the nights drop to as low as around -29C. Yes, It is very COLD. The days are short too, with the evening twilight occurring around 4pm. By 5pm, it would be very dark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The beautiful white wintry landscape awaits you…<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The Outfits<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How you suit up is will therefore make or break the trip.\u00a0 Virtually, every activity will be done out in the wintry Finnish weather.\u00a0 Even for a family like ours who have been to Hokkaido many times for skiing, nothing quite beat a Finnish winter!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Just a typical morning in the Lapland during winter. Note the temperature in our cabin vs the one outside!<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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As such, it is important to dress suitably from top to bottom.\u00a0 Merely piling on the layers may not be the right strategy but rather, getting the right materials to wear would be ideal.\u00a0 This includes socks, gloves and shoes. We were very fortunate that our guide Gareth had extra winter overalls stocked up for us.\u00a0 In fact, he asked us for size and prepped these for us ahead of our trip!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Dress Kids for Winter<\/strong>: <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bearing in mind most of the activities are outdoors where the average temperature can be about -10C or -12C. On the night where we caught the Northern Lights, it was about -29C and we were camping out on a frozen lake, in the Lapland. Prepare your winter clothing seriously. For tips on dressing your kids (and yourself) for winter, read our post here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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