KONE Camp
Our way of saying thank you to KONE employees from across the globe – and an opportunity to connect young people from around the world.
Help young people experience Finland
KONE Camp
Take advantage of this unique opportunity to improve your language skills, have fun, and learn more about a different culture by hosting a KONE camper. KONE Global Youth Camp lets the children of KONE employees from across the globe experience Finnish culture, sports, Finnish sauna & lakeside swimming, art & crafts activities, campfire cook outs and much more in Finland.
Before our campers depart for the campsite, the international campers spend a few days with a Finnish host family. For years, our hosts have been an integral part of the KONE camp adventure. Hosting a camper for a weekend is a rewarding and even educational experience and it could be the beginning of a long-lasting, international friendship for you and your children!
One of our host family parents
"We have been a host family for KONE's youth camp for more than a decade. Our children have made lasting friends with the campers, who will be kept in touch for years to come!"
One of our host family children
"The camp is a great motivation to learn English, or other languages, and to increase confidence in using a foreign language. It provides an opportunity to learn about other countries and cultures, and to increase interest and openness towards them!"
Help someone experience Finnish culture, and learn something yourself!
Interested in becoming a host family?
Hosting is at the heart of KONE Global Youth Camp, and opening your door to one or more of our campers can be as rewarding for you as it is for them. You'll have the opportunity to make lasting international connections and share a little bit of everyday life in Finland with your guest.
As a prerequisite for participation, all campers are required to have elementary English skills. As a host, you can also request for your guest(s) to speak additional languages. This way, the barriers to communication will be limited, allowing for the best possible experience for campers and hosts alike.
Host families accommodate one (or more, according to your wishes) of our campers for three days, beginning Friday, July 24, to Monday morning, July 27, 2026. The weekend program is informal, and families can choose how they want to spend it. However, on Saturday, July 25, KONE will organize an optional activity where young people and families can get to know each other through nice activities and a meal.
The weekend is a chance for you to offer your guest an experience that best reflects your day-to-day life. All types of activities are welcome and appreciated and there is no pressure to organize anything out of the ordinary.
One of our host family parents
“This was our second time as a host family. Our kids really enjoyed every moment and I had no role other than to act as a driver for young people! This is a great way for children to learn to use the English they have learned in school and at the same time get to know new cultures. We will definitely continue to be a host family!”
One of our host family parents
"For the first time, we were a host family, and the experience was just as excellent - even better - than we could have expected. Our children enjoyed immensely the presence of campers who were really well behaved and polite boys. It was really helpful for the kids to speak a foreign language for several days. The camp is a wonderful tradition and we are proud to be a part of it.”
The KONE Global Youth Camp experience includes a homestay with a Finnish family and camping by a lake with excellent recreational facilities.
Our 2026 program
The camp program starts on Friday July 24, when campers are met at the airport by their host families and camp staff. Campers will stay with their host families until Monday July 27, when they will be transported to the camp. At the conclusion of camp early on Saturday morning August 1, the campers will be taken from the camp site to the airport for the trip home.
Daytime activities include sports and games, arts and crafts, swimming, wind surfing and canoeing. Evening activities include a nightly campfire and disco.
On Wednesday, July 29, campers will visit Helsinki from the camp site and have the opportunity to enjoy the famous Linnanmäki amusement park. It goes without saying that this is a much loved tradition, and as part of the hosting experience, all host family children who come to the amusement park will receive wristbands sponsored by KONE so that everyone join in on the fun!
Detailed Camp program in 2026
- Friday, July 24
Campers arrive at Helsinki Airport, where they meet host families and camp staff - Saturday, July 25
Host family day (free program and a voluntary KONE event) - Sunday, July 26
Host family day (free program) - Monday, July 27
Campers depart to the campsite in the morning - Tuesday, July 28
Program for campers at the campsite - Wednesday, July 29
Campers make a day trip to Helsinki and visit the Linnanmäki amusement park in the afternoon, where host families are also invited - Thursday, July 30
Program for campers at the campsite - Friday, July 31
Program for campers at the campsite - Saturday, August 1
Campers depart straight to the airport and return home
Make memories with KONE
Campers from across the globe come to enjoy activities in Finland
