Haltiala Farm cancels toy hunt after adults hoard toys meant for children
Haltiala Farm has announced it will no longer organise its popular toy hunt event after adults disregarded rules and hoarded toys intended for children. The farm, located in northern Helsinki, shared its decision in a video posted on social media following last Friday’s event.
The farm had hidden over 1,000 toys in its yard for the hunt, with organisers emphasising that each participant should receive one toy. However, Iltalehti reports that several adults collected multiple toys—some filling entire bags—before the event officially began. The video states: "We will never organise it again, it is stated at the beginning of the video."
In response to the incident, Haltiala Farm plans to change its approach for future events. Instead of hiding toys, stickers will be placed around the yard, which children can exchange for a single toy. The farm’s video sparked widespread criticism of the adults’ behaviour, with commenters describing it as "shocking" and "unbelievable" (Ilta-Sanomat).
Haltiala Farm is operated by Lännentila Oy, a family business that purchased the property from the City of Helsinki earlier this year. The sale, finalised in April, included the farm’s buildings for €200,000 (Iltalehti). The farm, which features a free petting zoo, remains open to the public at no cost.
Neither Haltiala Farm nor Lännentila Oy has provided further comment on the matter to Iltalehti or Ilta-Sanomat.
