My sister and her family are coming to visit in August and I would like to spend about 1 day in Zurich and then do a 3/4 day trip somewhere.

They are flying to Italy afterwards so Ticino is out.

I would like to do something in the mountains but not sure about where would be fun for a 4 year old and 3 year old.

I definitely want to create a lot of beautiful photos/memories of their time here.

We have a car so transport is not an issue.

Any suggestions?

Take them to the zoo?

Not so sure a three and a four year old would appreciate the scenery, and their memory is not quite comparable to ours.

Plan to be in Canton Graubünden. Samnaun offers some decent duty free items:

http://www.samnaun.ch/en/navpage-DutyfreeSAMN.html


http://www.samnaun.ch/en/welcome.cfm

Also Säntis:

http://www.tierpark.ch/

how about goldau park and then a stop in Rapperswil? You can eat at Dieci on the lake with a gorgeous view and the kids can play in the fountain right in front of it.

I have a 3.5 y.o. and she was mad about the Verkehrshaus in Luzern
http://www.verkehrshaus.ch/
There are plenty of activities for children, both indoor and outdoor and being just in front of the Lake (and Lido, a sort of lake beach of Luzern) that would make a perfect day for everyone.

You could go to Sattel.

"Rondo" gondola lift in Sattel-Hochstuckli is the first monocable gondola with rotating cabins in the world. They have a moon bounce up there and a summer coasting slide.

Good idea!!!


........also Alpamere would amuse the kids.......expensive but fun!!


cheers
SC

If you really want to do something for the kids here some ideas:

• Rappi is a good. Take the boat from Zurich to Rappi and go to the Kinderzoo http://www.knieskinderzoo.ch/, walk around a bit and then take the train back to Zurich (that can easily take up the whole day but could also be shortened)
• go to the Züri Zoo they also have a special area where kids can play and a petting zoo
• Atzmäntig is also nice but they might be a tad too young for the toboggan run http://www.atzmaennig.ch/angebote_sommer_de.cfm
• Säntis is surely nice and so is Rigi http://www.rigi.ch/en/welcome.cfm
• if you go to Rigi you could visit Lucerne as well. There is also a very nice museum (Swiss museum of transport) but again they might be too young for that http://www.verkehrshaus.ch/en/
• finally there is the Technorama in Winterthur http://www.technorama.ch/en/ they have many experiments etc and we used to go there often when I was a child.

But really 3 and 4 year olds might just like to play or swim. Go to a badi and enjoy the warm sun (let's hope there will be some sun then ) or go to a playground.

Hope that helps!
If the weather is nice go to a Badi

Tierpark and Verkehrshaus would have been my suggestions as well. My son loves going there. Or what about Muggenstutz? The books are also available in English
http://www.haslital.ch/en/page.cfm/f...iensommer/2585

There's a great kids play park on top of the Uetliberg, and it's not too far to walk up to the top for the view...as long as you're not in a hurry.

There are trains that have play zones for kids, and I love Interlaken/Brienz and the ferry and mountains there in the summer is absolutely gorgeous. You could stay in Murren or Grindewald and if you go right up into the mountains there will be snow.

Rapperswil zoo would be top of my lids for kid-centred fun - or Zurich zoo - Papillorama is lovely for the winter because it's all tropical and heated....not so much view outside though...

Oh, so much fun to be had!

Personally, I'd focus on not too much walking, time to stop if something interests the kids (you'll find little play areas at just about everywhere you go) - and some wonderful outdoor scenery.

I would not go up the Brienzer Rothornbahn again with kids - it was downright scary at the top for those of us who aren't so good with heights - and there wasn't anywhere safe for the kids to really play at the top - so steep!

But a day trip to Mt Rigi would be fine - and you can do a round trip where you go from one side, catch the train up and over, and then on the other side on the lake there is an awesome train turntable (the first time I'd seen one other than in 'Thomas the tank engine)...before you catch the ferry back to Luzern...

We have only ever spent our summer holidays in the mountains since our two children were born. The last 5 years have been in a place up Mount Rigi (near Luzern) which they adore - and each year I say, come on lets have a change, they refuse! So I can assure you that whilst they may not be agog at the views, there is plenty for small children to love about the mountains.

As I know the Lake Lucerne area the most I will give you a selection of some of our favourite day trips .. my children are now 4 and 9.

Pilatus - round trip is great - you can do it either way but the way I will describe is gondalas/cable car up, furnicular down and boat back to Luzern. You can park at the gondolas or in central Luzern (and get the bus to bottom station in Kriens). Get off the gondolas at the first intermediate stop (Krienseregg) as there is a great play park with grilling. At the next stop (Frakmuntegg) is a rodelbahn - little ones can travel in double sleds with an adult from age 3. This is a big hit. Then up the cable car to the summit .. which unfortunately is in works at the moment so not as nice as it could be .. stop for an icecream while the adults enjoy the view. Back down the other side to Alpnachstad by furnicular and then boat back to Luzern. The only part of this where the kids may tire is the boat .. it is 1.5 hours .. but I am sure your sister will have books and toys to hand. You could on the other hand return by train to Luzern (25 mins).

Luzern - the Lido has a beachfront onto the lake and a great playpark .. you can do no better in hot weather, kids happy, adults lie back and enjoy the fabulous views. Next to the Lido is the Swiss Transport museum which my 3 year old loved this year. Yes you won't be able to spend as long there as you would ideally like being an adult but it was a great visit nonetheless.

Family Safari Klewenalp/Stockhutte parkcar at Klewenalp (or take the train to Brunnen and take the boat from there across to Beckenried (Klewenalp bottom station) up on the cable car and follow the well marked path to Stockhutte. Great play park at Klewenalp and also at Stockhutte. Route is buggy friendly (but perhaps not for town buggies with smaller wheels) - it takes about 1.5 hours to walk it and my then 3.5 year old did it 3 times last summer.. but he finds the rhythm of walking totally hypnotic so can walk quite far for his age. Places to grill all along the route. Gondolas down from Stockhutte to Emmetten (another play park at the bottom) then postbus to Seelisberg and furnicular down to Trieb then boat back to Brunnen (if that is where you have come from) or Beckenried. All inclusive tickets are available for the whole trip. Oh and a great playpark at the lakeside in Brunnen too.

Rigi - well it's our favourite so I couldn't leave it out now .. train to Arth-Goldau then train up the Rigi - you could go to the summit (kulm) then walk down to Staffel (20 mins downhill) where there is a cute little playpark and trampoline, then maybe walk to a grill place (all over .. get the Rigi leaflet or look up on web) have lunch, then train back .. or our particular favourite is to get train from Arth-Goldau just two stops to Krabel then take the rather dodgy looking little gondola up to Rigi scheidegg (great playpark there too) then walk along to either Rigi First or Rigi Kaltbad. This is another 1.5 hours walk but is gently downhill on an abandonned railway line so suitable for buggies. Lots of grill places and cafes (each either with playpark, trampoline or just cute outdoor toddler toys available) dot the route. From Kaltbad or First you can get the train on up to see the summit.

And this is just the Luzern area. I am sure others can add different areas to your resources. Do have a wonderful time.

Hey i was going to suggest that! A zoo is always great for kids. And (some) adults too

There's a limit to how much fun kids of that age will have at Alpemare. They'll be too small for a lot of the inflatables that you sit on.

To be honest, they'd probably have as more fun paddling at one of the badis.

We always take families with kids on the Rigi round trip. In Summer, we get off one boat stop before Luzern and go to the Badi. A mountain train, wonderful views, boat ride on an old paddle steamer (they are listed on the timetable) and a cable car make it a crowd pleaser for all ages. There's usually a special on in summer that has a meal voucher that can be used in Rigi restaurants. It works out at about 40 CHF for those with a half fare card and 80 CHF without including 10 CHF off lunch.

Save it until a good mountain day. Check the Rigi webcams before you set out!

Thank you everyone for the all the great ideas!!!

Looking forward to planning it

try LUGANO SWISS MINIATURE MELIDE.. good for the family and ascona also ,everyone will love it.. give a try.. enjoy!

I find one of the most interesting places for children and adults in Switzerland is the Freiluftmuseum Ballenberg in the Berner Oberland.

It is a village built out of lots of old Swiss houses transported from all over Switzerland and rebuilt in the form of a village on the side of the mountain. (there are your mountains, with a nice view of the Jungfrau region)

Every house has the appropriate farm animals, cows, turkeys, rabbits etc. traditional Swiss handcrafts are shown, there is a petting zoo. My children go wild, I have been there already three times last year. The only problem, it is way to large to see everything in one day...

http://www.ballenberg.ch/en/Welcome