This lady's blog is also an excellent resource with loads of info, ideas, and pictures. Thoroughly recommended!

http://momstotszurich.blogspot.com/

This Thread with Playgrounds in the Geneva Region might be interesting for folk with children...

Thanks for this information. I would be interested if more parents can weigh in here and rate or review locations. I once heard that the sihlcity kino has morning viewing for kids, but i see nothing about it on their website.

Starbie is a great location for all ages, however you really cant spend all day there. And if your kids are young, you may find yourself chasing them the whole time.

Btw the movenpick park outside of zurich is no longer around.

Hi!

You can add this to the list:

LAUSANNE:
Free guided visit. You can download at www.auwix.com an audible guide completely for free. I know that because...I did it! So I really hope you enjoy it too.
It was done in three different languages: English (of course), Spanish and French.

Regardssssssssssssss


Fer

Hi Carmen,

Another Planeta Magic indoor play park for kids has just opened (end of November, 2010) in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is also conveniently located for those coming from Bern and Bienne/Biel and is next to Manor shopping center).

Please add to your list:

Planeta Magic - Saint-Blaise (NE)
Indoor Play Park for kids from 1-12 years
http://www.planetamagic-neuch.ch

The Hergiswil Glasi is more than just a glassblowing place where you can watch and blow your own, there's a lovely *free* interactive museum suitable for kids and adults with hands-on stuff to do including glass musical instruments to bang on (yes really), recordings of real music i.e. classical pieces played on glass instruments, a little fairytale show involving six fairytales that have glass in them in some way (think Cinderella's slipper), explanations of how glass is made, clothing items made of glass threads, science experiments about frequency and other things, ... and outside there's a small playground (with sand so be warned) and a huge marble run which you can buy marbles to roll down and keep. The marble run is made of metal and glass so it makes a lovely noise as the marbles run down, and there are two or three different tracks and a slide to get back down from the top (after you put your marble in). It takes about a minute or maybe two for your marble to get all the way down. In my view it's worth a visit just for the marble run, but then I only live twenty minutes away.
Oh also outside, there's the lake (complete with café and lovely views of the mountains of course) and three fountains (in the lake) with push buttons and handles and things to make the water do different stuff. My two love this! Keeps the kids busy while you have your coffee... you might even want to push some buttons too!

Can you tell I'm a big fan. The Swiss really know how to do good museums. (And no, I'm not getting anything in exchange for this review, and I'm not in any way affiliated to the Glasi. I just really like it... and live in NW where there isn't very much else indoors for kids!)

Ballenberg Freilichtmuseum near Interlaken is wonderful, picturesque and you could even take your pooch. There are even BBQ and picnic facilities. Perfect for a dry weather day. And there is a climbing park next door if you aren't tired out or have used up your day looking at Swiss architectural history at its finest.

Dogs must be on leads though and it is closed until April.
Ballenberg.

I wish I was still a kid : the Kambly cookie train in Emmental.

Been to the Kambly "experience" - a glorified shop with some videos and an "animated kitchen". the baking has to be booked weeks in advance (wed and sat afternoons only). Haven't been to the train though

It's free so if you are in the area you can enjoy the cafe and buy some cookies. otherwise - don't bother.

There's a medieval festival/market starting today through Sunday on Muensterhof in Zurich. No entry fee.

There is this cool place right across the border from Konstanz, where you can feed popcorn to monkeys....

www.affenberg-salem.de/

A nice trip would be to feed the monkeys and head over to Friedrichshafen (probably another 30min drive) for lunch. They have a fantastic lakeside promenade with excellent restaurants.

There is also an observation tower which you are allowed to go on for free.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aussich...riedrichshafen

as well as the Zeppelin Museum (airship museum)

http://www.zeppelin-museum.de/home_en.0.html

I've never been to the museum..but I went to feed the monkeys and climbed the tower...it was good fun.

Be careful on the observation tower if it is at all breezy. You can feel it swaying. Great views though

The Zeppelin museum is well worth a visit. Going into the reconstruction of part of The Hindenberg was one of the highlights. It also includes a small Art Gallery.

Went ahead and booked a 3-night stay at the Walensee resort. Wife's colleague raved about it, but anyone else been there? Opinion? Anything of note worth seeing in the area?

This list is great, thanks it's helpful. We are in St. Gallen and have done the Walter Zoo, Coney Land, Santispark A LOT. Does anyone know of a great activity, in our area for a B day party with 8+ girls, that will not break our wallet?

This is a great list! I don't have children, but I'm expecting little guests next week. A couple of suggestions I received are:
The Suspension Bridge (and playground) in Sattel-Stuckli
http://www.sattel-hochstuckli.ch/en/summer/index.php
and the Kinderzoo in Rapperswil
http://www.knieskinderzoo.ch

The Kinderzoo has received several good recommendations on EF. I don't recall seeing Sattel mentioned before. It looks a fun place.

Suggestions for places suitable for children within two hours from Lugano.

The Urania observatory does a free Kinderführungen (in German) on the first Saturday of each month. Kids and parents are allowed to look through the telescope - we saw a really distant star (Arktur I think) then got to see the surface of the sun (after the telescope had it's sunglasses/ sun filter on). My kids found it fascinating. I'd really recommend it and am hoping to go to one of the evening talks soon.

There are 3 talks, starting at 3pm, 4pm and 5pm - full details on the website

http://www.urania-sternwarte.ch/oeff...uehrungen.html

This does not seem to have been mentioned before, but there are some nice caves near Zurich: http://www.hoellgrotten.ch/. There was a lot of children when I went there ...