What’s On in June 2015

Summer is finally here & the countdown to the family holidays has begun. Here’s our monthly list of events in Geneva, Vaud and nearby France, filled as usual with exciting outings for the whole family. Remember to keep checking our blog as we will be updating this post with more events each week.

• Take a look at our previous post to find all the best child-friendly places to enjoy a delicious and stress-free Sunday brunch with your little buttons.

• If it’s a scorcher, what about a scrumptious “brunch in the sun” with the family ?

• Now that the sun is out, take your little ones strawberry picking! Strawberry season is a few weeks late, due to the amount of rain we’ve endured so far, but these delicious fruits are now ready for the picking. Try La Fraisière in Meyrin; the farm at number 15 chemin de Pacoty in Founex; the Potager Verdonnet-Bouchet in Troinex (30 chemin de la Cantonnière); the Ferme Pré-De-Vers in Rolle; the Wyss Farm in Genolier or the Burdet family farm in Mathod.

 

• Genève-Plage (Quai de Cologny 5, Port-Noir) has re-opened for the summer. There’s no better place to be with your little swimmers on a hot, sunny day so make the most of the swimming-pools, water slides, sandpit and play area – don’t forget your sun cream! You can find out more about it & other lidos in our previous post.

 

• Want to know how to survive a rainy Sunday ? Find some ideas and suggestions here!
• Spring is a fantastic time to explore Switzerland and its picturesque villages. Read our previous post for suggestions about great days out with the kids
• If you’re planning a holiday or a short break, here’s some places our little ones have loved: Papiliorama in Kerzers (CH); Ballenberg Open Air Museum (CH); Bern (CH); Thun (CH); Pérouges (France); Lyon (France); Versailles (France); Dijon (France); Aosta (Italy); LEGOLAND in Windsor (UK); Antalya (Turkey) and many more charming places to see in Switzerland.
• When the sun is out, why not take the boat across the lake to visit the medieval village of Yvoire in nearby France?
• A bit further away but definitely worth a visit is the French village of Pérouges, it’s a great family day out!

LUDOBUS

The toy library buses called LUDOBUS are back in Geneva for the summer season! From the 8th of May until the end of summer the red and blue ludobus will be travelling to different parks in Geneva to keep the little ones entertained in the afternoon from 4pm to 6.30pm (from 5.30pm to 7pm during the summer holidays). FREE ENTRY, activities are free for children. You can click here to download the  exact dates and locations for both ludobus covering Servette; St-Jean; Petit-Saconnex; Plainpalais; Jonction; Acacias; Pâquis; Grottes; St-Gervais; Eaux-Vives; Champel and Cité.

 

 

LAKE BEACHES, LIDOS & POOLS Find out more about our favourites lake beaches; lidos and pools in the Geneva region and Vaud. If it’s a real scorcher, why not take the kids to the Parc de l’Auberge in Meyrin, with its fantastic water jets and tipping buckets?

 

SUMMER ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS If you live in Lausanne, download this fabulous brochure in French detailing all the summer activities, shows, holiday camps, workshops organized by the city of Lausanne for the little ones. Many are free of charge or require only a nominal fee.

 

SUMMER FESTIVALS French-speaking Switzerland comes alive during the summer months with a profusion of great music festivals. From the international pop stars who will be performing at the Caribana Festival and Paléo, to the free concerts of the Fête de la musique in Geneva, Nyon and Lausanne – this is the time to let your hair down and shake what your mama gave you!

 

JUNE 2015 LISTINGS:

• Wednesday 3rd June 2015: “Ciel, mes bijoux !”, part of the Mercredis Family at the Musée d’art et d’histoire in Geneva (Rue Charles-Galland 2). Children aged 6 and older accompanied by an adult are welcome every Wednesday at 3pm to discover all about the museum collections in a fun, interactive way. Reserve your places in advance at adp-mah@ville-ge.ch or by phone at 022 418 25 00.

 

• Wednesday 3rd June 2015: Mini & Petits rendez-vous at Geneva’s MAMCO for kids ones aged 2 to 4 (mini rendez-vous) and 5 to 10 (petits rendez-vous) accompanied by an adult. Both sessions will begin at 3.15am and they are free of charge! Introduce your kids to the joys of modern art with these fun, interactive tours. There will be other kids guided tours on Sunday 7th of June 2015 at 11.15am; Wednesday 10th, 17th and 24th of June 2015 at 3.15pm. No advance booking required.

 

• Wednesday 3rd June 2015: “Le Sentier des Ecrevisses” – Ateliers Verts du Jardin Botanique in Geneva for kids aged 8-11 (in French). What better place than Geneva’s beautiful botanical gardens to learn more about nature, micro-organisms and plants ? These fantastic workshops take place on Wednesdays from 2pm to 4.30pm and cost 12 CHF per child. Places must be booked in advance at 022 379 70 68. Click here to download the full programme. There another workshop this month on Wed. 10th of June 2015.

 

• Wednesday 3rd June 2015: “Météorites, messagères de l’espace” – Animation du mercredi  from age 7 at the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Genève (1, route de Malagnou). In connection with the current exhibition “Exoplanètes”, these free Wednesday workshops will take place  from 2pm to 4.30pm (second floor).

 

• 3rd-7th June 2014: Caribana Festival in Crans-sur-Nyon (Canton Vaud). This is one of Switzerland’s finest music festivals, boasting international stars such as Bastille, Mika, Selah Sue and The Cardigans in this year’s edition alone. Check tickets availability online as they are selling out fast!

 

• Thursday 4th June 2015: Marché Sans Puces, an evening of shopping, live music, dancing and more at the Pavillon Sicli in Geneva (route des Acacias 45). From 5.30pm to midnight discover some of the coolest local designer, jewellery makers & artisans while you stroll around for the bargain of the year, drink in hand. Free entry.

 

• 5th-7th June 2015: Pop-up Corner a shopping, food, design and fashion event offering kids activities, bouncy castles and live music at the Pavillon Sicli in Geneva (Route des Acacias 45). Entry tickets are 10CHF for 1 day and 15CHF for 3 days.

• 5th-7th June 2015: Festival Mondial de la Terre in Montbenon, Lausanne. A festival committed to the preservation and celebration of our planet’s biodiversity. All the food available at the festival is from organic farms; all infrastructure is from renewable, recycled and FSC certified sources – and every effort is made to preserve water & energy. The festival is free of charge and offers some great activities for the whole family, from the animations enfants to yoga for children and the “Parents-bébés” area where local midwives will be on hand to provide advice and give practical demonstrations. Click here for full details on the day-to-day programme, which includes live concerts, screenings, as well as thai chi & meditation taster sessions.

 

• 5th-6th & 7th June; 12th-13th & 14th June 2015: “Le Petit Prince – Rock Opera”, a new opera for kids based on the childhood classic by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry performed at the Cantine des fêtes de Gimel in Canton Vaud. Tickets are 30CHF for adults and 20CHF for kids under 16. Check the official website for exact performance times and tickets points of sale.

 

• 5th-8th June 2015: Fête de l’oiseau in Gex (France), a fantastic medieval festival the whole family will enjoy. From 4pm on Friday 5th until Monday 8th of June there will be medieval parades with beautiful costumes, archery tournaments, live music and fireworks. Click here for more info and to download the full programme.

 

 

• Saturday 6th June 2015: “Le pain à la fête: les mille et une formes du pain sarde”, bread-making workshop in French suitable from age 8 in the Auditorium of the the MEG museum in Geneva (Musée d’ethnographie de la Ville de Genève, Boulevard Carl-Vogt 65-67). Children, accompanied by an adult, will learn to make Italian bread from the island of Sardinia, the workshop runs from 2pm to 4pm. Tickets are 12CHF for adults and 7CHF for children, advance booking required at inscriptions.meg@ville-ge.ch

 

• Saturday 6th June 2015: “Dinosaures, fossiles et autres aventures de la Terre Animation Géosciences”, a workshop and conference in French for kids aged 6+ at the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Genève (1, route de Malagnou). A fun way to discover more about fossils and dinosaurs, these free Saturday workshops in French start from the hall on the 3rd floor and take place at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm.

 

• Saturday 6th June 2015: Fête d’Avant l’été at the Promenade St-Antoine in Geneva from 4pm to 8pm. A nice summer fest with circus shows and workshops, music and theatre. Free entry, the event will be cancelled in case of rain.

 

• Saturday 6th June 2015: 10e fête des Clowns in Morges (VD). Four circus schools and their 50 street performers will take over the streets of ‪‎Morges‬ for the annual clown festival. Take your little ones to enjoy the fun at the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, the Centre Commercial des Charpentiers and at the Rue Centrale (in front of Interdiscount). There will be street performances of different kinds: balancing acts, juggling, monocycles, clowns, face-painting for kids & much more!

 

• 6th-7th June 2015: La ville est à vous returns for its 12th edition, kicking off this weekend in the Sécheron neighbourhood in Geneva. This public event involves street parties, second-hand sales and activities for children. Take a look at the official website for all upcoming weekends and join in, because the city really does belongs to you! Here’s the list of upcoming street parties: 13th-14th June: Plainpalais; 22nd-23rd August: Vieusseux; 29th-30th August: Saint-Jean; 5th-6th September: Europe; 26th-27th September: Pâquis.

 

• Sunday 7th June 2015: Free entry to all museums and exhibitions in Geneva, a special initiative organized by the city of Geneva offering free access to permanent and temporary exhibitions on the first Sunday of every month.

 

• Sunday 7th June 2015: La Rue aux enfants 2015, kids festival in Bernex (Rue de Bernex). From 11am until 7pm there will be fun activities, games and workshops for kids around the theme of vegetables and gardening. FREE ENTRY, in case of rain the festival will be held at the école de Luchepelet in Bernex.

 

 

 

• Sunday 7th June 2015: enjoy a unique tour of the city on the Geneva Historical Trams leaving from the Rive tram stop. A great way to see the city with young children — they will love riding the old city trams! During the summer, on the first Sunday of every month these “Trams touristiques” will be circulating from Carouge to Nations, Gare Cornavin, Eaux-Vives and the city centre. Tickets for a single ride are 8CHF and 12CHF for a day pass, children aged 6 to 16 pay a reduced fee.

 

• Sunday 7th June 2015: Zumba Masterclass Humanitaire at the Grande Salle de la Colombière in Nyon (VD). Help the humanitarian Association Léon, which supports children in need around the world, whilst at the same time enjoying a super-fun Zumba masterclass. All profits from the event will go to the Association Léon. The Zumba class will run from 3.30pm to 5.30pm, tickets are 25CHF for adults; 15CHF for students and 5CHF for children.

 

• Sunday 7th June 2015: 11e Fête de l’Interculturelle in Nyon (VD). Celebrate cultural diversity with this great local festival: there will be live music, traditional dances and delicious food from all over the world! Meet at 11.30am at the place des Fêtes de Rive in Nyon. FREE ENTRY.

 

 

• 8th-21st June 2015: Play Me, I’m Yours a contemporary installation by British artist Luke Jerram will see 60 pianos placed on the streets of Geneva, Annemasse, Bellevue, Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Chêne-Bourg, Collonge-Bellerive, Cologny, Confignon, Divonne, Gaillard, Gex, Lancy, Le Grand-Saconnex, Meyrin, Nyon, Onex, Perly-Certoux, Plan-les-Ouates, Pregny-Chambésy, Prevessin Moëns, Thonex, Vernier and Versoix. The pianos will be available for everyone to play and familiarize themselves with. What an amazing way to see & feel our city with different eyes…and ears too!

 

 

• Wednesday 10th June 2015: “Comme un poisson dans l’eau”, part of the Mercredis Family at the Musée d’art et d’histoire in Geneva (Rue Charles-Galland 2). Children aged 6 and older accompanied by an adult are welcome every Wednesday at 3pm to discover all about the museum collections in a fun, interactive way. Reserve your places in advance at adp-mah@ville-ge.ch or by phone at 022 418 25 00.

 

• Wednesday 10th June 2015: “Le Sentier des Ecrevisses” – Ateliers Verts du Jardin Botanique in Geneva for kids aged 8-11 (in French). What better place than Geneva’s beautiful botanical gardens to learn more about nature, micro-organisms and plants ? These fantastic workshops take place on Wednesdays from 2pm to 4.30pm and cost 12 CHF per child. Places must be booked in advance at 022 379 70 68. Click here to download the full programme.

 

• Wednesday 10th June 2015: La visite au fil des contes, guided tour and story-time for all ages conducted in French by Floriane Facchini at the  MEG museum in Geneva (Musée d’ethnographie de la Ville de Genève, Boulevard Carl-Vogt 65-67). The tour is open to all and FREE OF CHARGE, meet at the information desk. Starting at 2.30pm until 4pm.

 

• Wednesday 10th June 2015: “Météorites, messagères de l’espace” – Animation du mercredi  from age 7 at the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Genève (1, route de Malagnou). In connection with the current exhibition “Exoplanètes”, these free Wednesday workshops will take place  from 2pm to 4.30pm (second floor).

 

• 12th-14th June 2015: Bol d’Or Mirabaud, Geneva’s famous yachting festival, which takes place in June every year since 1939 when 26 competitors took part in the first Bol d’Or, sailing 123 km from Geneva to Le Bouveret and back. Today, there are over 600 sailing boats taking part, attracting competitive crews from around the world. Visit the official website for full programme details, the race itself starts at 10am on Saturday 13th of June. A really amazing race to watch from the lake shore, the children will enjoy it too!

 

• Saturday 13th June 2015: “Folles Parures”, family workshop in French at the Musée d’art et d’histoire in Geneva (Rue Charles-Galland 2). Children aged 5 to 8 accompanied by an adult will create their knight or princess headgear and jewellery. The workshop will run from 2pm to 5pm and will cost 50CHF for parent-child couple. Reserve your places in advance at adp-mah@ville-ge.ch or by phone at 022 418 25 00.

 

• Saturday 13th June 2015: “Dinosaures, fossiles et autres aventures de la Terre Animation Géosciences”, a workshop and conference in French for kids aged 6+ at the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Genève (1, route de Malagnou). A fun way to discover more about fossils and dinosaurs, these free Saturday workshops in French start from the hall on the 3rd floor and take place at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm.

 

• Saturday 13th June 2015: try your hand at Stand Up Paddle (SUP) at the Bains des Pâquis in Geneva (Quai du Mont-Blanc 30) with waterwalk.ch

 

• Saturday 13th June 2015: Glisse en Ville, a giant waterslide on rue de Voltaire, in the centre of Geneva, will welcome young and old for some real summer fun! The slide will be open from 1pm to 6pm only, tickets are 10CHF for 1 hour — family passes are 20CHF.

 

• 13th-14th June 2015: La ville est à vous returns for its 12th edition, kicking off this weekend in Plainpalais (Geneva). This public event involves street parties, second-hand sales and activities for children. Take a look at the official website for all upcoming weekends and join in, because the city really does belongs to you! Here’s the list of upcoming street parties: 22nd-23rd August: Vieusseux; 29th-30th August: Saint-Jean; 5th-6th September: Europe; 26th-27th September: Pâquis.

 

• 13th-14th June 2015: Swiss Car Event at Geneva’s Palexpo. Do the boys in your life love cars and motos ? If so they’ll be delighted to see this famous expo with its stunts and trials on two and four wheels, freestyle demonstrations and live performances. Visit the official website for full programme details and a taster video. Open from 2pm to 10pm on Saturday and 9am to 6pm on Sunday.

 

• 13h-14th June 2015: “Festival de marionnettes du Pays-de-Gex à Fort L’Ecluse”, a puppet-show festival for children in nearby France. With 8 shows on Saturday and over 10 on Sunday, your little ones will be spoilt for choice. The setting in the medieval castle of Fort L’Ecluse will make it even more magical for the children, tickets can only be purchased on site. Visit the official website for full programme details.

 

• Sunday 14th June 2015: “Tohu Wa Bohu en voyage – spécial Océanie” story-time songs and music for children at Geneva’s MEG museum (in French). The first session will be for toddlers aged 2 to 4 and will take place from 4pm to 4.45pm in the museum’s foyer. The second session is for children aged 5+ and will run from 5pm until 5.45pm. FREE ENTRY, no advance booking required. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

 

• Sunday 14th June 2015: Stock up on second-hand and collectible books for you and your children at the Foire aux Livres in ‪‎Nyon‬. The book market will be running from 8am to 7pm in the Quartier de Rive (along Lake Léman) with many French but also English, German, Italian and many more foreign titles, with a special focus on comic books. A huge thank you to Catia for sharing the info with us! FREE ENTRY, with activities and book signings too.

 

• Sunday 14th June 2015: Les Dimanches Enchantés at the Vallée de la Jeunesse in Lausanne (Vallée de la Jeunesse 1). A lovely way to spend Sunday with your little buttons: from 10am to 3pm the little theatre of the Vallée de la Jeunesse will open its doors to all families with children aged 2 to 6 for a show and fun workshop – AND there will be delicious petits-pains too! The story-time will be “L’étonnante histoire du parc”, told by Claire-Anne Magnollay & Caroline Aeby, followed by the workshop “L’arbre est dans ses feuilles”. Tickets are 4CHF for children over 2 years and 5 CHF for adults. No advance booking necessary.

 

• Sunday 14th of June 2015: Fête Japonaise, Japanese festival at the Arboretum national park in Aubonne (VD). FREE ENTRY with delicious Japanese dishes available from 11.30am. The festival will run from 10am until 6pm. You can read more about the Arboretum Park in our previous post.

 

• until 14th June 2015: Festival Poussière du Monde, puppet shows, world music and dance under two giant Mongolian yourtes at the Parc Bernasconi in Grand-Lancy. Check their official website for full details of the kids shows: “Théâtre de marionnettes – Le fameux cirque en ombres”; “Tête de Lune”; “Paco y Maya, deux enfants des Andes”; Théâtre de marionnettes Amarante « Fil d’histoires » and “Marionnettes et musique du Rajasthan”. Tickets are 25CHF for adults and 10CHF for children aged 12 and older, places are limited so advance booking is highly recommended.

 

• until 14th June 2015: the Café des Jardins at the iris Gardens in Vullierens (VD) re-opens for the season and they will be offering their delicious Sunday brunches on Sundays and Bank Holidays, where the menu includes sweet & savoury dishes as well as a selection from their BBQ. The price is 55CHF per person and 28CHF for children aged 4 to 12, drinks and entry to the gardens are not included in the price – bookings must be made well in advance at 079 844 68 60 or cafe@jardindesiris.ch. Find out more about these beautiful iris gardens in our previous post and check their official website for their upcoming spring Sunday brunches.

 

• 14th June-21st September 2015: Lausanne Estivale, a great summer festival offering plenty of activities, concerts and more for all ages. The programme will be online at the beginning of June so check their official website for full details.

 

• 15th-19th June 2015: “Autour de Mme de Staël” theatre festival in French taking place in the beautiful courtyard of the Château de Coppet. The festival is inspired by the Château’s most famous resident: Mme Germaine de Staël, daughter of a Genevan banker, woman of letters and feminist ante-litteram who was exiled to Coppet by Napoleon for her political views.

 

• Wednesday 17th June 2015: “Météorites, messagères de l’espace” – Animation du mercredi  from age 7 at the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Genève (1, route de Malagnou). In connection with the current exhibition “Exoplanètes”, these free Wednesday workshops will take place  from 2pm to 4.30pm (second floor).

 

• Wednesday 17th June 2015: La visite au fil des contes, guided tour and story-time for all ages conducted in French by Floriane Facchini at the  MEG museum in Geneva (Musée d’ethnographie de la Ville de Genève, Boulevard Carl-Vogt 65-67). The tour is open to all and FREE OF CHARGE, meet at the information desk. Starting at 2.30pm until 4pm.

 

• Wednesday 17th June 2015: “Comme un poisson dans l’eau”, part of the Mercredis Family at the Musée d’art et d’histoire in Geneva (Rue Charles-Galland 2). Children aged 6 and older accompanied by an adult are welcome every Wednesday at 3pm to discover all about the museum collections in a fun, interactive way. Reserve your places in advance at adp-mah@ville-ge.ch or by phone at 022 418 25 00.

 

• Wednesday 17th June 2015: La Maison Tavel à tout petits pas et grandes oreilles !, guided tour in French for children aged 3 to 5 accompanied by an adult at the Maison Tavel in Geneva (Rue du Puits-Saint-Pierre 6). This fun musical tour kicks off at 10.30am and costs 5CHF per person. Reserve your places in advance at adp-mah@ville-ge.ch or by phone at 022 418 25 00.

 

• Wednesday 17th June 2015: Portes Ouvertes Musicales at La Bulle d’Air in Plan-les-Ouates (Geneva). This open day is a great opportunity to try out some of La Bulle d’Air great courses for babies and toddlers, including music, dance & movement and more. FREE ENTRY from 9am until midday at La julienne (Route de Saint-Julien 116, 1228 Plan-les-Ouates).

 

• 17th-22nd June 2015: Genève se met aux Roses, the 68th edition of the Concours International de Roses Nouvelles in Geneva. A perfect day-out for garden lovers, discover all new varieties of roses at the Parc de La Grange in Eaux-Vives and enjoy live concerts, workshops and much more.

 

• 19th-20th June 2015: Festival Métissages in Bernex. A great festival supporting a number of charities in the world with live music, magic shows for little ones and a kids choir. Free entry and plenty of delicious Thai, Moroccan & BBQ food stalls.

 

• 19th-21st June 2015: Fête de la musique in Geneva, a wonderful opportunity to enjoy free concerts in some of the city’s most beautiful spots. All musical genres will be represented, from classical to reggae, jazz and rock – there are so many events that we can’t possibly list them all here so visit the official website for full programme details. Children will also be catered to with a number of great workshops, concerts and shows devised just for them, here’s the link to the kids’ programme, don’t miss it!

 

• Saturday 20th of June 2015: Fête de la musique in Nyon (VD). Enjoy this fantastic line-up of free concerts, covering all music genres from jazz to traditional African music and punk. Click here to see the full programme.

 

• Saturday 20th June 2015: Rétro Moto Internationale de St-Cergue, an unmissable appointment for all motorbike-lovers. From 9am the village of St-Cergue will become a hot spot for all things moto & racing: the 2015 edition of this unique festival will welcome motorbikes from the Yamaha Classic Racing Team collections, and racing champions such as Phil Read, Jim Redman, Freddie Spencer, Pier Paolo Bianchi, Troy Corser, Christian Sarron, Tepi Länsivuori, Bruno Kneubühler, Roland Freymond, Jean-François Baldé, Alain Genoud, Jean-Claude Castella, Pentti Korhonen. Profits from the event will be allocated to the Alliance SEP, an association helping those suffering from “sclérose en plaques” (www.scleroseenplaques.ch).

 

• 20th-21st June 2014: Diabolo Festival at the Esplanade and Théâtre de Beausobre in Morges (VD). A fantastic festival for kids aged 2 to 10 with songs, circus shows, introduction to astronomy sessions and much more – you can read about last year’s edition in our previous post. This year’s edition will include live music from Henri Dès, theatre, circus & magic shows, story time and much more – click here to download the full programme. Doors will open at 9.30am and the festival will begin at 10am on both days. Closing time will be 6pm on Saturday and 5pm on Sunday. Click here for ticket prices, free entry for children under the age of 2.

 

• Sunday 21st of June 2015: Fête de la musique Lausanne – the month of June IS all about music ! A plethora of fab live concerts, covering all different musical genres will take over the streets of Lausanne, so click here for full programme details.

 

• 23rd-27th June 2015: Festival Tôt ou t’Arts Pays de Gex (France), a great festival for the whole family dedicated to street theatre. The programme is filled with many exciting performances: puppetry, balancing acts in 70s costumes, pyrotechnics, “fanfare recycl’art” and much more. Visit the official website for full details of all performances in Gex, Fort l’Ecluse, Peron, Divonnes-les-Bains, Versonnex and Ferney Voltaire.

 

• Wednesday 24th June 2015: “Météorites, messagères de l’espace” – Animation du mercredi  from age 7 at the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Genève (1, route de Malagnou). In connection with the current exhibition “Exoplanètes”, these free Wednesday workshops will take place  from 2pm to 4.30pm (second floor).

 

• Wednesday 24th June 2015: La visite au fil des contes, guided tour and story-time for all ages conducted in French by Floriane Facchini at the  MEG museum in Geneva (Musée d’ethnographie de la Ville de Genève, Boulevard Carl-Vogt 65-67). The tour is open to all and FREE OF CHARGE, meet at the information desk. Starting at 2.30pm until 4pm.

 

• 24th June-25th July 2015: Ciné Air, open-air cinema in Rolle (Place du Château). A unique opportunity to watch some great new releases and older movies (including some great kids movies) in a breath-taking setting, very close to the lakeside. Movies start at 9.30pm, check the official website for full details and to book your tickets. Some movies are shown in the French version (VF) and some in the original version with subtitles (VO st).

 

• Saturday 27th of June 2015: the Château de La Sarraz near ‪‎Morges (VD)‬ celebrates summer with a fab medieval festival! From 10am to midnight you’ll be able to step back in time with fun activities for kids, jugglers, live music, shows and period reconstructions. FREE ENTRY.

 

• Saturday 27th June 2015: Coppet Fun Event, a great family day out at Coppet Beach (Plage des Rocailles). From 9am you will be able to take part in an “Introduction to Stand Up Paddle (SUP)” session with Bruno Sroka, kitesurf world champion (kids + adults), as well as SUP Yoga; SUP competitions; beach volley; live music and fun activities for kids.

 

• 27th-28th June 2015: Don’t miss the 100th year anniversary of the Comité International Olympique this weekend: the Musée Olympique in ‪‎Ouchy‬ will be free of charge for the entire weekend and you will be able to try your hand at different sports, including curling and archery at the Maison du Sport International and parc Mon-Repos in ‪‎Lausanne‬. For younger children there will be clowns, games, storytimes and free shows (in French) at the Casino de Montbenon. FREE ENTRY.

 

• 27th-28th June 2015: Fête de la Montagne at various locations across France. A great festival for mountain lovers offering over 200 events, such as walks, live music, foodie gatherings and much more! Click here to search for the event closest to you.

 

• 27th June-22nd August 2015: “La Roulotte Enchantée et ses spectacles”, a great summer initiative in Lausanne offering free shows, workshops and activities for children in various locations throughout the city. Take a look at the official website for details of their daily locations and activities, make the most of their free workshops and theatre shows.

 

• 28th June-20th August 2015: Musiques en été in Geneva, an impressive series of 38 live concerts covering all possible music genres and taking place in some of the city’s most picturesque spots. From jazz to classical, rock and hip hop you will definitely be spoilt for choice. The best thing about it all? All the Musiques colorées live concerts at the Scène Ella Fitzgerald (parc de La Grange) are free of charge!

 

• 29th June-19th August 2015: Histoires en herbe, summer storytime in Plan-les-Ouates for children aged 4 to 10 every Monday and Wednesday morning from 10am to midday. The Monday session will take place outdoors on the Mail in Plan-les-Ouates (near the Mairie) and in case of rain on the steps of the “salle de gym” of the école du Pré-du-Camp. The Wednesday sessions will take place “sur l’herbe”, near the école du Vélodrome (close to the playarea), and in case of rain under the veranda of the Maison Ravy. Free entry, for more info contact Catherine Hostettler on 079 654 51 06.

 

• 29th June-23rd August 2015: Opération chaises longues, a great initiative organized by the city’s public libraries offering mobile book services (livres nomades), free apples, sun loungers and more free activities to allow families, the elders and young people to enjoy Geneva’s beautiful parks to the max. The Opération chaises longues will run everyday from 1pm tp 7pm at the following locations: Parc des Bastions; Parc Trembley; Parc Beaulieu; Parc du Promeneur solitaire; Les Halles de l’Ile; Parc Bertrand (01.07-25.08); Parc Baud-Bovy (16th July-17th August from 11am to 7pm); Bois de la Bâtie; Parc La Grange (28th July-24th August from 1pm to 7pm).

 

ONGOING:

• until 25th October 2015: “L’œil nu” a fantastic new exhibition suitable from age 7 at the Espace des Inventions in Lausanne (Vallée de la Jeunesse 1). The exhibition will teach your little ones everything there is to know about sight and vision, through a series of interactive stations. Alongside the exhibition there will also be a series of fun workshops for ages 7 to 12 called “Le Club des petits inventeurs”, from 2pm to 5pm on selected days. Click here to download the list of activities.

 

• The permanent exhibition “Noblesse Oblige” at Prangins Castle is a great day-out for the whole family, take a step back in time with your children to see how a noble Swiss family lived in the 18th century! Find out more about this fantastic family exhibition in our previous post.

 

• until 4th April 2016: Exoplanète, a great exhibition at the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Genève (1, route de Malagnou) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the discovery of the first exoplanète, a planet situated outside our solar system by the Swiss astrophysicists from the Observatoire de Genève, Michel Mayor & Didier Queloz. This exhibition is accompanied by a number of kids workshops, guided tours, astronomical observation and many more events in the months to come.

 

• until May 2016: Exposition de la maquette de la ville de Genève. The architectural model of the city of ‪Geneva‬ looks pretty awesome, it comprises of 145 modules and it took 40 years to complete! It is now on display for the first time and open to the public on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11am until 6pm at the “Exposition de la maquette de la ville de Genève” — 25 rue du Stand — Geneva. The exhibition opened on the 15th of April 2015 and will run until May 2016. You can call +41 22 418 20 63 for more info or to book a guided tour.