Sunday 27 September 2015

Alfred Betrand's Park - Geneva



This Park belonging to Alfered Betrand is a large parc close to the Natural History Museum. It has climbing frames, slides, a tunnel and good climbing trees. The park also has a paddling pool.
It only took me 10 years to find this park.

Saturday 4 April 2015

Electrifying Playtime


This isolated playground near Ornex is best visited on foot, by bicycle or by scooter as part of a pushchair friendly easy round walk. The small playground has table and chairs perfect for a picnic. It is situated on the Cycletrack of Tattes on which  there is also a  nearby open BMX track and series of geocaches.


Wednesday 17 December 2014

Mussels at Playtime

There's a recently refurbished Leon de Bruxelles in Thoiry/St Genis. The restaurant has a small separate room is view of tables. The room has free table football and a few books. This place is so new we were the very first people to test the playroom and also the restaurant itself.  Location is adjacent to the Holiday Inn.

Sunday 1 June 2014

Nyon Beach, Human Snakes and Ladders





Nyon Plage has recently been updated with a new ship with spectacular mountain views. In the woods there are three tiers of steps, rope walk ways and slides. Nyon beach even has something almost approaching real sand. The modern buvette provides lunch, ice cream and beer. A popular destination for good reasons and always busy on a sunny day.

Corbusian Concrete Maze at Bulle


Bulle is a typical Swiss town up near Gruyères. There is a castle and a museum in a park. The playground is a unique cast concrete maze with four slides descending from a couple of high points. There is no place you can stand from which all of the maze is visible so you will loose your children.

Sunday 8 September 2013

Eaux Vives Park and Paddling Pool


The Eaux-Vives park borders Lake Geneva close to the Jet d'Eau. The park itself is beautifully kept with very impressive flower beds. On a hot day the park has a well shaded paddling pool which is not photographed here.
To find the playground walk uphill to the top of the park. The cafe in the park has ice-creams and a reasonable menu-du-jour. As well as the main wooden climbing frame there are some easy swings for toddlers. The day we were there free deck chairs were are also available.

Thursday 11 July 2013

The Secret Playground in Sergy



Two years ago I commented on Sergy's playground with some harsh comments. It seems Sergy was listening and they have updated. A big climbing frame with a wooden chip floor. There are some swings and some springy things.

It's  a large green space and very quiet. It also has an excellent two lane 100m athletics circle for scooter races.

Top tip is to go on Thursday when there is also a take away pizza van on the opposite side of the road.

The playground is located behind Sergy's school.

Monday 24 September 2012

Artistic Fences at Plainpalais



Geneva's newest creation is on Plainpalais, it has to be one of the most abstract climbing frames in the area being made of logs and fence panels... It's a really good area to play in and some of the obstacles are indeed quite challenging.

In addition there is a sand pit surrounded by concrete dunes. The dunes have push button water for testing your canal construction.

The adjoining skate park is also pretty special.

And while there you can even grab a free bike to get around town.

In summer months bring your sun cream and sun hats - there is very little shade!

Pizza on the Terrace in St Genis


In St Genis Casanova is a pizzeria where you can eat on a terrace overlooking some grass and a climbing frame.

Update 24th September 2012: The previously broken playground has been replaced by a brand new area with a bouncy rubber floor. This is huge improvement allowing you to ignore your children.

Monday 30 July 2012

Climbing at a Campsite near Seleve

This is a playground on a campsite in Neydens that we used while visiting the restaurant for a coffee. There was also a collection of rabbits to pet and a bouncy castle on the day we visited. Of course the real reason to visit this village is to buy beer from the Brasserie du Mont Saleve.