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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sarasin Park near Palexpo

Sarasin park is hiding behind Palexpo. Walk past the entrance to Palexpo and find yourself in Sarasin park in Grand-Saconex.

Signal de Bougy

Signal de Bougy is easily one of the best collection of playgrounds in this region. Everyone should visit here at least once per year!
There's a water play area, numerous climbing frames including a rocket and a large rope polygon.
The park also boasts collections of pigs, cows, chickens, ... to stroll around.
There are lots of picnic tables, a BBQ area and a Migros cafeteria, which includes an indoor play area. Signal de Bougy is  free to enter and enjoy.
For older children there are tree walk ways within parc adventure.

The Tall Ship of Lausanne

It's never too cold to play, even with ice on the ground. The tall ship playground in Lausanne is by the lake in Ouchy. There are also giant chess and draft sets by the fountains.

One of the highlights of visiting here is the journey! You can travel from Lausanne city centre on what must be one of the only sloping tube lines. You can sit up front to "drive" it down the hill!

The Tram at Confort

Confort is a pretty village just outside of the Pay de Gex region. It has a lovely surprise in its centre - a smart little play ground with an adjacent Tapas restaurant, the tram bar. Partially housed in an old railway carriage. This is a great and unfortunately rare combination: a restaurant with great reasonably priced food with good fenced in play structures which are easily visible from the restaurant terrace. This is good location to start many waymarked paths into the Jura.

Either Side of Rolle Castle

There are two lakeside playgrounds just a short walk from Rolle Castle . To one side of the castle there is a basic structure and in the other direction there is a more complicated play area including a sand pit and a tube slide. There are also good picnic tables and you could happily spend all afternoon here. There is a unique chair rotating at 45 degrees to the perpendicular which is quite odd to use (not pictured).

Hoover your Car and Play

This playground is just off of Route de Meyrin, a four lane road through Geneva with trams whizzing by. It only has one purpose - to occupy your children in safety while you wash and vacuum the car. I admire the owner for providing these facilities.

Sailing Boat in Genthod

For the first time it was one of our children who led us to this playground - she 'discovered' it on a school trip! 
Genthod is a very well to do village of many châteaux and, of course, it has an immaculate and well appointed park. Play structures include a sailing boat, an arial runway, a sandpit and various wooden climbing frames.
It's a short walk from this park to the lake side where you can have a wee paddle. Go down the hill, past the train station and you're there. I think you are really meant to land here on your yacht and head to Le Creux-de-Gentold for your filet de perches... but we just stopped for ice-cream.

Tipping Water Buckets in Meyrin

Meyrin has surpassed itself with its newest playground. I am sure that Meyrin must hold a record for playground density. The water is button activated, the entire area is covered in bouncy rubber flooring. There are also two climbing frames and some swings. I expect this is where we'll be spending many of our lunch hours over summer.

The Immaculate Plage at Hemance

Hermance is the last piece of Switzerland on Lake Geneva before you enter France. Hermance is a very pretty village that boasts one of the best kept lake side beaches there is. It's a great place for swimming and the playground and sandpit are also extremely well located. The views of Lake Geneva are among the best. There is also a buvette selling wine, beer, saucisse and ice cream. To get to Hermance there is a ferry from Nyon or it is the last stop on Bus E 25 minutes from the center of Geneva. The plage costs 4CHF per adult to enter. Hermance plage is incredibly well kept.

The village itself has a few shops, restaurants and a large stone tower.

The Tower at Chancy

Chancy has one of our most recent playground discoveries. This is a big and high climbing frame. Once a year this park hosts a Fête des Enfants which is a good time to visit.