What’s On in July 2014

The kids’ summer holidays have started, I can’t believe how fast this school year has flown by! Whether you’ll be away or spending more time with your little ones, there is plenty to do in the area for families who wish to enjoy this lovely and (hopefully) sunny time of the year.

Scroll down to see the list of summer activities in Geneva and Vaud, who said there’s nothing to do in the city during the school break?! Remember to keep checking our blog as we will be updating this post with more events each week.

SUMMER IN GENEVA:

• 28th June-20th August: Musiques en été, an impressive series of 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!

 

• 30th June-20th August 2014: 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.

 

• 30th June-22nd August 2014: Free Taekwondo classes in French at the Parc des Bastions in Geneva. Try something new this summer & get into shape with these FREE Taekwondo classes at the Parc des Bastions in #Geneva! The course will start on Monday 30th of June 2014 and run until the 22nd of August, classes will take place from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Open to all, beginners welcome – FREE OF CHARGE. You don’t need to buy a dobok or kimono if you don’t have one, just wear comfy trousers and a t-shirt….and remember to bring plenty of water, of course! In case of rain or bad weather there will be no classes.

 

• 30th June-24th August 2014: 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).

 

• 1st-4th July 2014: “Le carreau céramique en Terres d’Islam”, workshops in French for kids aged 8 to 13 at the Musée Ariana in Geneva (Avenue de la Paix 10). From 9am to 5pm, the workshop on Tuesday 1st of July will be for 8 to 10 y.olds; the one on Wednesday 2nd of July for 10 to 13 y.olds and the one on Friday 4th of July for families.

 

• 5th-6th July 2014: “La Nuit de la Science”, a fantastic free event for the whole family at the Musée d’histoire des sciences, parc de la Perle du Lac in Geneva (Rue de Lausanne 128). Story times, shows, discovery walks, games, exhibitions and experiments all linked to the fascinating world of science. All activities are free of charge but most kids workshops will require advance booking. The event will run from 2pm until late into the night on Saturday 5th of July and from midday to 8pm on Sunday 6th. Click here for full programme details. FREE ENTRY FOR ALL. Science can definitely be fun, so make sure you share it with your little ones!

 

• 7th-11th July 2014: “Isabeille”, fun workshops in French for kids aged 4 to 8 at the BiblioQuartier des Grands-Hutins in Carouge (Rue de la Tambourine 3). From 9am to 11.30am, these nature workshops will look into the fascinating world of bees, honey & biodiversity. FREE OF CHARGE, but places must be reserved in advance at animations-bibliotheques@carouge.ch

 

• 10th July-17 August 2014: CinéTransat is one of the Geneva’s best-loved summer events and it’s easy to understand why: every evening at dusk they show a selection of great movies free of charge in the wonderful setting of the Parc de la Perle du Lac, you can bring your own picnic and enjoy a lovely evening out with family and friends. But this is not all: they also organize a series of theme and karaoke nights, from disco night to Bollywood make sure you dress the part! Find out more about CinéTransat in our 2012 interview with founder and organizer Dan Acher. If you’ve never been, we promise you will love this event – if you’ve been, we bet you can’t wait to go back this year! Movies are shown in their original soundtrack with subtitles, so all British & American movies will be in English. Check their facebook page in case of bad weather or rain as the session might be cancelled. “Back to the Future II” on the 12th of July 2014 and “Kiki la petite sorcière” on the 27th of July 2014 (in French) are great movies for kids of all ages.

 

• 12th July-31st August 2014: “Aubes musicales” free live concerts from 6am to 7am every morning at the Bains des Pâquis. Enjoy one of Geneva’s finest cultural traditions (summer isn’t summer without these concerts at the Bains) and start your day inspired by beautiful music…and a free coffee too!

 

• 15th-25th July 2014: Lectures au parc Geisendorf, Tuesday to Friday from 4pm to 6pm. Free entry.

 

• 17th July-10th August 2014: Fêtes de Genève, the city’s summer festival is on its way with 150 free concerts on three different stages (Club Stage in the heart of the Jardin Anglais; the very popular Funkytown Stage at Baby-Plage and the new Wilson Stage on the Right Bank). There will be plenty of entertainment for little ones too with funfairs, merry-go-rounds and much more all along the Geneva lakeside. Don’t miss the traditional waiters’ race and the amazing firework display on the 9th of August 2014 from 10pm.

 

• until 20th of July 2014: Circus Royal on the Plaine de Plainpalais in Geneva. An amazing circus water show for the whole family, with over 200,000 liters of water being poured on the Plaine! Book your tickets here and check the full programme.

 

• until 20th of July 2014: Chez Gustave j’Ador, just opposite the Baby Plage in Geneva. Until the 20th of July take a breather on the sunloungers which will be set out on Quai Gustave-Ador Wednesday to Saturday from 2pm to 10pm (midday to 8pm on Sundays) and enjoy some free DJ sets & live music.There will be plenty of activities for families with young children too (Monday to Friday until the 10th of July 2014), including workshops, zumba, toy library games, story times from age 2 on the 3rd and 10th of July 2014 from 10am to midday.

 

• until 25th July 2014: Un été à Sécheron, it’s summer time at the Espace de Quartier Sécheron in Geneva with umbrellas, sun loungers, buvette, concerts and many activities for kids. Open Monday to Friday from 3pm to 8pm, you will also find table tennis and small inflatable paddle pools for the little ones.

 

• 25th July-24th August 2014: Orange Cinema Geneva, open-air cinema at Geneva’s Port Noir. See the official website for full programme details.

 

• until 22nd August 2014: La Terrasse du 99 Espace de Quartier in Geneva (Rue de Lyon 99) will be open from 3pm to 7pm Monday to Friday. Make the most of this lovely space which includes a bar with loungers, a mini pool for kids, a bike rental service as well as many activities organized by the local toy library and Villa Yoyo. From the 30th of June to the 4th of July there will be a week of FREE activities for children ranging from arts & crafts, cookery workshops, games & much more.

 

• until 24th August 2014: the Tour de plage at the Fontaine des Tours in Carouge (20-22 boulevard des Promenades), opens up again for the summer season. A fantastic spot right in the heart of Carouge, where you will be able to enjoy live concerts and plenty of activities for the little ones, including face painting, giant outdoor games from Carouge’s toy library, Zumba etc. – and all are free of charge! Open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm to 7pm, Tour de plage has too many activities planned to list them all here, so click on the official website for full details.

 

• until 31st August 2014: Saint-Jean plage, enjoy the sun loungers and umbrellas placed outside the Bibliothèque de Saint-Jean (Avenue des Tilleuls 19) for a moment of peace, to read or just relax!

 

• until September 2014: L’amarr@GE – Bains lacustres sur le Rhône, an amazing floating swimming pool in the shape of the Swiss cross at the Pont de la Machine in Geneva. This great project forms part of the GE200.ch celebrations, read more about it in our previous post “200 Years of Swiss History”. The amarr@GE is open from 10am to 8pm Sunday to Wednesday and from 10am to 9pm from Thursday to Saturday. Entry is 2CHF for adults and 1CHF for children, water temperature is 28 degrees. The pools have different depths: one is 40cm deep, and the others 110cm et 130cm deep.

 

• until September 2014: Free Ludobus in Geneva. Until the end of September 2014 you will find a red and a blue ludobus at different locations in Geneva including parks, school playgrounds & street festivals. A ludobus is a travelling toy library, guaranteed to keep your little ones entertained during these long, hot summer days. You can download the full list of locations & exact times here.

 

• until September 2014: Fancy trying something new this summer? What about yoga paddle board in Geneva? You can contact the Yoga Shop on 078 626 49 76 or info@yogashop-geneve.ch. Classes will take place at Tropical in Geneva www.trop.ch, beginners welcome!

 

• 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.

 

SUMMER IN VAUD:

• 28th June-23rd August 2014: “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.

 

• 2nd-27th July 2014: Ciné Air, open-air cinema in Rolle (Place du Château). A unique opportunity to watch some great new releases and older 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). They will be showing some great movies for kids too like the new LEGO Movie and Rio 2.

 

• 4th-19th July 2014: the Montreux Jazz Festival is one of the most eagerly-awaited music festival in Switzerland and this year’s edition will not disappoint with some great free concerts as well as ticketed ones featuring artists such as Jamie Cullum, Goldfrapp, Paloma Faith, Chris Rea and many more. Tickets sell out fast, so check online now ! A free daycare is located directly opposite the Music & Convention Center in the German Church (between the gas station and the Palace). Professional child-carers look after children aged 3 to 10, from 2pm-1am from Sunday to Thursday, 2pm-2am on Friday and Saturday. Children can stay a maximum of 4 consecutive hours. Another great initiative for kids is the Montreux Jazz Young Planet, located on the lake promenade at the pier. From 5 pm to midnight from Monday to Friday and from 2 pm to midnight on Saturday and Sunday, the Young Planet offers a number of free activities, such as dance, music or discussion forums. The area is also guaranteed to be alcohol and smoke-free.

 

• 4th July-16th August 2014: RiveJazzy Nyon, a great music festival dedicated to traditional jazz music, swing, as well as latino & gipsy music. It takes place in the Quartier de Rive in Nyon during the months of July and August (except during the Paléo Festival), concerts might be cancelled in case of rain or bad weather. Entry is free of charge for all and there are plenty of delish options to combine dinner with some great live music. Visit the official website for full programme details and performance times.

 

• 8th-13th July 2014: Festival de la Cité in Lausanne. The city’s summer celebrations offer an exciting line-up of over 90 shows, including theatre, dance, live concerts, comedy circus, literature as well as visual and plastic arts. Events will take place across various parts of the town centre, the majority will be in the open-air (so watch out for rain!) and all are free of charge. See the official website for full programme details, this festival is too good to miss!

 

• 12th-13th & 19th-20th July 2014: Fête Médiévale au Château d’Aigle, a wonderful medieval fest in one of Switzerland’s loveliest castles. With plenty of activities and workshops for the little ones, including story times, danse parents-enfants and juggling shows, this makes a fun day-out for the whole family. Click here to download the full programme details.

 

• 22nd-27th July 2014: the Paléo Festival Nyon is quite legendary and amongst the best music festivals in the region. This year’s edition is set to be one of the best with international stars such as james Blunt, Elton John, Stromae, The Prodigy, ZAZ, Vanessa Paradis and many many more ready to rock the stage ! Tickets sell out fast, so book now before it’s too late. Paléo Festival Nyon has a great programme for kids too, including live evening concerts, free day nursery, free magic shows and baby disco every day as well as the kids’ play area Mielimélo (ages 6 to 12). Entry to the festival is free for all children under the age of 12, check the official website for the complete list of kids activities.

 

 

• until 21st September 2014: 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.

 

SUMMER IN FRANCE:

• Vitam’ (500 route des Envignes, Neydens, France) is a great waterpark for hot summer’s days: there are indoor and outdoor pools, as well as great waterslides for all ages. Children aged 6 to 12 can also enroll for the summer swimming school, which runs from the 7th of July to the 29th of August 2014 (each course is 5 days).

 

• Plage du Lac in Divonne-les-Bains is open from the 1st of June to the 31st of August 2014. A 350m lovely sandy beach on the shore of the Lac de Divonne, it’s a great place for families with young children. They have a buvette, a kids play area, toilets and they offer swimming lessons, canoë, kayak & pedalo rentals. An entry fee is charged, around 3 Euros per person and 2 Euros for children.

 

• The Centre Nautique in Divonne-les-Bains (France) is an outdoor pool open from the 17th of May to the 7th September 2014. A great place to cool off on a hot summer’s day! Contact them on piscine-lac.divonne@comsports.fr for full details and prices. Centre Nautique – 282 avenue des Alpes, Divonne-les-Bains. Tel. +33(0)4 5020 3785 piscine-lac.divonne@comsports.fr

 

• 14th July 2014: celebrate national Bastille Day in nearby France (Pays de Gex) with various events, balls and fireworks at night. Click here for more details on the celebrations in Divonne-les-Bains, which will include fireworks displays from 10.30pm, children’s activities & torchlight parade.

 

• 14th July 2014: celebrate national Bastille Day in Annemasse, there will be food stalls and activities from 8pm, followed by torchlight parade at 9.45pm and fireworks at 10.30pm.

 

• 18th-20th July 2014: “Guitare en Scene” music festival in St Julien-en-Genevois (France). A great music festival for all guitar-lovers, with plenty of international stars set to get the groove going ! See the official website for full details and to buy tickets. Don’t miss Deep Purple live on Sunday 20th at 7.30pm!

 

• 26th-27th July 2014: Week End des Etoiles at the Fort l’Ecluse in Pays de Gex. The Société d’Astronomie de Genève (SAG), in collaboration with the club d’astronomie du CERN will welcome visitors for a night of amazing discoveries with meteorites & ancient astronomy instruments exhibitions, kids workshops and much more. There will be night observations too, of course, so click here to download the full programme. The event starts at 11am on 11am on Saturday and will continue until 10pm, on Sunday activities will run from 11am to 1pm.

 

SUNDAY BRUNCH, LAKE BEACHES, POOLS, LIDOS & PLACES TO VISIT:

• 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 ?

 

• We’ve discovered some great lake beaches in Préverenges and Saint-Prex: they are free and great for kids! For more great pools & lidos in the area, take a look at our previous post.

 

• Summer is the perfect season for picnics too, here’s some of our favourite spots – what are yours ?

 

• 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.

• 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!

 

 JULY 2014 LISTINGS CALENDAR:

• 28th June-20th August: Musiques en été, an impressive series of 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!

 

• 28th June-23rd August 2014: “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.

 

• Wednesday 2nd July 2014: Mini & Petits Rendez-vous at Geneva’s MAMCO for little ones aged 2 to 4 (mini rendez-vous) and 5 to 10 (petits rendez-vous) accompanied by an adult. These fun, interactive visits for kids are free of charge and require no advance booking. Introduce your little ones to the joys of modern art with these great guided tours, which start at 3.15pm (11.15am on Sunday). There will be other tours on Sunday 6th of July, Wednesday 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th of July as well.

 

• 2nd-27th July 2014: Ciné Air, open-air cinema in Rolle (Place du Château). A unique opportunity to watch some great new releases and older 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). They will be showing some great movies for kids too like the new LEGO Movie and Rio 2.

 

• Friday 4th July 2014: Né pour lire, story time for little ones aged 6 months to 4 years-old at the Tour de plage in Carouge (Fontaines des Tours, 20-22 boulevard des Promenades). From 5pm to 5.45pm, free entry no advance booking required.

 

• 4th-6th July 2014: OpenAire festival, street basket and live music festival at the Esplanade Marignac in Lancy. See the official website for full details of the free concerts and performances – definitely a fun day-out, especially with older children!

 

• 4th-12th July 2014: Festival International du Film Fantastique de Neuchâtel, a great film festival for all lovers of fantasy-genre movies from Europe, Switzerland, India and Asia. Take a look at their full programme for the complete list (due to the nature of some movies it’s better to leave the little ones at home with a baby sitter!).

 

• 4th-19th July 2014: the Montreux Jazz Festival is one of the most eagerly-awaited music festival in Switzerland and this year’s edition will not disappoint with some great free concerts as well as ticketed ones featuring artists such as Jamie Cullum, Goldfrapp, Paloma Faith, Chris Rea and many more. Tickets sell out fast, so check online now ! A free daycare is located directly opposite the Music & Convention Center in the German Church (between the gas station and the Palace). Professional child-carers look after children aged 3 to 10, from 2pm-1am from Sunday to Thursday, 2pm-2am on Friday and Saturday. Children can stay a maximum of 4 consecutive hours. Another great initiative for kids is the Montreux Jazz Young Planet, located on the lake promenade at the pier. From 5 pm to midnight from Monday to Friday and from 2 pm to midnight on Saturday and Sunday, the Young Planet offers a number of free activities, such as dance, music or discussion forums. The area is also guaranteed to be alcohol and smoke-free.

 

• 4th July-16th August 2014: RiveJazzy Nyon, a great music festival dedicated to traditional jazz music, swing, as well as latino & gipsy music. It takes place in the Quartier de Rive in Nyon during the months of July and August (except during the Paléo Festival), concerts might be cancelled in case of rain or bad weather. Entry is free of charge for all and there are plenty of delish options to combine dinner with some great live music. Visit the official website for full programme details and performance times.

 

• Saturday 5th July 2014: “Goûters contes pour les jeunes : Histoires d’eaux”, at 3.30pm at the Château de Voltaire in Ferney-Voltaire (France). A guided walk and story-time in one with Viviane Reymermier. More info and bookings at http://www.paysdevoltaire.com/fr

 

• 5th-6th July 2014: “La Nuit de la Science”, a fantastic free event for the whole family at the Musée d’histoire des sciences, parc de la Perle du Lac in Geneva (Rue de Lausanne 128). Story times, shows, discovery walks, games, exhibitions and experiments all linked to the fascinating world of science. All activities are free of charge but most kids workshops will require advance booking. The event will run from 2pm until late into the night on Saturday 5th of July and from midday to 8pm on Sunday 6th. Click here for full programme details. FREE ENTRY FOR ALL. Science can definitely be fun, so make sure you share it with your little ones!

 

• 5th-6th July 2014: Roc’ountry 2014, fantastic rock festival at the Refuge de Darwyn in Sezenove (Geneva), with live concerts, food stalls, pony rides, mechanical rodeo & much more! All in support of the great charity work done by the Refuge de Darwyn.

 

• 5th-6th July 2014: “Festival des arts martiaux historiques européens & artistiques”, ancient martial arts festival at the Château de Morges (VD). Open from 10am to 5pm with various live demonstrations to keep the little fighters entertained.

 

• Sunday 6th July 2014: Petits Rendez-vous at Geneva’s MAMCO for little ones aged 5 to 10 accompanied by an adult. These fun, interactive visits for kids are free of charge and require no advance booking. Introduce your little ones to the joys of modern art with these great guided tours, which start 11.15am. There will be other tours on Wednesday 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th of July as well.

 

• Sunday 6th July 2014: Lipstick Brunch at Geneva’s Baby Plage (Quai Gustave-Ador). Bag yourself a bargain with some fab creations from Uzume Spirit, including adorable little girl summer dresses for 20CHF only! This is special treat and a great day-out for girls only: there will be massages, henna tatoos, manicures, healthy salads & grilled food as well as sun loungers and live DJ sets…how can you miss it?!

 

• until 6th July 2014: “Pas de panique”, a great exhibition – suitable for adults and children alike – dealing with fear and panic, explained in a fun and interactive way. What ignites these powerful emotions? How do they affect us? Learn all about fear, panic and stress and…fear no more! Click here for full deatils of all upcoming conferences and events linked to the exhibition at Uni Dufour in Geneva (Rue Général-Dufour 24). Free entry.

 

• 7th July 2014: Kids workshops at Un R De Famille in Geneva (10 Rue Goetz Monin). Choose from the “Stage créatif et atelier contes pour enfants” from age 6 starting at 10am, or the “Stage de cuisine pour parents et enfants” from age 6 starting at 9.30am where you will learn to make some delicious Japanese dishes with Emiko Okamoto. These classes will run from Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 2pm.

 

• 7th-11th July 2014: “Isabeille”, fun workshops in French for kids aged 4 to 8 at the BiblioQuartier des Grands-Hutins in Carouge (Rue de la Tambourine 3). From 9am to 11.30am, these nature workshops will look into the fascinating world of bees, honey & biodiversity. FREE OF CHARGE, but places must be reserved in advance at animations-bibliotheques@carouge.ch

 

• Tuesday 8th July 2014: Atelier vacances “Jeux d’ombres” in French for children aged 7 to 12 at the Château de Prangins (VD). The workshop will run from 2pm to 4.30pm, the cost is only 10CHF per child (snack included) but places must be reserved in advance at 022 994 88 93.

 

• 8th-13th July 2014: Festival de la Cité in Lausanne. The city’s summer celebrations offer an exciting line-up of over 90 shows, including theatre, dance, live concerts, comedy circus, literature as well as visual and plastic arts. Events will take place across various parts of the town centre, the majority will be in the open-air (so watch out for rain!) and all are free of charge. See the official website for full programme details, this festival is too good to miss!

 

• Wednesday 9th July 2014: Petits Rendez-vous at Geneva’s MAMCO for little ones aged 5 to 10 accompanied by an adult. These fun, interactive visits for kids are free of charge and require no advance booking. Introduce your little ones to the joys of modern art with these great guided tours, which start at 3.15pm. There will be other tours on Wednesday 16th, 23rd and 30th of July as well.

 

• 9th-12th July 2014: Idéklic Festival International pour l’enfant, a fantastic summer festival for kids featuring over 50 fun workshops and 30 shows. From the age of 12 months, your little buttons will have plenty of fun shows to choose from, including circus performances, puppetshows, musical theatre, clowns and also live pop concerts for older children. Take a look at the official website for a complete list of all workshops and performances. The festival takes place at 87 av. de St Claude, 39260 Moirans en Montagne (France).

 

• 10th July-17 August 2014: CinéTransat is one of the Geneva’s best-loved summer events and it’s easy to understand why: every evening at dusk they show a selection of great movies free of charge in the wonderful setting of the Parc de la Perle du Lac, you can bring your own picnic and enjoy a lovely evening out with family and friends. But this is not all: they also organize a series of theme and karaoke nights, from disco night to Bollywood make sure you dress the part! Find out more about CinéTransat in our 2012 interview with founder and organizer Dan Acher. If you’ve never been, we promise you will love this event – if you’ve been, we bet you can’t wait to go back this year! Movies are shown in their original soundtrack with subtitles, so all British & American movies will be in English. Check their facebook page in case of bad weather or rain as the session might be cancelled. “Back to the Future II” on the 12th of July 2014 and “Kiki la petite sorcière” on the 27th of July 2014 (in French) are great movies for kids of all ages.

 

 

• Friday 11th July 2014: Né pour lire, story time for little ones aged 6 months to 4 years-old at the Tour de plage in Carouge (Fontaines des Tours, 20-22 boulevard des Promenades). From 5pm to 5.45pm, free entry no advance booking required.

 

• 11th-12th July 2014: the countryside moves to the city with the Fête de la tomate in Carouge ! With plenty of family-friendly activities like cookery workshops for children, magic and clown shows, a fun roundabout, local produce markets and much more this is definitely a great day-out for the whole family. There will also be a petting farm with goats, cows, ducks and old tractors that the children will definitely love. Free entry.

 

• Saturday 12th July 2014: Lake Parade in Geneva (meeting l’Avenue de France). This electro music parade & festival will take over the Geneva lakeside for a fun-filled day. The parade will start from the Parc Mon Repos, along the Quai Wilson and to the Place des Alpes. See their facebook page for full details.

 

• 12th July-31st August 2014: “Aubes musicales” free live concerts from 6am to 7am every morning at the Bains des Pâquis. Enjoy one of Geneva’s finest cultural traditions (summer isn’t summer without these concerts at the Bains) and start your day inspired by beautiful music…and a free coffee too!

 

• 12th-13th & 19th-20th July 2014: Fête Médiévale au Château d’Aigle, a wonderful medieval fest in one of Switzerland’s loveliest castles. With plenty of activities and workshops for the little ones, including story times, danse parents-enfants and juggling shows, this makes a fun day-out for the whole family. Click here to download the full programme details.

 

 

• 14th July 2014: celebrate national Bastille Day in nearby France (Pays de Gex) with various events, balls and fireworks at night. Click here for more details on the celebrations in Divonne-les-Bains, which will include fireworks displays from 10.30pm, children’s activities & torchlight parade.

 

• 14th July 2014: celebrate national Bastille Day in Annemasse, there will be food stalls and activities from 8pm, followed by torchlight parade at 9.45pm and fireworks at 10.30pm.

 

• Tuesday 15th July 2014: Atelier vacances “Potager de cinq sens” in French for children aged 7 to 12 at the Château de Prangins (VD). The workshop will run from 2pm to 4.30pm, the cost is only 10CHF per child (snack included) but places must be reserved in advance at 022 994 88 93.

 

• Wednesday 16th July 2014: Petits Rendez-vous at Geneva’s MAMCO for little ones aged 5 to 10 accompanied by an adult. These fun, interactive visits for kids are free of charge and require no advance booking. Introduce your little ones to the joys of modern art with these great guided tours, which start at 3.15pm. There will be other tours on Wednesday 23rd and 30th of July as well.

 

• 17th July-10th August 2014: Fêtes de Genève, the city’s summer festival is on its way with 150 free concerts on three different stages (Club Stage in the heart of the Jardin Anglais; the very popular Funkytown Stage at Baby-Plage and the new Wilson Stage on the Right Bank). There will be plenty of entertainment for little ones too with funfairs, merry-go-rounds and much more all along the Geneva lakeside. Don’t miss the traditional waiters’ race and the amazing firework display on the 9th of August 2014 from 10pm.

 

• 18th-20th July 2014: “Guitare en Scene” music festival in St Julien-en-Genevois (France). A great music festival for all guitar-lovers, with plenty of international stars set to get the groove going ! See the official website for full details and to buy tickets. Don’t miss Deep Purple live on Sunday 20th at 7.30pm!

 

• 19th-20th July 2014: Fête Médiévale au Château d’Aigle, a wonderful medieval fest in one of Switzerland’s loveliest castles. With plenty of activities and workshops for the little ones, including story times, danse parents-enfants and juggling shows, this makes a fun day-out for the whole family. Click here to download the full programme details.

 

• until 20th of July 2014: Chez Gustave j’Ador, just opposite the Baby Plage in Geneva. Until the 20th of July take a breather on the sunloungers which will be set out on Quai Gustave-Ador Wednesday to Saturday from 2pm to 10pm (midday to 8pm on Sundays) and enjoy some free DJ sets & live music.There will be plenty of activities for families with young children too (Monday to Friday until the 10th of July 2014), including workshops, zumba, toy library games, story times from age 2 on the 3rd and 10th of July 2014 from 10am to midday.

 

• Tuesday 22nd July 2014: Atelier vacances “De la lumière à la photographie” in French for children aged 7 to 12 at the Château de Prangins (VD). The workshop will run from 2pm to 4.30pm, the cost is only 10CHF per child (snack included) but places must be reserved in advance at 022 994 88 93.

 

• 22nd-27th July 2014: the Paléo Festival Nyon is quite legendary and amongst the best music festivals in the region. This year’s edition is set to be one of the best with international stars such as james Blunt, Elton John, Stromae, The Prodigy, ZAZ, Vanessa Paradis and many many more ready to rock the stage ! Tickets sell out fast, so book now before it’s too late. Paléo Festival Nyon has a great programme for kids too, including live evening concerts, free day nursery, free magic shows and baby disco every day as well as the kids’ play area Mielimélo (ages 6 to 12). Entry to the festival is free for all children under the age of 12, check the official website for the complete list of kids activities.

 

• Wednesday 23rd July 2014: Petits Rendez-vous at Geneva’s MAMCO for little ones aged 5 to 10 accompanied by an adult. These fun, interactive visits for kids are free of charge and require no advance booking. Introduce your little ones to the joys of modern art with these great guided tours, which start at 3.15pm. There will be another tour on Wednesday 30th of July as well.

 

• 25th July-24th August 2014: OrangeCinema Genève, a swanky open-air cinema at Geneva’s Port Noir, with a great lounge bar area overlooking the lake and Jet d’Eau. The movie list includes various avant-premières and many new releases, check the official facebook page for full details. Book your favourite baby-sitter for the evening: this is a very romantic night out for mums & dads!

 

• 26th-27th July 2014: Week End des Etoiles at the Fort l’Ecluse in Pays de Gex. The Société d’Astronomie de Genève (SAG), in collaboration with the club d’astronomie du CERN will welcome visitors for a night of amazing discoveries with meteorites & ancient astronomy instruments exhibitions, kids workshops and much more. There will be night observations too, of course, so click here to download the full programme. The event starts at 11am on 11am on Saturday and will continue until 10pm, on Sunday activities will run from 11am to 1pm.

 

• 26th July-3rd August 2014: “Au pays des enfants” kids festival in the Pays-d’Enhaut (communes of Château-d’Oex, Rougemont and Rossinière). The programme includes over 100 shows and plenty of creative workshops for children of all ages, what a great family day-out in the beautiful setting of the Pays-d’Enhaut ! Vist the official website for full programme details in all 3 communes and to buy your tickets. If you have a Coop Hello Family card you can claim a 20% discount.

 

• Tuesday 29th July 2014: Atelier vacances “Chasse au trésor” in French for children aged 7 to 12 at the Château de Prangins (VD). The workshop will run from 2pm to 4.30pm, the cost is only 10CHF per child (snack included) but places must be reserved in advance at 022 994 88 93.

 

• Wednesday 30th July 2014: Petits Rendez-vous at Geneva’s MAMCO for little ones aged 5 to 10 accompanied by an adult. These fun, interactive visits for kids are free of charge and require no advance booking. Introduce your little ones to the joys of modern art with these great guided tours, which start at 3.15pm.

ONGOING:

• until 17th August 2014: “Anatomies”, interactive exhibition at the Musée de la main – Fondation Claude Verdan in Lausanne (Rue du Bugnon 21) looking at different representations of the human body & anatomy throughout the centuries. Book your place in advance for one of their kids workshops: “Voyage dans le corps” (ages 6-9) and “Corps transparent” (ages 10-13), which are also offered as birthday party workshops for 140CHF, max. 12 children.

 

• until September 2014: “Les Créateliers animent le square Monthoux” kids activities & workshops at the square Monthoux in Geneva (32 rue de Monthoux) for children aged 2 to 12 on Monday and Thursday afternoon and on Saturdays. Check the official website for full details.

 

• until 21st September 2014: “Oiseaux”, a fantastic birds exhibition at the Muséum d’histoire naturelle Genève. Discover the magic world of birds and how we can help to preserve them. Free entry.

 

• until 21st September 2014: Superman, Batman & co…mics! A great exhibition at the Maison d’Ailleurs (Place Pestalozzi 14, Yverdon-les-Bains) paying tribute to the “comics culture” through the work of 5 contemporary artists: Adrian Tranquilli, Gilles Barbier, Mathias Schmied, Alexandre Nicolas and Audrey Piguet. A fascinating journey through the icons of this modern mythology. Check the official website for more details on guided tours and kids workshops.

 

• until 28th September 2014: Papiers découpés. Scherenschnitte. Silhouette. Paper cuts, a new exhibition at the Château de Prangins (VD) focusing on contemporary and historical paper-cuts. As their website explains: “Ranging from the abstract to the figurative and the dazzlingly colourful to the austerely black and white, these works are a testament to the expressive richness of a medium that enables artists to suggest the beauty of a landscape and also cast a critical eye over contemporary society. Also featured are paper cuts made by children from the Pestalozzianum Foundation in Zurich between 1930 and 1960, and films by the celebrated German director and pioneer of silhouette animation Lotte Reiniger. At the end of the tour, visitors can take a seat on a silhouette chair and recreate themselves in profile.”