• Cirieco Design
  • Space of Mine
  • AIWC American Women’s Club of Geneva

train sdb

In recent months, our habits have been shaken up. It's time to indulge and Signal de Bougy that recently reopened on Saturday 6 June 2020 to the delight of families who have been holed up at home. Located between Lausanne and Geneva, Signal de Bougy is the ideal place for a family outing. The panorama is exceptional and several activities such as playgrounds, an animal park, and sand games are available free of charge.

Part of the park was under construction during the winter to offer three new attractions in a space called Kid'zland.

  • A small train for the whole family
  • A circuit with skidding cars (see photo below) for older children: they give the impression of skidding but in fact the vehicle turns on itself
  • A sand play area - sand toys are available for purchase at the little shop near the restaurant if you didn't bring any
  • Tokens can be bought there and will keep the kids happy and safe while parents can enjoy a beverage on the adjacent terrace

Parents can accompany children on some rides. Children from age 4 can go alone on the train or in a small cars. Under 4 years old the accompanying person does not pay. As soon as the child is 4 years old and if the parent wants to accompany him or her, he or she pays for the seat. The minimum age to drive the car, motorcycle, or boat alone is 4 years old, and from age 8 to drive a drift car alone.

musictogether

Teach Music Week is celebrated annually during the 3rd week of March to coincide with national "Music in Our Schools Month" (MiOSM). Anyone interested in learning to play an instrument is encouraged to seek out a participating location or musician friend to help get them started. Teach Music Week also invites public, private and charter schools to schedule activities that will encourage more students to sign up for music, band and chorus classes.

Music Together in Geneva Center (MTGC) teamed up with Teach Music Week and will open 4 of its classes to new students during the 3rd week of March* so that they can experience the benefits of music and learn more about their musical curriculum.

This is an amazing opportunity for families who have been considering music for their children.

Vincent James, co-founder of Keep Music Alive in the US comments, “We all know that the biggest hurdle to doing something is often just getting started. With Teach Music Week, we are hoping to inspire a multitude of new musicians who will continue reaping the educational, therapeutic and social benefits of playing music.”

VisuelExploracentre1

A local mother, Marine Sinclair, saw a need for a children's museum in the Geneva area. With the grand opening looming, knowitall.ch thought an article would drum up just the right amount of interest.

Accessible for children as young as age 3, this new museum with an unprecedented concept in the region, will offer two exhibition spaces dedicated to scientific and digital fields, as well as environmental awareness.
Their motto? Forbidden not to touch!

A museum to make the world of science accessible to all
The Exploracentre intends to meet the expectations of the inhabitants of the region by offering the first museum of playful and interactive learning dedicated to children. The idea is to propose a new offer to the Lake Geneva area of creative, innovative, and technical activities for the whole family, and thus easily relay scientific, digital, and environmental concepts.

A new exhibition and workshop space in the heart of Geneva
After several months of preparation and work, the Exploracentre is preparing to receive the explorers of all ages in the heart of the Bains neighborhood in Geneva. With a space of more than 400m2 spread over two floors, the museum offers about thirty interactive experiments. While the first level hosts a renewed thematic exhibition each year, the second offers independent evolving experiments each month. In addition, three rooms are dedicated to workshops, to school groups, to leisure centers, and to the organization of birthday parties.

Brillantmont campsPhoto courtesy of Brillantmont International School

With the summer holidays almost upon us, many of you will be starting to think about how best to keep your children entertained over the vacation period.  As usual at this time of the year, we have received lots of emails from camp organizers sending us details of their latest activities for kids.

In this article, we have tried to cover all the recommendations that we have received - everything from half-day workshops through to week-long camps – if we have missed any, please let us know!

Just click on the links for more detailed information on activities covered, age range, location, dates and price. If you want to see the camps listed by date, then the best place to look is the monthly view of our Activities Calendar - Kids! You can also see camps listed on our Pinterest Board for Kids Activities.

Technology camps are hugely popular this year, with many new companies offering activities for kids in this region.

Photography and film making continues to be a popular topic for teens this summer, with 4 organizations offering courses in English this summer. Check out the following links for more information.

G0 dive combination photo

Special rate for our readers on diving courses, including kids, at GO Dive!

Given the popularity of last year's discount to our readers, GO Dive scuba-diving specialists have come up with a package of exclusive offers that is sure to attract the more adventurous holiday-makers amongst you!

a) PADI Open Water Diver qualification

If you're heading off to somewhere exotic this summer and don't want to waste your time learning how to scuba dive when you're there, then you now have the opportunity to get your PADI Open Water Diver qualification before you leave. GO Dive have put aside 3 weeks in July for any knowitall.ch reader wishing to sign up for a 4-day course in a small group of 3 to 4 people for just Fr. 777.- per adult (instead of the standard price of Fr. 878.-) and Fr. 700.- per student aged 12+ years.  The following dates are being proposed: 9 - 12 July, 16 - 19 July, or 23 - 26 July 2018. Full course description here: http://www.go-dive.ch/courses/dive-beginners/

To encourage more families with kids to try out scuba diving, GO Dive are also running two special diving options throughout the summer.

b) Discover Diving in Family mornings

Every Wednesday morning throughout August and September (from 9h30 until 13h) a family with 1 to 2 adults and 1 to 3 children aged 12+ (max 4 people) can dive together for the fixed price of Fr. 150.- This is a special offer for our readers - the special family dive price would normally be Fr. 180.- (or Fr. 312.- if paying the standard individual prices). Full course description here: http://www.go-dive.ch/courses/dive-beginners/