Switzerland is a wonderful country with plenty to offer all its visitors, regardless of age. It’s a great destination for families traveling together because its most popular places include plenty of fun activities for both older and younger visitors.
Museums with special tours for children, vast parks, amusement centers, and themed hiking trails are just some of the few exciting adventures families can undertake together. Here’s everything you need to know about the best family-friendly activities in various parts of Switzerland!
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Things to do in Switzerland
Lindt Home of Chocolate (Zurich)
The Lindt Home of Chocolate near Zurich is one of the best destinations for families because it’s fun for kids and adults. Children will love the endless chocolate tastings, colorful pralines, and chocolate fountains. You could seriously make yourself sick from chocolate here!
At the same time, adults learn about the history of chocolate and the process of making delicious treats from cacao beans.
Lindt has done a fantastic job with the building and the museum. Not only is there a huge chocolate fountain in the foyer and a cinema down the end, it is host to the largest Lindt chocolate shop I have ever seen in Switzerland! So, get your credit card ready, as you won’t leave empty-handed.
Chocolate-making workshops are also available at this museum and are suitable for children and adults. Best of all, you can keep anything you make at the workshops.
If you’re staying near Zurich, the Lindt Home of Chocolate is accessible by bus, train, and boat.
Wow Museum in Zurich
The WOW Museum is another of my favorite museums for kids in Zurich. It is focused on visual illusions, and it’s incredibly fun for both children and adults alike. I found my godson had the most fun with the interactive exhibits, like the room of mirrors, the kaleidoscope, and the upside-down rooms. At the same time, we also enjoyed the illusions scattered throughout the museum. He will be ready for the more complicated stuff in a few years too!
Most of the exhibits at the WOW Museum are interactive and meant to be touched, except for the paintings on the walls. There are also countless photograph opportunities, so you can create unique memories to forever serve as a reminder of your family trip to Switzerland.
The museum even has a special exhibit for children under six, created because it is not yet possible to perceive illusions at such a young age. Willow, the museum imp, has four hiding places throughout the museum, and children are encouraged to look for them and create their own illusions.
JungfrauPark Interlaken
Take your kids to the Jungfrau Park in Interlaken if you want to keep them busy for an entire day while you are in the Jungfrau region. This is the largest indoor/outdoor park in the Bernese Oberland, with countless fun things for kids. The park is suitable for all children up to 10 years of age with multiple playgrounds, climbing frames, pedal karts, and slides.
There’s also an arcade center where kids can play all sorts of games, making the parents wish they were 10 again. While the children are running around having loads of fun, you can take advantage of the sun loungers on those sunnier days, or just hang out at the on-site restaurant.
Sledding at Chäserrugg 
Chäserrugg is a mountain summit in northeastern Switzerland, easily accessible from Zurich, Chur, and St. Gallen. Head to the Wildhaus-Alt St Johann village in winter, where you can enjoy the ride a funicular to the summit
The mountain is quite the highlight for the adrenaline junkie (or those that like a little speed) because it features one of the longest sledding runs in all of Switzerland. It’s 5.9 kilometers, but it can be split into two sections. The upper section of the run is steeper and not the ideal activity for very young children. But it will be super fun if your kids are a bit older.
The lower section of the run is nowhere near as steep. It’s much safer and great for very young kids, but it doesn’t get as much snow as the upper section so it’s not always open.
Globi’s Treasure Hunt Trail in Engelberg
The Alpine town of Engelberg is very popular with outdoor enthusiasts, and if your family enjoys hanging out together while exploring natural attractions, this is the place to be in Switzerland. There are loads of things to do in the area from golfing to rock climbing, but kids will enjoy Globi’s Treasure Hunt the best.
It’s a hiking trail led by Globi, an iconic Swiss cartoon character. The trail is straightforward; it’s mostly downhill and takes an average of an hour and 15 minutes to complete. Globi’s Treasure Hunt is suitable for children as young as three, so there’s nothing to worry about regarding the technical difficulty of the trail.
Before they embark upon the hike, kids can have fun at the huge playground that features a waterpark, an alpine slide, and a trampoline, among other things. This is at the beginning of the trail, and then they will be given treasure maps and set out on the trail to search for hidden treasures with Globi.
Museum of Communication Bern
The Museum of Communication in Bern is the perfect destination for tech-savvy families. If your children are already into robots and computers, they will absolutely love this museum. The same goes for any adults accompanying them.
The museum focuses on different modes of communication and features exhibits on everything from the earliest post offices to futuristic video calls. It’s incredibly interesting, and they’ve even got interactive tours for kids led by their mascot, Ratatösk. The museum’s Core Exhibition is suitable for toddlers, and there are plenty of interactive exhibits even the youngest visitors can enjoy.
The museum is not only super fun but also highly educational. If you want to spend some quality time as a family but also learn something in the process, this is a great place in Bern.
Churwalden Toboggan Run
The Churwalden Toboggan Run is the longest of its kind in Switzerland. It’s a sled on rails, so it can be done in either summer or winter, provided the weather conditions allow it. Despite being the longest toboggan run in Switzerland, it’s not as dangerous as it sounds. In fact, it’s perfectly suitable for all children.
Even younger kids are welcome to come along for the ride, and children older than eight years don’t need to be accompanied by adults. The toboggan is 3km (1.9 miles) long, and it takes 7-10 minutes to complete the entire ride. During the run, you can reach speeds up to 40 km/h, which is thrilling. Or, just use the brake a lot like my godson tends to do – just make sure the people behind you leave a little later, or they will catch you on the way down!
Chillon Castle at Veytaux 
Chillon Castle is a magnificent historical landmark in Veytaux, on the shore of Lake Geneva. It’s a popular destination for day trips from Montreux, Vevey, and even as far as Geneva, so don’t miss out on this gem when you’re traveling through the south-west of Switzerland.
The castle and its history are absolutely fascinating. Visitors can tour all the rooms in the castle, most of which are thematically organized. Children are given special handouts with room descriptions upon entrance. The dungeons and the weapons room tend to be the most interesting for the younger visitors, while adults usually enjoy the entire experience.
Additionally, Chillon Castle often hosts children-focused events, including family days, discovery tours with costumed guides, and even treasure hunts in the castle. Their website is frequently updated with information on upcoming events, so be sure to check what’s happening at the castle prior to your visit.
Sensorium near Bern
The Sensorium in Walkringen is easily accessible by public transport and car from Bern. It’s a museum with interactive exhibits meant to stimulate all of your five senses. Children are encouraged to touch most of the exhibits, and there are a lot of areas where they are free to roam around and play.
Just be aware that most explanations in the museum are in French or German, so it can be a bit tricky to understand what’s going on if the kids don’t understand the language. However, I find that just using Google Translate solves most of those problems! And, nearly all exhibits are meant to be experienced visually or physically, and there’s actually very little text to be read anyway.
For those who need it, there is a big outdoor playground near the museum entrance including a very long slide, swings, and climbers.
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