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Best winter activities for kids in Switzerland

Great ways to enjoy winter in Switzerland with your kids, with links to all my winter posts, including my favorite places to ski with kids near Zurich, winter walks if your kids aren’t skiing yet, fun sledding hills near Zurich, and the best ice skating options.

Last Updated: 2 Feb 2015
By Tanya, Founder of Swiss Family Fun

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Here are some great ways to enjoy winter in Switzerland with your kids, with links to all my winter posts. I have my favorite places to ski with kids near Zurich, some winter walks if your kids aren’t skiing yet, fun sledding hills for when the snow in Zurich has already melted, and the best ice skating options. Enjoy!

Skiing with Kids

These are a few of our favorite ski resorts for kids near Zurich. They all have ski schools, easy learning hills with magic carpets, and easy blue runs for beginners. See also our Family Guide to Skiing in Switzerland for what to expect on the slopes.

Flumserberg Ski Resort • Most popular for Zurich families

Popular ski resort near Zurich with a wide variety of terrain. Good ski school for kids and beginners. Teens will enjoy the freestyle and fun park, with all sorts of jumps and obstacles.

Brunni-Alpthal Ski Resort near Zürich • Good for beginners

This small resort is perfect for beginners and families with different ages and skill levels with multiple affordable ticket options. It has a magic carpet for beginner skiers and sledders. It’s close to Zurich, so possible even on a Wednesday afternoon.

Raten Ski Hill • Best place for kids first time on skis

This small ski hill near Einsiedeln is a good choice for families with little kids who just want to sled or are starting on skis. It’s close enough to Zurich that you could go in the afternoon for just a couple hours. It also has a big playground with a zip line, winter walks, a horse-drawn sleigh, and a full-service restaurant.

Pizol Ski Resort • Locals favorite skiing near Zürich

Mid-sized ski resort near Zurich with a nice fun park, fun trails and large off-piste areas for powder days. One of the more affordable ski resort with a family discount.

Elm Ski Resort • Our favorite ski resort

This smaller local resort has plenty to keep all skill levels happy. We like the wide groomed pistes next to open powder fields, so beginning and advanced skiers can ski parallel to each other. The enclosed snow garden is particularly nice for beginners.

Hoch Ybrig ski resort near Zürich • Tips for families

Fun, affordable mid-sized ski resort near Zürich with wide slopes and fantastic views, best suited for advanced beginners and above. One of our favorite places for powder days.

Sledding in Switzerland

You can go to basic sledding hills where you simply walk back up the hill each time. Or you can go to long sled runs at ski resorts that are accessed with a chair lift or cable car.

10 Free & Cheap Sledding Hills near Zürich for Families

Our go-to sledding spots near Zurich, mostly free no-frills sledding hills and a couple higher elevation options with magic carpets and chair lifts to save you walking back up the hill.

15 Best Long Sled Runs near Zurich

The best Swiss winter toboggan runs with beautiful views and cable cars to bring you back up the mountain. Fun alternative for non-skiers.

Ice Skating in Switzerland

Most ice rinks are open from mid October through early March, with open skating most afternoons and all day on weekends.

Where to ice skate in Zurich

A few of our favorite places to skate in Zurich, as well as general info about ice skating in Switzerland including rentals, facilities, and lessons.

Ice Skating on Frozen Lakes in Switzerland

Skating on frozen lakes in Switzerland is a real treat. Here are a few natural ice skating areas in beautiful settings suitable for family ice skating.

Winter walks in the Swiss Alps

If you have babies and toddlers too little to ski, you can still enjoy winter in the alps on one of the many groomed winter trails that don’t require snowshoes. We liked to bundle our child up on a sled and pull him along the trail.

Winter Hiking in Switzerland 101

Switzerland has a large network of winter walking trails in the alps, where the snow is groomed so you only need regular hiking shoes not snowshoes. Here’s everything you need to know to get started winter hiking.

9 Free Winter Hikes near Zürich (no gondola!)

Winter hikes near Zürich that you can access with a car or bus, so you can avoid riding a gondola and reduce your cost.

Indoor options for kids

30 Best museums in Switzerland for kids

Our favorite interactive museums in Switzerland that are both entertaining and educational for all ages, from history to culture to science to food to industry. Good choice for cold rainy days.

40 Best Rainy Day Ideas for Zurich (for kids & adults!)

Our favorite indoor activities near Zurich for kids and adults including interactive museums, castles, sport, playgrounds, swimming, & more.

5 Best Indoor Swimming Pools near Zürich

Thanks to indoor swimming pools, I always have an easy, kid-friendly activity if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Here’s what to expect and a few of our favorites near Zürich.

11 Fun Indoor Playgrounds near Zurich

Fun indoor play halls with trampolines, climbing equipment, bouncy castles, slides, and ball pits and other amusements for kids.

TAGS: Guides, Swiss Winter 101, Winter

Tanya is the founder and editor of Swiss Family Fun. She has lived in Zurich Switzerland since 2005, spending most of her free time hiking in the Swiss alps.

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