One of my top tips for traveling with kids is to take plenty of kid friendly breaks. It helps to know where the playgrounds are! Some people find traveling with kids to be daunting, but they can do amazingly well in a foreign city. It’s all about prep work and knowing your kids limits. Hit up some museums and then grab a coffee and head to the playground so the kids can let off some steam!
After living in Zurich for two years we had a chance to visit a lot of the cities playgrounds! Here are five fun playgrounds that are great for tourist in Zurich. There are plenty of playgrounds around Switzerland so I narrowed this list down to just the city. These are either nearby or actually at a tourist destination spot in Zurich! By the way, playground in German is Spielplatz (literally, play place) so if you’re walking around Zurich and find a Spielplatz you know it’s a place for kids to play!
Five Great Playgrounds in Zurich
Spielplatz Blatterwiese
You’ll find this playground right next to the China Garden. The China Garden is a popular tourist destination worth checking out! This playground also has great views of the lake and there’s a walking path along the water as well. The playground is sand so prepare to empty out some shoes! There’s also a small water play area the kids can use when it’s warm out.
Photo courtesy of Swiss Family Fun
Josefweise
Josefweise is a decent sized park near the Viaduct (Viadukt) with a playground, picnic areas and cafe. It’s worth checking out because the viaduct is a fun thing to visit as well! The Viadukt is a shopping area that’s built within the arches of the viaduct with small shops, restaurants and bars. You can grab a drink at an outside cafe and watch your kids play at the Josefweise playground, or visit the shops and the grab a bite to eat at the park’s restaurant!
Spielplatz Artegut
This playground is notable because of it’s location. Less than a 10 minute walk from Zurich Stadelhofen station you’l find this park tucked away behind shrubbery fences. It’s a great stop for tourist, especially if you want to see a little of Zuirch that isn’t the main touristy area. The Stadelhofen station is just at the south end of the tourist area near the Opera house so you can hit up this playground before or after you walk around! Be sure to grab coffee at my favorite coffee shop in Zurich, ViCafe Espresso Bar (near the Opera House)!
Zurich Zoo
Zoos are always a popular destination with tourists and the Zurich zoo is a pretty good one. They have several really good animal exhibits including a really cool elephant enclosure and an indoor rain forest you can walk through. They also have a new Australia section that opened after we moved back to the U.S. There’s several play areas throughout the zoo for kids to let off some steam. There’s a nice big play structure near the cafe in the front as well as some more rugged playgrounds including one with a zip line!
Zurich Airport
Last but not least is the airport playground. This isn’t your typical airport play area! It’s a decent sized play ground on a covered observation deck at the airport. You don’t have to have a flight to go to this playground, but you do have to go through airport security to go out on the deck. You can observe planes taking off and landing while your kids play and run around in the open space (or just watch the planes together!)! There’s also a small cafe with coffee, drinks and snacks. This area is located on observation deck B and there is a small fee to get in (5 CHF for adults and 2 CHF for kids) unless you’re flying that day, then it’s free with your boarding pass!
Of course there are plenty of other playgrounds around Zurich- over 150 to be exact! I chose these five specifically for their locations and size for tourist to enjoy. Which ones are your favorite?
If you’re looking for some indoor play areas near and around Zurich check out our post: Indoor Play Areas Near Zurich!
