Kid-friendly places in Basel

16 places in Basel, Switzerland, where children are actually welcome — what each one is, what it costs, and what to watch for. 16 carry a warning worth reading before you go.

Play cafés
Sports
Classes
Adventure

Play cafés4

HoppolinoIndoor playground
A huge indoor playground with lots of fun activities for all ages, super-friendly attentive staff and a gentle, kind owner, great for kids and for well-run birthday parties (cake implements, syrup on demand, a nice party setup); ~3km south

Closed Mondays; afternoon-focused weekday hours
Kiddy ParkIndoor playground
A very nice, big, clean and tidy indoor playground great for all ages (especially ~1-10), with good ventilation/fresh air, fair prices, attentive friendly staff, lovely food and fabulous birthday parties; ~2km north

Gets busy at weekends
Magical CafePlay cafe
A welcoming, family-friendly and air-conditioned café where parents can have a coffee, dessert or ice cream while children play in an amazing indoor playroom full of interesting safe toys (with cameras so you can watch from your table), delicious baked goods and lovely birthday parties; ~1km north

The play floor is hard and toys feel a bit patched-together; food is pricey; closed Mon and weekends
WirbelZwirbelPlay cafe
The best children's café in the region — a charming all-wood play area with pedagogically thoughtful toys, a climbing area, a slide and drawing (no cheap plastic), with eating and play areas cleverly separated only by floor colour so you can watch your child over a coffee, fresh mostly-local food and well-managed capacity; ~6km south (Oberwil)

No AC (but inside a temperature-controlled mall); split midday hours on weekdays

Sports7

ELYS BoulderloftClimbing
A spacious, creatively designed bouldering gym with a great kids' area where under-6s can jump, climb and discover for hours (and older kids play while parents climb the adult area), plus a nice café to rest and watch, well-set problems for all levels and a good range of difficulty, welcoming staff; ~1km northwest

Bring your own chalk; reception staff manner can be hit-and-miss
Jump Factory BaselTrampoline park
A big, diverse trampoline park with many high-quality trampoline combinations, a ninja course, a battle beam and much more, good for beginners and pros, friendly staff, easy to reach by public transport, great for kids' and teens' birthday parties; ~6km south (Münchenstein)

Book online in advance on busy/holiday days; dusty (mind dust allergies); afternoon-only on weekdays; paid parking
Kletterhalle 7Climbing
A great, easy-to-access rope-climbing gym with top-rope and lead climbing, amazing routes of varying difficulty and lots of space, plus a smaller bouldering section; ~2km south

Not really set up for spontaneous kids' play (lots of rules); bouldering problems could be refreshed more often; opens at noon
Quartier Circus BruederholzAcrobatics / aerial
A wonderful neighbourhood circus where children and teenagers put on amazing performances with great vibes, effort, smiles and fun, a lovely community activity; ~4km south

Shows can be crowded with no reserved seating (you may sit on the floor); contact ahead for classes
Skate-Anlage WettsteinSkate / BMX / roller
A nice central street skatepark with friendly local skaters, a good spot to skate in the city; ~1km northeast

Not big; the floor is curvy and has some holes/cracks; outdoor
TrendsportbaselSkate / BMX / roller
A great, big indoor skatepark (recently rebuilt) with a wooden bowl, miniramps with a spine and a street area, good value and a nice hidden spot for skaters, BMX and scooters, with separate times for each and skate-only sessions, super-friendly staff, laid-back and lessons offered; ~2km north

The wooden floor can be slippery (be cautious); the entrance is confusing to find (Building 70, 3rd floor); not ideal for total beginners; closed Mondays
Zirkus Schule BaselAcrobatics / aerial
A fantastic circus school where kids train circus skills for years and stay thrilled — a diverse, appealing leisure activity, highly recommended; ~2km south

Register by email for a trial lesson (can be slow to reply); contact ahead

Classes4

Musikschule BaselMusic
An excellent central music school, warmly reviewed as the best place in the region to begin your musical journey, with talented musicians and teachers; ~1km southwest

Register via the school
School Of Rock BaselMusic
A fantastic music school with a great spirit, patient encouraging passionate teachers (drums, guitar and more), family evenings, affordable practice-room rental and even birthday parties, where kids make great progress and gain confidence; ~4km south (Münchenstein)

Closed Sundays
ceramigas Im WestfeldArt
A wonderful paint-your-own-ceramics studio with lovingly set-up tables (sketch paper, a test tile, sponge, brushes, palette and cookies), a detailed intro to techniques, a variety of pieces and colours and a friendly host (Olivia) who never rushes you, with pieces glazed and ready in ~4 days; ~1km west

Booking recommended; pieces collected after firing
ceramigas NadelbergArt
A cool, creative and cozy central paint-your-own-ceramics studio with a vast selection of pieces (something for everyone), clear easy-to-follow instructions ideal for beginners, friendly enthusiastic knowledgeable staff and an included drink, a fantastic relaxed activity for kids and adults; ~1km north

A ~15 CHF reservation fee and pieces are pricier; if you don't finish in 2 hours a new reservation is charged; pieces collected in ~1-2 weeks

Adventure1

Tierpark Lange ErlenWildlife park
A really nice, clean, free family animal park just outside the city with lots of animals (deer, donkeys, bison, monkeys and more) in a green, cozy, park-like setting, a kids' playground right by it, a small carousel, and a kiosk, grill and popular restaurant, easily a couple of hours; ~2km north

No entry fee (donations welcome); the restaurant gets very busy

Other cities

Every place here is in the Kindering app too, on one map with the rest of Basel, sorted by how far each one is from you.

Missing a place, or one has closed? Tell us.