Kid-friendly places in Bern

16 places in Bern, Switzerland, where children are actually welcome — what each one is, what it costs, and what to watch for. 15 carry a warning worth reading before you go.

Play cafés
Sports
Classes
Adventure

Play cafés3

Play-TownIndoor playground
A beautiful, clean and well-looked-after indoor playground with a soft-play area, a trampoline and lots of different plays for different ages, a relaxed atmosphere, kind staff, free entry for seniors and delicious homemade pizza and snacks; ~8km north (Kirchlindach)
Westside KinderlandIndoor playground
One of the best places to drop the little ones without worry, with lots of toys, climbing and sliding activities, friendly competent staff and great facilities, inside the Westside centre; ~6km west

Closed Sundays
bimanoIndoor playground
A fantastic indoor playground in an old factory building with artisan-made play structures (ball pit, slides, a skate area and much more to explore), a large bouldering space for older kids and adults, and an adjacent café with a wide drink and food selection, easily a whole day out — entry only ~5 CHF/child (adults free); ~3km east

Bouldering is charged (~20 CHF); can get less clean and staff manner variable in the evenings; glass bottles allowed in the boulder area (watch for splinters)

Sports7

BoulderBad MuubeeriClimbing
A super laid-back central bouldering gym in a converted old swimming pool (a special charm) with well-set, fun, inventive problems changed often, consistent grading, a Kilterboard and training area, changing rooms and showers, and a bistro-café-bar; ~1km west

Not huge — boulder density could be higher; simple check-in at the bar
MAGNET KletterzentrumClimbing
A big, spacious rope-climbing gym with lots of overhang and very diverse, technical routes, well-separated colour-coded grades, good temperature and air quality, clean changing rooms and showers and a little café; ~6km southwest (Niederwangen)

A bit dark (foot holds can be hard to see); routes maintained/refreshed rarely; rental ropes are in poor shape (bring your own)
O'BLOCClimbing
An awesome, big modern climbing gym (recently expanded) with tons of bouldering, top-rope with auto-belays, lead and even speed climbing over many floors, a training zone with a Kilterboard and spray walls, unique wall features, a lovely outdoor bouldering sector on the roof with a mountain view, and friendly helpful staff; ~4km east (Ostermundigen)

Auto-belay/lead needs a course first; pricey (as is Switzerland); bring your own rope for lead
Sk8park BernSkate / BMX / roller
A well-loved skate spot in the capital with a very good bowl, set in an area with a strong DIY skate culture that the locals take good care of, with a free-spirited vibe worth stopping by for even if you're just watching; ~1km northwest

The bowl is vert-focused (better for experienced skaters); outdoor
Skatepark beim GaskesselSkate / BMX / roller
A great, well-made concrete skatepark with a complete bowl and an adjacent mini-ramp that's good for all levels, in a spot with a strong local skate culture; ~1km south

Outdoor
UNIK PlaygroundTrampoline park
A nice, pretty safe trampoline hall and indoor-activity centre kids love, with seating for parents to relax over a coffee or snack and picnic space allowed for small birthday parties; ~4km west

Can get pricey for a big family and overcrowded at weekends; afternoon-only on weekdays
Zirkus Kosmos BernAcrobatics / aerial
A children's and youth circus in Bern teaching circus skills; ~1km northeast

Weekday daytime office hours; closed weekends — contact ahead for the class schedule

Classes4

Ceramix TöpferstudioArt
A wonderful, cozy central pottery and pottery-painting studio with a creative, relaxed atmosphere, a great selection of ceramics and beautiful colours, and a warm, friendly, patient host (Petra) who takes her time with everyone and explains everything clearly, perfect for a creative break with kids or a group; ~1km east

A class/studio — book ahead; pieces collected after firing
Fenêtre à l'artArt
A very relaxing and fun paint-your-own-ceramics café where you pick a ready-made piece and paint it while enjoying a drink and good conversation, with a welcoming owner, great for all ages, a date or friends; ~2km northeast

Pricier than expected; pieces collected in ~3 weeks after firing; closed Mon-Tue
Konservatorium BernMusic
A central conservatory in the old town with beautiful facilities and amazing players/teachers (some world-ranked), a cozy chamber-music hall and student recitals, where children learn and enjoy playing music; ~1km east

Check the junior programme and enrolment terms carefully (semester renewal); closed Sundays
Musikschule KellenbergerMusic
A wonderful family-run music school and shop where Manuela runs a lovely 'Wonderland' music group for little ones (kids love every lesson) and the whole team teaches guitar, drums, piano and more with a friendly, empathetic, dedicated approach that fosters a real love of music; ~2km west

Closed weekends

Adventure2

HorbermattPetting farm
A fantastic, authentic family-run organic Swiss farm where children groom horses, ride through the forest, ride toy tractors, walk with the cows and see and pet farm animals, with delicious farm-fresh food served in a historic chalet, brilliant for birthday parties; ~12km south (Oberbalm)

Closed Sundays; contact ahead to arrange a visit/party
Tierpark Dählhölzli & KinderzooZoo
A wonderful, nature-focused zoo along the Aare with Bern's famous bear family, seals, wolves, an indoor fish gallery and a lovely children's zoo where kids get close to animals, feed giraffes and ride ponies or camels, beautifully designed and family-friendly with some areas freely accessible; ~2km south

Reasonable entry fee; a bit less lively in winter

Other cities

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

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