Zürich is a wonderland with a plethora of indoor venues where families celebrate kids’ birthdays and other life milestones with a bang.
Zürich’s weather conditions are generally favorable to celebrate family milestones under the clear blue sky. But there are times when birthday parties for kids (kinder, as the Germans call them) are better held at indoor venues than outdoors.
If you’re looking to hold your child’s upcoming birthday party in confined spaces, here are 7 of the best indoor venues in Zürich to consider:
#1- Indoor Play Areas
Playgrounds and playlands (Spielplätze in German) under a roof abound in Zürich. Many of these are warehouses fitted with play equipment for kids, including inflatable slides, bouncy castles, climbing towers, and trampolines. Several have dining and gathering rooms, as well as mini-halls for games and programs like relay races, magician shows, and painting workshops.
Most indoor play areas offer party packages that can include chairs and tables, or indoor-picnic spaces. Some have trained staff assigned to take care of the whole kit and caboodle, from creating personalized invitations and decorating the place to preparing the cake and snapping group photos. Others, meanwhile, provide only the basics and allow you to bring food and drinks for your guests.
Recommended Ages: 1+, depending on the availability of toddler play areas
Some of the more popular indoor playgrounds and playlands in greater Zürich are Paradisimo, Monkey Town, Sihlcity – Minicity, and Trampolino.
#2- Indoor Swimming Pools and Water Parks
For splashing birthday parties, why not book an indoor swimming pool or water park? Zürich has a lot of such venues for kids celebrating yet another great year, with special rooms for snacking.
Recommended Ages: 1+, depending on the availability of toddler swimming areas
Some of the more popular indoor swimming pools and water parks in the area are Altstetten and Säntispark.
# 3- Creative Studios
Watching young ones use their imagination to create beautiful crafts is incredibly heartwarming. Not to mention fun! Plus, you usually end up with a lovely keepsake that will help you recall these precious milestones in your child’s life.
Our Happy Place offers 3 incredible party packages that include everything from creative activities, games, photos, personalized invites, snacks, coffee/tea for the parents, and even a little bubbly if you’d like. In their words which I loved “it’s where parents can sit back and enjoy the party, while we take care of all the mess and details. This is what Our Happy Place is!”
Another fabulous option is Creative You. Not only do they offer wonderful birthday packages, they also have kids camps and special kids events such as Creative Sundays. So don’t wait until it’s your child’s birthday to enjoy! “At Creative You, you can laugh, simply get lost in the moment in this ever-rushing world and YOU can be the artist” – now doesn’t that sound like fun for the young and young-at-heart alike?
Recommended Ages: 3+
#4- Bowling Alleys
As the type of this indoor venue suggests, bowl your kids and their friends over with birthday festivities that feature pins, balls, lanes with bumpers, and loads of excitement! Party packages usually include shoe rentals and the cake.
Recommended Ages: 5+
Some of the more popular bowling alleys for family outings are Fun Bowl Stockmatt and OZ Bowling.
#5- Science Labs
For entertainment and education that are at once interactive and incredible, give science laboratories a try. The kiddie labs are replete with experiments that help children discover and understand phenomena around them. Examples of activities are making kid-sized bubbles and “cooking up” tornadoes in bottles.
Recommended Ages: 6+
Some of the more popular science laboratories for young merrymakers and learners are Spark Science and X Labs.
#6- Museums
Speaking of learning, if you’re up for treating your kid and his or her friends to a day of gaining insight and knowledge, think museums.
Zürich has a cornucopia of these, from sports museums to science museums, which host birthday parties. One is the FIFA Museum that showcases the fascinating football heritage and takes participants on a guided tour with fantastic football-related games and tasks. Another is the University of Zürich Zoological Museum that has amazing packages designed for up to ten (10) cultural revelers.
Recommended Ages: 6+
#7- Chocolate Shops
Being generally drawn to candy, kids would love a party in a wonderland oozing with chocolatey goodness. And where best to hold chocolate-themed festivities than in Zürich—one of the world’s most famous chocolate heavens?
Two chocolate worlds that graciously welcome young partygoers (along with their parents or guardians) are the House of Läderach and the Lindt Home of Chocolate. Both deliver awesome experiences to kids, and activities include a visit to the chocolate museum, enjoyment at the chocolate fountain, and lessons in decorating chocolate.
Recommended Ages: 6+
#8- Zürich Airport
To take partying to greater heights of adventure, try hosting your kid’s event at Zürich Airport (otherwise known as “Flughafen Zürich”).
The airport will reserve an indoor room where participants can have their snacks, receive treats, and greet the birthday celebrator. It will also open the doors of an observation deck to your child and the guests to blow the little ones’ socks off.
Apart from having a commanding view of air-travel activities on this side of Switzerland, the youngsters will go on a guided tour outdoors. This part is where they get to marvel at the aircraft up close and, perhaps, bring out their inner aviator.
Recommended Ages: 6+
The Zurich Airport Website has information on party activities and protocols.
Tips for Parents Hosting the Kiddie Parties
There’s a lot of work to be done, from planning to cleaning up, and the entire process tends to be wearisome. To minimize (if not eliminate) unnecessary stress, worry, and even cost, keep the following in mind:
#1- Ask Questions.
Through HipHipHub.com you’ll find plenty of helpful information on each of the venues we offer, but if you still have questions, you can use our handy messaging system to contact the venue directly. If you’re unsure of anything, it’s always better to simply ask.
How will the children be supervised? Or where can adults mingle and have coffee or tea while keeping an eye on their kids are types of questions some love to know.
Feel free to ask about the venue’s general safety measures and, where applicable, if it has provisions for guests with special needs.
#2- Arrange for your guests’ transportation.
Since not all families in Zürich own a car, consider how the guests will get to the party place. If the venue is hard to reach by public transportation, use your car. If your vehicle is too small to fit everyone in, ask some of the parents if they can help you with the carpool duties. Should you go this route, offer to pay the parents for fuel.
#3- Send a note of thanks to everyone.
After the party, give “Thank you!” notes to guests for taking the time to be part of your darling son or daughter’s birthday celebration. If your child is old enough to write or draw, have him or her create the card to make the milestone more memorable.
