Families & Kids' Activities in Chamonix

Arts & Crafts

NEW TO CHAMONIX THIS SEASON 2010/11

Lepetitvip Arts & Crafts Workshop - Open 7 Days a Week.

Winter weather can be very unpredictable, and what to do with our children is always on everyones minds.

Lepetitvip has the answer: whether, raining, snowing or sunshine, Lepetitvip provides creative fun and excitement with imaginative activities. There is always something new to discover and learn! With so much to do, a rainy day doesn't have to be a boring day.

Hours of entertainment for children and hours of freedom for parents!

Come join us at our new workshop in Chamonix, or we can come to you at your chalet or apartment. No matter where you are staying we can work around it.

Reservations are easy! Call Heather on +33 (0) 678 22 59 35 or send an e-mail using the link below or take a look at our website www.lepetitvip.com.

Bespoke events:
A birthday during the holiday or celebrating a special event? Lepetitvip offer a full birthday party and celebration service. With age appropriate themes, activities, decorations and cakes. Adults you are never too old to celebrate!

Lepetitvip deliver the fun factor and remove the stress!

Arts and crafts sessions are open to all children over the age of 4 years Monday to Friday throughout the summer starting Tuesday 13th July 2010.

Held at Robinson's Restaurant in the Bois du Bouchet during mornings and afternoons, sessions are supervised and prices include art materials, drinks and a snack.

Activities include handpainting, scrap books, tye-dye and all sorts of other fun crafts. Robinson's has an outdoor play area with swings and slides, as well as indoor space in case the weather is bad.

Le Petit VIP also offers Mums & Tots play sessions every Thursday morning, children's parties and bouncy castle  hire.

Click here for more information from the Le Petit VIP website >>

Chamonix Parc de Loisirs

The Chamonix Leisure Park is new and improved with more rides and attractions for everyone - a great place to spend a fun day out as a family or a group.

More than 15 activities and games await you with unlimited access! For starters there is the panoramic tower, slides, toboggans, trampolines, chairlift, adventure park... Not forgetting the electric motorcycles, indoor and outdoor play areas, giant swing, flying boat, loop-the-loop,Tyrolean rope adventure, water pistols and more!

The Alpine Coaster is the newest attraction - a cross between a roller coaster and a toboggan run, thrills guaranteed!

There are games and activities for children aged from just 1 year old, as well as a petting area with our friendly family of goats who can't wait to meet you! There are also many exciting things for teenagers and adults to take part in.

You can enjoy lunch and snacks at the bar-restaurant or bring your own and enjoy a picnic.

Families, school trips, holiday groups, etc - all are welcome to spend a fun day at the Chamonix Leisure Park. Access is easy from either the main road into Chamonix or from the nearby train station and we offer 800 free car parking spaces.

Tel: +33 (0) 450 53 08 97 | view map | email enquiry | visit website |

Children's Entertainments

Chamonix offers a number of organised entertainments for children throughout the summer. Highlights include a changing programme of activities, events and festivals. Regular nature walks, craft classes and sports competitions take place throughout the summer for children of all ages. There is also a playground near to the sport centre and an outdoor play area with safe swimming lake and pony rides called 'Paradis des Praz' behind the golf course.

Horse Riding

The Chamonix Valley has a multitude of trails that can be explored on horseback; you can cover more ground than on foot, get an elevated view of the scenery and hopefully get a closer peek at the wildlife! Evolution 2 organise a variety of treks for all ages and abilities.

The Paradis des Praz play area has a 'mini-ranch' where children can go on short accompanied treks through the woods on small ponies.

Kid's Arbre Aventure (Tree Adventure)

Let your kids (from 4-8 years old) enjoy climbing through the trees in a completely safe and enjoyable adventure. Your child’s harness and ropes are secured by an instructor at the outset to a permanent secured safety-line from start to finish - watch them cross bridges, slides, and beams like monkeys!

The circuit can be found at the far end of Les Houches and is best reached by car or bus. Prices are €9 for individuals or €11 for groups of more than four. In good weather, opening times are from 9.30am with the last departure allowed at 6pm, although you can book in advance when the weather is less favourable. The circuit takes around 1h30 to complete although there is no time-limit. All necessary equipment is provided.

Parc de Merlet

Parc de Merlet is a great place to spot some local animals in their natural environment. A nature reserve, rather than a zoo, the park is perched on a large plateau high above Les Houches. You can expect to see marmots, bouquetin, chamois and various varieties of mountain goats and deer. Sightings are not guaranteed as the animals all have freedom to roam the park and may decide not to make a public appearance, but there is so much to see that even on a bad day you are bound to spot at least a couple of varieties of mountain wildlife.

The best times for spotting some of the more elusive creatures are when the park opens in the morning (10am in May, June and September, 9.30 in July and August) and the feed has been put out for the animals or after 4pm when the marmots like to come out to play before being fed at 6pm.

Access is via a steep mountain road that is signposted from Les Houches, or you can hike up from Les Gaillands in about 45 minutes. There is a small restaurant at the park with a terrace and a gift shop. Parc de Merlet is open every day in summer from May to September and on Tuesday afternoons during the Christmas and Easter school holidays (weather dependent, check website for details).

Parc de Merlet website >>

Short Family Hikes in Chamonix

All of the hikes mentioned so far are also suitable for families with children of walking age. It is worth noting that it is not possible to take pushchairs on the Petit Balcons so for younger children, a child carrying back pack would be recommended and plenty refreshments as there are not too many snack stops en route. You can, however, take push chairs along the Promenade d’Arve if you have very young children, but some other suitable itineraries for families, which do include snack stops, are:

Chalet du Cerro (1350m) Offers easy access to a spectacular viewpoint over the base of the Bossons Glacier.
Starting Point : Unpaved car park on the right hand side, just before the Mont Blanc Tunnel entrance
Duration : 30 mins up, 20 mins down

This wide path leads up into the forest, crossing the Crosette torrent via a footbridge, shortly before arriving at the Chalet. From there, continue on past the chalet for another 10 minutes to the view point over the glacier. If you sit quietly here you can actually hear the ice creaking and moving and if you're very lucky, you may even witness one of the ice walls (seracs) falling.  You can return by same route or descend down to Les Songenas via the path signposted from the chalet. It is also possible to start this route from the Grepon car park, under the Aiguille du Midi (add 45 minutes each way).

Chalet la Floria

Chalet Floria (1337m) A fairly easy walk along a shady path to a beautiful mountain refuge decorated with over 4000 flowering plants.
Starting Point : The old saw mill, Les Praz
Duration : 1 hr

On the western side of Les Praz, past the bridge over the Arve and near the old sawmill, you will find a footpath disappearing into the forest just to the right of the Peugeot Garage. Follow this (leaving the Promenade du Vorgeat on your right) and you will come to a path junction at 1195m. Cross the Petit Balcon Sud and take the wide steep path bearing right which will lead you up to the chalet. Once there, you can enjoy a drink on their stunning panoramic terrace with unbroken views of the Mont Blanc chain. It is also possible to eat your picnic here if you buy a drink. Return the same way or follow the signs to Brevent and Chamonix where you will eventually join the route des nants in les Plans.

If you would like to explore a bit further afield through forests and beautiful summer meadows, or trek higher into the rugged alpine pastures amongst the imposing mountain peaks, then the following routes will give you some food for thought:

Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve

Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve (1461m) An easy stroll amongst mountain flowers with spectacular views
Starting Point :  Chalet d'Accueil (Information Centre) de la Réserve Naturelle des Aiguilles Rouges
Duration : 45 minutes (1 hr 45 mins from Le Buet)

The first section of this description includes a pleasant walk from the train station at Le Buet which takes around 30 minutes each way. This part is optional though, as the Reserve Naturelle does have a small car park; but taking the train is more eco-friendly and is a great way to see the valley! If taking the train you should alight at Le Buet and turn right as soon as you leave the small train station and follow the sign for Col des Montets. Shortly after setting off along a tarmac path you will come to a tunnel under a small bridge and a signpost giving you the option of carrying on to Les Montets or turning right to Col des Montets; you should turn right and pass under the bridge. From here the walk follows an easy flat path through woodland, alongside a stream and finally through wildflower meadows. Approximately 25 minutes later you will come to a signpost that offers two options of getting to Col de Montets; each route takes 5 minutes and both bring you to the information centre of the Aiguille Rouge, so you can take either.

Once at the information centre you can pick up a free booklet which features a very small and not very detailed map – if you are planning on starting a long hike from this point we would definitely recommend that you bring your own map of the area! However, the nature trail is very easy to follow and the route is marked by numbered granite blocks. The whole circuit takes no more than 45 minutes at a leisurely stroll and you can spin it out by relaxing by one of the lakes or stopping to admire the fantastic scenery! The path leaves from just outside the information centre and goes as far as the car park; at this point you cross over the road and continue back along the other side. The range of wildflowers and alpine plants on display is beautiful and many of them are labelled so you can look them up when you get home. Despite being fairly near the road the large rocks and long grasses buffer any traffic noise quite well and it is a very tranquil place to pass a couple of hours. The Col des Montets cuts through a very narrow part of the Chamonix valley and the soaring mountains to either side make for an extremely impressive view!

Swimming

The indoor pool at the Richard Bozon Sports Centre is 25m long and also features a seperate children's pool with bubble jets and a water slide.  The outdoor pool is 50m long and surrounded by sunbathing terraces and a children's splash pool. There is also a large grassy area by the lake within the sport centre grounds, which has a snack bar and is perfect for sun-bathing or letting the children run around (swimming not allowed in the lake).

Normal opening hours are Monday to Friday 12pm - 7.30pm and 2pm - 7.30pm at the weekend, but this may vary according to the time of year and the outdoor pool is open during summer only. Please see this website (in French) for the latest opening/closing hours.

Entrance is €5.10 for adults and €4.10 for kids (guest card reductions available). Chaps of all ages have to wear Speedo style trunks which, rather disturbingly, can be rented at the ticket desk!

There are also a few hotels in town that allow non-residents to use their swimming pools for a small fee. Hotel Mont Blanc, by the Tourist Office, has a pleasant indoor/outdoor pool with sunbathing area.  You can use the pool by buying a drink and paying a €4 admission fee at the hotel bar. Hotel Excelsior, in Tines, has a nice outdoor pool with sunbathing area and grassy play area.  All you have to do to use the pool all day is book a table on the terrace for lunch (the lunches are very nice too!).

Another popular swimming spot is Lac du Passy, just 15-20 minutes drive from Chamonix.  Popular with locals and tourists alike the natural lake has a children's play area, snack bar and toilet/changing facilities.  Access to the lake is free but there is a charge for using the car park.

Tourist Train

One way to find your way around town in the summer is to hop aboard the miniature tourist train that trundles daily through Chamonix from early May to mid-October.

From 10am to 7pm it makes its way past the sights of Chamonix with a multi-lingual commentary telling you about the history and culture of the area.

It leaves every 30 minutes from outside the Post Office, the Montenvers Train Station and the Aiguille du Midi lift station. It costs 5€ for adults and 3€ for children and operates throughout the summer months only.