As residents of Sallanches, we have watched the 🎭 children’s festival « Les Enfants d’Abord » get bigger and better each year! ( the festival has now been running for a quarter of a century, with a couple of years of absence due to Covid! ).
Over 4 days, every afternoon and evening ( 15h30 until 18h30 ) the pedestrian streets of Sallanches, as well as the quais, the Pré de Foire, the Place de la Grenette, the Place Saint-Jacques, and 📚 the Médiathèque Ange Abrate play host to : FREE games, activities, 🎨 workshops, déambulations and spectacles for CHILDREN!
In effect, Sallanches becomes a giant playground!
NEW since the 2022 edition:
- Tac’inette la Chouette – a jeu de piste – on Wednesday !
- Ciné Mont-Blanc – will organise a morning film at 11h every day, for 4euros;
- a programme for the tiny ones (18 months to 2 years) : a spectacle ( at the Château des Rubins, at the médiathèque Ange Abrate or outside ) – at 17h;
- a spectacle for the whole family, at 19h, in the large circus tent;
- a nocturne : on Wednesday from 20h to 21h30 – for 2023, astronomy, a planetarium, star gazing and déambulations . . .
[ ⇒ to peruse the full schedule of workshops & events and 🗺 a map of where all the activities are taking place, see here ]
Workshops & Activities
The festival offers 🎨 diverse workshops, some that you must sign up for beforehand ( at the OT de Sallanches: 32 quai de l’Hotel-de-Ville / tel: 04 50 58 04 25 / online ), and some which you can try out en accès libre.
Some workshops and games return every year by popular demand ( Terre de Jeux, Radio Mont-Blanc, Les Savants Fous, Centre de la Nature Montagnarde, la Médiathèaue Ange Abrate, L’Oiseau de Passage, Bureau des Guides de Sallanches, Mam’zelle Pasel ) and there are also new additions.
And even if you don’t manage to get a place at the workshops requiring an inscription, there are also lots of other 🎨 workshops and activities on offer that you don’t need to sign up for, so it is still really worthwhile to wander around and see what takes your fancy! A few years back, when I had a baby in a buggy and a toddler, we just enjoyed a 🐺 colouring & mask-making workshop and the games set up along the quais.
Here are some of the workshops and games available for children, en accès libre:
- Le Parcours Aventure (6+ years) with the Bureau des Guides de Sallanches – tyrolienne, pont népalais, filet de pirates . . . all over the Sallanche river!
- Ludik Aventure (3+ years) – cave exploring skills !
- 🎲 Les Jeux Géants (for all ages!) from Terre de Jeux – along the Quai Alexandre Curral;
- 🎪 Les Arts de Cirque (3+ years) from L’Oiseau de Passage;
- 🐺 Centre de la Nature Montagnarde – creative and nature workshops!
Spectacles & La Nocturne
« Les Enfants d’Abord » is a children’s festival rich in 🎭 the performance arts!
There are entertaining 🎭 déambulations every day from 15h30 – Tac’inette (the owl mascot), bubbles, puppets, humour . . .
And in addition, 🎪 every evening at 17h will be a spectacle jeune publique ( 6 months to 3 years ) and then a spectacle tout publique at 19h – this year you can reserve your spot online !
🏙 La Nocturne des Enfants d’Abord – entertainment will continue into the night on Wednesday 9th August: for 2023, astronomy, a planetarium, star gazing and déambulations . . .
Tac’inette, la chouette mascotte !
Look out for 🦉 Tac’inette, the cute mascot of « Les Enfants d’Abord », always happy to give you a cuddle or pose for a photo!
Where to grab a snack during the festival
There are plenty of spots up and down the quais to grab 🥤 a drink or snack during the festival:
- 🍦La Cabane à Glaces ( on the Quai Alexandre Curral );
- 🍰 Chocola’thé for fresh juices and cake;
- 🍰 Délicat Délice for cake!
- a friendly Carrefour Express;
And it is lovely to head down to the 💦 water’s edge of the Sallanche river for a wade and cool down ( disclaimer: be careful with young children! ) . . .
And don’t forget that you also have 🌈 two fabulous playgrounds in the centre of Sallanches!
Practical Information
The festival takes place every afternoon, from 15h30 to 18h30, with a nocturne on the Wednesday !
website & FB page 2023 programme online reservations
Mont Blanc Family Fun 
Thanks greatt blog
LikeLike