I’ve had a few emails recently, asking me about toddler activites here 🗻 au Pays du Mont-Blanc over ☀️ the summer, so this article is aimed at addressing the lack of information in ONE LOCATION on the website.  

Some of the activities over the summer 🗻 au Pays du Mont-Blanc are aimed at families with older children (longer hikes, canyoning, rafting, via ferratas, and little ones can’t always follow the rest of the family !).

But rest assured, there are PLENTY of activities for toddlers, and so here are some ideas !

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Colour code for listings

Pays du Mont-Blanc

Chamonix Valley (Chamonix, Argentière, Les Houches, Servoz and environs) & Vallorcine

Passy & environs

Sallanches, Combloux, Cordon & Domancy

Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, Le Fayet, Saint Nicolas de Véroce, Bionnassay & environs

Megève, Praz-sur-Arly & environs

Les Contamines-Montjoie & environs

🇫🇷 Further France

🇨🇭 Switzerland

🇮🇹 Italy

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At some point over you holidays (perhaps EVERY DAY!), you will want to head to a 🛝playground with your toddler !

Luckily we ahve plenty of 🛝 playgrounds here 🗻 au Pays du Mont-Blanc!

[ ⇒ for more information about this MBFF’s favourite playgrounds, see separate article  here ]

You might be interested also in our 🗻 mountain playgrounds (the ones that you need to take a cable car to access!) . . .

[ ⇒ for more information about 🗻 mountain playgrounds, see separate MBFF article here ]

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☀️ SUMMER EVENTS !

There are so many 🌈 events & festivals for families over the summer holidays – far too many to list here !

So DO check the MBFF FB page for updates – I shall do a weekly round-up of what’s ON over the coming week every SUNDAY evening or Monday morning !

Here are a couple of 🌈 children’s festivals to put in your diary :

Les Enfants d’Abord (Sallanches) – 8th ⇒ 11th August 2023

This is a fabulous 🌈 4 day festival, which takes places along the river and in the centre of town in Sallanches.

There is plenty to entertain toddlers : déambulations, wooden games, circus shows and spectacles, special cinema sessions . . .

[ ⇒ for more information about Les Enfants d’Abord, see separate MBFF article here ]

La Fête Foraine de la Sainte-Jacques (Sallanches) – 26th ⇒ 31st July 2023

Plenty 🎡 to entertain little ones here !

Festival Au Bonheur des Mômes (le GRAND-BORNAND) – 20th ⇒ 24th August 2023

[ ⇒ for more information about this children’s festival, see website & FB page ]

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Small children love to 💦 splash around in water ! Luckily, we have so many options for them to do so in our mountains : swimming pools, water games, paddling (swimming pools, lakes & rivers), spas for families . . .

[ disclaimer : always be VIGILANT with small children next to 💦W A T E R ! Never take your eyes off them – not even for a second – and make sure that they are wearing armbands or life-jackets and take care to protect them from the ☀️ S U N (suntan lotion, big hats, sunglasses, UV t-shirts) ]

There are some 🏖 sandy beaches at some of our local 💦 lakes, perfect for making sandcastles or playing with diggers !

[ disclaimer : the 💦 water of the lakes may be shallow next to the sandy beach, but it quickly deepens, so stay with little ones at ALL TIMES ]

Our favourite 🏖 sandy beaches with little ones ?

• 💦 Lac de Passy – the most famous of our valley lakes, there is a huge sandy beach here . . . for little children there are also : bouncy castles, pedalos & small boats, playgrounds / ⇒ see separate MBFF article here;
• 💦 Lacs des Ilettes (Sallanches) – the swimming lake has a sandy beach and there is a nature lake perfect for short walks or bike rides . . . for little children there are also bouncy castles from le Parc en Folie / ⇒ see separate MBFF article here;
• 💦 Lac de Baignade in the Parc de Loisirs du Pontet (Les Contamines-Montjoie) – this small lake is re-filled each  summer, and there is a sandy beach / the advantage is that it is next to all of the activities in the parc de loisirs / ⇒ see separate MBFF article here;
• 💦 Lac de l’Etape (Les Contamines-Montjoie) – a small (and cold!) lake at altitude (with access via the 🚡 Télécabine de la Gorge), with a pebbly beach . . . for little children there are small boats for hire and a fabulous playground / ⇒ see separate MBFF article here;
• 💦 Plan d’Eau de Praz-sur-Arly – the new kid on the block, set to open in July 2023 !
• 💦 Plan d’Eau de Flumet – a great little lake, with a small sandy beach / ⇒ see separate MBFF article here;

[ ⇒ for more information about 💦 LAKES au Pays du Mont-Blanc, see separate MBFF article here ]

There are several 💦 swimming pools au Pays du Mont-Blanc with baby pools or water games for toddlers, both indoor and outdoor:

• 💦 Chamonix swimming pool (Centre Sportif Richard Bozon) – indoor and outdoor pools;
• 💦 Centre Aquatique de Sallanches – indoor baby pool and outdoor water games;
• 💦 Saint-Gervais swimming pool – indoor baby pool;
• 💦 Megève (Le Palais) swimming pool – indoor and outdoor baby pool and water games;

[ ⇒ for more information about 💦 swimming pools for babies & toddlers au Pays du Mont-Blanc, see separate MBFF article here ]

💦RIVER PADDLING

[ ⇒ for more information about 💦 river paddling au Pays du Mont-Blanc, see separate MBFF article here ]

Here are our favourite spots for easily accessible 💦 river paddling in our local mountains :

💦Paradis des Praz (Les Praz de Chamonix)

THE place to head in the Chamonix Valley with toddlers : river paddling in the woods, a buvette (where you can picnic if you buy drinks!), plenty of grass, a playground, sand, ponies . . .

[ ⇒ for more information about the 💦Paradis des Praz, see separate MBFF article here ]

💦 La Mare aux Têtards (La Forêt de la Moraine, Argentière) 

A playground in the woods, and a stream for paddling ! There is also a buvette nearby !

[ ⇒ for more information about the 💦la mare aux tetards, see separate MBFF article here ]

💦 Berges d’Arly & Arly Plage (PRAZ-sur-ARLY)

Another great spot to paddle – you’ll find playgrounds nearby and also grassy spots to picnic and BBQ facilities !

[ ⇒ for more information about the 💦 Arly Plage, see separate MBFF article here ]

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There are some 🌳 accrobranches with circuits of little ones ! They tend to be close to the ground so that an adult can accompany them on foot !

[ ⇒ for more information about 🌳 accrobranches  au Pays du Mont-Blanc, see separate MBFF article here ]

If you hire a private guide (or if you are competent yourself!), you can take toddlers climing – they’ll need a proper body harness (baudrier) and helmet (if outdoors).

There are also a some options at our climbing centres:

🧗‍♂️ Baby Grimpe at Le Palais in Megève – this is for children from 3+ years / see here for more information;

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FOREST WALKS, HIKES & STROLLS

SHORT HIKES (suitable for backpacks)

If your back and knees are up to the task (and if your kids are willing!), then you can take toddlers anywhere in a backpack ! You can head up to mountain buvettes or refuges fora n overnight !

But this is not possible for everyone ! Determined to get our hiking, we often cross paths with a dad carrying one kid in a backpack and the other on his shoulders or in his arms, and nobody looks to be having much fun ! We have also been there – but we did try to minimise the risk of this challenge by keeping our family hikes shorter and more manageable while the kids were really small !

[ ⇒ for more information about suggested family hikes au Pays du Mont-Blanc, see separate MBFF article here ]

And for TIPS for a successful family hike with small children, see :

[ ⇒ for TIPS for a successful family hike with small children, see separate MBFF article here ]

WALKS & STROLLS en famille

Here are just a few suggestions for buggy-friendly or draisienne-friendly family STROLLS au Pays du Mont-Blanc . . .

[ note : you’ll need a mountain buggy with decent wheels; these you can often rent from tourist offices or sports shops . . . otherwise you might break the wheels on a town buggy! ]

• 💦 river strolls (Chamonix) – Arve and Arveyron rivers;
• 💦 Paradis des Praz (Les Praz de Chamonix) – gurgling stream, activities and buvette;
• 💦 Lac des Chavants (Les Houches) – a loop around the lake and a path into the forest / ⇒ see here;
• 🌲 La Moraine (Argentière) – a path leading to a playground and gurgling stream;
• 💦 Lac de Passy – perfect terrain for buggies and bikes and a small bike park too;
• 💦 Passy – sculpture walk au cheminement de l’Arve / ⇒ see here;
• 💦 Lacs des Ilettes – a nature lake to walk around, with a hut to observe fish and birds . . . and also fun to explore and picnic at the Cascade d’Arpenaz (no buggies here and be very vigilant with small children!);
• 💦 Sallanches – along the Bialle stream and into the Braconne woods / ⇒ see here;
• 💦 Combloux’s «100% bio» – a 30mins loop around the Plan d’Eau BiotopeCascade d’Arpenaz and beyond;
• 🗺 Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc’s town parcours d’orientation « A la découverte de Saint-Gervais », « Boucle des Maisons Fortes » & new 2KM3 leaflet – 1 hour – available from the tourist office;
• 🗺 Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc: « Charlotte la Marmotte au Bettex » – we’ve tried this thematic walk at the start of winter – it was super!
• Praz-sur-Arly – has buggy walks around town and along the Arly river ! / ⇒ see here;
• 🗺 Les Contamines-Montjoie – Sentier Découverte along the Nant Borant river up to Notre-Dame de la Gorge / annotated panels explaining the history, nature and patrimoine of the area;
• Val d’Arly – has some buggy walks / ⇒ see here;

A 🌳 stroll through a forest is a sensory experience, and provides shade and respite over the summer months . . .

As well as some walking paths, there is also plenty of scope for the imagination and for creativity: cabane-making, LandArt, scavenging and collecting!

And so, where to head for some 🌳 forest fun? There are so many beautiful options here 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc and beyond; we are surrounded by forest here in Haute-Savoie ! 

[ ⇒ for some ideas for 🌳 forest strolls, see separate MBFF article here ]

During one of the Covid confinements here in France, when we were limited to a 1km radius, I put together an article about creative ideas and nature games for when you are outdoors or in the woods en famille . . .

Our wonderful nature has so much art to offer us that can be made into creative art work! You could create some ephemeral Landart out on your hikes in the woods, or you could gather leaves for some creative art at home . . .

[ ⇒ see MBFF article 10 ideas for NATURE GAMES & CREATIVITY for some more ideas ]

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Little ones love their 🚵‍♂️ bikes, and they can be particularly speedy on their draisiennes (pushbikes), so do keep an eye on them next to water and anywhere near traffic !

[ ⇒ see separate article here for some ideas of where to head with 🚵‍♂️ kids on a draisienne or small pedal bike ]

The 🚵‍♂️ smaller bike parks au Pays du Mont-Blanc:

• 🚵‍♂️ Espace VTT Lac de Passy;
• 🚵‍♂️ Ludik Park – next to Les Belles playground (Praz-sur-Arly);

. . . and some pumptracks are suitable for little ones (when they’re aren’t too many older kids around !); some even have a green circuit !

[ ⇒ see separate article here for more infomation about pumptracks au Pays du Mont-Blanc  ]

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and TRAMPOLINES . . . 

The season is upon us, and 🌈 bouncy castles & trampolines have begun to appear . . .

• 🌈 at vide greniers and local school and club fêtes and festivals;
• 🌈 Restaurant La Cha (Le Prarion, Les Houches) – a gondola ride and short walk to arrive at this mountain restaurant with imposing views, a relaxing terrace (for parents) and bouncy castle for children;
• 🌈 Lac de Passy – provided by Mont-Blanc Kids;
• 🌈 Lacs des Ilettes – provided by Le Parc en Folie;
• 🌈 Parc de Loisirs du Pontet (Les Contamines) – provided by Nash Mountain Games;

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and LEISURE PARKS & LUGES 4 SAISONS

Children are sure to enjoy a visit to 🌈 a leisure or amusement park, and we have a few options au Pays du Mont-Blanc:

• 🌈 Domaine des Planards & 🛷 Luge 4 saisons (Chamonix) – see website or MBFF article . . . there are some NEW attractions for summer 2023 !

• 🌈 Parc de Loisirs du Pontet (Les Contamines-Montjoie) – there are lots of activivites available over the summer, as well as the sport (tennis, biathlon, golf, etc . . . ) : mini-golf; pédalos; accrobranche; pony rides; piste de ski à roulettes, restaurant Chalet du Lac / ⇒ see website for more details or MBFF article;

And further afield, this spot is definitely worth a mention for little ones :

• 🇫🇷 🌈Le Grand Parc d’Andilly (Les Grandes Médiévales, Le Parc des Epouvantails, Le TOUT Petit Pays and Le Hameau du Père Noël) – a visit here comes highly recommended by MBFF! – a 15 hectare park, filled with friendly scarecrows, with well known family favourite games (but in GIANT format !) and spectacles throughout the day (magic, humour, birds of prey) / located 1 hour from Chamonix, 20 mins from Annecy or Geneva, direction de Cruseilles, RD 1201 / open over the summer holidays from Wednesday to Sunday ! / ⇒ MBFF article here;

website & FB page

address: la Forêt des Moulins, 374 chemin du Grand Parc, Andilly / tel: 04 50 32 73 64

[ ⇒ for more ideas for amuseument parks further away (for example, there are a handful in neighbouring Valais (Switzerland), see separate MBFF article here ]

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Little ones tend to love (there are exceptions of course!) 🦌 animals, and we have some great options locally for viewing animals !

🏔 Au Pays du Mont-Blanc, we have:

• 🦌 Parc Animalier de Merlet in Les Houches – 2023 update: remember that you now need to book! / our local mountain animals (chamois, ibex, marmottes and a few llamas too) roaming freely within the park / ⇒ see MBFF article here to plan your outing here;

website

address: 223 chemin des Vorziers, La Fontaine, 74310, Les Houches / tel: 04 50 47 23 60

• Elevage de Saint-Bernard kennels (Les Houches-Servoz) – website;

You can visit 🐺 HUSKY KENNELS (chenils) in:  

• 🐺 Les Contamines-Montjoie (Notre Dame de la Gorge) – chiens polaires in the Parc de Loisirs du Pontet;
• 🐺 Flumet – 3D Nordic  husky kennels – see here for more information;

A little further afield, you have plenty more options to see 🦌 animals . . . for example !:

• 🦌 Zoo des Marécottes (Valais, Switzerland) – the highest zoo in Europe, with a swimming pool in the rocks !

[ ⇒ see article 🦌 Animal Parks & Aquariums au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond) for lots more information ! ]

&

There are several 🐓🏔  farms to visit au Pays du Mont-Blanc, and farm products to buy . . . be sure to check opening hours for the public directly with the farm or with the local tourist office !

[ ⇒ for more suggestions for 🐓🏔 farms to visit au Pays du Mont-Blanc, see separate MBFF article here ]

🐄 La Ferme Les Montagnards GAEC (Ormaret, Combloux) – our favourite, with workshops for children over the holidays (be sure to book!) / ⇒ see FB page and MBFF article here;

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There are some fabulous ways to interract with animals locally ( note: it’s never a good idea to give a wild marmotte a cuddle, whatever instagram tells you ! ) . . . here are some ideas :

Newt Spotting

While 🐸 frog reproduction and tadpole spotting season is over for another year, in the summertime, you can look for 🦎 newts and salamanders (tritons) in shallow water. Please be sure to teach your children to handle the salamanders with care and to put them back in the water !

[ ⇒ see separate MBFF article 🐸 Where to observe TADPOLES & FROGS au Pays du Mont-Blanc for some ideas! ]

Ponies

Your little ones might like to try 🐎 pony riding :

• 🐎 Paradis des Praz (Les Praz, Chamonix) – in the summer, there are ponies to ride at this bucolic stream running through the forest / FB page;
• 🐎 Plaine-Joux;
• 🐎 Le Cheval de Feug (Demi-Quartier) – with baptêmes de poney / website;
• 🐎  Centre Equestre Les Contamines-Montjoie – with baptêmes de poney from 3+ years / website;
• 🐎  Sixt Fer à Cheval – a stunning backdrop for pony rides !

Donkey rides & Donkey leading

This is the perfect way to motivate young children to hike – a hike leading (and sitting on, when necessary!) a lovely donkey! / circuits vary from 1h30 strolls to a day or several days!

• La Compagnie des Ânes (Vaudagne, Les Houches) – website / address: 55 chemin du Vieux Four, 74310, Vaudagne, Les Houches / tel: 04 50 47 26 18;
• Les Ânes Montagnards (Parking du Crozat, Bionnassay) – from mid-June until September (also, a savonnerie – soap made from donkey milk!) / website / address: 268, rue des Fiz la Forêt, 74170, Saint-Gervais-les-Bains / tel: +33 6 51 28 56 35;
• Les Ânes et les Mômes (Les Contamines-Montjoie) – we had a fabulous time hiking with our donkey Ernest, many years ago now! / website;

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Children tend to love 🚂 trains and train journeys. . . luckily, there are some memorable 🚂 train journeys (short and longer !) 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc:

🚂 Le Petit Train Touristique de Chamonix – more information here;

🚂 Montenvers cobble train & Mer de Glace – the iconic cobble train departs from Chamonix (behind SNCF train station) and heads up to the Montenvers glacier! You can also visit the ice cave in summer ! / ⇒ see here for MBFF article;

🚈 Mont-Blanc Express from Le Fayet to Martigny – with a carte d’hôte, you can take this train for FREE between Servoz and Vallorcine . . . and it goes as far as Martigny in Switzerland! / a lovely excursion, with views of the snowy peaks throught the upper windows . . . / ⇒ see here for more details;

🚃  Le Tramway du Mont-Blanc – is the highest-reaching cobble train in France, leaving from Le Fayet or Saint-Gervais and reaching up to the Nid d’Aigle (2372 m) / ⇒ see here for more details;

🚂 Le Petit Train (Parc Thermal, Le Fayet) – as the weather warms, this little train (run by volunteers) starts operating again on Wednesday and weekend afternoons / donations are welcome !

🚂 VerticAlp Emosson – there is a little train as part of the journey !

🇨🇭🚂 Swiss Vapeur Parc (Le Bouveret) – a theme-park in nearby Switzerland dedicated to steam trains ! / website;

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Télésiège des Bossons (chairlift)

It can be fun for little ones to take a journey on a bubble lift or chairlift (note: BUT do be sure to NOT take under 3s to high altitude; this is NOT RECOMMENDED, and can be harmful !). Do make sure you hold onto them tightly on the chairlifts, as not all of the old structures have extra child protection in place  !

[ ⇒ for more information about MBFF’s experience on the Télésiège des Bossons, see separate MBFF article here ]

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This article has largely concentrated on 🌳 outdoor activities, but if you decide to head to 🖼 a local museum, then we have some superb ones, with 🎨 great workshops on offer, for families over the holidays!

Little ones would enjoy the Musée Montagnard in Les Houches ! / ⇒ see MBFF article here;

website & FB page

Remember that the 🖼 Musee Alpin (Chamonix) is now SHUT for a huge 4 year renovation programme!

Château des Rubins – Observatoire des Alpes (Sallanches) – this fabulous museum, located in an old fortified manor house, tells stories about the Alps (geology, flora & fauna, climate), and often has guided visits and workshops on offer / ⇒ see MBFF artic here;

website & FB page

[ ⇒ for more ideas about MUSEUMS au Pays du Mont-Blanc, see separate MBFF article MUSEUMS & EXHIBITIONS au Pays du Mont-Blanc ]

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MÉDIATHÈQUES (libraries)

Our local libraries and médiathèques are treasure-troves for little ones !

You’ll find not just children’s books, but also comfortable reading sections with beanbags, where you can spend a good few hours lounging and reading, and also ludothèques (games rooms – some games you can play with on-site).

Over the summer, you may also find storytelling sessions on offer (sometimes outdoor sessions are offered by the town halls) and other creative workshops.

Check the MBFF website for the relevant articles !

The bigger médiathèques are (and there are smaller libraries in the smaller towns and villages too) :

• Médiathèque de Chamonix – with a great children’s section and ludothèque;

• Médiathèque Ange Abrate (Sallanches) – a beautiful modern building, very luminous (but not too luminous for the books!), with a great children’s section (note: be careful with children on the stairs!);

• Médiathèque du Palais (Megève) – with a great children’s section and ludothèque;

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If, over the holidays, you find yourself in need of an indoor activity ( ☔️ rain or ☀️ heatwave induced!), then you have plenty of options for little ones : softplay centres, cinema, family restaurants etc . . .

[ ⇒ for more information about ☔️ activities for RAINY DAYS, see separate MBFF article here ]

[ ⇒ for more information about SOFTPLAY & INDOOR PLAY, see separate MBFF article here ]