News Update - Leisure from knowitall.ch

: Published: 11 June 2018

Gymboree Nyon 1

Special discount for our readers on this year’s summer camps!

With all the kids clubs and summer camp activities that are now on offer in this region, it can be really difficult for parents to choose between them all. That’s why our guidebook, Know-it-all passport®, can be so helpful in highlighting those organizations that stand out from the crowd, listing businesses that have been recommended to us because of the high level of service that they offer their clients.

For the upcoming edition of Know-it-all passport® due to be published in August, we have received lots of recommendations for many new organizations to be included in the book, so if you want to make sure that your child doesn’t miss out then you should head to one of our local suppliers before the new season of club activities begins in September.

However, you don’t need to wait until August to find out what Gymboree Play and Music Nyon has to offer their kids. Set up in Spring 2017, this new franchise has recently been in touch with knowitall.ch to offer our readers a special discount on this year’s summer camps.

Gymboree Play and Music Nyon

Run by business manager, Claudia Stoppiello, Gymboree Play and Music Nyon provides classes and equipment that have been specially designed to nurture the development of young children aged 2 months to 5 years. With over 40 years’ experience serving 700 locations in 50 countries, the Gymboree concept is based on the development of the ‘whole child’ by integrating the very best of physical, cognitive, and social activities.

: Published: 01 June 2018

Vullierens DJI 0335 Regis Colombo copie preview

Famous for its annual iris festival, the Château de Vullierens opens its gardens to the public every year in spring to showcase the largest collection of irises in Europe.

With over 400 different varieties of irises on show this year, not to mention 13,500 daylilies, and a plethora of roses, tulips, peonies and rhodedendrons, visitors can expect to be overwhelmed by a sumptuous display of flowers in all shapes, sizes, and colours – not to mention the aromas! At the 63rd Floralies there are 7 themed gardens and 3 new walks: one devoted to medieval architecture and heritage, the second to trees and the third to roses. Click here for more detailed information in English on each of these walks.

But its not just flowers that attract visitors to the chateau. Hidden among the 40 hectares of gardens you will find numerous contemporary artworks. With 17 new pieces and 5 new artists showcasing their work this year, there are now 72 works of art in the grounds, making it the largest collection of its kind in Switzerland! Click here to find out more about the artists who will displaying their work this year.

: Published: 01 June 2018

Queen Elizabeth

The British Residents’ Association (BRA) of Switzerland has invited all citizens of Commonwealth countries to join them at a Garden Party to celebrate HM The Queen’s 92nd birthday!

Organized by the Romandie West Region of the BRA, this special event will take place in the magnificent grounds of the Geneva English School in Genthod at 18h30 on Thursday, 21 June.

In addition to BRA members, the Garden Party is expected to include many guests from the British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce Geneva Chapter, Brits in Business, Executives International, the Royal British Legion, the Royal Air Forces Association, the Royal Over-Seas League, the Victoria British Aid Fund and the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts’ Club. Now is your chance to join the party too!

The Guest of Honour will be Ambassador Miriam Shearman, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, who will formally toast the Queen and the Swiss Federal Parliament. The dress code for the occasion will be `smart casual´ or national dress, and decorations may be worn.

Participants will be greeted with a glass of Pimms before proceeding to the spacious lawns backing on to the school and overlooking the lake and mountains where drinks, finger food and entertainment will be provided.

: Published: 01 June 2018

Techlabs demo

25% discount for our readers on full-day summer camps in Geneva!

2018 is definitely the year of technology camps! With summer approaching we’ve had lots of requests to post tech camps on our website, but what’s great is that they all have something special to offer.

And TechLabs is no exception! Launched 3 years ago in Basel by American entrepreneur, Joel Radvanyi, this rapidly growing business is now expanding into the Lake Geneva region with a series of exciting summer camps for kids. One of the few English-speaking organizations in Switzerland to offer weekly after-school classes as well as holiday camp programs, TechLabs provides students aged 8 to 16 years old the opportunity to get hands-on experience of state-of-the-art technology like 3D printers, Robot Kits, Raspberry Pi's, Apple iOS, mBlocks, Arduino, and Lego, not to mention airplane and rocket parts!

So what makes TechLabs special?

According to Joel, TechLabs offers a unique approach to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) education and holiday camps. Their modular approach focuses on real world skills so that kids experience problem solving, prototyping, and design thinking. TechLabs intructors demonstrate through their modules how the concepts that students learn can complement disciplines like math, engineering and arts as well.

: Published: 07 May 2018

knock on wood 3

Do you ever get the need to do something creative, to get your hands dirty and build something imaginative of your own? Or would you just like your kids to get off their digital devices and spend more time using their brain for a more practical use! Or do you have a business idea which you want to develop in the workshop using professional tools and machinery that you can’t afford yourself?

If so, Knock on Wood may be just what you need! Launched two years ago by three entrepreneurs with a passion for woodworking, the organization has now delivered more than 170 workshops to individuals and businesses located in and around Geneva. Co-founder, Zsuzsanna Varga, told knowitall.ch,

“Originally from Hungary, I have lived and worked in many countries throughout my life, employed mainly in adult education and training, either as a solo entrepreneur or as a co-founder of other businesses. When I arrived in Geneva I started looking for an urban workshop so that I could have access to tools and machinery for my latest project. Although I wasn’t able to find one, I discovered a lot of interest in the idea on social media, so in 2016 I decide to create a new urban workshop, with the support of my two co-founders, Sebastien Vigny and Sanna Takala!”