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Children like to be outside in winter. The little ones love an exciting scavenger hunt in the snow.
Follow a trail, solve puzzles, crack codes or even find a treasure at the end – scavenger hunts provide action and fun, especially children enjoy it. Depending on whether you would rather go on a search for clues with the family or in a larger group: there are different events on offer. Parents either prepare such a search for clues themselves, or the little ones take part in scavenger hunt events. In addition, with many providers it is possible online all year round to spontaneously register for such adventures, which can be mastered with a smartphone or printed maps.
This winter, for example, the following five exciting scavenger hunts, treasure hunts and detective trails are taking place in Switzerland, which are suitable for families:
Treasure hunt in Piratenland, Obersaxen GR
Every Tuesday evening in the high season there is a treasure hunt at the Obersaxen ski and snowboard school if enough participants have registered beforehand. Children from the age of four can take part in the adventure walk and discover a lot along the way. In addition, the little ones can expect punch, snacks and a surprise on the excursion. You can get the exact information about the start and course of the event from the ski and snowboard school.
Registration: Possible until Tuesday noon by mail, telephone or in the office of the Obersaxen ski and snowboard school
When: Every Tuesday from January 31 to March 7, 2023
Duration: About an hour and a half
Suitable age: From four years
Costs: 25 francs per child
Vote for the most beautiful ski areas in Switzerland
Blick and Switzerland Tourism are once again looking for the best ski areas in Switzerland and present the Blick Winter Awards 2022/23. Where are the best ski and snowboard slopes? Where are the most beautiful cross-country ski runs or the best gastronomic offer? At www.winterawards.ch you can vote for your favorites in six categories and win great prizes. Stop by and join in!
Blick and Switzerland Tourism are once again looking for the best ski areas in Switzerland and present the Blick Winter Awards 2022/23. Where are the best ski and snowboard slopes? Where are the most beautiful cross-country ski runs or the best gastronomic offer? At www.winterawards.ch you can vote for your favorites in six categories and win great prizes. Stop by and join in!
Lily’s Winter Treasure Hunt, First BE mountain station
Anyone who finds one of the thirty hidden chests in the snow during Lily’s winter treasure hunt can then exchange it for a prize at the award ceremony. Numerous prizes await the young and old participants who, with starting numbers and shovels, embark on a treasure hunt in a fenced area at the First mountain station. You don’t have to solve any puzzles here, but you have to be patient and lucky to find the right place to dig, where a treasure chest is hidden.
The event takes place on the last weekend of the winter season in the Grindelwald-First ski area and also includes the season-end party with a concert and lots of good humor. Prior online registration is required. All further information and the conditions of participation can be found on the Jungfrau.ch homepage.
Registration: On-line
When: March 18, 2023
Duration: From 11 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Lily’s winter treasure hunt takes place. The program begins with the distribution of start numbers from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., there is an award ceremony at 5:00 p.m. and then a concert from 5:30 p.m.
Suitable age: From four years
Costs: Children between the ages of four and nine participate free of charge, but must still be registered in order to receive a start number. Adults and children/adolescents from the age of ten pay CHF 15.
Find the code outdoor escape games
For various Swiss cities, adventures can be downloaded online from Find-the-code, which you can master as a team on your smartphone. Teenagers from the age of twelve can solve the puzzles and finally crack the secret code. There are different levels of difficulty, which differ depending on the game you choose. Some of the games offer interactive augmented reality puzzles that appear on the smartphone display while you’re on the go, sometimes downloading an app is also required.
All available games, the participating cities and detailed instructions can be found on the Find-the-code homepage. The adventures are a mixture of scavenger hunt and outdoor escape room and provide good entertainment. At least two smartphones with an internet connection are required per group.
Registration: On-line
When: At any time
Duration: Varies depending on the game chosen, usually two hours or more
Suitable age: From twelve years
Costs: CHF 32 per group (up to five people). Adventures including augmented reality cost CHF 40 per group (up to five people).
Take advantage of last-minute hotel deals now
Fancy a winter break in the mountains? As part of this year’s edition of the Blick Winter Awards, we are offering attractive hotel deals together with Switzerland Travel Centre. Stop by and benefit from exclusive last-minute deals with at least 20 percent off the daily rate!
Fancy a winter break in the mountains? As part of this year’s edition of the Blick Winter Awards, we are offering attractive hotel deals together with Switzerland Travel Centre. Stop by and benefit from exclusive last-minute deals with at least 20 percent off the daily rate!
On the detective trails, which are offered in Switzerland as well as in the Principality of Liechtenstein, in Germany and in Austria, families solve riddles together with clues on site and get to know the region better. Explore the area with detective badger. A trail contains between 12 and 16 posts. If the correct solution code is found at the end, depending on the variant you choose, you will either receive a small gift directly in a treasure chest or by subsequent delivery, or you will receive a voucher that you can exchange for a surprise at a partner organization.
The adventures are available on the Detektiv-Trails homepage both as an app and as a print version. All other important information and the available trails are also listed there.
Registration: On-line
When: At any time. Only in the case of detective trails with a treasure chest should the game documents be checked beforehand to see whether the destination is open so that the gift can be picked up.
Duration: Varies depending on the trail chosen, approximately two to four hours
Suitable age: From the age of six if the parents help a little
Costs: 9 francs per person, a family ticket for two adults and up to three children costs 32 francs, groups of 10 or more people pay 8.50 francs per person, groups of 20 or more people pay 8 francs
Treasure hunt in the old village, Nendaz VS
At the Nendaz VS tourist office, families can request a puzzle booklet with a map, which can also be downloaded online and printed out. With this booklet, the winter walk through the old village of Haute-Nendaz becomes a highlight for the little ones. Cheesy, an Eringer cow and the community’s mascot, is there to help with the tasks and puzzles. On the tour you will discover the peculiarities of the mountain village. At the end, the children can show the completed puzzle booklet to the tourist office and receive a small surprise in return.
Registration: Online or on site at Nendaz Tourisme
When: Online at any time, in the Nendaz Tourisme office during opening hours
Duration: About an hour
Suitable age: Between seven and twelve years
Costs: For free