KIDS TIME
Knights and princesses come out of the cold
After a long winter and a few false starts to spring, it is time to shake off
those winter cob webs and get out and about with our young adventurers. A great
way to do this is to combine an energy zapping activity with learning and the
many castles which polka Switzerland provide the perfect setting.
Many Swiss castles are no longer privately owned and are instead run by clubs
which receive money from sponsors and various stakeholders. This allows the castles
to have their heritage preserved and are often an attractive destination for
a day trip or short visit, providing an ideal place for children with their surrounding
by forests, great walking tracks, good views for picnics, fireplaces, public
toilets and good public transport connections. Often, there is a neighbouring
farm with the animals and sometimes education boards which teach about the habitat
and history of the area.
With my young adventurer Elizabeth in tow and the red caboose, our red backpack,
I set off to discover Schloss Wildegg in Aargau. Overlooking Wildegg and its
surrounding villages, Schloss Wildegg sits on the hill awaiting knights and princesses
from near and afar. The castle itself had all the charm and character that is
to be expected of a castle from the 1400s and its grounds left many corners to
be discovered. We spent our time outdoors and left the museum for another visit.
To our surprise, we discovered a working farm at the bottom of the hill with
all the animals from the story books: pigs in their pig pens, lambs, sheep, chickens,
calves, cows, horses, goats and some Shetland ponies. An added bonus was still
being there for feeding time at 4pm and watching the sleeping pigs from the morning
squealing and fighting for their dinner. We were also entertained by two men
bringing back an escaped goat and some very, very lazy highland cattle.
The castle grounds had a fireplace under a walnut tree with a grassed area and
some play equipment. We sat and ate our picnic overlooking the valley and enjoyed
the cheese and bread of Switzerland. There was a large aviary full of colourful
and musical pheasants, parrots, finches and other birds from all over the world.
Next to the aviary was a very pretty garden worth strolling (or running) through.
After such an exciting outing for a toddler, the sandman started to come and
although there were various walking tracks in all directions from the Schloss,
we opted for the short loop through the forest, over the stream and back to the
car park. Perhaps next time, we will take the two hour walk along the Chestenberg
to Schloss Brunegg.
HELPFUL LINKS
Schloss Wildegg Museum
www.musee-suisse.com/d/wildegg/index.php
Day outings which involve animals
www.myswitzerland.com/en.cfm/interests/family/
offer.cfm?category=Activities_Excursions&subcat
=FamAnimals&id=17146
List of Swiss castles
www.swisscastles.ch/liste.html
LIKE COLORING?
Try these websites:
- e-coloriage.blogspot.com
- www.poissonrouge.com
- www.coloriage-educatif.com
- www.imaginationcubed.com
PREVIOUS STORIES:
Swiss Easter Camps
(Mar09)
Make a mask for Fasnacht
(Feb09)
Storytellers guide to healthy food
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A story while we wait for Christmas
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Autumn
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storytime@mamizeit.com