Children and youth

Parent-child activities

Being a Vaudois does not only mean having rights and duties, but also taking part in local life and fulfilling one’s hobbies. To achieve this, you will find below some information as well as a non-exhaustive list of activities. You will find in the following section some addresses of activities for children or to do as a family.

Maisons vertes

The Maisons vertes (Green Houses) are places of reception, sharing and exchange, open to all children up to 5 years old, accompanied by an adult (parent or any other adult responsible for the child).
 
Maisons vertes-type child-parent institutions

Arc-Échange

Space for meeting and discussion for parents and children from 0 to 5 years old in order to promote integration and social ties, support the parent-child relationship and encourage the socialisation of the child. ARC-Échange welcomes families with respect for the values, needs and affiliations of each person, in several places in the canton of Vaud.

Associations

Many associations set up free activities to promote language awareness and to meet other children, some of which are listed below by way of example.
 
By participating (some activities require the presence of parents), you will also be able to obtain information on everyday life from the animators.

Extra-curricular activities for children and young people

In all regions of the canton, many extracurricular activities (holiday camps, socio-cultural activity centres, day activities, youth councils, etc.) are offered to children and young people by associations, municipalities, or are also initiated and carried out directly by groups of young people.

Adults

Structures to promote integration

Volunteering and community life play an important role in the Vaud society. Among the many existing associations, some were created by migrants. These structures aim to promote the integration of foreigners into the host society, while promoting their culture of origin.
 
To achieve this, they set up many activities, multicultural festivals or spaces for meetings and exchanges.

Volunteering

In addition to expanding your field of skills and your network of contacts, volunteering can be a springboard for obtaining a job.
 
Before starting work

Local companies

Local companies offer sports, cultural and leisure activities that allow residents to meet to get to know each other and have fun. To find out about them, contact your municipality.

Cultural social centres

There are several cultural social centres in the canton of Vaud which promote social ties and interactions between generations and cultures. Various activities are offered and allow you to meet people.
 
For more information, contact your municipality to find out what exists in your area.

Welcoming international employees

The Welcome days & Reloc’coffees are events specially dedicated to international employees who have recently arrived in the canton of Vaud as well as to their spouses. These events are organised by the “International Link” service of the Vaud Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Sports and artistic activities

If you are looking for sports or artistic activities (volleyball, football, dance, music, theatre, etc.), in addition to your research on the internet, you can also contact your municipality of residence. A list of local companies that offer this type of service is often available at the Contrôle des Habitants.

Tourism

The canton of Vaud has magnificent landscapes, both in the countryside and in the mountains, and is home to many sites and monuments that deserve to be visited. To discover your region, you can consult the Vaud canton tourist office (OTV).

Cultural agenda

In the canton of Vaud, the cultural offer is varied: festivals, traditional celebrations, shows, exhibitions, cinemas, concerts, etc. To keep up to date with events in your region, visit the following websites:

Museums

Discover the museums of the canton of Vaud, their permanent and temporary exhibitions! They are mostly free of charge every first Saturday or Sunday of the month.

Libraries

Several libraries also welcome you in the canton. Membership is generally free.

Evening cultural activities and child care

For parents who enjoy concerts or the theatre, the Vaud Red Cross offers a baby-sitting service at home which includes four hours of childcare and the reservation of show tickets in the following cultural spaces:

Religion

Switzerland guarantees freedom of religion. In the canton of Vaud, everyone is free to practise their faith.

Seniors

Various actions for seniors are implemented by associations and by the Vaud municipalities. If you are retired and want to meet people or practise a hobby, you can contact one of the associations below.