The younger your child is, the more you can keep your options open. All preschool and childcare choices are private in Switzerland when children are very young. There are no subsidies for daycare once your income is above a certain level. So there is often no advantage using the local system.
Bilingual primary schools, international […]
A question for our founder and head, Monica Shah Zeeman:
Many parents who move here from other climates may not be used to this weather. How can they ensure their child develops a good attitude towards being outdoors even when it is cold and they themselves do not enjoy being outdoors?
It’s motivating for parents to […]
A question for our founder and head, Monica Shah Zeeman:
Monica, we woke up today to a gorgeous snowfall and it made me, an adult, want to go outside and play. Why is it so important that children play outside every day, no matter what the weather’s like?
When you see something beautiful in nature you’re […]
– while having fun and making memories.
Zurich, Switzerland is a wonderful place to enjoy the winter holiday season. With its incredible landscapes and wonderful decorated surroundings. It’s the perfect place to establish some intercultural family traditions for the holidays. Yearly customs offer parents opportunities to bond with their children and give them a greater […]
Next Tuesday 16th November 2021 we will introduce international parents to the Swiss tradition of Räbeliechtli which is a traditional Swiss turnip festival that takes place around the time of St. Martin’s day. In various communities in the Zurich canton they host a parade where school children walk and sing with carved turnip lanterns […]
Come and hear early years expert Monica Shah Zeeman talk about daycares with a difference. Choosing a good early years environment is key to fulfilling your child’s potential. To a first time parent there are a myriad of choices. What’s the difference between one daycare and another?
Find out more about how children learn in a social group. Developmental […]
If your little one needs to burn off some extra energy and you are not able to go outside, how about trying out some of these games designed to develop gross motor skills?
Create a “spider web” or an “avoid the lasers” game. You can use painting or masking tape to stick up string, or […]
Today we immersed Children First in English storytelling as we celebrated Schweizer Vorlesetag – the first national day dedicated to reading out loud. Children First teachers read English favourites such as The Gruffalo, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Goodnight Moon. Our Kindergarten teacher also included The Queen’s Hat in honour of the […]
Creating a mystery book is a wonderful way to get your child excited about reading! Take a new or second hand book your child hasn’t seen before and cover the front with paper with a big question mark on it. Read through the book and have the child guess what the title could be. […]
Happy Chinese New Year!
Children First celebrated the year of the rooster by performing a traditional dragon dance around the garden. Leading up to the parade, the children read stories about the New Year celebration in China, and learned about the cycle of animal years and the story of the animal race which led to […]
