A Rainy Day Activity – You Can Do In Basel
Thank you to Daniela Sustac for checking out an indoor playing place for children.
Text by Daniela Sustac
Are you looking for a rainy day activity in Basel with an active toddler?
Then try Elys Boulderloft, located in St. Johann.
I’m only reviewing the kids’ area, where no bouldering experience or shoes are necessary, although I recommend non-slip socks or slippers for your child.
The aroma of fresh coffee and pastries welcomed me; the reception area doubles as a cosy cafe.
As a first-time visitor, you will have to register.
Following this, you and your child will each receive a card.
Kids under three years old are free; the accompanying adults must pay 5 CHF each.
One side of the welcome area consists of windows overlooking the adults’ bouldering area, you know if you want to enjoy coffee and a bouldering competition, which the gym hosts occasionally.
The Children’s Area
It is down the stairs, to the left, just after the locker room. My daughter found her favourite section there: the ball pit!
A small slide at the back was a lot of fun for her. And sitting next to the ball pit is a couple of hammocks, armchairs and small tables. Here parents and kids can enjoy a snack break or some chill-out time.
According to the website, the theme is “Wald und Fels“.
The “Forest and Rock” area spreads over 350 square meters.
The children can climb, slide, jump, boulder, balance, run and do gymnastic exercises here.
I saw a baby (a younger sibling) having a lovely time crawling everywhere, accompanied by their parent.
My daughter spent the first five minutes running around, completely overwhelmed with everything.
However, the novelty wore off after a while.
We subsequently entertained ourselves by playing hide and seek in what I called the “rock labyrinth “.
You go in on one side and come out on the other or at the top.
My daughter loved the challenge of climbing up the giant slide.
Here’s where those non-slip socks were functional.
There is a smaller slide if the thrill of the giant slide is too much (as it was for me, oh boy).
It is situated next to the “forest “part of the playground.
For the older kids, there are lots of opportunities to practise bouldering.
My daughter was not very interested in these walls.
We had a wonderful time at Ely’s.
It’s an excellent place to be -especially when it’s raining outside.
The only downside to our outing was leaving. I had a tough time extracting my daughter from the ball pit.
We look forward to our next visit.
Important information about Elys Boulderloft
- Address: Elsässerstrasse 215a.
- Reachable by public transport: Tram 11, stop at St Louis Grenze.
- Price: 5 CHF for accompanying adults, 8 CHF for kids between three and twelve, and free for children under three.
- Suitable for children who can walk, although I saw younger siblings crawling.
