Borrowing instead of buying: that is the principle behind the Malleray-Bévilard toy library, attached to the municipality of Valbirse, which makes more than 650 games available to children and their parents. Each family member can borrow one game for four weeks, with a further four-week extension possible, plenty of time to explore each box before bringing it back.
As for prices, the annual membership is set at 40 francs for a family from the municipality, 50 francs for a family from outside it and 20 francs for an individual: a modest budget for regularly refreshing the games at home.
The toy library opens on Fridays from 16:00 to 18:00, as well as the first Tuesday of the month at the same times, outside school holidays.
Kids activities nearby
Family outing ideas around the toy library.
Want to enjoy a water outing sheltered from the weather in Bévilard? The Piscine couverte de l'Orval, the only indoor pool in the Bernese Jura, welcomes young and old all year round with its large swimming pool, its heated non-swimmer area, and, since its renovation, a brand new slide. A sure bet for splashing around with the family.
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Looking for a simple, sociable outing in the heart of the Bernese Jura? The minigolf in Reconvilier welcomes you right in the centre of the village, a stone's throw from the station. An open-air course, a refreshment kiosk for ice creams, and a round where young and old compete shot by shot. Perfect for a family afternoon.
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Want a day by the water with family in Moutier? The Piscine de Moutier, an outdoor gem of the Bernese Jura designed in 1949, features a large pool, a 60-meter slide, and a wading pool for the little ones. There's plenty to keep both young and old entertained all summer long, at the foot of the Prévois mountains.
View detailsNearby toy libraries
Other toy libraries in the same canton.
Ludothèque de Tavannes
Tavannes, 2710
In the Royal building, at Grand-Rue 28, the Tavannes toy library caters to toddlers and teenagers, adults and families alike. Its collection of more than 1,500 games is refreshed every month, guaranteeing new finds on every visit, and the team is happy to explain the rules on site, a real plus for leaving with a game you can launch that very evening. The doors are open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 16:00 to 18:00, as well as the first Friday of the month at the same times. The toy library is also a lively player in local life: it organises around fifteen activities a year (discovery evenings, tournaments, family workshops) and also works with schools.
Ludothèque de Moutier
Moutier, 2740
Four opening sessions a week (Monday and Tuesday afternoons, Friday at the end of the day and Saturday morning) make the Moutier toy library an easy fixture in the family diary. Based at Avenue de la Liberté 13, it lends games and toys to families in the Prévôté: a good way to vary children's activities without filling the cupboards, especially on rainy days. Life here does not stop at lending: the team runs activities and games evenings, using large-scale equipment such as a giant table football brought out for events. Note that the toy library is closed during the school holidays; the rest of the year, the four weekly sessions leave plenty of room to drop by and choose your next discovery.
Ludothèque de Haute-Sorne
Bassecourt, 2854
In Bassecourt, on Rue des Primevères, the Ludothèque de Haute-Sorne offers more than 900 games and toys for all ages. It opens three times a week at the end of the day: Mondays and Wednesdays from 16:00 to 17:30, and Thursdays from 17:00 to 18:30, time enough to drop by after school and pick the weekend's game. Worth remembering: games can also be borrowed for a special occasion such as a wedding or a party, rather than buying equipment that will only be used once. As for prices, annual membership costs 30 francs for a family and 20 francs for an individual, enough to keep the whole household's games fresh all year round.
