Toy libraries in the canton of Neuchâtel

La chaux

Marin, 2074

Looking to refresh the games at home without piling up purchases? Ludotène, the toy library of La Tène, offers games and toys in Marin for all ages and all occasions, from toddlers to adults. The catalogue can be consulted online, which is handy for spotting something you fancy before coming to borrow on site, at Rue de la Fleur-de-Lys 7. The doors are open two late afternoons a week, on Mondays and Thursdays from 15:30 to 18:00, plus one Saturday morning a month, from 10:00 to 12:00. Enough to fit the visit into the family schedule, between school pick-up and dinner. More than just a lending counter, the toy library sees itself as a place of discovery and a meeting point across the generations, where young and old share the pleasure of play.

NE

Ludothèque Casse Noisette

Le Locle, 2400

Open since 1981, the Casse Noisette toy library welcomes families in Le Locle four late afternoons a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 15:30 to 17:30) as well as on Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 11:00. Located at Crêt-Vaillant 37, it offers more than 2,000 quality games and toys, which can be borrowed just as in a library. The selection is designed for ages 0 to 99 and caters for children and families as well as for day nurseries, school classes and teachers. A team of volunteer toy librarians welcomes visitors and helps them choose, a real asset when you are looking for the right game for a particular age or occasion. Trying a game at home before adopting it for good: that is the whole point of the formula, and it spares you many a disappointing purchase.

NE

Ludothèque de la Basse-Areuse

Boudry, 2017

Founded in 1984 and run by around twenty volunteers, the Ludothèque de la Basse-Areuse lends games and toys to children, teenagers and adults from its premises at Chemin du Theyeret 6 in Boudry. New titles can be tried out on site before you take them home, the best way to leave with a game the whole family will actually enjoy. A private association and member of the Swiss Federation of Toy Libraries, it is supported by the municipalities of Boudry, Cortaillod, Milvignes and Rochefort, and offers games for birthdays among other things. Doors are open three afternoons a week: Tuesdays from 14:30 to 17:00, Wednesdays from 15:30 to 18:00 and Thursdays from 16:00 to 18:30.

NE

Ludothèque La Chaux-de-Fonds

La Chaux-de-Fonds, 2300

In the Neuchâtel mountains, the Ludothèque de La Chaux-de-Fonds works on the same principle as a library: you pick out games and toys, bring them back after use, then leave with fresh ideas. The service is part of the Bibliothèques et Ludothèque division of the City of La Chaux-de-Fonds, making it a full part of the town's public cultural offering. For families in the area, the formula means borrowing rather than buying: a game that has lost its appeal simply goes back on the shelf, and another takes its place at home. It is also an economical way to keep up with children as they grow, since their taste in games changes quickly from one year to the next. Practical details, opening hours and lending conditions are available on the City of La Chaux-de-Fonds website.

NE

Ludothèque La Colombine

Fontainemelon, 2052

Families in the Val-de-Ruz have their go-to address for games in Fontainemelon: the Ludothèque La Colombine, at Chemin de Bellevue 3, lends games and toys to the whole valley. The premises are reached from Rue du Temple. Three sessions a week leave plenty of choice: Mondays and Thursdays from 15:00 to 18:00, plus Saturday mornings from 09:30 to 11:30 for an unhurried family visit. The toy library is closed during the school holidays. Borrowing a game also means having the right to get it wrong: if a game doesn't catch on, you bring it back and try another, no abandoned boxes pile up, and every visit rekindles the children's curiosity.

NE

Ludothèque Pestalozzi

Neuchâtel, 2000

In the heart of Neuchâtel, at Faubourg du Lac 1, the Pestalozzi toy library shares premises with the library of the same name. So you can drop in for stories as much as for games: hiring a game costs between 1 and 6 francs, while borrowing books and DVDs remains free, with a maximum of two reservations per user. The doors are open Tuesday to Friday from 13:30 to 17:30, and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 13:00, a welcome slot for families with busy weekdays. School classes and groups are welcomed by appointment, with a guided visit and dedicated borrowing slots. A great way to introduce children to the principle of lending, applied here to games as well as books.

NE

Ludothèque régionale du Val-de-Travers

Couvet, 2108

In the heart of the Val-de-Travers, at Rue des Collèges 3 in Couvet, the regional toy library lets families from the valley borrow games and toys instead of buying them. Two early-evening slots punctuate the week: Mondays and Thursdays from 17:00 to 18:30, a convenient time to drop in after school or at the end of the working day. Lending works just like a library: choose, take home, play, then bring it back and discover something else. A clever way to fill winter evenings and rainy Sundays without turning the living room into a storeroom of boxes. The toy library is closed during the school holidays and resumes its usual rhythm when school starts again.

NE

Ludothèque Zig Zag Zoug

Bevaix, 2022

Thursdays from 15:00 to 17:00 and Saturdays from 10:00 to 12:00: two weekly sessions are all the Ludothèque Zig Zag Zoug needs, at Chemin du Closel 10 in Bevaix, to lend games and toys to families in the area. The appeal of the formula is easily summed up: rather than stacking boxes at home, you keep the games moving. Borrow, discover, return, repeat. Children change games as their interests evolve, and the flat gets room to breathe. Worth noting: the toy library can be reached by text message or by telephone during opening hours, and it stays closed during the school holidays.

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La chaux

Ludothèque Casse Noisette

Ludothèque de la Basse-Areuse

Ludothèque La Chaux-de-Fonds

Ludothèque La Colombine

Ludothèque Pestalozzi

Ludothèque régionale du Val-de-Travers

Ludothèque Zig Zag Zoug

Towns in the canton of Neuchâtel

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