Our package from the Swiss Embassy kicked off this very fun study of Switzerland. It coincided with a few snowstorms and perfect sledding weather, too!
Navigate this page: Missions, Booklists, Science, Cooking, Composer Study, Folk Dance, Art Project, Game, Movies, Videos
Free Printables
- Crayola.com’s Free printable of Switzerland Flag and Map
- Crayola.com’s Free printable of Liechtenstein Flag and Map
- Seterra.com’s Free printable maps of Europe
- Seterra.com’s Free online geography games for Europe: Switzerland and Lichtenstein are grouped in the Western Europe Countries game.
Missions Spotlight
- Prayercast.com/Switzerland: Prayer Points, Summary, Quick Facts
- Prayercast.com/Liechtenstein: Prayer Points, Summary, Quick Facts
**parents should preview the short prayercast.com video for sensitive topics that may not be age appropriate.
Top 3 Book List
The following lists are a sampling of my favorite books for different age groups. (These are Amazon affiliate links that do not increase your price. I may earn a few cents on qualifying purchases.)
Preschool/Kindergarten
Elementary School
Late Elem/Middle School
Reference Books for Switzerland
This book contains Lichtenstein, too
Cooking Swiss Food with Kids
Candlemas, or La Chandeleur, occurred during our study of Switzerland. In the French part of Switzerland, they celebrate the way the French do, with crepes! We also learned that Groundhog Day has its origins in Candlemas, which both occur on February 2nd.
My kids read “Heidi,” by Johanna Spyri, in the fall. We had to make “Heidi Bread” and drink goat’s milk from a bowl. The kids got a huge kick out of seeing Heidi do this in the movie as she ate her bread and cheese.
We braided the famous Zopf bread from Switzerland. We made two kinds: regular and orange chocolate. The kids each braided a loaf and were so pleased with their efforts.
Composer Study
Arthur Honegger was born in France to Swiss parents and studied at the Zürich Conservatory. Composing during the early 20th century, he was one of “Les Six,” along with better known French composers, Milhaud and Poulenc. Read more about Honegger here and have a listen to a few of his works:
- Pacific 231 (1924) The music in this video starts around 2:40
- Rugby (1928)
Folk Dance and Music
The Swiss are famous for their yodeling and alpenhorn, also called alphorn. The sound is so unique and was developed out of a necessity to communicate over long distances in the Alps.
- Swiss Folk Music (Yodeling, Polka, Alphorn and more…)
- Battle of the Alpine Horns
- Switzerland Yodeling
- Switzerland traditional welcome dance
Art Study and Projects
Following an Usborne Art Book, we made watercolor pictures in the style of Paul Klee. We added a few symbols in Chinese that mean “Ox,” “Fish,” and “New Year.” During our study of Switzerland, we were celebrating the Lunar New Year, for which fish are a lucky symbol and it is the Year of the Ox.
- Learn about Paul Klee: Art with Mati and Dada – Paul Klee
- Art Project: Paul Klee Cityscape
- Learn about Alberto Giacometti: 5 Minute Art | Myles, 5, takes a look at Giacometti
- Art Project: Giacometti Foil Sculptures
Game
The game, Thurn and Taxis, includes the Swiss cities of Basel and Zurich, so we revisited that one. Another great overview game for Europe is Ticket to Ride: Europe.
Movies!
There are multiple movie versions of “Heidi” and we watched the 2017 version. The German is dubbed with English and the cinematography is beautiful!
YouTube Videos
- THE SAINT BERNARD DOG – GIANT ALPINE RESCUER
- Exploring the Ice Caves of Jungfraujoch Switzerland travel guide
- Rick Steves: Switzerland’s Jungfrau Region: Best of the Alps
- Rick Steves: Zermatt, Switzerland: The Matterhorn and the Swiss Alps
- Lindt Home of Chocolate | THE GRAND OPENING with Roger Federer
- Geography Now! is a fun and informative resource geared towards adults and older kids; I recommend that parents pre-watch before showing to younger kids.
