TASIS Minnows Summer Day Camp, Montagnola (Lugano), Switzerland

TASIS Minnows is the summer day programme for the youngest learners, children aged 4 to 6, held on the TASIS campus on the Collina d’Oro (“Hill of Gold”) in Montagnola, overlooking Lugano. Set in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland — about one hour north of Milan and two hours south of Zurich — the campus combines historic 17th-century buildings with state-of-the-art facilities. Recognised by Architectural Digest as one of the world’s most beautiful school campuses, it offers a safe and nurturing environment for early-years children. The programme runs Monday to Friday as a day camp, with two options: a Standard day finishing at 15:00 and an Extended Day with additional afternoon clubs and activities until 17:30. Mornings focus on age-appropriate language classes — English as an Additional Language, French and Italian — alongside sports and activities, while afternoons are devoted to arts and music. A three-course lunch and snacks are included each day, and children take part in weekly field trips. Extended Day families receive the same programme plus supervised afternoon clubs. Because this is an early-years day programme, the optional sports and overnight excursions offered to older TASIS students are not part of the Minnows experience. A modest amount of pocket money (around CHF 40–50 per week) is suggested for outings. On-campus care is supported by a Health Center staffed by nurses, with the Civico hospital about fifteen minutes away. Places are secured with a non-refundable enrolment deposit, which is applied toward the total tuition. Day families provide their own health and accident insurance or, if they are not Swiss residents, may request the TASIS Health and Accident Insurance Plan. The programme is offered across the summer in two sessions between late June and early August. Minnows suits local and internationally minded families near Lugano looking for a nurturing, multilingual first camp experience for a young child in a beautiful and secure Swiss setting. Availability, dates and prices may change quickly. Please always confirm details directly with the camp provider before making travel arrangements.