Munich Kids

TSV stands for “Turn und Sportverein”, which can be translated as Exercise and Sports Club.  These are neighborhood-based sport halls and gyms, and there are many of them in Munich.  They offer sports leagues and classes for adults and teens.  Volleyball, basketball, karate, and handball are offered by most.  Many also offer a program for young children.  For example MTSV-Schwabing offers “kindergymnastik”, or children’s gym, for children starting at 18 months (See the post in “Fitness and Sports” for more information).  Prices are typically very reasonable.  TSVs are sponsored by the Bavarian School and Culture Department, Sports Bureau.  I haven’t been able to find a website that lists all of the TSVs in Munich and their respective websites.  However, the following website provides a search engine for all of the sports offerings for young people in Munich, including TSVs.   You can search by: type of sport; neighborhood, PLZ; age of child; day of week; time of day; name of club; and whether or not the club is accessible for persons with disabilities.  The site is in German, but should be easy to navigate and understand for anyone with a basic understanding of the language.

Website:  http://www.msj.de/msj/sportangebote/sa_suchen2.php

The Nordbad is one of the public swimming pools managed by SWM.  There are three indoor pools; a large pool for adults, a smaller pool, generally used by kids, and a good-sized baby pool.  The baby pool has a slide and two fountains that spray water.  There is a nice indoor area with tables for snacks or lunch for the kids.  Also, a bathroom with small washdown area is very near the baby and kids’ pools, making it easy for you to change or wash your baby while your older kids play near by.  “Street strollers” are not allowed in the locker rooms or pool areas.  However, you can leave your stroller in an outer room and exchange it for one of the facility’s indoor strollers.  This is very convenient, especially when you’re trying to get changed in the locker room.  No double strollers are available, a drawback for families with twins! A whirlpool is also available indoors.  

There is an outdoor pool that can be accessed from a small indoor section that connects to the outside.  The outdoor pool is in the shape of a spiral.  The water alternates between “still” and “river current”.  That is, at regularly scheduled intervals the water feels like a river current that pushes you along the outside spiral of the pool.  The current is a bit strong, so be aware of that when swimming with small children.  There is plenty of space for sunbathers outside.  You may be surprised how early in the year people start using the outdoor pool.  I was there on a mild day in April and there were already sunbathers soaking up some rays. 

Several saunas are also available.  A new fitness center is scheduled to open in early Spring 2007.  

Next door to the swim hall is a nice little cafe called the Cafe am Nordbad, or C.A.N.  The food is decent and prices are inexpensive to moderate.  On warm days, they have a large outdoor seating area.  Several outdoor tables are situated next to the large front lawn of the Nordbad.  This provides a perfect play area for your kids to run around while you enjoy a post-swim, iced coffee in the sun.

Address:  Schleissheimer Strasse 142, 80797 Munich

Nearest Public Transportation:  U2 -  Hohenzollernplatz; Tram 12, 27 -  Nordbad; MetroBus 53, StadtBus 154 - Nordbad  

Website:  http://www.swm.de/de/produkte/mbaeder/hallenbaeder/nordbad.html

Germans love swimming, sunbathing, and relaxing in saunas. Their network of public swimming pools clearly demonstrates this.  Munich has the best public swimming pool system of any city I have lived in or visited!  There are 19 public swimming facilites within Munich and numerous other ones that can be reached by S-bahn.  For example, Therme-Erding is considered ”the best sauna in Germany and Austria”. 

There are outdoor and indoor swimming pools, and some facilities have both.  Visit SWM’s excellent web site for details of each facility.  Each facility has its own page that lists what is available, hours, prices, and public transportation information.  Prices are very reasonable.  For example, at the Nordbad you can swim for up to 3 hours for 3,40 EUR or for the whole day for 6,60 EUR.  Use of the sauna is extra.  Children up to age three have free admission.  Most of the swimming pools offer swimming and water exercise classes as well. 

Wondering what the conventional practice for clothing is? In other words, will everyone be fully dressed in swimsuits?  Swimsuits are worn in the swimming pools. You may see a few topless sunbathers at some of the outdoor pools, but generally everyone stays clothed in their swimsuits.  Topless and nude sunbathing tends to be reserved for designated, often private, facilities, or for traditionally nude areas in the English Garden and the Isar river.  However, users of the sauna are typically nude.

Website:// http://www.swm.de/en/products/mbaeder.html

MTSV-Schwabing is a community gym.  There are multiple classes and open gym times available for children and adults.  Examples include children’s gymanastics, basketball, handball, fitness/bodystyling, and karate.  A nordic walking club is also associated with the club. 

The gymnastics for children group is one of the best indoor activities that I have found in Munich.  It is available for different age groups, but I am most familiar with the group for toddlers, starting at 18 months and older.  The sessions are led by Isabel, a very energetic and positive gym teacher, and are held in a large, open gym.  Prior to each session, Isabel sets up 5-6 “physical challenge stations”.  Each station promotes the use and development of gross motor skills.  The stations cover a wide range of skills for toddlers, from very easy to difficult.  For example, in an easy station, children climb up and down on soft foam triangles and cylinders and then slide down a wide board.  In a difficult station, children climb up an incline to a moving balance beam, walk across the beam and then jump on to a soft mattress below.  Parents are expected to supervise and assist their own children.  Each session begins with a fun, group activity led by Isabel.  Each session ends with a goodbye song.  In between, children are free to run around the gym, trying each of the physical challenge stations, or stay at their favorite one for the entire time. 

The classes are led in German, but even if you don’t know any German, you can follow along very easily and figure out what to do.   Prices are very reasonable.   You can buy a 12-punch card for 45 Euro.  Also, there is a 50% discount for a second sibling.  In other word, you are only charged for 1.5 sessions, each time you come with two kids.  Currently (Spring 2007), there are 4 sessions held weekly, two on Tuesday morning and two on Friday.  Current times are 9:25 - 10:10 and 10:15 - 11:00.  The website has some schedule information, but it is generally not very thorough.  I suggest walking to the gym and checking out the class and open gym schedules that are posted outside and inside the building.  It is a 5-minute walk from the Munchner Freiheit stop.  There is plenty of space available for parking a bike or stroller outside of the gym.

Address:  Ursula Strasse 3, Munich

Website:  http://www.mtsv-schwabing.de/

Nearest Public Transportation:  Munchner Freiheit, bus stop and U3/U6 U-bahn stop