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Paris with Kids
Unlike other tourist cities in the world, Paris is incredibly child friendly, from facilities offered at hotels, to highchairs and children’s menus in the restaurants. Paris also has a plethora of green spaces where children can enjoy the outdoors in the parks and gardens, as well as numerous amusement parks. Rain or shine you will have no problem amusing the children, there are even dedicated museums and parks especially for them! So, what are the best activities in Paris for kids?
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Whilst you may not have come to Paris to see Mickey Mouse, Disneyland Paris is one of the most visited theme parks in Europe and a definite hit with children. Located 32 kilometres outside of Paris in a town called Cressy, Disneyland Paris has two theme parks: Disneyland Park, which opened in 1992 and Walt Disney Studios Park in 2002. There are also resort hotels, Disney Nature Resorts, a shopping, dining, and entertainment complex and a golf course. You can expect the classic rides and characters including three new areas dedicated to Star Wars, Marvel and Frozen.
Official Site: https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-gb/
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Parks and Gardens
Jardin du Luxembourg was created by Napoleon and officially dedicated to children. Filled with delightful activities that hark back to the past; the 23 hectare park is a bucolic retreat shaded by chestnut trees with a boat lake, a carousel or you could take in a marionette show, or listen to free musical performances at the gazebo.
Younger kids will adore the amusement park Jardin d’Acclimatation, in the Bois de Boulogne, which has some 48 attractions. including a farm with animals, an aviary, funfair rides and adverntures like rafting and shooting and workshops – cooking, art, even yoga for kids! The fun begins aboard a mini train from Porte Maillot, the entrance to the park.
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Museums
There are a number of dedicated children’s museums:
Musee en Herbe is an art museum for kids with art exhibits and workshops based on the works of artists such as Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, and Niki de Saint Phalle. The permanent exhibition changes throughout the year, focussing on an artist or theme with the use of interactive displays, guided visits with worksheets and hands-on fun.
http://museeenherbe.com/pour-les-familles/
The Musee de la Magie, is the place to go for all things magic and illusion. Tickets include a magic show and entrance to the museum of automated toys, you can even take magic lessons!
https://www.museedelamagie.com/
Europe’s oldest science and technology museum, the Musée des Arts et Métiers is a must for families or anyone who likes to see how things work. Not only does it have over 200 years of inventions, they run family workshops every weekend where kids can get hands on and learn about
printing, optical toys, animated images, static electricity or photography. There is story time for ages 4-6 and they even have a special audio-guide for kids!
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Paris also boasts a number of science museums with entertaining exhibitions for budding Einsteins, the La Cite des Sciences et de L’industrie – Museum of science and industry in the Parc de la Villette has a number of exhibits for children age 2 and over including a planetarium and a retired submarine. Booking is essential for educative play sessions (aged 2-7 and 5-12) at the Galerie des Enfants where children discover through games and activities.
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The landmark Centre Pompidou modern-art museum and cultural centre, has dedicated areas for the younger visitor. The Galerie des enfants is an exhibition area open to all artistic disciplines where children and their families can develop their outlook on creation through observation and experimentation on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
For children aged 2 to 10, the 1st floor offers exhibitions including activities, art sessions and interactive experimentation with various workshops.
Studio 13/16 on the lower ground floor is a social place dedicated to teenagers aged from 13 to 16, where they can enjoy hands-on experience with has visual, multimedia and performing art kits and opportunities to meet artists. All aspects of contemporary creation are involved: the visual arts, dance, music, film, games and video clips, new digital broadcasting methods, fashion, design, books and more.
FabLab for kids 9-12 is a laboratory equipped with machines and materials like 3D printers and lazer cutters. Every 3 months new artists visit the centre and children engage in a collective work, starting from a story board, week by week or as a one-off.
https://www.centrepompidou.fr/en/visit/children-and-families
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Bus and Boat Tours of the city
Taking one of the many sightseeing buses that have several routes throughout the city is a great way to get an overall feel of the city, to see some of the sights from above, and of course a great way to see the city without hurting your feet!
You can also tour the city by boat, which saves your legs and allows you to glide past the major monuments. Batobus is a hop-on hop-off boat service with 9 stops around the city, with tickets for 24 or 48 hours you can take your time to explore, either sitting back for the ride, or using the boat to visit the major spots. A slightly offbeat cruise is offered by Canaurama, you can escape from the rush of the city and discover the charm of Old Paris on the canal Saint-Martin. The route is from the Arsenal Marina to the Parc de la Villette, or vice versa and the highlight for children is passing through the locks and under the swing bridges of the canal.
