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Paris for Children
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For all its monuments, Paris is a remarkably child-friendly city and, if you're traveling with a young baby, any idea of Parisians as standoffish will disappear under a barrage of advice and comment. Many of the most famous sights will be on every child's list: the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the glass lifts at the Grande Arche de la Défense, the Centre Pompidou or the pyramid at the Louvre. Most kids' events take place on Wednesdays (when primary schools close), weekends and holidays: see the weekly listings in Pariscope, L'Officiel des Spectacles and Figaroscope. The bimonthly freebie Paris-Mômes is full of imaginative suggestions; it comes with the daily Libération or can be picked up at the Office de Tourisme, Musée d'Orsay, MK2 cinemas and the Louvre's children's bookshop. Eating
out is a vital part of French culture and even if the reverentially
silent haute-cuisine temple or latest fashion restaurant is out of the
question, it's perfectly possible to have an authentic French restaurant
experience with the kids in tow. Most places will happily accept children
as long as they are kept (relatively) under control. Informality, speedy
service, croque-monsieur, salads, quiche, baguette sandwiches and chocolate
mousse - not to mention the intrigue of expresso machines, beer pumps
and lurid drinks - make cafés a good bet with small children.
(Article taken from Webscapes) Paris-anglo.com Both the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes are chock-full-of-playgrounds for all ages. Both have zoos and lakes for feeding ducks, canoeing, etc. The Jardin d´Acclimatation is a full day´s worth of fun for toddlers. The labyrinth, the free playground, and the carrousel in the park at Les Halles is a blast for 2 year olds. The playground at the Champs de Mars as well. Perhaps the most fun is Paris´s old-style manèges with horses and cars and flying elephants.
Museums for Children
Something
for Everyone at the Louvre Admission's free for under-18s—a
great opportunity for young people to explore the Louvre's collections
and temporary shows with family or friends. A wide-ranging program of
activites for children ages 4 and up is available in the museum, the
Auditorium, and the Tuileries gardens. A self-guided
tour: choose one of our thematic trails for children. Other thematic
trails are available at the Information Desk under the Pyramid.
Eutelsat Balloon Ride Paris for Visitors Balloon rides aren't just a luxury for well-heeled sightseeers. In Paris, the Eutelsat Balloon offers 10-minute rides to an altitude of 150 meters, or about 500 feet, for as little as 10 euros. (That's for a weekday adult ticket; kids pay half price.) The current tethered Parisian balloon began service in 1999, when an insurance company sponsored the balloon and offered free rides to Parisian children during pre-Millennium celebrations. The balloon then went into storage for several years until Eutelsat, a French Paris-based satellite communications company, became its new sponsor. The balloon (in Eutelsat livery) was relaunched in May, 2004, and it now operates year-round. Batobus River-Boat Shuttle Service Batobus takes you to the heart of Paris, to reach the various quarters of the capital. With 8 stops on the route, Batobus shows you a different view of Paris and is an original way of getting about in Paris
Aquaboulevard The biggest Water Park in Europe: 7000 m* dedicated to relaxation, getting away from it all and fun. Tropical surroundings: air and water at 29°C all year round. 10 giant waterslides, wave pools, jacuzzis, outdoor beach, contraflow water courses and lots of other water play equipment. Also on the site, a 14 screen cinema complex, 7 restaurants, the Forest Hill club - Europe's largest fitness club, 1000 m* sports store, play area.
France Miniature Park France Miniature is the biggest miniature park in Europe, in a map of France drawn on a 5-acres-ground. 130 monuments and places of interest, 150 remade landscapes, villages, castles, harbours, train stations and a huge railway line, 60 000 characters, 20 000 dwarf trees, rivers, mountains seas and oceans : all gathered during a day to offer all the family an unusual, amusing and educational day-trip.
Paris with kids You know you've reached middle age when, all of a sudden, Paris is no longer the city of light, of love, of romance, of a thousand vins rouges and cafes au lait and moonlit walks along the Seine, but instead . . . a place to go with your kid. And, as it turns out, a wonderful place to visit with children. You just have to adjust your sights a little. Instead of spending hours in the Musee d'Orsay, the old train station converted into a resplendent home for impressionists and other 19th-century artists, it'll be 15 minutes or no stop at all. Instead of bistro dinners stretching into the night, it might be a few nems (as the French call Vietnamese spring rolls) wolfed down at a counter. And those walks along the Seine? In afternoon sunlight, oui; moonlight, mais non .
Paris Digest Paris is well known as a beautiful and culturally rich city, which would classify it as a city for adults. But Paris also has plenty to offer children and families. Just think about Disneyland Paris and the Asterix amusement park. First class places to have fun at all ages. Children will be impressed by the Eiffel tower, they will love the river cruises on the Seine river. They will be fascinated by the Grévin wax museum, the Navy museum and the Air museum with its collection of historical planes and rockets. The France Miniature park displays famous monuments of Paris and France in miniature scale. A funny and quick way to tour Paris and France children will appreciate. They will love the animals at the Vincennes zoo. The Thoiry park, a bit farther away, will be a safari like experience close to Paris and far from Africa. The
Museum in the Plant Garden with its dinosaur skeletons is a children's
favorite. Paris also has impressive hemispheric movie theaters like
the Géode and many game entertainment centers like Séga
La Tête dans les nuages and the Bowling Montparnasse. On a more
intimate side, don't skip the lovely doll museum and the Compagnie Blin's
puppet shows.
Exciting activities for families traveling to France: French Tourist Office
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