fun things to do with kids in paris france - family travel   Travel for Kids
france
   
     
   

Paris

paris place des vosges

It seems that Paris has more museums and monuments per square kilometer than anywhere else and they are fabulous, but don’t explode trying to see them all when you visit Paris with kids. Paris is a great walking city, especially all those wide boulevards, and tucked away in every neighborhood are charming little parks, open to everyone. Wherever you go, breathe in the delicious smells of pastries from the nearest patisserie or boulangerie, and stop in to sample the sweetness of Paris.

Editor's note: Kids' Paris is a different experience, even if parents are familiar with the city. When we took our boys to Paris for the first time, they discovered things we wouldn't have noticed, like playing in the tip of the Louvre pyramid in the underground entrance, or eating bread shaped like the Eiffel Tower.

Paris Photo Album
Notre Dame - Ile-de-la-Cite
The Louvre - Tuileries
Eiffel Tower - Invalides
Left Bank
Marais & Bastille
Chateau de Vincennes
Bois de Boulogne
Greater Paris
Versailles
Paris day trips
   

"Tips for Paris" before you go and while you're there – riding the Metro and how to get out of maze-like stations, museums and monuments, laundromats, restrooms, and more.

paris carousels
  Ride the carousels – Paris has numbers of charming carousels, especially popular for younger kids. Give it a whirl whenever you happen to stumble onto one. Carousels can be found in the Parc Monceau, Tuileries, Champ de Mars (Eiffel Tower), Trocadero, at the bottom of the hill at Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, Jardin des Plantes, and Luxembourg Gardens.
   

Take the Metro – Riding the Metro (subway) is fun, not just because you can hop on and off anywhere in Paris, but there’s all those long tunnels. While meandering up and down, you come upon unexpected delights, such as a chamber orchestra playing Baroque music, lone violinist, a jazz combo.

     
Pont Neuf  

Bridges – There are 36 different bridges across the Seine, and they're all different. Some are wooden, metal or stone, some are plain and functional, other like the Pont Alexandre III are decorated with gilded statues and cherubs. The Pont Neuf (where Madeline fell into the river) is four hundred years old, the newest is the Simone de Beauvoir footbridge. Some bridges are just for pedestrians, others are for the metro. At the Pont de l'Alma, look for the statue, a soldier at the base of the bridge – when the Seine rises too high, the statue is covered with water. Kids can have fun choosing their favorite bridge, and if they like to draw, bring pads of paper to sketch the bridges.

   

Fun food

Making crepes in Paris
   
   
   

Creperies are a big hit – try different flavors of crepes.

family hotels paris
Travel for Kids has so many fun things to do with kids in Paris, but you'll need a fun place to stay.

Here's our own Travel for Kids hand-picked list of family hotels in Paris, all styles and price ranges, in neighborhoods that are comfortable for families, and near to places you'll want to explore:

    Paris family hotels
    Charles de Gaulle airport family hotels

Apartment rental has lots of advantages for families – full kitchen and dining area, so you don't need to eat meals in restaurants, room to spread out all your stuff, and cost savings for families.

    Paris family apartment rentals
family tours paris
 

The Louvre has so many masterpieces, how make great art come alive for kids? On this 2+ hour family tour, kids will discover mythical heroes, Egyptian pharaohs, Greek beauties, French kings and queens in Louvre artworks.

Louvre Tour for Kids
  Discover Gothic Paris, Ile de la Cite, exterior of Notre Dame, stained glass of Sainte-Chapelle, and more,on a private family walking tour:
Ile-de-la-Cite Tour for Kids
family travel tools paris
Make life easy with a Paris Pass, an all-one-card for the Louvre, Notre Dame cathedral, Sainte Chapelle, Versailles, Musee d'Orsay, Orangerie, and more, plus Seine boat cruise, and unlimited rides on the metro. Savings for the whole family, fast track entry to the Louvre, and no waiting in ticket lines:
The Paris Pass
kids books paris
     
paris city trails  
Paris City Trails
Lonely Planet Kids

Nineteen different themed trails through Paris – under the streets, mysteries and legends, surprising food, city shapes, smells of Paris, magicians and alchemists, unexpected sights, French Revolution "off with their heads," chic fashion, ghostly tales, lights after dark, and more. (Illustrated chapter book)

 

     
This is Paris
M. Sasek

Triomphes, the oldest church and oldest bridge in Paris, 1,665 steps to climb the Eiffel tower, pleasure boats on the Seine, Notre Dame Cathedral, bistros and cafés, Street of the Fishing Cat, and more. Whimsical illustrations, fun facts, this is a classic. (Picture book)

 

 
This is Paris kids
     
Babar's guide to Paris  
Babar's Guide to Paris
Laurent de Brunhoff

Babar takes his daughter Celeste on a tour of Paris. "First, he says, you must go to a cafe." Order an ice cream or citron presse (fresh lemonade), have dinner at a brasserie (you can bring your dog), admire the Eiffel Tower from every angle, enter the Louvre through the glass pyramid, walk everywhere, there will always be a surprise on every block! (Picture book)

 

     

Illustrated history of the Eiffel Tower – how Gustave Eiffel built a tower out of metal, opening in 1889 for the World's Fair, first reactions to this new landmark, and today a symbol of France and the most visited monument in the world. (Chapter book)

 

 
where is the eiffel tower
     
night of the new magicians  
Night of the New Magicians
(Magic Tree House)
Mary Pope Osborne

It's the 1889 World's Fair. Jack and Annie go on an airy bike ride over the Paris rooftops to meet Gustave Eiffel, the "Magician of Iron," and engineer of the Eiffel Tower. (Easy reader)

 

     

“Hanging on the wall year after year isn’t as easy you might think.” Captivating story of the Mona Lisa theft, told by the painting herself. She understands why Vincenzo Perugia, an Italian workman in the museum, thought the Mona Lisa should go back to Italy, and how he lifted the painting from the Louvre. Based on true events, this story is a gem, beautifully illustrated. (Picture book)

 

 
the mona lisa caper
     
katie and the impressionists  

Little Katie gets in the picture, when she climbs into an Impressionist painting, and joins the family eating lunch in the garden. She picks a bouquet to bring back, but her adventures have only begun. A delightful story about Impressionist paintings. (Picture book)

 

     
Along Came Coco
Eva Byrne

Coco Chanel changed the way women dressed and looked forever – swimsuits, blue and white striped shirts, comfortable little black dress, short hair. Eye catching, exuberant illustrations will take you to Paris! (Picture book)

 

 
along came coco
     
coco chanel  
Coco Chanel
Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Ana Albero

Coco Chanel, the most famous French designer, was different growing up – while other girls played, she sewed. In Paris, Coco set up her own shops and created new things – hats, gowns, dresses, suits, perfume. (Picture book)

 

     
Paris-Chien
Jackie Clark Mancuso

In Paris, people take their dogs everywhere, shopping, to cafes and restaurants, so when Hudson moves to Paris, he can't wait to meet Parisian dogs. But all the dogs speak French, so Hudson finds a teacher, and soon he knows about chien, chat, oiseau, and has lots of friends. Delightful! (Picture book)

And here's Hudson's next Paris adventure: Hudson and the Puppy

 

 
paris-chien
     
dodsworth in paris  

Adventures of Dodsworth and his traveling companion, the duck, in Paris for the first time. The duck make paper airplanes to fly from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Only the paper airplanes are euros, and now their money is gone. They get a job delivering baguettes, but end up in the Tour de France bike race. After seeing the Louvre, Dodsworth paints a picture, but only the duck can turn it into a masterpiece. (Picture book)

 

     
Everybody Bonjours!
Leslie Kimmelman, Sarah McMenemy

"When in Paris ... everybody bonjours." Charming story in pictures and rhymes around Paris, delightfully illustrated. Fun for little kids. (Picture book)

 

 
evrybody bonjour
     
aewsome travels paris  
WiKIDly Awesome Travels Paris
Miranda McPhee, Suzanne Lifson

Bring this travel journal on your visit to Paris – learn French phrases to order ice cream and sweets, draw favorite landmarks, write about paintings in the Louvre, plus history and quizzes about famous Paris sights. (Activity book)

 

     
Come With Me To Paris
Gloria Fowler, Min Heo

trip around Paris in pictures and rhymes – stop into a boulangerie for a breakfast croissant, see Mona Lisa at the Louvre and stained glass windows at Sainte Chappelle, climb to the top of Arc de Triomphe, visit Notre Dame, then have an ice cream at Berthillon, and at night, watch the lights of the city at from the Eiffel Tower. (Picture book)

Also: Paris Coloring Book

 

 
come with me to paris
     
paris a book of shapes  
Paris: A Book of Shapes
Ashley Evanson

Spot triangles at (the entrance) to the Louvre Museum, find squares (square-shaped sweets) in patisseries, look for an arch at the Arc de Triomphe and ovals (fountains) at Versailles. (Board book)

 

(More children's books on France pages)
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