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Having fun with children in Paris
Travel to Paris with the eyes of a child. Hopefully, you
have visited the city before so you can begin to think along those
lines. You might bring your own children; we rent ours by the week.
One of the beauties of bringing children to Paris is the
new view -- seeing it through their eyes. Come take a springtime visit
with us in Paris.
Our niece and nephew live on the outskirts of west Paris
and stay with us every now and then while their parents take a little
vacation.
We make a list of things to do, places to see, pizzas to
make, and sports activities to make them run around a lot. They live in
a small town and some things are different in the big city.
Last year our niece, Marie, was a short,
three-and-a-half-year old (halves are very important at this age).
Little brown poles dot the Paris sidewalks to prevent cars from parking
on the sidewalks.
One day, we left our apartment to take a walk to Jardin
des Plantes.
While chatting away, stretched four across a narrow
sidewalk, Marie looked sideways, and bang! walked right into one of
those poles. First there was shock and then bewilderment -- should she
cry or not. I don't think she did; there was so much street activity
going on she must have been distracted.
Not everything in Paris is this short and at eye level
for the little ones, however.
The dinosaur, mammoth and extinct animal skeletons at the Museum of Natural History - Paleontology and Geology
are pretty big.
The Eiffel Tower is tall. Taking a trip on the bus to get there
is an adventure
(Buses 42, 69 or 87).
Some of the rides at the Paris
Fair (Foire du Trône in April and May) move pretty fast and can be
overwhelming for a child, but the cotton candy is bite size.
Chocolate from the chocolate factory is more than a
mouthful.
Ping pong tables in the parks are at the right height for
a 7-year-old.
And don't worry, parents. if you choose take up any of
these suggestions, you will still get in your
sightseeing and probably see areas of Paris you never thought to
visit before.
Paleontology museum
This is not the renovated natural history museum, but the old, dusty one
at Jardin des Plantes in the fifth arrondissement -- the Paleontology
and comparative anatomy museum.
Inside this old structure from 1898 are thousands of
skeletons, fossils, relics and mass
quantities of apothecary jars filled with formaldehyde. Squeamish parents need not
attend, but the kids will love the two-headed specimens, the Cyclops and
other assorted mysteries of nature.
We had gone to see the animated feature,
"Ice Age" ("Age de Glace") the day before so
it was a good stepping stone into the past.
For lunch we broke down and went to a fast food
restaurant across from the paleontology museum with gold arches. Their
happy meal gift was "Lucky Luke" a famous French cowboy cartoon
character. Throughout the year, the gift is different: "Fox Kids",
"SEGA/computer game, etc.".
After lunch we stepped back in time for a while and
compared what we had seen at the movies and what was in the museum.
Marie wasn't as understanding of the past as Gabriel (7 ½ at the time). The specimens in the jars
attracted more interest.
Once we left the museum, we kicked the foam soccer ball around ,
visited the zoo, played in the playground, and ate ice cream. The
multiple activities available in this garden will be a section all its
own on my website one day .
If you don't bring your own foam soccer ball, they can be
found at one of the sport stores in Paris (Decathlon or Go Sport).
Paleontology museum
background
The anatomy and fossil collections were
exhibited as a symbol of the nature's diversity.
A major renovation was undertaken to
celebrate the hundred year anniversary of the building (i.e., compared
to the dust and antiquity and lack of lighting when I first saw the
presentation several years ago). This valuable collection attempts to
conserve the spirit of the historical location, and the collections of
the writings, engravings and drawings of this museum from the 19th
century.
"As part of the preparations for the 1900 Universal
Exposition, this museum was opened in 1898, constructed according to the
plans of the architect, Frédéric Dutert.
The architecture of the galleries reflects
the spirit of the times: construction of metal beams, girders and
consoles blended with stone. Dutert called on numerous artists to
develop a decoration inspired by naturalism which would inevitably was a
precursor to Art Nouveau."
Paris Fair - the Foire du Trône
Over the course of the week, we paid a visit to the zoo
at Bois de Vincennes (larger than Jardin des Plantes), and ate our
picnic lunch on a bench (all of the picnic tables in the zoo were
occupied).
That afternoon, we visited the fairgrounds for rides
and cotton candy (de la barbe à Papa).
The fairgrounds are a short walk from the zoo.
This is an annual event held in the park Bois de Vincennes
in April and May.
Ping pong
I know for sure of two small parks in Paris that have
ping pong tables (tennis de table).
The one we stopped at during a stroll in the 3rd
arrondissement was Parc St. Gervais. You might know this area by another
name: Picasso Museum on rue Thorigny (3rd arrondissement). If you walk behind the museum,
there is a neighborhood and a park. Inside the park along with trees is
a ping pong table, benches, and a playground.
Another sight for ping pong is in the Square Trousseau
(12th arrondissement). This square is near the Marché
Aligre and has a
gazebo, playground, benches, a restaurant on the corner and a bakery --
think sandwiches -- (boulanger)
across the street.
One way to find parks in Paris is to look for the green
spots on the Grand Plan de Paris map (this is the one with the streets
not just the bus and metro routes). Of course, whether or not they have a ping pong table
is not indicated. But carry those paddles just in case or explore one of
the sport stores in Paris: Decathlon or Go Sport.
Taking the bus to the Eiffel Tower
We live in the Bastille area so for us to go to the
Eiffel Tower and see the city along the way, we jumped on the No. 69
bus one day. The last stop is the Tour Eiffel. Marie and Gabriel are
used to riding in a car, so this was something of an adventure for them.
They learned how to hold on to their own ticket and put in the validator.
The chocolate factory
It was Easter when Gabriel and Marie were here. So, of
course, one thinks of Easter bunnies, eggs, dogs, chickens and shrimp. Yes,
inside the large pieces of chocolate are smaller pieces molded into
various shapes (shrimp and seahorses) and in shades of chocolate, white, or pink.
I hope this gives you some ideas for your next springtime
sojourn to Paris with children. Many of our other activities such as
candy making with marzipan and pizza making from scratch were done at
our house and would be difficult in a hotel room.
It is time for their next visit and I am working on
the list: boat ride on the Seine, lunch at the Eiffel Tower,
marionettes, etc. I will share that with you another time.
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Places to visit in Jardin des Plantes:
Galerie d'anatomie comparée et de Paléontologie
(Paleontology museum)
Open: every day except Tuesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission: 5 euros (they
will take credit card over 10 euros) /3 euros
Grande Galerie de l'Evolution
Open: daily except Tuesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission: 7 euros/5 euros
Galeries de Minéralogie et de Géologie
Open: daily except Tuesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Jardin des Plantes (the gardens)
Open: daily from 7:30 a.m. until sunset.
Admission: free
Serres tropicales (tropical hothouse)
Open: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Tuesday)
Admission: 2,50 euros/1,50 euros
Ménagerie (zoo)
Open: winter: every day from 9 a.m. to 5 or 5:30 p.m.
summer: 9 a.m. to 6 or 6:30 p.m.
Admission:
Metro: Jussieu (line 7), Gare d'Austerlitz (lines
5 and 10) /RER C Gare d'Austerlitz
Bus 24, 61, 63, 65, 67, 89, 91
Address: 57, rue Cuvier. Paris V 33(0)1 40
79 30 00
Three different sites will provide plenty of information
about these museums (however, it is all in French):
Paris fair
- Foire du Trône
Hours:
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays: 11:45 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Wednesdays, Sundays and holidays: 11:45 a.m.
to 11 p.m.
Fridays and Sunday April 11; Wednesday May
19; Sunday May 30: 11:45 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Saturdays: 11:45 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Address: Pelouse de Reuilly 75012
(12th arrondissement)
Bois de Vincennes
Admission: free (check at the park
for ride prices)
Riding the bus
Children under four ride free, between 4 and 10 is a
reduced fare. The following prices may have changed (i.e., increased)
since RATP last updated their website:
1 ticket is 1,30 euros
10 tickets (carnet) is 10 euros
10 tickets reduced fare is 5 euros
If you are here for more than three days, please check
into the weekly pass -- it will be less expensive in the long run.
Ask for the "Grand Plan de Paris" at the metro station.
It is a big, readable transportation and street map.
On one side are the metro stations; on the other the bus
stops and routes.
Chocolate factory
à la Petite Fabrique
is located at 12, rue Saint Sabin in the Bastille area (Metro Bastille
or Bréget-Sabin)
Open Tuesday - Saturday 11:00 am - 7:30 pm, closed Sunday -
Monday (unless it is close to a chocolate holiday such as Easter, Christmas or
New Year's).
It is mentioned along my walk No. 3. The chocolate is home made
and you can actually see them make it !
À la Petite Fabrique have tablet-style chocolate -
not bars of chocolate and
season specialties and
they provide gift wrapping as well.
- my personal favorite chocolate bars: "Orange Fondant"(orange
flavor), "Praline Noir"(smooth praline), "Amer (bitter), "Amer noisette"
(hazelnuts)
- Tablets - lait (milk chocolate) 1,68 euros, praliné 2,26 euros, amer 2,29 euros, fondant
noisettes (hazelnuts) 2,24 euros (prices may change)
GO SPORT
Foam soccer ball (Foot Mousse) 3,95 large or 2,50
small
Ping pong paddles and balls (Raquettes de tennis de
table) - look in the tennis department
- 2 paddles/3 balls 9,20 euros
DECATHLON
Ping pong paddles and balls
- 4 paddles/2 balls 17 euros
- 2 paddles/3 balls 8 euros
- individual paddles 3 euros
- 10 balls in a package 1,50 euros
GO SPORT - Monday to Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Paris locations: Beaugrenelle, Chatillon, Daumesnil,
Italie 2, Montparnasse, Les Halles, Porte de St. Cloud, République,
Rivoli (near Samaritaine)
DECATHLON - Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and
Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Paris locations: Aquaboulevard, 4/6 rue Louis Armand
(15th); la Défense Marathon, CC des 4 temps, rue des
arcades (la Défense); la Madeleine, 23 bd de
la Madeleine (1st); Wagram, 26 av de Wagram (8th).
Mini-movie
tour in Paris
We wanted to go to
this icon of cinema in Paris called the
Rex. It is 1930s
architecture on the exterior, and we had always heard how large it was
inside with a giant screen.
By accident, we went through some
doors at the Rex to buy tickets and came face-to-face with an
old-fashioned ticket window.
The lady was giving the people in
front of us something to put around their necks!
Looking for the price of the tickets
we saw an entry fee!
In fact, you had your choice: entry
fee or entry plus a movie ticket.
We were enticed! This little
excursion is Les Etoiles du Rex. They want you to “dive into the
adventure” and “you are the star”!
The movie clapboards around your
neck, in fact, trigger the sound, lights and adventure of this trip
behind the big screen. A word of caution, you are being filmed every
step of the way and will see the results at the end of the tour!
It’s a lot of fun and the
audio-guided tours depart every five minutes.
Let the cashier know in which of the
four languages you would like to experience this 45-minute mini-movie
tour with props, sound stage, and history.
The architecture is very similar in
its grandiose concept to Radio City Music Hall, the interior resembles
the Tampa Theatre with the starry ceiling, lighting and Spanish
exteriors on the sides. In the old days entertainers and dancers held
their own spectacles before the movie.
The afternoon films are shown on the
big screen downstairs, while at the evening film no one sits downstairs
– only in the two-level balcony. They lower a gigantic screen in front
of the proscenium – you are practically in the film!
If you do not speak French go to a
movie that you may have already seen or you know the story! Just to go.
Helpful information:
Metro: Bonne Nouvelle (lines 8
or 9); Bus: 20, 39 or 48
Open: Wednesday to Sunday and
holidays; during French school holidays this includes Monday:10:00 to
19"00; regular Mondays: 14:00 to 19:00.
Languages: French, English,
German, Italian
Admission: 7 euro for the
tour; 11 euro includes the tour and a film of your choice – (a film
alone at the Rex costs 8,25 euro). They usually have nine films showing
at various times – consult Pariscope or Zurban or your hotel concierge.
Address: 1 Boulevard
Poissonnière, 75002 (08 36 68 05 96)
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May 2008
