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Many activities
are available when you bring
children to Paris. This article of suggestions comes
from the Paris Tourist Office:
Children Rule
the Roost!
The Parisian woods
are a children’s paradise.
Children of all
ages can race and cycle along the paths in complete safety and make the
most of the playgrounds scattered amidst the meadows and trees and
equipped with swings, slides, sandpits and merry-go-rounds. They will
enjoy canoeing with their parents on one of the lakes; boats can be
rented several months of the year at the Bois de Vincennes as well
as the Bois de Boulogne.
Given a choice,
little children would unhesitatingly opt for the Jardin d’Acclimatation
on the edge of the 16th arrondissement.
It is the perfect
place for pastoral walks with their grandparents and offers a tempting
array of attractions, the only problem being which one to try: a
merry-go-round village, a motor racing circuit,
remote-controlled boats, little wooden horses, the miniature
golf course and distorting mirrors. Sit in a boat and let yourself be
lulled by the gently lapping water as you glide along the Enchanted River
watching the impressive paddle wheel turn; weeping willows, reeds and
lilies go by and ducks waddle self-importantly in front of their audience.
The puppet
theatre, for its part, has resounded to the laughter of generations of
little Parisians. Young tourists too will enjoy the show and its noisy
succession of hilarious acts, even if they don’t speak much French.
Not far away,
deer, goats and kids gambol in a quiet nook, happy to be petted by
children. The Jardin d’Acclimatation is also home to the bears Gaspard
and Victorine, while Turkish turtledoves, parrots from Gabon, blue
peacocks and purple gallinules coo, chirp and chatter in the aviary. The
garden’s farmyard animals sometimes reply and young city dwellers find
themselves transported to the countryside: there’s a kitchen garden, an
orchard and a little farm inhabited by rabbits, turkeys, donkeys and even
a pig!
The life-size
Ferme de Paris extends over a five-hectare expanse in the Bois de
Vincennes.
It provides a
breath of fresh country air only a short metro ride from the capital, with
cows, calves, pigs, sheep and the full range of farmyard animals as well
as fields of the crops traditionally grown in the Ile-de-France region:
wheat, barley, beetroot, maize and sunflowers. The scope is to give
visitors an insight into farming life and see where the food we eat every
day comes from.
Children and their
parents can watch farmers feed the animals and observe seasonal
farm work such as harvesting, fruit and vegetable picking and sheep
shearing being done. Be warned: children generally enjoy these outings so
much that you’re likely to pay several visits to the farm!
FERME DE PARIS
Bois de Vincennes route du Pesage
Opening hours vary depending on the time of year
April to September: 1.30-6.30 p.m. on weekends and holidays.
Open Tuesday to
Friday from 1.30 p.m. to 6 p.m. during the Easter
holidays and in July and August
Free admission
JARDIN D’ACCLIMATATION
Bois de Boulogne
Open seven days a week
Little train from the Porte Maillot: return
ticket 2.50 euros
Attractions: 1 ticket: 2.50 euros; book of 15 tickets: 30 euros
Théâtre de Guignol: Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays.
Seven days a week
during the school holidays. Shows at
3 p.m. and 4 p.m. (free admission)
Workshops (cookery, gardening, calligraphy etc.) for children from 3 to 10
yrs old on Wednesday and Saturday (Monday to Saturday during the school
holidays)
Tel +33 (0)1 40 67 90 85
BOIS DE
VINCENNES
Boat hire, Lac Daumesnil and Lac des Minimes
Cyclobus on the Esplanade Saint-Louis (towards the Château de Vincennes);
cycle hire on Sundays and holidays from
April to October, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
BOIS DE BOULOGNE
Boat hire from mid-February to end-October
Tel +33 (0)1 45 25 44 01
Cycle hire at the main entrance to the Jardin d’Acclimatation
More Children in Paris
activities |
May 2008