More Things to do with Children in Paris
Highlights of Things To Do
This page contains things to do in both English and French.
Children who speak French?
For those of you who have children who speak French up-to-date activities for children (in French) using the Paris Mayor’s website for Paris d’Enfants. The association, Paris d’enfants, has suggestions for families and school groups over fifty tours and activities such as rallies, scavenger hunts, museum, monument and neighborhood visits. The association, Paris d’enfants, has suggestions for families and school groups over fifty tours and activities such as rallies, scavenger hunts, museum, monument and neighborhood visits.
Example of a Quiz (in French):
Get out your magnifying glass and test your knowledge of Paris
When did our distant cousin, Lucy, live? You can admire a reproduction of her skeleton at the Musée de l’Homme….
• about 1 million years ago
• about 2 million years ago
• about 3 million years ago
Reserve a treasure or scavenger hunt or solve riddles for a birthday party at a museum, monument or neighborhood – over 40 opportunities to discover secrets of Paris. Download the Paris d’Enfants activities catalog.
Que faire à Paris? – The Que faire à Paris website is a true Ali Baba’s cave to explore. The site is also part of the Paris Mayor’s office. Meant for families who speak French this site also provides information on events, exhibits, entertainment, concerts, story telling and films. Included on the home page is a map where to find the events for today, tomorrow or this week and what is free. The “selection” page lists and describes the activities for the week.
Here is a sample of a movie trailer found on the Que faire à Paris one week. The Khoury Project on YouTube is an animated film/concert that took place at Le Monde Arab – the adventures of Prince Ahmed. Want a quick reference for Que faire à Paris? Download the application at the App Store and on Google play.
Visit Versailles before you leave home: Interactive games to play with the Versailles History 3D Tour online
Where can you rollerblade?
Some places to visit
Disneyland® Paris
Family visits
Etoiles du Rex – cinema tour
Puppets and Marionettes in Paris
Horse show at Versailles
American Library in Paris – activities for children
The Jardin d’Acclimatation(the site is only available in French, but the photos speak a universal language) is celebrating its 150 year birthday.
Napoléon III initiated the park’s construction and it opened in 1860. It is a wonderful amusement park for kids with rides, forest adventures, toboggans, wall climbing, zoo, vegetable garden, miniature farm, picnic spots, etc.
Jardin d’Acclimatation
Open 10 a.m to 7 p.m.
Bois de Boulogne, avenue du Mahatma-Gandhi 75016 Paris
Métro: les Sablons
Admission: 2.90 euros per person
Les Pestacles (the French pronunciation of “spectacles” – accent on the ‘tac’- by children often sounds like pestacles in September
The pestacles take place every Wednesday for the whole family, Parisians, French visitors and tourists.
Parc Floral (available in English “EN”) (when you are not visiting the Château de Vincennes! )
Where: Esplanade Saint Louis in front of the Château de Vincennes
What: Seventeen concerts, readings, street artists and performers, circus and clowns, routes of discovery in the park and since this is the year of Chopin, an exhibition about romantic style music. The concerts are suitable for everyone from two years to multiple years of age.
Vaux le Vicomte
“Vaux le Vicomte is a special place for children with many activities organised especially for them. Easter egg hunts, riddles, treasure hunts, costume tours, theatre…
Everything is designed to enable them to discover this page of French history.
Riddle books allow younger children to discover the castle, the customs of the period and help them find their way around the exhibits.
Older children can discover the amazing story of Nicolas Fouquet by following a trail that them through the different rooms of the castle and to the four corners of the gardens designed by Le Nôtre. Booklets are available in English and Dutch. Costume visits : “In order to experience life at the King’s Court and discover the history of the castle, children can visit its state rooms and formal reception halls dressed as Princes, Princesses and Musketeers. (Costumes available for hire on weekends, bank holidays and during school vacations.)” – Vaux le Vicomte Web site
Musée de la Poupée
As soon as you walk in through the shaded entry, you enter the past. The permanent exhibit begins around 1800 and follows the periods of the children’s interest in dolls:
–the French madam dolls that taught how to socialize;
–the child’s identification with the baby doll;
–the “baigneurs” when the child plays the mama, and the dolls were submersible;
–the Barbie-style period where the child’s doll takes on all of the above roles
A new room has been set aside providing the fascinating clues how dolls were put together during the late nineteenth century and twentieth centuries — what makes them tick: straw? felt? porcelain? etc.
The dolls presented demonstrate their many uses through time as teaching elements and household amenities.
The Museum has a doll hospital that repairs dolls.
You can also find clothes and accessories for dolls and an appraisal of your doll can be made by appointment.
Free estimate on presentation of the damaged dolls.
For information on guided visits, storytelling, and other activities in French, visit the museum’s website which is available in English.
Musée de la Poupée
Impasse Berthaud , 75003 Paris
Metro: Rambuteau, Bus 29 – 38 – 47 – Wheel chair access
Telephone: 01 42 72 73 11
Open Tuesday to Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Closed Mondays and holidays
Aquarium de Paris CinéAqua
Open: 365 days a year
Hour: Monday to Sunday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Last entry at 7 p.m.
Admission
Musée de la Batellerie
The Conflans museum is one of the most important museums devoted to the history of inland navigation in France.
The great national museums (musée de l’Armée, de la Marine, des Arts and traditions populaires, des Arts and métiers) have entrusted Conflans with a number of major works from France’s river heritage. The collection of reduced-size models of boats, numbering some two hundred or so, is another of its great treasures: models, both old and new, commemorative plaques, toys, site models, scientific reconstructions and copies.
Musée de la Batellerie (Work being done on museum – closed December 2012. It will reopen in 16-18 months)
place Jules Gévelot
78700 Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
Train : RER A, Conflans Fin d’Oise
Open: January 1 to December 31 – 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
English documents available, Recommended for children from 3-12 years of age
Fun things to do with a 16-18 year old:
Rollerblading on Friday night or Sunday afternoon
Biking around Paris
Visit the sewers of Paris – This is the Paris mayor’s website. Here you will find all of the most current information in French. They have videos on this page to watch.
City of Paris Museums official site
Take the girls shopping at the main Etam located at 67/73 rue de Rivoli.
Movie tour – behind the scenes at Les Etoiles du Rex, the largest movie theater in Europe. The tours are available in English.
Le Grand Rex
1 Boulevard Poissonnière, 75002, Metro: Bonne Nouvelle. Use the Paris Tourist Office link. The Grand Rex Web site is not available in English and does not provide practical information about the tour.Their website is partially available in English. Click on “Entrez” and choose.
Vaux le Vicomte: A Children’s paradise; it is the chateau that inspired Versailles.
Vaux le Vicomte is a special place for children with many activities organized especially for them. Easter egg hunts, riddles, treasure hunts, costume tours, and theatre…. Everything is designed to enable them to discover this page of French history. Riddle Books: Riddle books allow younger children to discoverthe castle, the customs of the period and help them find their way around the exhibits. Older children can discover the amazing story of Nicolas Fouquet by following a trail that them through the different rooms of the castle and to the four corners of the gardens designed by Le Nôtre. Booklets available in English and Dutch. Costume visits : In order to experience life at the King’s Court and discover the history of the castle, children can visit its state rooms and formal reception halls dressed as Princes, Princesses and Musketeers. (Costumes available for hire on weekends, bank holidays and during school vacations.” – Vaux le Vicomte Web site
Visitors can choose from audio-guides to the château in French, English, German, Italian and Spanish.
Shopping for children’s clothes
Bonpoint is an upscale boutique babies and children. Use their website to find addresses.
Pick up the map at the front desk to guide you through this 1710 building of distinction located at 6, rue de Tournon 75006
Bonpoint also has shopping points at Printemps and Galeries Lafayette.
Their “fin de series” — end of the season store is located at 42 rue de l’Université 75007, telephone: 01 45 48 05 45.
Bonpoint is found around the world and has nine Paris locations that follow the Bonpoint concept and additional specialty stores in Paris.
Bonpoint
6, rue de Tournon 75006
01 40 51 98 20
Bonton
While searching for an outlet store, I found instead this darling store with clothes for the small baby to 10 year old child. They also carry furniture and toys. Bonton is found around the world.
If you want to take your child for a haircut, they also have a coiffure for children. Their website gives you the current prices.
I visited the boutique located in the 7th arrondissement.
Bonton
82 rue de Grenelle 75007
Telephone : 01 44 39 09 20
Open: Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Salon de Coiffure
82 ru de Grenelle 75007
Telephone: 01 44 39 12 01
Open: Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
