Paris is a great destination for a family holiday, however, as with any trip to a big city, it can be difficult to juggle seeing the top sites, visiting museums, AND keeping your kids happy. We think some of the best kid-friendly activities in Paris are actually outside the scope of traditional sightseeing. That’s why we’ve brought together this list of unique things to do with kids in Paris which will excite both young and old(er) visitors alike and create special memories that’ll last a lifetime.
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(WA = Wheelchair Accessible)
Design and bake your own macarons
Most children adore sweets and macarons are among France’s top kid-pleasing treats. Learn to make them yourselves during this kid-friendly class. Using a “foolproof method’, the teacher encourages participants to use their imagination to make originally shaped ‘macarons’, which you’ll be able to taste and you’ll leave with around 15 of them. The class takes place near Montmartre, so you could head up there afterward.
Book a Bake and Design your own Macarons Class | 17th Arrondissement
Image Courtesy of Viator
Ignite your children’s interest in art and history during an escape game in Montmartre
It can be trickier to find fun activities for kids that also combine learning about a destination, and this escape game is not only designed for younger audiences, but it also provides a unique way to visit Montmartre. During the two-hour adventure, your kids will need to answer questions and solve riddles as they discover the history and hidden secrets of this former village. It’s great fun for the whole family, even teens who can be hard to excite about regular sightseeing.
Reserve a Kids Escape Game in Montmartre | 18th Arrondissement
Image Courtesy of Tiqets
Get up close and personal with dinosaurs (and other creatures) at the Natural History Museum
While you might feel ‘obliged’ to visit the Louvre or Musée d’Orsay during your trip to Paris, your kids might prefer to roam the halls of this historic natural history museum. A great kids’ museum in Paris, the highlight of the museum is the ‘Grande Galerie’ de l’Evolution, a display of 7,000 animal specimens, including dinosaur skeletons, beneath a soaring hall, which helps illustrate the amazing biodiversity of the planet. The museum has several annex buildings, all of which border the beautiful Jardin des Plantes, one of the city’s oldest parks.
Get advance tickets to the Natural History Museum in Paris | 5th Arrondissement | WA
Image Courtesy of Get Your Guide
Enjoy some thrills at the Jardin d’Acclimatation historic amusement park
You don’t have to go all the way out to Disneyland to let your kids enjoy some thrills. Sitting at the western edge of Paris, within the Bois du Boulogne woods, this charming historic amusement park was founded in the mid-1800s, and visiting it is among the most unique things to do with kids in Paris. Featuring 42 rides, including a train and other attractions from the 19th century, the park is very popular with French kids, so your children might make some local amis (friends). You can extend your time in the area by visiting the adjacent woods, where you can take boat rides on the lake, or art fans might like to take in an exhibit or admire the funky architecture of the neighboring Louis Vuitton Foundation.
Purchase Skip-the-Line Tickets to the Jardin d’Acclimatation | 16th Arrondissement
Rent vintage toy boats in the Luxembourg Gardens
If you’re looking for relaxing unique things to do with kids in Paris, then you might like to visit the Luxembourg Gardens in the afternoon. This is when, weather permitting, vintage boats can be rented. A tradition that dates back to 1927, the cute boats can be rented (€6 for 30 minutes), from a stand at the Grand Bassin, the octagonal pond found in the center of the gardens opposite the palace. It’s a very Parisian thing to do with kids and afterward, your children can enjoy the various playgrounds found on the west side of the park. American visitors may also want to try to hunt down the model of the Statue of Liberty, also tucked away on the garden’s west side.
Learn more about the Luxembourg Gardens | 6th Arrondissement | WA*
(*Accessible from boulevard Saint-Michel, rue du Vuagiraud, rue Guyenemer, rue Auguste-Comte and rue Médicis. There are two accessible toilets at the Auguste-Comte entrance between 11am to 1pm, and 1.45pm to 7pm, as well as next to the Sénat from 9am to 7pm).
Image Courtesy of Musée Du Chocolat
Try your hand at chocolate-making at Chocostory
Chocolate is another food item that many children love and this workshop is a fabulous way for them to learn more about how it’s created. The 45-minute class takes place at Choco-Story, an engaging chocolate museum located in the Grands Boulevards area. Guided by a professional chocolatier, your kids will learn how to decorate their own chocolate bar, which they get to take with them. Before or after the workshop, you can tour the museum’s exhibits which cover the history of chocolate in an interesting and taste-bud enlivening way.
Join a Chocolate-Making Workshop at Choco-Story | 10th Arrondissement
Seek out your favorite gods and goddesses on a mythology scavenger hunt in the Tuileries Gardens
Whether your children have studied mythology or not, they’ll love this fun scavenger hunt in the Tuileries Garden. Another historic park, the Tuileries is filled with statues and, equipped with a booklet, your children’s task is to seek out the ones depicting Greek Gods and Goddesses. On their mission, they’ll crisscross the pretty park, zoom through the labyrinth, and discover the vintage carousel and playgrounds they can return to after the hunt. As the garden is next to the Louvre, it’s a great activity (and possibly a reward) after touring the world-famous museum.
Reserve a Mythological Heroes at the Tuileries Hunt | 1st Arrondissement
Climb or pose for photos on the Buren Columns in the Palais-Royal
The Palais-Royal is one of our favorite hidden places in Paris and it delights both children and parents. Divided into three sections, the area closest to the Louvre (the south side), is filled with fun black and white striped columns. A permanent art installation designed by French artist Daniel Buren, people are allowed to climb on the columns, which kids LOVE to do. It’s also a great free thing to do with kids in Paris and a wonderful place for some playful photos. When you’re done in this area, you can take a stroll through the other two sections of the Palais-Royal: the second which has quirky fountains with large mirrored metal balls, and the last which contains a lovely park.
Read more about the Palais-Royal | 1st Arrondissement
Image Courtesy of Tiqets
Soar up into the sky above Paris on a hot air balloon ride
Sure, you can get a great view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower, however, if you want an original perspective of the city, AND with the famed tower in it, take a ride up in the Generali hot air balloon. Many people don’t know that there’s a hot air balloon that rises above Paris, and it’s ideally located not far from the Eiffel Tower, in the André-Citroën Park. The world’s largest hot air balloon, the 10-minute ride, which only takes place during the day, goes up to an altitude of 150 meters – not as high as the Eiffel Tower itself, but about halfway. It’s a very unique experience and awe-inspiring for the whole family.
Book a Generali Balloon Flight Over Paris: Open Ticket | 15th Arrondissement
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