What to do in Paris with kids

Paris is as grand and spectacular as it is huge and crowded for the little ones.

Here are some of the most delightful things to do that will make a trip to Paris with kids fun for the whole family.

A MARIONETTE SHOW (7 Rue Guynemer).

One of the “chieftains” of the Rive Gauche is the hidden away Théâtre des Marionnettes du Luxembourg. Although they are in French, their performances will delight children aged 3 and up. They will recognise classic fairy tales such as “The Three Little Pigs”, “Puss in Boots” or “Little Red Riding Hood”, or “Les aventures du chat Minouchet” with its typical Parisian setting, its rooftops, the Sacré Cœur or the Eiffel Tower.

VISIT THE HÔTEL DE LA MARINE (2 Place de la Concorde)

This sublime palace offers an audio-guided tour for the whole family (in English), where visitors immerse themselves in its history, its camera rooms and its magnificent gallery overlooking the Place de la Concorde, and have to find the blue diamond with the help of a task book. Foodies can learn the art of frivolité lace (from the age of 14) or how to tie knots as they were done in the 18th century, a French intangible cultural heritage.

SAILING A SAILBOAT IN THE TUILERIES GARDEN

From April to November, children can steer the Petit Bateaux in its pond, the Grand bassin rond of the Jardin des Tuileries, using only a long pole: undoubtedly one of the most interesting activities in Paris. The bucolic boats that have been in the tradition since 1906 are inspired by the working and fishing boats of the French coasts of the 19th century, while others pay homage to naval architects.

THE INCREDIBLE WORK AT THE GARNIER OPERA (Place de l’Opéra).

The immersive game Arsène Lupin et le secret de l’Opéra allows participants (of all ages) to follow in the footsteps of the famous gentleman thief Arsène Lupin to unravel the mystery of “le secret de Cagliostro” while admiring the beautiful staircase, the Hall of Mirrors, the boxes and the magnificent painting by Chagall in the dome.

Navigation on the river SENA (1 Sq. du Vert Galant)

The one-hour boat trip Les Vedettes de Ponte Neuf starts and ends in the historic heart of the city, at the imposing Pont Neuf, on the île de la Cité. The accompanying commentary in French and English (or in Spanish thanks to the app) will allow you to pause and contemplate the city from a different perspective: the Louvre Museum and the Cathédrale Notre-Dame by day or the illumination of the Eiffel Tower by night.

READING ROOM (58 rue de Richelieu).

After years of renovation, the newly renovated bnf Richelieu is well worth a visit. In the spectacular Salle Ovale, the little ones have access to a total of 548,008 books, pictures, newspapers, audiovisual documents, etc. aimed at their age group. There are also games, entertainment, creative workshops and guided tours of the beautiful building and its galleries, as well as the museum and its temporary exhibitions.

VISIT LA GRANDE GALERIE DE L’ÉVOLUTION at the MUSÉUM NATIONAL D’HISTOIRE NATURELLE (57 Rue Cuvier).

Children will be captivated by the large metal-framed hall dating from 1889, where a static “parade” of naturalised animals takes place under a 1,000m² glass roof. The magic also extends to the balconies and monumental staircases, where the exhibition tells in a didactic way about the diversity of the living world, the evolution of organisms and the intervention of man in his environment. The exhibition includes 7,000 specimens: endangered or extinct animals that can be viewed using augmented reality, three giant skeletons of marine mammals, a wheke, a giant squid and species such as the buffalo, giraffe, cheetah and anaconda.

QUESTIONS IN THE GREEN GARDEN OF PLANTS (57 Rue Cuvier)

In the Jardin des Plantes itself, the Grandes Serres offer the spectacle of a lush jungle where you can discover tropical wetland vegetation, desert and dryland vegetation, New Caledonian vegetation and the history of plants. Children will see banana trees, cassava trees, cocoa trees, lianas and tree ferns. From 8 February to 6 March, visitors can admire Mille & une orchidées, an impressive exhibition with hundreds of orchids in a magnificent setting.

FAMILY WORKSHOPS AT THE MUSÉE D’ORSAY (1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur).

This wonderful museum, a former 19th century railway station, offers activities, guided tours to see the works, creative workshops (from 2 years old), drawing, games, costumes or a musical performance with the National Jazz Orchestra.

ON THE LITTLE TRAIN TO MONTMARTRE

This charming tour starts at Place du Tertre or Place Blanche and will take you to discover the legends of the most famous bohemian quarter of Paris, the cobbled streets of the Butte, the Sacré-Cœur basilica, the picturesque shops, the vineyards of Clos Montmartre, the famous caricaturists or the magnificent panorama of the capital.

EXPÉRIENCES SCIENCE EXPERIENCE (16 Cr. Saint-Emilion).

This new immersive museum invites children to learn in an educational, playful and original way. To do so, they are taken on a unique journey from the edge of the universe to the depths of the abyss, passing through the centre of the Earth, where they can experiment with quantum physics, lasers, teleportation and levitation.