Things to do in Paris with Kids

Paris is a dream destination for people of all ages, including kids. It’s a city with many places that are worth visiting and fun things to do. There are many things to do in Paris with kids for fun and joy. The family-friendly environment also makes the city the best place to visit with kids. Disneyland of Paris and other amusement parks are loved by kids all around the globe. So, don’t hesitate to bring your kids to Paris whenever you get a chance to visit the city of lights.

Is Paris good for kids to visit?

Paris is a great destination for kids to spend their holidays, enjoying a mix of fun, joy, learning, and exploration. It’s much safer for kids than the other destinations in Europe. Kids would love exploring the iconic landmarks of the city, which also include the world’s famous Eiffel Tower. Aside from traveling and exploring the city, they can learn cooking, art, culture, and the French language by taking special classes in these subjects. Kid-friendly museums offer them a chance to learn about the history of France and its ancient culture.

Best Things to do in Paris with Kids

The trip to Paris could be an unforgettable adventure for kids. It’s also known as the city of love and romance, but it doesn’t mean that it’s not for kids. You can find many things to do in Paris with kids while traveling in the city. You can introduce your kids to new things that are found in the French capital. Our kids still remember their trip to Paris and always talk about it. They have wonderful memories about wandering in the city of lights. 

If you are planning to visit Paris with your kids, you should know about the things to do in Paris, some of which are very special and joyful for kids. After visiting Paris with my kids, I’m mentioning below the best things to do with kids in Paris for you.

1- Visit Paris Disneyland

Visiting Disneyland is a dream for all children all around the world. It’s a famous amusement park where kids can have a lot of fun and enjoy rides. Kids can meet their favorite Disney Characters here. You’ll also feel good after seeing the happiness on your kids’ faces. Disneyland is located about a 45-minute to an hour drive from central Paris and is easily accessible by public transport. Visiting Disneyland is one of the most important things to do in Paris with kids.

2- Fête des Tuileries

Your kids would be lucky enough if you’re visiting Paris in late summer. Fête des Tuileries is an annual funfair that normally runs between June and August. Kids can enjoy their favorite rides and do many joyful activities at the funfair. The Ferris Wheel is the most popular ride, which you can enjoy after buying a 20-Euro ticket. This traditional funfair turns the Tuileries Garden into a beautiful amusement park every year. Below is the list of some activities and things to do in Fête des Tuileries that your kids would love to enjoy:

• Ferris Wheel
• Roller Coaster
• Bumper Cars
• Ghost Train
• Flying Chairs
• Hall of Mirrors
• Water Slides
• Shooting Gallery and Duck Fishing
• Rides for little kids
• Food stalls offering cotton candies, churros, ice creams, waffles, crepes, and candied apples

3- Eiffel Tower

The Paris tour can’t be completed without visiting the Eiffel Tower. People of all ages love to explore the world’s famous landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower. You can go up the tower with your kids and enjoy a scenic view of the city. Toddlers can go up free of cost, and children above 4 years need to buy a ticket with prices varying according to their ages.

Our kids also went to the top of the Eiffel Tower with us and explored the city from above. The younger one felt more comfortable and good in the park in front of the Eiffel Tower. In short, visiting the Eiffel Tower is one of the most important things to do in Paris with kids.

4- Arc de Triomphe

You can enjoy beautiful views of Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower, but the Eiffel Tower itself won’t be in the views. The top of the Arc de Triomphe offers you great views of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower. Going to the top of the Arc de Triomphe can be challenging for kids because only a limited number of tourists are allowed at a time. But they will surely enjoy the view of the city with the Eiffel Tower. It’s the best place to capture photos and make videos with the Eiffel Tower.

5- Enjoy a Canard de Paris Bus Tour

One of the most exciting things to do in Paris with kids is the Canards de Paris Bus Tour. It’s a bus that runs on both land and water. Riding on this unique bus is a unique and exciting thing for kids. The complete ride consists of 1 hour and 45 minutes, out of which 20 minutes are spent in the water. All major tourist attractions and landmarks are on the route of the bus. The Canards de Paris Bus departs from the Jacques Rueff, where you can go by metro, RER B train, and bus. Sightseeing from the Canards de Paris Bus is one of the most exciting things to do in Paris with kids.

6- Sightseeing from the Hop-on Hop-off Bus

Hop-on hop-off buses are quite common in all cities famous for tourism. These buses offer a great opportunity to view the major tourist attractions in the city. Paris is the best city to explore on a Hop-on, hop-off bus. Kids will enjoy exploring the streets and roads of Paris while sitting on the open-top deck of the bus. These buses run with an audio guide and cover all major tourist attractions. Riding the hop-on hop-off bus is normally done during the initial days of a tourist’s trip, especially when they are with their kids.

7- Jardin du Luxembourg and Mini Boat Sailing

Jardin du Luxembourg is a big and old park located in the center of Paris. It’s a family-friendly place where you can spend some time in lush green fields. The park spans over an area of about 57 acres with playgrounds, flower beds, lawns, and much more. The Medici Fountain is also here, which was built in 1620. It’s a place where you can sit and relax and allow your kids to have fun in the garden.

The kids, especially those under 10 years old, can have fun by sailing miniature boats in the pond. It surely will be part of your things to do in Paris with kids list. You can rent a boat for €8 for 30 minutes. So, let your kid enjoy sailing a miniature boat in the pond.

8- Catacombs of Paris

Catacomb is not for little kids, but the teenagers will be excited to visit this unique place. It sounds scary that there is an underground place in Paris that is decorated with human skulls and bones. The remains of more than 6 million people are preserved in the Catacombs. Older kids will show their interest in exploring such a unique and scary place, but you should include the catacombs in your things not to do in Paris list if you have a little kid.

9- Dinner on the Seine River Cruise

Although having dinner on a cruise on the Seine River is romantic and ideal for couples, families can also enjoy this amazing experience. Let your kids enjoy the scenic night views of Paris from the water. The cruise travels through Notre Dame and covers all major tourist attractions, including the Eiffel Tower. Your kids will enjoy their dinner on the Seine cruise while exploring the city at night. So, don’t miss this opportunity and include this in your list of things to do in Paris with kids.

10- Visit the Parc Asterix

If you are with kids, then visiting Parc Asterix must be part of your list of things to do in Paris with kids. This park is themed on the famous comic book series “Asterix” written by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. The 2nd most visited park in France is ranked among the top ten most visited parks in Europe. There is a wide variety of roller coasters and other rides available that kids will love to enjoy. It’s a fun place for all kids, whether they are toddlers or teenagers.

11- Visit Parc de la Villette

Another amazing park for kids in Paris is Parc de la Villette, which is located in the north-eastern neighborhood of Central Paris. It can come in your way when you’re traveling from Paris Airport to the City Center. A canal beautifully passes through the park, which creates amazing landscapes. Many themed gardens and interesting structures are built on both sides of the canal, where you and your kids can spend quality time. It’s the 3rd most visited park in Paris, which was recommended to us by a local guide. You should also visit this park with kids if you’re staying in Paris for a long time.

12- Visit Kid-friendly Museums in Paris

Museums are generally considered boring for kids, but wait, Paris museums also offer interactive exhibits, interesting paintings, and kid-friendly tours, just like in Copenhagen. These museums help you encourage creativity in your kids. Your children would be a fan of art, music, history, or any other thing, and the museums in Paris always have something interesting for them. So, must visit the museums with your kids when you come to Paris. Here is the list of famous museums in Paris:

• Musée d’Orsay
• Musée de l’Orangerie
• Musée Rodin
• The Louvre

13- Go to Paris Aquarium

Paris also has an aquarium to offer a stunning view of aquatic creatures to visitors. It’s a popular spot among tourists with families and is located near the Trocadéro Gardens. More than 60 tanks and pools are home to more than 7500 sea creatures, including sharks and jellyfish. There is a shop, a restaurant, and other places for educational activities in the Aquarium de Paris. Kids would love to explore this interesting place. So, make sure to include a trip to the Paris Aquarium in your list of things to do in Paris with kids.

The following table shows the Paris Aquarium ticket prices:

14- Kid-special Cooking Classes

Introduce your kids to special cooking classes where they can learn cooking quickly. French culture appreciates food and cooking, and you should take advantage of it by enrolling your kids in cooking classes. Your kids will learn to cook various French dishes and desserts while enjoying their stay in the city. Our daughter also registered herself in a cooking class to learn how to cook macarons. But unfortunately, she couldn’t complete her classes because our stay in Paris was over. Below are the two most popular cooking institutes for kids in Paris:

• Cook’n With Class: Best to learn making Macarons and French Pastries.
• Ateliers Macaroons: Located in Central Paris, and best to learn how to make homemade Macarons.

15- Cite des Sciences

This amazing science museum is one of the best things to do in Paris with kids. It consists of three floors where different things, a planetarium, cinemas, and an old submarine, are exhibited. Kids can perform various fun activities like building walls with blocks, playing with water, and running around the mazes. Kids will enjoy watching a million versions of themselves in the mirror here. The museum is divided into 5 sections, each offers multiple fun activities for children of all ages. The ticket price for adults is €9, and for kids is €6. An additional booking cost for 90 minutes is €2.

16- Walking Tour for Pictures

Take your kids on a walking tour of the city and allow them to wander through the streets. Kids never get tired, and they can enjoy walking in a city like Paris the whole day. They’ll find many stunning scenes, beautiful locations, and landscapes where they would love to spend some time. You can spend the whole day in Paris walking with your kids and capturing photos of amazing places. These photos will never erase the memories of these happy moments from your kid’s minds. So, make sure to include a walking trip in your list of things to do in Paris with kids.

17- Explore Local Street Food

Exploring the local street food is one of the must-do things to do in Paris with kids. Kids always love trying new things to eat. We knew Paris as a city for romantic vibes, but were surprised when we tasted the delicious street food at Crêpes. There are many delicious street food varieties that you can enjoy on your trip. We enjoyed Paris street food during our walking trip in the streets of Paris. Exploring local food was fun for our kids, as they tasted everything and shared their positive and negative reviews about the dishes with us. Following is the list of local restaurants, bakeries, and cafes we visited:

• Chez Marianne (for falafels)
• Cul de Cochon (for ham)
• SECCO (for wraps and sandwiches)
• Cosi (for baked items)
• Chez le Libanais (for shawarmas and appetizers)
• Jixiao’s Buns (for dumplings)

18- Versailles with Kids

Versailles is a top attraction for everyone, including the kids. Actually, kids are more interested in playing in the Versailles Gardens rather than exploring the Versailles Palace, just like our kids did. After exploring the beautiful palace, we decided to sit somewhere in the Versailles Garden and allowed our kids to have fun. It was a great opportunity for them to run, play, and have fun. The big Versailles Gardens were like a paradise for kids. You should also include a trip to Versailles Palace and Gardens in your things to do in Paris with kids list.

19- Visit Parc Zoologique de Paris

Paris Zoo is widely known as Vincennes Zoological Gardens and Zoologique de Paris in French. It’s one of the beautiful zoos in Europe, located in the eastern area of the city named Bois de Vincennes. You can get there from central Paris by metro, bus, and tram easily. Our kids never miss a chance to visit the zoo wherever we travel. So, visiting the zoo was a part of our list of things to do in Paris with kids, and we spent some time there. It wasn’t as big as the Copenhagen zoo, but exciting for the kids.

20- Enjoy a Picnic Day with Kids in Paris

You can spend a whole day somewhere in Paris or its surroundings for a picnic, as we did. Paris is a beautiful city with big gardens and parks, and its surroundings are also ideal for a picnic. We went to Montmartre and Parc des Buttes-Chaumont for a picnic with our kids. We found Parc des Buttes-Chaumont a very beautiful place for a picnic, where our kids enjoyed themselves a lot. You should also go there if you have enough time in Paris.

21- Paris Plages

If you are visiting Paris in the summer, enjoy a day on the artificial beach on the bank of the Seine River. Paris Plages is a seasonal event in which the riverbank is filled with sand and a beach-like atmosphere is created. Kids will love playing on the riverbank and building castles with wet sand. We visited Paris in the spring season, so our kids missed this joyful opportunity.

Is Paris safe to travel with Kids?

Paris is generally considered a safe city for foreign tourists, including kids. The French Capital hosts millions of tourists every year, and they travel here and there in Paris without worrying about anything. Locals live in their own and don’t interact much with tourists. However, caring for your kids and keeping an eye on your luggage is essential wherever you are. Don’t allow your kids to travel alone in Paris, especially during the peak hours. Don’t leave your kids alone at crowded places such as the metro, bus, and train stations. Also, try to get accommodation in the best areas to stay in Paris for families. Make sure to book a hotel in Paris that offers a family-friendly environment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

Paris is a great city to spend holidays, whether you are alone or with your family. There are many joyful, fun things to do in Paris with kids. We always knew Paris as an ideal destination for couples and lovebirds, but the variety of things to do with kids in Paris was beyond our expectations. We found Paris a family-friendly tourist destination and would love to visit this iconic city again. We had a great experience traveling to Paris with the kids. We hope you’ll take advantage of our experience we’ve shared with you in this article.