Traveling to Paris with kids? Here's an insider guide for what to do and where to go, tested by us and proven to be kid-friendly and cool.
Parc de la Villette
It is finally warm here in Paris and we are all loving getting out there amongst the action and not being cooped up inside. This is the first year that I have two mobile children who both want to explore the world, so I am getting to know the parks in Paris better and better.
I have just discovered the great outside play park at La Villette. La Villette is the place you can find the fantastic Science Museum for kids (I still have not been, but I need to go, so I can let you guys know my verdict on it). There are more than 10 different themed gardens at La Villette — the one my kids loved is called “Jardin des Dunes et des Vents”. (more…)
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| The Argonaute | La Maison des Petits at 104 | Butte de Chaumont |
Moi et ma fille
Receiving packages in Paris is a nightmare! The post is notorious for losing most packages. The other option is private delivery companies, but the delivery times are often between 8 am and 6 pm. There is no way that I can stay in my flat for a full 10 hours, so I always miss the delivery and spend hours on the phone trying to rearrange redelivery.
Now, there is another option… which is to have your package delivered to a shop near your home so you can drop by and go pick it up. Normally that means turning up at some dodgy mobile phone shop! But I was very, very agreeably surprised the other day when I went to pick up my package at the most lovely little boutique just up the road from me: Moi et ma Fille.
It is so nice to discover little gems in your neighbourhood. Moi et ma Fille (Me and my Daughter) was started by the Taiwanese designer Yafei Tsai after the birth of her little girl. She has created some lovely pieces both for mothers and daughters, and sometimes you find a adult and a children’s version of the same design. The collections are fresh, quirky and affordable.
I am certainly not going to wait for another delivery to visit her boutique again!
- Emilie
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| Brocantes Popincourt | Paris Plage | Lilli Bulle |
La Maison des Petits at 104
I have received several emails from you guys asking if I know of a good indoor play area for toddlers… and I didn’t! There is a serious lack of them here in Paris. That is… until now. On Saturday I took my girls to the brand new play area called “la maison des enfants” in an amazing new arts centre in the 19th arrondissement of Paris called 104. Granted, it is a bit off the beaten track in a residential part of Paris, but it is worth visiting if you need your little one to get rid of some surplus energy on a rainy day.
All the equipment is brand new and fantastically well designed. There are drawing pods for older kids, a soft play area for smaller ones, dolls, tea sets… The centre is free, though they do limit the amount of kids coming in, so that it doesn’t turn into complete madness. The “maison des petits” is also planning to host ateliers lead by the artists in residence of 104.
On the same premises there is a great bookshop with a huge kid’s section and reading area, and out in the courtyard there is a pizza van and a café. As of yet, most of the centre is still empty and undeveloped but I reckon that in a few months it is going to be buzzing and full of life.
- Emilie
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| The Argonaute | Butte de Chaumont | Parc de la Villette |
