Page 354 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Paris

352  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

CHILDREN’S PARIS

It’s never too early to instil a lifelong taste for haunts through new eyes. Many of the
this magical city in your children. Activities city’s museums cater for younger visitors,
such as scaling the dizzy heights of the Eiffel with special trails or audioguides. And
Tower (see pp196–7), boating down the when your children need a break from all
Seine (see pp74–5) or visiting Notre-Dame the stimulation, you can retire to one of the
(see pp82–5) are fun at any age, and having city’s numerous parks and gardens, where
children in tow will allow you to see old playgrounds and sandpits abound.

as Pariscope, L’Officiel des THATLou, for example. Children
Spectacles and Paris Mômes. follow a list of clues in order to
A lot of children’s activities are find certain paintings. Hunts are
geared to end-of-school times, organized around a theme,
including Wednesday after- such as “Food and Wine” or
noons, when French children “Angels and Wings”. The same
have time off. For information organization also runs treasure
on museum workshops, contact hunts around the Musée
the museums individually. d’Orsay (THATd’Or) and the
Babychou Services and streets of the Latin Quarter
Kidizen are specialist babysitting (THATRue). The museums
organizations in the city. They themselves also have art
also offer a wide range of other trails for children that can
services, including the hire of be downloaded in advance;
strollers and cots. in addition, the Musée d’Orsay
has a variety of fun, interactive
tours for children aged five to
Museums ten. Focusing on modern art,
A child taking engaging with the technology Top of the museum list for the Galerie des Enfants at the
at La Cité des Enfants at La Villette children is the Cité des Enfants, Pompidou Centre (see pp110–
a special section for children 13) mounts exhibitions and
Practical Advice at the Cité des Sciences (see runs workshops for children.
Paris welcomes young families pp240–41), in the Parc de la Similarly, the Musée en Herbe,
in hotels and most restaurants. Villette. In 90-minute sessions, dedicated entirely to children,
Children under four travel free kids can play about with water, finds fun ways to present art
on public transport, and four- to experiment with sound and exhibitions, using jigsaws,
11-year-olds travel at half price. light, and much more. The costumes and the like, and
Many sights and attractions rest of the museum also has runs popular art workshops.
offer child reductions, while plenty of hands-on activities Other enjoyable museums for
infants under three or four and changing exhibitions children include the Musée
enter free. Children under 18 aimed at the young. National de la Marine (see p203)
are admitted free of charge to Museums such as the and the Musée de la Musique
all state-run museums. Ask at Louvre can be a bit daunting (see p238). The former illustrates
the Office du Tourisme (see for anyone, let alone children. the history of French maritime
p359) for full details of child One way to engage young tradition with scale models
reductions, or check weekly visitors is to follow a treasure of battleships, dread noughts
entertainment guides such hunt, like the ones run by and submarines. The latter is
a wonderful introduction to
musical instruments, from
Renaissance theorbos to
Arabic ouds, helped along
by audioguides specially
aimed at children, free
workshops and concerts.

Parks, Zoos and
Adventure Playgrounds
The best children’s park
within Paris is the Jardin
d’Acclimatation in the Bois de
Boulogne (see p247), with a
The Palais de Chaillot, housing the Musée National de la Marine children’s puppet theatre,

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