40+ things to do in Paris with kids – a comprehensive list of museums, sightseeing, gardens, & day trips.

Every time I research a trip, I keep a big list of all the things I considered even if we didn’t have time or opted for something else and here I’m sharing the big list of Paris activities for kids! We went in winter when some of these weren’t an option so my list of things to do on another trip is long-you can read what we specifically did, visiting in January 2023, in this post: 6 day winter Paris itinerary with kids [coming soon]. Please leave a comment if I’ve missed anything your family enjoyed or reviews on anything you went to and how you felt about it!

Check out these other posts while you’re here:

• Prepare for your trip by reading & watching some children’s books about paris & paris movies for kids
• Top tips for visiting the Louvre for kids in 2023 
• 7 steps to plan a family vacation
• 20+ tips for taking kids to art museums
• Our 6 day winter Paris itinerary with kids

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• • • A comprehensive list of things to do in Paris with kids
    • A map of all the Paris activities to do with kids

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A comprehensive list of things to do in Paris with kids

• Museums

  Note that there is a Paris Museum Pass if you plan on visiting multiple museums, it may be a good deal for your family. It wasn’t for us, my Capital One X travel card came with a free Cultivist membership that got us in free to 2/4 museums we went to, check it out here!

  Don’t forget about private tours geared at kids – we took the Louvre family scavenger hunt with Paris Muse, Context Travel also gets good reviews, or there are several options on Get Your Guide with positive reviews or the similar Viator site.

• The Louvre– the most famous museum and largest museum anywhere, including art & antiquities, see more details below!
• Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature– a museum about hunting & nature.
• Musée Marmottan Monet– a small art museum with several pieces by Monet.
• Musee de Arts et Métiers– a small museum about inventions and technology, don’t miss the original Foucault’s Pendulum.
• Musée de la Magie– a museum about magic.
• Cité des sciences et de l’industrie– a museum about science & industry geared at kids.
• Museum d’Histoire Naturelle– a museum about natural history,  including the popular gallery of evolution with taxidermied animal mounts.
• Musée du Chocolat– a museum about chocolate, including extra classes to make your own.
• Centre George Pompidou– a modern art museum with outdoor sculptures and interesting architecture, they have a hands-on kids art area and a teen room for making art.
• L’Atelier des Lumières– a digital art museum with temporary, revolving projection based exhibits.
• Musee de l’Orangerie– a smaller art museum famous for its Monet collection and other impressionist works.
• Musée de la Sculpture en Plein Air– an outdoor sculpture garden, free and open all day.
• Musee de Rodin– a museum focusing on the sculpture works of August Rodin; they have a kid’s audio guide and activity books.
• Musee d’Orsay– a well known art museum with a large sculpture collection and several famous works by Monet, Van Gogh, Seurat, and more. Don’t miss the iconic clock window – this museum is housed in an old train station and the whole building is stunning.
• Musee de l’Armee– a museum about war, with suits of armor, weaponry, and history.
• Musée Marmottan Monet– a smaller art museum including works by Monet.
• Palais de la Découverte– a science museum in an ornate building.
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• Monuments/Sightseeing

• Take a boat tour along the Seine- we rode the Batobus water taxi that just let you look; you could also try one with interactive kid activities like Vedettes de Paris.
• If you’re visiting during winter, check out the Winter Circus and watch the performers.
• Visit the Eiffel Tower– consider that it twinkles after dark, for 5 minutes, on the hour until midnight. Check out these tips on visiting! You can go up inside of it or consider going somewhere else to take it in- the top of the Arc d’Triomphe, the top of the Montparnasse Tower, and on the Trocadero patio (free) are popular options.
• Shop under the covered passages in this area.
• Wander around the area of Montmartre- this is an artisan neighborhood that has a little train tour.
• Download the Space Invaders app and hunt for the pixelated street art while you walk, read more here.
• Visit Sacre Coeur– a beautiful church that is high up and provides a nice view of the city.
• Explore the Catacombs of Paris– millions of bones lay underneath the streets and you can take a self-guided tour underneath to see them – my kids are sensitive to lots of things but they enjoyed this as did we! There is an audio guide in english. Prep ahead by doing a fun, catacombs-themed escape room before you visit!
• Visit Notre Dame Cathedral– it is still being reconstructed after a previous fire, but you can still spot the top and gargoyles from beyond the workfence.
• Visit Sainte-Chapelle church– see the stunning stained glass windows and beautiful architecture.
• Go to the Paris Zoological Park– check out the animals at the zoo.
• Got to the Aquarium de Paris– an aquarium near other popular touristy places, a good spot to warm up and check out the fish.
• Cozy up to the cats at Le Cafe des Chats– a cute cat cafe for animal lovers to stop in and grab a tea.
• Check out the Arc d’Triomphe– a stunning monument with a great view of the city from the top, or simply walk around it and look on for free.
• For fans of the show, take a sightseeing cruise with characters from the series ‘Miraculous’: Ladybug and Cat Noir.

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• Gardens/Parks

• Jardin du Luxembourg– this park has an innovative playground (though it costs 3 euro and has mixed reviews), a carousel, a puppet theater, pony rides, and old-fashioned tiny sail boats to rent for the pond. Definitely check before going what is available during the day/season, we visited in winter and there weren’t any of those fun options available. 
• Jardin du Tuileries– this park is near the Louvre & Musee de L’Orangerie and has in-ground trampolines, outdoor sculptures, a fun playground, and a carousel (was under construction when we visited in 1/23).
• Jardin d’Acclimation– this park has true amusement park rides, puppet shows, a train, trampolines, and a carousel.
• Parc Monceau– this park has a beautiful pond and several playgrounds for kids.
• Parc des Buttes-Chaumont– a huge city park with a small playground, rock cave/waterfall, small carousel, and beautiful open green space.
• Parc de la Villette– this park has two notable plagrounds; the dragon playground and a unique dune playground.

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• Food to try
  This is my unofficial list of what my kids enjoyed most!
• Crepes- somewhat of a super thin pancake, these were our favorite snack along the street to wash them make fresh! they have sweet & savory options.
• Macarons- those pretty pastel sandwich cookies.
• Pain au chocolat- a croissant with chocolate inside.
• Croque monsieur- basically a grilled ham and cheese.
• Kinderegg- they have these in the US too but they are more fun overseas, with an actual chocolate egg around the toy, found in some kids meals via fast food or in convenience stores.
• Baguettes- the classic bread option, can’t miss it.
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• Day trips
• The Palace of Versailles– the former palace of King Louis XIV; there are the ornate inside rooms, manicured gardens, fountains that put on a music show, and a royal riding stable that has a show. You can explore the outside by foot, bike, or golf cart – and not all options are available during winter so research before going.
• Disneyland Paris– this is made up of two parks with a variety of rides and attractions. Much smaller than the WDW in Orlando!
• Monet’s Gardens– the famous workspace and gardens of Claude Monet.
• Asterix Parc– a french amusement park based on the Asterix and Obelix comic/movie franchise. Closed over the winter!
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  A map of all the Paris activities to do with kids: