Things to do in Paris with kids: 7 do’s and don’ts

What to do in Paris with kids? Paris is no secret destination when it comes to travel, whether you are on your own, with a partner or taking the entire family. When I lived in the City of Light in my early 30s, I discovered just how wonderful the city is — not just the headline activities like visiting the Louvre and mooching around Père Lachaise cemetery, but also smaller, less flashy attractions that make the city so wonderful. Discover the best things to do in Paris, with my 7 top do’s and don’ts.

Discover some of the best things to do in Paris with children — and what to avoid — to give your kids a more delightful experience of the city.

Do’s and don’ts of visiting Paris with kids

Here are my suggestions of top things to do in Paris with kids, from the perspective of a Paris-amant and former resident. (Be sure to check destinations and attractions for updates regarding opening hours and accessibility because of Covid-19.)

DON’T: Overschedule
DO: Just walk around

Unlike sprawling cities like London or Tokyo, the Paris city centre is manageable and easily walkable.
TIP: Here’s a big tip with kids: take your pushchair. On a mothers-and-daughters visit with a friend, I debated whether to take our stroller, since our girls were a shade too old/big for them. My friend convinced me that it would be good for the moments when they got tired. Sure enough, after racing around the city, they climbed into their little pushchairs and dozed while we relaxed over a glass of wine.

DON’T: Fixate only on the “big” museums
DO: Explore smaller gems

Visit small museums to see a different side of artistic Paris. We wanted to take the girls to the Centre Pompidou but there was a daunting queue. So we walked around the corner to a small museum devoted to dolls in all their permutations, from china-headed versions with teeth (fascinating/creepy!) to the blonde bombshell Barbie. Sadly, the museum is now closed, but there are so many small museums and galleries to see. Check out Conde Nast Traveller’s list of Paris’s 10 best small museums, where you can admire everything from a mammoth’s molar to an actual artist’s studio. The Rodin Museum, near the Invalides, is another great museum, with stunning works by the artist.

DON’T: Just drink Orangina and wine
DO: Savour the best hot chocolate ever

You can stop just about anywhere for refreshments, but you should make a special trip to Angelina to partake of their hot chocolate, the most heavenly, divine elixir made from cocoa available on either side of the Seine. The tearoom is classic Belle Epoque chic (Angelina was founded in 1903). Make a reservation at the original Tuileries, have everyone dress up, and splurge.

DON’T: Stay indoors
DO: Devote time to the parks

Paris parks are beautifully designed, genteel spaces…and also home to so much more than swingsets and roundabouts. Visit the Jardin des Tuileries where they can jump on trampolines, ride a carousel, and play in an amazing playground (nominal fee to enter). Or you can explore my favourite garden, the Jardin de Luxembourg, which has apiaries, a pond for sailing toy boats, a carousel, pony rides and puppet shows.
TIP: After making the most of the Jardin de Luxembourg, walk over to Place Saint Sulpice, dominated by the dramatic 17th-century Roman Catholic Eglise Saint-Sulpice. I like the Cafe de la Mairie, cattycorner from the church, where you can sit outside overlooking the square, have a snack or drink and get invited to the opera by a Parisian surgeon at the next table (or maybe it was just that one time…).

DON’T: Restrict yourself to posh boutiques
DO: Visit markets across the city

It’s delightful to window shop in the swisher districts like the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, but the markets for fashion, furniture, food, books and more allow families to touch, smell and taste the city. Time Out Paris has a full market list; I love Marché Mouffetard, just around the corner from my former apartment, where you can buy fruit and vegetables along a cobbled street in the 7th arrondissement; the Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen has 3,000 traders hawking flea market fare; the Marché aux Timbres specialises in stamps, for your budding philatelist.

DON’T: Stay on street level
DO: Go underground to Les Catacombes

This tunnel system underneath is a municipal ossuary, featuring the bones of thousands of Paris residents relocated from overfull cemetaries. After its consecration in 1786, the bones were originally placed in the tunnels pellmell, but from 1810 they were arranged into patterns seen today. It can get busy so time your visit to slower periods (the website provides suggestions). Perfect for the little ghoul in your life.

DON’T: Go up the Eiffel Tower
DO: Admire this iconic building from other perspectives

It’s gorgeous. It’s an engineering feat. It says in one look “You’re in Paris”. In another look it says, “There’s nowhere to stow your pushchair and expect to queue for at least an hour.” My advice: Go visit La Tour Eiffel. Let the kids loose with a camera to stand underneath and snap it from their perspective. Take a ride on a Bateaux Mouches or Bateux Parisiens to see it from the Seine. Then go get ice cream. Everybody wins.

More family-friendly places to go in France

Surfing in Moliets, France with Madame Vacances

10 top tips for visiting Puy du Fou, France’s amusement park that rivals Disney

What to do in the French Ardennes with children and teens

Cool insider places to shop in Reims

Pictures that will inspire your next trip: Follow @JHowze on Instagram!