Paris may be the city of love, but this stylish vibrant metropolis has myriad adventures and delights to enchant those traveling with children.
This is especially true in spring and summer, when the streets of Paris come to life with fairs, kid-friendly shows and concerts -- and plenty of outdoor activities to keep young travelers entertained.
Here are our top five picks in Paris for kids.
1. Ride the carousels
They can be an enchanting moment of nostalgia for parents: Climb on board too, and wave to the kids as you pass them!
If you don't stumble across any in your travels, head for Luxembourg Gardens, the Jardin Des Tuileries, Parc du Champ de Mars and down the hill from Sacre Coeur in Montmartre.
Read more: 15 Tips for Traveling with Kids
2. Go underwater and visit the dinosaurs
The intriguing list of activities include an underwater sound studio, the "green wall of incrustation," an underwater robots film program, cartoon workshop and daddy day camp. Located in the historic Trocadéro area, you can eat in the museum at Cafe Petit Jules Verne or for more experimental food, try the gastronomic Japanese restaurant Ozu.
The main building in the Jardin du Plantes houses the perennially enchanting dinosaur museum, the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Don't let the description of "comparative anatomy, mineralogy and paleontology" put you off, this is where living reptiles can be seen in the reptiles gallery of the Ménagerie at the Jardin des Plantes. The fossil gallery contains objects that were part of the Cabinet of Curiosities of King Louis XIII. Explore their collection online with the kids before you leave home and decide which exhibits they are most interested in seeing.
Read about more things to do in Paris.
3. Picnic in the park
Parc de Belleville is perfect for a summer afternoon picnic, and with a little exploring, you can find a spot for swimming along the river. This former village and 18th-century gypsum quarry, has been transformed into a beautiful garden which opened in 1988. The Maison de l'Air located inside the park offers educational workshops for children with explanations and demonstrations on the theme of the air, the atmosphere and pollution. Give the kids an environmental perspective to write up in their school report. Rue des Couronnes. Metro: Couronnes.
The famous Jardin de Tuileries is a favorite with French families, dating back to the 17th century. The public garden has great entertainment for kids, including a puppet show, Ferris wheel, carousel, playgrounds with trampolines and toy sailboats for sailing on the pond. Between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde, the garden houses the only remaining structures of the original Palais de Tuileries, Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume and the Musée de l'Orangerie, which displays Claude Monet's water lily paintings and will appeal to budding artists.
I highly recommend a trip to one of the markets for fresh bread, fruit and cheese, or you can stop into the many small grocery shops around for supplies. The kids will love to stop for authentic French crepes at one of the many stands selling them, and of course the perennial favorite -- ice cream -- is available everywhere. Berthillon, next to the bridge between Ile de la Cite and Ile St-Louis, has fabulous flavors of sorbet and ice cream in raspberry, strawberry, lemon, pear, vanilla and chocolate, and offers a view of Notre Dame as you enjoy them.
Read more: Top 5 Gardens in Paris
4. Science, industry, cinema
The wide-open grass area is a perfect place to let the kids run around and expend some energy, especially on those hot summer days. Three of the gardens are built specifically for kids, the Jardin du Dragon with a wonderful playground and dragon-shaped slippery slide, the Jardin des Brouillards features water curtains and fountains, and there's a self-driven windmill in the Jardin des Dunes.
A fun way to reach the Parc de la Villette is a boat trip along the canal, which also offers a chance to relax and enjoy the scenery. The three-hour trip starts at Quai Anatole France and ends at the Parc de la Villette; bring your own food as there are no refreshments for sale on the boat.
In case you need to escape the rain, or as a relaxing alternative to another day of sightseeing, the Forum des Images offers film programs for a variety of ages. The website has listings for all the films in the children's programs at Cinema le Latina, 20, rue du Temple 75004. Metro: Hotel-de-Ville or Rambuteau.
Read more about our Seine River Cruise and Paris Canals Tour.
5. Theme parks and shopping tours
If you have an older child, consider a Paris walking tour for children and families or Paris shopping tour for teens.
If all else fails, consider a stroll along the Seine and let the kids decide. As a child, the Adventures of Madeline was one of my favorite books; the row of tiny yellow uniforms tramping up to the Eiffel Tower has always intrigued me, and I recently had the joy of visiting the Pont Neuf, where she falls in the water.
Entice your children's imagination with their own French adventures before you head to the City of Light, and they will walk around enchanted by being alive in this wonderful fairy tale city. You can buy them a madeleine and try some other authentic French treats, like croque monsieur, which is sure to appeal to a young palette.
Strolling along the Seine from the Debilly Footbridge, which goes across to the Eiffel Tower, is perfect for an afternoon walk. It will give you a new view of the city from the river and allow you to experience the streets of Paris from another perspective as you wander.
City Walks with Kids: Paris is a wonderful book of cards with child-oriented maps, plenty of pictures and delights for young travelers. Let the kids take charge of the itinerary, giving you a break from making the decisions. Parents with teenagers might suggest a trip to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery to visit Jim Morrison's grave, along with the many French artists, writers and musicians buried here.
-- Jill Rhodes for Viator
Planning a trip? Browse Viator's Paris tours & things to do, including our kid-friendly and family-friendly tours in Paris.