Today I am sharing 10 things to do in Paris with kids that the whole family will love! These kid friendly activities range in price but most are free or just a few euros and a great way to spend your time in Paris with kids.
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Logan and I have been to Paris twice, and most recently we brought our 1 and 3 year olds. We had an incredible trip and did a few things differently to make the trip enjoyable for our kids (and us of course)!
Any time you travel with kids, things are going to be different than if it were just adults. But that doesn’t mean you can only visit parks, and are restricted to their nap schedule. In my experience, kids are resilient and can handle the changes well, as long as I am making sure their needs are met.
This can mean making sure they are eating enough, they are given ample time to run freely, and they are getting enough sleep. All of these things will look different depending on the trip and depending on your schedule, but they are all important things to look out for. Your kids might have additional or different needs so it’s important to pinpoint those and try and make sure they are met to some capacity.
On our trip to Paris with kids, I purposefully planned a mix of things to do that I knew my kids would enjoy, things we would all enjoy, and a few things that they might not love, but would tolerate or sleep through.
These things I’m sharing in today’s post are things my kids loved and I would highly recommend to anyone do who is traveling to Paris with kids.
10 Things You Must Do in Paris With Kids
Go On a Bike Tour of Paris
The bike tour was the highlight of our Paris with kids trip. We booked through Fat Tire Tours and they were excellent. They had kid seats on the bikes ready to go for us when we got there. They also had helmets for our 1 and 3 year old which I really appreciated. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and I felt really safe biking on the busy streets of Paris.
Our kids were happy the whole time and we let them get out of the seats when we would stop and our tour guide would chat about the area we were in. Usually Logan and I took turns watching the kids while the other listened. Then we’d tell each other what we learned when we started riding again.
Ride the Paris Carousels
There are a handful of Merry-Go-Rounds in Paris and they are such fun surprises for the kids to ride on. We only rode one in the Tuileries Garden after getting ice cream and the kids loved it. I don’t remember the price exactly, but it was inexpensive. This particular carousel had a fenced in playground right next to it so we let the kids play for about 45 minutes and this was so much fun for them.
You could make it a game to try and find all of the carousels in Pairs!
Like I mentioned earlier, making sure kids have ample time to run around is so important. In Paris, there are a lot fo museums to visit and crowds, so keeping kids close and contained is important. But that gets old for them after a while so giving them the opportunity to just be kids and run really helps reset the day and can make a big difference.
So while it wouldn’t be my first choice to ride a merry-go-round or sit at a park while in Paris, it was definitely something I would do again with my kids and something they absolutely loved.
Sit in the Eiffel Tower Grounds
There is ample grass to sit and enjoy an incredible view of the Eiffel Tower. We did this a couple times on our trip and it was a great time for Logan and me to relax and let the kids run around. It also would be a great, quiet spot to let kids nap if that’s what they prefer.
There’s just something nice about sitting down and really taking in where you’re at especially in a busy city like Paris where there is so much to see and do. Sitting down under the Eiffel Tower is always a highlight and something I look back on fondly.
Pop Bubbles Outside of the Louvre
Okay, this might not always be an option, but both times we were in Paris with kids and walking up the the Louvre, there was a person (different people both times) who had this bucket of bubble mixture and these giant bubble wands and would make these massive bubbles. Kids were running around popping them and having the time of their life. Both times it was in the late afternoon/early evening.
The people were doing this to make money, so if you want, bring a few coins or dollars to be able to pay them for making your kids so happy.
Rent a Toy Sailboat in the Tuileries Gardens
At one of the fountains in the Tuileries Gardens, you can rent a small sail boat. The boats are not motorized and you just push them with a wooden pole so it will float across. Then you walk around the fountain to push it around some more. Apparently it’s an old traditional activity that dates back hundreds of years. It was very inexpensive, only about 5 euros for the hour.
My 3 year old had a blast and could have been there for hours. Our one year old was less interested and was more likely to fall in the fountain so I took her and we just walked around the gardens.
Visit the Top of the Arc De Triomphe at Night
This activity will probably depend on the age of your kid whether or not they enjoy it, but our whole family loved it. You can go up to the top of the Arc De Triopmph and get an incredible view of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower. We have done it during the day time and night time and I would 100% recommend going at night. Seeing the city lights is a view you won’t ever forget.
Something that surprised me was they offered to let us take the elevator up when they saw we had little kids. I didn’t even know they had an elevator but we of course said yes. Otherwise you are climbing a lot of stairs. So if they don’t offer, just ask and I’m sure they will accommodate you.
Up at the top, you can walk around and see different parts of Paris. There is a tall railing so you don’t have to worry about your kids falling off. We all enjoyed the view and then the kids just ran around up there. Most people are standing up on ledges near the edge to get a good view so there was plenty of open space for them to chase each other.
I personally like this view even better than the top of the Eiffel Tower because you can see the Eiffel Tower! After we got down, we let the kids run around under the Arc De Triomphe which was again, very fun for them.
If you didn’t know, getting to the top of the Arc De Triomphe is included in the price of your museum pass! If you’re not sure what this is, check out this post about the Paris Museum Pass.
Take a Day Trip to Disneyland Paris
Disneyland was not originally on our itinerary but we ended up being in Paris a couple days longer than expected so we decided last minute to go. It was so fun, the kids loved it, and I have zero regrets.
Disneyland Paris tickets are cheaper than in the states so if you have the time and are either huge Disney fans, or don’t want to spend over $100 for one ticket in the states, it might be worth the trip! Disneyland is just outside the city of Paris and you can get there on the train super easily from the city.
Spend an Afternoon in the Shakespeare and Co Bookstore
This is one of those activities that your kid is either going to love or hate. The Shakespeare and Co Bookstore is very popular and you are likely going to have to wait in a line to get inside. I decided to wait in line with our 3 year old while my husband took our 1 year old to wait in line across the street to get into the Saint Chapelle.
They have a kids section inside and a little nook for kids to read and my 3 year old loved it. He played in there and sat down to read books. We don’t read nearly as much on trips so I think that made it especially enjoyable for him. It was fun to pick out a book together and we ended up getting a book of Fairytales which is such a fun family souvenir to have.
Get Pastries and Walk Up and Down the Sienne River
You can’t go to Paris with kids and not eat all of the pastries and crepes. Paris has such good food and it was so much fun to just grab a pain de chocolate while out walking or order a hot street crepe with lemon, sugar, and butter. If you see one, just get it. You will never regret it.
We loved getting pastries and walking up and down the Sienne River. It’s incredibly long so you won’t run out of walking space. This was also a great time for us to let the kids sleep in the stroller or carrier. And kind of like just sitting out underneath the Eiffel Tower, walking along the Sienne is just one of those things that really lets you take in Paris and appreciate where you’re at.
