Often when we think of winter activities for kids we think of Christmas; visiting Santa and baking cookies. But what is there to do once all the Christmas decorations have been taken down and the presents are unwrapped? Contrary to popular belief, there are many things to do with your family for a winter vacation after the holiday season has drawn to a close. This is especially true in Paris, where wintertime is a season of bustling activity! Although there is no shortage of kid-friendly activities in the City of Lights, these are a few of the ones we think are the best.
1. Go ice skating
Unlike in the United States, many of the city’s winter ice skating rinks stay open for weeks and months after the holidays. Popular indoor skating centers include the Patinoire Pailleron and the Patinoire Sonja Henie. However, the most famous and popular of all ice rinks in Paris is hands down the Patinoire de L’Hôtel de Ville, the ice rink in front of City Hall. Be sure to admire the surrounding architecture, as much of Paris was redesigned in the late 1900s in the Haussmann style. In fact, that’s part of why Paris has so many stairs!
2. Visit the city’s kid-friendly museums
Most kids have very strong opinions about parents who take them to museums on vacation. However, even the most resolute child will be forced to revise their opinion after visiting some of Paris’s great kid-friendly museums. The National Museum of Natural History (Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle) is the best place in Paris to find every child’s (and some adults!) favorite thing: dinosaurs. These dinosaurs aren’t just any dinosaurs; they tower above visitors and are accompanied by helpful explanations of what they were like in real life. Walk through the life-size safari and be prepared for your child to never want to leave.
Other great museums include the largest science museum in Paris, the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, the astronomy exhibits in the Palais de la Découverte, favorite kids’ art museum Musée en Herbe, and industrial design museum Musée des Arts et Métiers. Other kid-friendly hits are the Musée Grévin, a wax museum with contemporary and historical figures, and the Musée du Quai Branly, which features the indigenous art of cultures in Africa, Asia, Oceana, and the Americas.
3. Visit the city’s zoo
There’s nothing cooler than seeing real-life lions in Paris, an activity you can now accomplish in the recently reopened Zoo de Vincennes. It was undergoing major renovations that are exciting in their own right. The new complex encompasses six “biozones” which replicate environments in the savannah, African rainforests, Patagonia, French Guiana, Madagascar, and Europe. On top of all that, it’s also being rebuilt to rely partly on solar power. Come for the penguins and stay for this architectural monument to the future.
4. Enjoy the city’s holiday season
We may have began this article with “Christmas celebrations aren’t the only thing to do during the winter,” but it’s still a must-see. While not the only winter activity, it is certainly the largest. If you spend 11 months of the year waiting for December to come, check out our top yearly events in Paris! During the holiday season Christmas markets open, Grands Magasins all try to outdo one another with increasingly lavish window displays, and Grande Roue de la Concorde lights up a winter season spectacle that will impress even the most Scrooge-like. Kids in particular are huge fans of the lights, food, and the ability to go around the Concorde Ferris Wheel and soar above Paris. It’s also a great place to go shopping, so don’t forget to check out these top Paris shopping spots.
5. Watch kid-friendly movies from your vacation rental
While going out every day can be great, some days you just need to relax at home. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t still see Paris, particularly when you stay in one of these apartments with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Watch kid-friendly movies in our vacation rentals in Paris for a wholesome family activity. Disney movies in particular are a great choice. Alternatively, consider a furnished long-term apartment if you’ll be in town for more than a month. Not sure about navigating the city on your own? Not a problem; the hosts in our bed and breakfasts are always happy to help.
6. Day trip to Disneyland Paris
Remember the days when you and your kids knew all the lyrics to every Disney song? Maybe you still do. Indulge that joy again and bring a huge smile to your children’s faces when you tell them you’re taking them to Disneyland Paris. It’s easily accessible via public transportation on the RER A and is a great way to bond. If you only have time to go for one day, make sure it’s New Year’s Eve; the park sets off fireworks to ring in the new year, and it’s one of Paris’s biggest annual events. If you’re going in the winter, make sure to pack warm clothes for your time spent waiting in line.
7. Go swimming!
Think you can’t go swimming in the winter? Think again! There’s a huge water resort accessible by metro in the city of Paris called AquaBoulevard. It offers an exciting day out for the whole family and is the biggest urban water park in Europe. It has 11 giant waterslides, indoor and outdoor Jacuzzis, lazy rivers, and thousands of meters of beach sprinkled with thirty straw huts. Winter is the low season, so you can enjoy having more of the park to yourselves. There is an army of lifeguards on duty at any given time, so you can relax if your kids run out of sight. During the winter the outdoor attractions are closed, but most of the fun stuff is indoors. Bathing standards may be different from what you’re used to, however, so make sure you’re up to date on basic Paris etiquette.
8. Enjoy food!
There’s truly no place like Paris when it comes to cuisine. Food is famed for being world-class and taken seriously in France. You can fancy yourself a chef when you cook French recipes with local market ingredients in the kitchen of your vacation rental. After all, freshness is key when it comes to a good meal, and you can’t get any fresher than straight off the farmer’s table. Need a bit of French foodie inspiration? Try our recipes. Another French staple is bread, and while all French bread is delicious, these particular bakeries are truly top-notch. Otherwise, try croissants, macarons, and other pastries from the best pastry shops in Paris!
9. Visit some of the city’s best landmarks
No trip to Paris is complete without visiting a few must-sees. Of course the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and Louvre Museum come to mind, but Paris actually has a whole host of great landmarks worth the trip. One word of advice: study your history before exploring. While Paris is beautiful alone, so much of the city is rooted in history that you’d really be missing a big part of the city without historical context. For example, did you know that the Eiffel Tower was meant to be a temporary feature, and some Parisians dislike it to this day? Did you know there’s an underground labyrinth of bones beneath the Notre Dame Cathedral? Bring your camera as well as your sense of adventure– there’s so much to explore.
10. Day trip to the Palace of Versailles
If you have an extra day in Paris, don’t miss the Palace of Versailles. Originally built by King Louis XIV as a way to keep the French aristocracy in line, it was the center of political power in France until 1789 and the beginning of the Revolution. Everything is arranged around the King’s quarters, or the Chambre du Roi, and French nobles were required to spend part of their year under the supervision of the king. Social status was everything, making attendance at Versailles essential for any social climber. Today, it’s known as an unparalleled example of the lavish splendor of the French monarchy. Be sure to visit the hall of mirrors, arguably the most famous room in the palace.
Leave a Reply