Paris with Kids

Paris with kids.... that almost sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it?! My husband and I have traveled to Paris several times without kids in tow (and always had the most romantic time), but I have to say, we especially loved traveling there with my 7 year old daughter and her 12 year old friend. Seeing Paris through a child's eyes somehow makes it even more magical! And, yes, we were the brave parents that took an additional child that wasn't ours with us! Before we even left the states, we made sure to prep our daughter (and her friend) some! We studied Marie-Antoinette, Napoleon, learned about and made our own French art, discussed famous Parisian landmarks, and even learned some French! Some of my favorite teaching resources were: Who Was Marie Antoinette? Napoleon vs. the Bunnies Cezanne's Parrot Mr. Matisse and His Cutouts Camille and the Sunflowers Along Came Coco: A Story About Coco Chanel Sylvia's Bookshop: The Story of Paris's Beloved Bookstore and Its Founder (As Told by the Bookstore Itself!) French Homeschool Languages We chose to stay at the Kimpton St Honoré Paris, because the hotel is very kid-friendly! They have an indoor pool, which the girls enjoyed each evening, and even a complimentary Happy Hour! We loved stopping by the hotel restaurant/bar each day at 5:00 to grab a glass of French wine/beer, while the girls snacked and had an artisan lemonade. The bartenders were incredibly kind and made the girls fresh lemonade with edible flowers in them each day! This was perfect to hold the girls (and us) over until the late dinners (Parisians tend to eat much later in the evening than we do as Americans.). I was incredibly grateful to have a backpack for lugging all the things around! Snacks, water bottles, souvenirs, travel journals, and busy bags fit perfectly in my Kaya Laptop Backpack. Plus, it is waterproof and very comfortable to carry around! We took along our Perfectly Paris (which I custom made for the trip) and our Wild + Endangered Animals (which included some of the animals we'd be seeing at the zoo in Paris) busy bags for this trip! My husband and I are foodies, and we always plan our trips around food, so it was really important that we found kid-friendly restaurants with exceptional food. Here's a list of our favorites: L’as du Fallafel {34 Rue des Rosiers} - It seems odd to have the Middle Eastern favorite Falafel while in France, but this place has the best Falafel by far! Their sauces, veggies and everything in between was just as tasty! The restaurant is loud and fun, making it the perfect lunch spot with kids! 7eme Vin - {68 Av. Bosquet} - This is one of our all time favorite restaurants. There's nothing on this menu that isn't divine, but the scallops, pasta, and Crème Brûlée are at the top of the list. While this restaurant is much more of a quaint little romantic spot, the servers were incredibly kind to our girls. The chef even came out and joked around with the girls too. We can't recommend this place enough! L'Atelier Artisan Crepier {10 rue Mabillon} - We happened upon this spot while sight-seeing, and it was perfect for lunch! The atmosphere was bustling and food came out very quickly, which is very important when you have hangry children! We loved the Pâte à tartiner l’Atelier Crêpe (Hazelnut chocolate spread) and the Léonce Galette (Mozzarella di bufala, smoked ham, tomato confit, pesto sauce). Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet {35, Boulevard Haussmann} - This was probably the most enjoyed place by our girls! It is 5 levels of all types of food from pastries to bread to cheese to wine and even restaurants in between! The girls' favorite food were the Asian dumplings (known as ravioli in France!). We picked up food from here a few evenings and enjoyed it all in our hotel room. It was nice to have an alternative to having to eat in a restaurant every night. À la Mère de Famille {several locations} - We absolutely love the artisan chocolates here! It's a MUST visit every time we travel to Paris, and we always buy several boxes to bring home for ourselves and our loved ones. The workers are always very sweet and give a sample while you shop! Boulangerie Joseph {42 Rue des Petits Champs} - It is perfectly acceptable to have croissants Every. Single. Day. while in Paris! We can promise you won't get tired of eating the breads and pastries from here! They have a very small seating area, but we mostly grabbed from here and ate while walking to other attractions. The attractions were of course what the girls most looked forward to on our trip! Honestly, just wandering the streets is more than enough culture for kids. The colorful doors, stunning flowers atop all of the cafés, the Seine River, artists painting in the street, Eiffel Tower in the distance, historical ornate buildings... it's all just so magical! We had several attractions planned on our itinerary, and the most kid-friendly were: Cooking w/ Class “Cuisine en Famille” - My husband and I had taken the "Market Cooking Class" here years ago and loved every minute of it! After telling our daughter all about the experience, she insisted we take a cooking class together on our trip. I was so excited that they offered a parent + child class. The chef was incredible and worked so well with the girls. The kids were involved in every step of the cooking and made a 4-course meal. This is still the most talked about activity from our trip! Luxembourg Gardens - We probably could have spent an entire day at this garden/park! We started with racing sail boats in the pond. It's such a picturesque scenery being surrounded by the Luxembourg Palace, gardens, and 106 statues. After sailing our boats, we sat around the pond and painted the landscape in our travel journals. It was just too beautiful not to capture in the moment! There's also a fantastic park for the kids to play with, slides, see-saws, obstacle courses and more! In addition, there are rides and puppet shows. Seine Guided Cruise - After endless miles of walking, the Seine Guided Cruise was a much appreciated attraction! There is seating both inside and outside, which is great since the weather can be a nuisance. The tour guide shared so many interesting facts about the history of Paris and you can truly see all the beautiful parts of the city while on the cruise! La Ménagerie, le zoo du Jardin des Plantes - I'm not sure if the girls were more excited or I was more excited about this spot! The zoo in Paris is famous for their Red Panda, and he did not disappoint! He was just about the cutest little guy ever!! There were many other animals we enjoyed seeing as well, but our visit was cut short due to the ongoing protests in the city. The Conciergerie - This is where Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned, so the girls couldn't wait to visit this spot! "Histopads"allow tourists to see the space in an immersive visit through the entire medieval and revolutionary areas. Galeries Lafayette Haussmann - The girls had an absolute blast shopping in this mall! Fair warning though, it's incredibly large, and we got lost in it several times! 7-floors of shopping can be quite overwhelming, so we stuck to just 2 floors (the kids' floor and the souvenir floor), and we practically had to drag the girls out! The H&M and Zara nearby were also favorites, and the girls found several clothing items to bring back with them. Eiffel Tower - And last but not least, you can't take the kids all the way to Paris without going to the top of the Eiffel Tower! I highly recommend getting tickets in advance so that you have a set time to visit and don't have to wait long in line. This is another place we sat out on the lawn and illustrated the stunning view in our travel journals. We had such an incredible time together while in Paris, and I know these will be memories that the girls treasure for a lifetime. Have you taken kids to Paris before? Leave us a comment below with your favorite parts of the trip! I'm already collecting ideas for our next visit! Au revoir!