This post is a free one because everyone needs a helping hand when traveling with kids!

I'm only 3.5 years into living life in Paris as a mother. Raising kids in Paris has been a completely different landscape from exploring the city sans enfants. However, I have found that there are so many simple joys here that are magical in the eyes of a toddler and for older kids too. My oldest is 3 years old and my youngest is 1 year old so I’m always seeking out activities to get us out of the apartment, burn some energy, and hopefully introduce them to some culture and beauty along the way.

Before we moved to Paris and were longing to grow our family, I had a deep-seated dream of living and raising my family here. In 2012, I remember reading an article in the Wall Street Journal about discovering Paris through children’s books. The writer, Liam Callanan, had taken his young family to Paris and they explored the city through the storylines of Bemelman’s Madeline, Lamorisse’s Red Ballon and Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I cut out the article and taped it to our fridge having no idea how things would pan out.

Callahan’s insights have proven to be a trustyworthy guide. Thirteen years later I find myself living in Paris with two kids of my own and the original newspaper article carefully folded and stored away in our apartment here. I often read through it noting the ways I can continue to introduce this magical city to my kids.

Thankfully, books are almost as precious as currency here in France. Although iPhones are starting to obscure more and more faces in the metros, sidewalks and the cafés, books are still prominent accessories toted around town by all ages. I know it’s tempting to research “best places to visit for kids in Paris” on the internet, make a Google map of saved spots to visit, and then use this as your guide, but, dare I say, how blasé.

Ditch the phone, find an adventurous story about Paris (there are loads of these books), read it before your trip with your kids, take the book with you to Paris and bring the story to life!

We recently did this with our 3 year old during his spring break. One of our favorite books is Adèle & Simon. The story follows a sister and brother on their walk home from school which becomes a mini-adventure making stops at the Louvre, the Jardins des Plantes, a patisserie, etc. all while trying to find all the various items little Simon has lost along the way. My son Hugo, was pointing out all the places he wanted to visit while reading the book during bedtime one night, so we thought let’s just follow in the footsteps of Adèle & Simon and let that be our itinerary one day. The classic Eloise in Paris is also a favorite and is part of the inspiration in naming our daughter. And a hot tip - toting a book around makes you look more like a local.

Below I’m sharing a few more tips and tricks that will have you navigating the city like a pro.

Toting the Tots

The first thing to think about is how best to get around the city. If you have kids that are old enough to walk, then it’s pretty straight forward. Walking is the best way to see the city and you may get lucky and lull a little one to sleep in the stroller. However, the frequent rain forecasts can dampen that plan, so it’s then best to look to public transportation.

If Paris made buttons that read “I love the Paris Bus” I would sport one. The bus has been a lifesaver for me since I still have one in a stroller and for some reason the City has yet to get onboard with making ALL the metros accessible for the handicapped and stroller population. If you have a partner that can help you carry the stroller down the stairs, you can do the metro and at times a kind stranger will offer to help, but honestly it’s not worth it. I’ve tweaked my back too many times and the automatic metro doors are not gracious when closing. I’ve seen several backpacks get caught in the metal jaws and a few close calls with human limbs. Just take the bus. Because you are traveling above ground, it’s a great way to take a mini-tour of the city as you get from point A to point B.

The other option is to rent scooters (trotinettes) for your kids. Globber scooters in Paris are as ubiquitous as the YoYo stroller and you’ll see kids whizing down the sidewalks, scooting through parks and sometimes through the grocery stores. You can rent them by the day here and it’s a great way to efficiently cross the city or hop on and off a bus with them.

Skip the lines

Here’s a little known local fact - if there is a line to wait somewhere, museum, airport, etc. and you have a baby in a stroller, just go ask someone who looks official and they will escort you to the front of the line or to the line dedicated for families. And if the first person you asks says non, then find another official looking person and ask them. Generally speaking, in France, it often takes three “non’s” before you get a yes, but with a baby in your arms or stroller it usually works immediately. Same thing if you are pregnant - you can roll up to the front of the line. I told my husband that it’s a very tempting reason to keep having kids.

Park-ing it

I’ll get to kid friendly museums in a minute, but honestly if you have kids under the age of 5, the charming parks will be your entertainment du jour. Paris may not have a Central Park but they have several charming parks on both sides of the river and most of them have big open spaces to let your little ones run wild and there is usually a playground of sorts. Many parks or even the larger squares dotted throughout the city have a nostalgic merry-go-round (un manège). I think we’ve hit up every merry-go-round in the city the last few years and you could easily make it a game to try and visit as many as possible - you’ll find yourself discovering almost every arrondissement.

Below is a list of a few of my tried and true favorite parks:

• Jardin du Luxembourg - 6th arr. - expansive with something for all ages including pony rides, cafés, a large playground, toy sailboats to sail in the pond and really great people watching.

• Parc Monceau - 8th arr. - perfect for picnics as this is fortunately one park where touching the grass is pas interdite (not prohibited).

• Jardin de Catherine Labouré - 7th arr. - a favorite of mine tucked away behind Le Bon Marché. It feels like an escape to the countryside and has a small playground, grassy areas for picnics and a beautiful little garden.

• Square Boucicaut -7th arr. - another smaller square beside Le Bon Marché with a playground and manège. Everyone wins here…you can leave the kids with your spouse while the other one just “pops in” to Le Bon Marché or the fantastic Zara Home just around the corner.

• Parc Clichy-Batignolles - 17th arr. - a charming smaller park in the popular Batignolles neighborhood and Dose Café is right here as well so a great way to stop for a treat and a coffee before stopping in the park. Again, another manège located here!

A bit of culture, a bit of play

There is a way as a parent to have your cake and eat it too in Paris and not be relegated to spending all your time at playgrounds. The trick is finding the cultural spots that allow you to soak in an exhibition or two while the kids can play. There are a few art galleries that have outdoor areas where kids can both run, play and have a snack. The French are passionate about transmitting a love of art and culture down to the smallest visitor. Many museums and galleries host temporary ateliers for kids or special spaces dedicated for kids, so be sure to check their website before your visit.

•Musée Rodin - a large part of this museum is outdoors with a gorgeous garden surrounding the main house. We come here often and almost consider it our backyard. The kids can run, play hide-n-seek in the bushes, watch the rabbits that scurry out from the bushes, and there is an great café with indoor and outdoor seating and serves ice-cream in the spring and summer.

•Jardin des Plantes/Muséum national d’Histoire naturalle - another great park with a small zoo, botanical gardens and the Natural History Museum. If rocks, minerals and dinosaurs are of interest, this is a great place to add to the list.

•Musée de l'Orangerie - right off the Tuileries so the kids can burn some energy before you arrive and it’s small in size so you can pretty much see almost everything. Often there are atelier spaces for kids as well.

•Musée d’Orsay- a favorite gallery of ours and prominently featured in The Invention of Hugo Caberet.

•Maison de Balzac - the real treat at Balzac’s home are the views and the charming garden where you can lounge and enjoy a treat from Rose Bakery located right on the property.

If you are short on time want to see some of the major sites without having to traverse the city with little ones, I highly recommend jumping on a boat tour which offers some of the best views of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame.

And if you don’t have time to find a book before you head to Paris, here are a few of our favorite children’s bookstores where you can find that perfect Parisian story/itinerary - The Red Wheelbarrow/The Red Balloon Bookstore, Smith & Son, Galignani (french and english), Chantelivre (french).

Last tip - if everyone is melting down and you just need a break, head to any boulangerie for a quick picnic spread and head to the nearest park. It may be the best way to truly experience Paris like a Parisian. Bonnes vacances!

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