Kid Approved : Paris
Our kids are happy to travel anywhere. Especially if there’s the promise of a playground. But they’ve never necessarily had an opinion of where they want to go. That was until Olivia heard about Paris. I credit Fancy Nancy for this mild obsession. Paris was at the top of Olivia’s list for three reasons: croissants, macaroons, and the Eiffel Tower. And I can safely say we checked all of those items off of her list!
In our Kid Approved column, my kids (and hopefully other kids in the future!), share their favorite destinations, things to do and eat, and of course playgrounds perfect for other traveling kids!
Here is the best of Paris from a, very lucky, 5 year old’s perspective. Enjoy!
WHERE & WHAT TO EAT
BOULANGER - “It was really fun going to the bakery because I got to pick out what we wanted. My favorite thing to eat was croissants and elephant ears (palmiers). They looked like a giant pretzel and it was the size of my head!”
MACARONS - “I always wanted a macaron. I want one now! My favorite was strawberry, chocolate, raspberry, and lemon. I saw them on The Great British Bake-off when she made the strawberry ones. Also, Ladybug always feeds them to Tikki in Miraculous. We watched that show in Paris in French. Sometimes I watched it on the TV and then I watched it on the iPad (in English) so that I knew what they were saying.”
LUNCHES ON THE GO - “I love the sandwiches.” (Me too, Liv. Me too. A Jambon-Beurre eaten on a picnic bench or along the Seine is a perfect Paris lunch. And what kid actually loves a restaurant? My kids will always vote for a quick picnic lunch so that they can get back on the move faster.)
CREPES - “I liked the chocolate crepes best.” (Crepes also make great picnic food. Of course, Nutella and banana crepes are delicious, but the savory crepes are perfect for a quick lunch or a snack to share.)
THINGS TO DO
EIFFEL TOWER - “It was really fun because we got to go to the top. Well, actually just the middle. (The top was closed for renovation in February of 2020.) We got a flat penny. We get them so that I can remember where and when we got them. They are my favorite.”
CAROUSELS - ”I always picked the horse on the carousel.” (She went once. Paris is known for its many carousels. There’s even a hand-crank carousel in the Champ de Mars. Even the worst carousel in Paris is still pretty magical.)
PLAYGROUND - “The park was really fun, especially the rope climbing. It was all swirly!” (Our favorite playground was located in a park that it shares with a Roman amphitheater. Only in Europe! I also have a special place in my heart for Le Jardin du Luxembourg, a garden near my apartment when I studied abroad. The LudoJardin is the children’s playground. While it has a 3 euro entrance fee, it is a spectacular, modern playground and seems worth it.)
PLACES TO SEE
MUSEE D’ORSAY - “It was cool. I liked the sculptures and pictures. It was in a old train station and I brought my Raffi. I fell asleep there.” (A five star review if I ever heard one. Her 8-year-old brother had a better time at the famous museum. He loved the audio tour that we downloaded from Rick Steve’s podcast Paris Audio Tours. He also loved using the museum brochure as a scavenger hunt and would match the pictures to the paintings. A museum attendant noticed our sleepy little one and let us know that the museum offers free strollers to visitors.”
WALKING AROUND - “I liked walking around. There were so many places. I liked that place (Sacre Coeur) but I forgot why.” (Our kids don’t love to stroll. But Paris worked its magic and they were happy walking around from sight to sight. With stops along the way like to chase pigeons in the square of Place Dauphine while we enjoyed a beer. They also loved all of the bridges and fountains to see along the way.")
“I want to go back to Paris. I want to live in Paris!” Don’t we all, Liv! She’s a fan and we hope your kids are too.
Have you traveled to Paris with kids? What are your favorite places to take them?
