Things to do in Paris with children

[KathG]

So 10 and 11 year old - not disney and Eiffel tower, Notre Dame, Louvre already on the list...
Any things your kids loved that are less "main stream"
Thanks..

bateaux-mouches on the Seine, kids often like Montmartre

You need the Fodors Paris with Kids guide - it has the obvious in and also the hidden gems, as well as ice cream shops and cafes etc!

Fodors Paris with Kids

Also we used these as they are on postcard size cards which you can grab a few of dont weigh to much in the handbag! citywalks cards

The Lonely Planet one is quite good to. Lonely Planet Paris - not for parents

Thanks- have ordered those.

canal trip on Canal St Martin up to Parc de la Villette.

It's far more interesting than a Seine Cruise: four sets of huge double locks, and an underground section where the canal goes under Place de la Bastille.

If your children are readers, get them to read Lion Boy before they go, which includes a vivid and exciting description of entering Paris via this canal.

To report - there was a dispute over who was reading the lonely planet guide - so that was a great success. The city walks cards I found useful but they weren't taken by.

If you're going to take kids to an art museum in Paris I'd go to the Musee d'Orsay rather than the Louvre. Yes, it has the Mona Lisa, but it's tiny, always 10 deep in people and the Louvre is unbelievably massive. The Musee d'Orsay has the Impressionists all more modern stuff that kids will probably enjoy a lot more.