In Paris, art is no longer abstract for children
Paris has been described as anything but a place for children: a city for lovers, a cultural mecca. However, you might be surprised to learn how prepared the French capital is for entertaining children. Even in what is considered an adult activity, touring museums.
At the Louvre Museum, the world’s largest museum and a must-see in Paris, children ages 4 and up can take part in one of the many children’s workshops.
The Musée d’Orsay (Orsay Museum), which has one of the best collections of Impressionist art in Europe, is another example. Every Sunday in the summer, the museum organizes games, mimes and storytelling for children up to 12 years of age. The program is designed to teach children about the masters, such as Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec. At one such event, the Musée d’Orsay organized a card game called Jeu de l’oie or the Goose Game. The children are divided into teams. Each team receives several cards, which correspond to a work of art. Cards in hand, the children search the museum for masterpieces.
When the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art launched the J’en rêve o I dream exhibition, which included the work of 48 young artists from around the world, it also organized various activities for children. At one event, Camille Henrot, one of the artists, reworked her film of her by drawing and scratching the negative. The children who participated in this workshop created their own works of art.
While many of the activities are conducted in French, language is unlikely to be a barrier to participation. For example, instruction is only a small part of Learning to Make Glassware, a children’s activity offered at the Musée National du Moyen Age (Museum of the Middle Ages).
But there are other ways to make learning fun at Paris museums. Rent audio guides designed specifically for children and available in several languages. Take a family tour, many times conducted in a language other than French. Or organize a private guided tour for your family.
Many museums in Paris, such as the Louvre, are free for children under 18. Avoid the long lines, buy a Museum Pass valid for up to 1, 3 or 5 consecutive days and visit more than 70 museums and monuments in and around Paris.
Pick up a copy from Objectif Musée, available in Paris museums, or Paris-Île-de-France avec des Yeux d’Enfants published by the tourist office. Both are in French only. Objectif Musée lists all the scheduled activities for children organized by the state museums, while Paris-Île-de-France avec des Yeux d’Enfants lists fun things to do with children in Paris.
Activities for children in Paris
Paris Convention and Tourism Office