How to keep your kids entertained during the holidays ?

© Le Bon Ton and The Funny Little Beasts Garden by Antoon Krings.

You thought you’d enjoy quality time with your little ones… But the holidays turn into a nightmare: you’re stuck between the local park and unlimited tablet games. It’s the same story every year: the kids are bursting with energy during the holidays, and inspiration quickly runs dry to keep them occupied. Don’t despair! The DO IT TEAM is here with a series of cool and stylish activities to keep them entertained without driving you crazy: exhibitions, theater shows, fun workshops, immersive experiences, music lessons, and attractions at the Jardin d'Acclimatation… These activities are sure to make this summer in Paris unforgettable !

Are you ready for a journey through time? The Eclipso Center offers a unique virtual reality experience to discover the history of Earth and life. Follow the evolution of life over 3.5 billion years with Charlie and his little robot Darwin, who introduce us to prehistoric animals like giant centipedes, marine reptiles, and of course, dinosaurs.

Don’t be afraid to get up close: you can observe every minute detail of these extinct creatures without fear of being attacked! Through oceans and tropical forests, the first traces of life are revealed: all information presented in this experience has been meticulously validated scientifically. It almost feels like you were there!

Mondes Disparus, at the Eclipso Center in Bercy Village, 45 rue des Pirogues de Bercy, Paris 12th. Starting July 6th, €32 for adults, €25 for children and students. Suitable for ages 8 and up.
© Excurio MNHN.

Holidays are also an opportunity to cultivate young minds. Two fun exhibitions are worth visiting this summer. For fans of the cult children's books "Funny Little Beasts," the Gallimard Gallery is displaying dozens of paintings and preparatory drawings of these adorable insects, celebrating their 30th anniversary! Relive your childhood by admiring the meticulous and colorful drawings of Antoon Krings, inspired by Impressionism, Fauvism, and German Expressionism. The icing on the cake? An outdoor exhibition and workshops are organized at the Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, in collaboration with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, to immerse in the world of the Funny Little Beasts. Activities include making insect hotels or creating animals from natural materials.

Another adventure: this time in China! Quirky deities take over the Musée en Herbe for the “Oh My Gods” exhibition. With sculptures of all sizes, gigantic murals, and colorful installations, Chinese artist Wenna creates her own mythology and deities, interpreting Chinese traditions with a touch of whimsy and poetry. Strolling through a labyrinthine path, entering the Mao Cat Temple, and immersing in the Milky Way, children discover Chinese culture of the past and present through treasure hunts, sensory immersions, and interactive routes. You'll leave with stars in your eyes!

The Funny Little Beasts by Antoon Krings until July 13th at the Gallimard Gallery, 30 rue de l’Université, Paris 7th. Open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 1 pm to 7 pm. Free entry.
The Funny Little Beasts Garden until January 31st, 2025 at Domaine de Saint-Cloud, 1 avenue de la Grille d’Honneur, Saint-Cloud. Free entry. Open daily from 7:30 am to 9:50 pm.
Oh My Gods until January 5th, 2025 at Musée en Herbe, 23 rue de l’Arbre-Sec, Paris 1st. Open daily from 10 am to 7 pm. From €3. Information and reservations online.
© Gallimard and Wen Na Studio.

The most stylish music and dance school in the capital, Le Bon Ton, is focusing on reading this summer. Although its workshops are on hold during the school holidays, you can still visit to stock up on beautiful books, as its bookstore remains open.

What can you find there? Carefully curated book selections for ages 0 to 12 by Claire, the founder of Le Bon Ton, and Morgane, the librarian. Among the current (Olympic-themed) selections: Sports in Paris, The Olympic Games Chronicle, 10 Snails Racing, and Hooray for Sports. You can also shop for educational games, kid-friendly nail polish, fun accessories from Coucou Suzette, and the beautiful clothes from Prout Prout (Le Bon Ton's brand).

Le Bon Ton Bookstore, 26 rue de Navarin, Paris 9th. Open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm and 3 pm to 6 pm.
© Le Bon Ton.

There’s something new at Jardin d'Acclimatation! This fantastic kids' paradise in the heart of Bois de Boulogne continues to reinvent itself to surprise your little ones, starting with Jurassic Island, a new virtual reality attraction that takes brave adventurers into the dangerous and fascinating world of dinosaurs (it might even inspire a Spielberg movie marathon).

Take the opportunity to say hello to the animals (goats, alpacas, and exotic birds are waiting to be admired) before discovering the virtues of the seasons at the Petite Ferme vegetable garden.

This summer holiday also offers the chance to start learning English with “in English” workshops for a day or a week in groups to spark language skills. Kids can join cooking, sports, art, theater, and yoga classes—all in English. Nice!

Jardin d’Acclimatation, Bois de Boulogne, route de la Porte Dauphine to Porte des Sablons, Paris 16th. English workshops for ages 3 up to CM2. Daily from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm (extended stay until 6 pm available). €110 per day and €495 per week. Provide a picnic for your kids. Register online or at 06 67 37 45 07.

Take advantage of the holidays to clear your mind at the one and only Paris Zoological Park. Stroll through the park to meet around 3,246 animals (including 254 species) and new arrivals that marked the start of the year: two female white rhinos, a female manatee, and two female southern fur seals.

Discover a photo retrospective exhibition celebrating the 10th anniversary of the zoo’s reopening, along with animations and guided feedings of your kids’ favorite animals. Throughout the visit (guided or not), learn about the 10 conservation projects in place to save endangered species.

A highlight for your children: on July 10, 13, 20, and August 18, 24, 28, enjoy breakfast with the giraffes. From 8:30 am for an hour and a half, delight in breakfast with these tall creatures munching on apples, onions, and branches. Fancy meeting Melman?

Paris Zoological Park. Entrance fee: €22 per adult, €17 per child. Online reservation required.

Being a jeweler is an art! In her Trocadéro workshop, Kelly and her team welcome kids aged 8 to 16 to craft artisanal jewelry and learn the secrets of making it. Once at the workshop, start with a brief on the materials used, then create your piece: earrings, a necklace, or a bracelet from 5 different collections, using natural stones or crystal beads. Beautiful!

Outcome: your child leaves with a personalized piece of jewelry, new knowledge, and a memorable creative experience. They might talk about it for a while!

Jewelry Creation Workshop, 12-14 rue Gustave Courbet, Paris 16th. 1.5 hours, €60 per person. Online reservation required.

A must-try new immersive experience! “Tutankhamun: The Pharaonic Immersive Experience” invites young and old to uncover the secrets of the pharaoh's tomb. Just like the famous archaeologist Howard Carter who discovered this treasure in 1922 in the Valley of the Kings, visitors try to enter the treasure room filled with wonders, assisted by actors playing Carter’s team members.

Young archaeologists are invited to decode the mysteries of ancient Egypt by digging through canopic jars teeming with insects, solving puzzles, deciphering hieroglyphics, and searching for clues scattered throughout Howard Carter's tent, the corridor, the antechamber, and the burial chamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb. It truly feels like you’ve traveled back to the time of the pharaohs!

Tutankhamun: The Pharaonic Immersive Experience until September 1, 2024, at Galeries Montparnasse, 22 rue du Départ, Paris 15th.

In 2004, Nathan Sawaya challenged himself to build monumental sculptures using only LEGO® bricks. Since then, he has realized his childhood dream, creating these artworks that enjoy phenomenal success and travel worldwide for temporary exhibitions. “Art of the Brick” returns to Paris for a second time: over a hundred sculptures made with millions of LEGO® bricks are displayed, including replicas of masterpieces like Michelangelo’s David and Klimt’s The Kiss, pop culture symbols, original creations, and reconstructions like a 6-meter-long T-Rex made with over 80,000 pieces.

The Parisian novelty: the Organogenesis collection, merging Nathan Sawaya’s sculptures with Andrei Duman’s photographs. A fun way to learn more about the human body. Impressive!

Art of the Brick at Galeries Montparnasse, 22 rue du Départ, Paris 15th. Open Wednesday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm, and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. From €12.90. Information and online reservations.

It’s the Mbappé effect: kids dream of becoming football stars! For the most determined, ready to train with the same rigor as their idols to go pro, PSG Academy offers fantastic training camps in the Paris region during the summer holidays.

Technical training sessions in the morning, tactical sessions, and matches in the afternoon to strengthen teamwork and practice skills, all supervised by coaches trained by the club: 5 intense days that will delight the most motivated young athletes!

PSG Academy, information and online reservations. Options for day camp or full board, from €250.

Boom Boom Villette is the 100% good vibes venue hosting an XXL food market in its 25,000 m² space with tons of #LOL activities. Among them: hold on tight, as it’s Europe’s largest escape game and the first in France dedicated to the Batman universe. Awesome! Over 3,000 m², three rooms with three different missions are offered to the public: The Batcave, The Riddler, and The Joker, the best one where players (2 to 6 per group) play journalists seeking a scoop on the prankster murderer through purely diabolical puzzles. Suspense guaranteed...

After the session, introduce your kids to flying with the giant iFly fan, or challenge them with live questions or songs in the Quiz Room©. Finally, treat them to an unforgettable movie session in the enormous Pathé Gaumont upstairs before grabbing a bite at one of the many food stalls. Plenty to keep them busy!

Batman Escape at Boom Boom Villette, 30 avenue Corentin Cariou, Paris 19th. 01 49 70 83 30.
© Anthony Jean @BatmanEscape

Looking for an extraordinary activity to tire out your hyperactive kids? Head to Palaiseau by RER to the Trampoline Park. Imagine: here you can walk on a wall, play dodgeball on trampolines, jump on dozens of giant trampolines with a “Jump around! Jump up, jump up, and get down…” vibe. You know the song.

For the kids’ delight: activities worthy of a warrior course, in an athletic version on the Twister with its spinning arm to jump over as high as possible, a warrior version sliding on logs, or crossing nets Indiana Jones-style. Seriously fun.

Open daily from 10 am. Tickets from €10 per child, €8 for accompanying adults with reservation. Trampoline Park, 10 rue de la Croix Martre, 91120 Palaiseau, for ages 3 and up.

Discover also what to do in Paris this weekend and everything you must do in Paris in July.