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Paris has been described as
anything but a place for kids: a city for lovers, a cultural
Mecca. Yet you may be surprised to find out how prepared the
French capital is to entertain children. Even in what is
considered to be an adult activity, touring museums.
At the Louvre Museum, the largest
museum in the world and a must-see in Paris, kids aged 4 and up
can take part in one of the many children's workshops.
The Musée d'Orsay (Orsay
Museum), which has one of Europe's best collections of
impressionist art, is another example. Each Sunday throughout
the summer, the museum organizes games, mimes and storytelling
for children 12 years old and under. 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 Orsay
museum organized a card game called Jeu de l'oie or the Goose
game. Kids are divided into teams. Each team is given several
cards, which correspond to a work of art. Cards in hand, the
children search the museum for the masterpieces.
When the Cartier Foundation for
Contemporary Art inaugurated the exhibition entitled J'en rêve
or I dream, which included the work of 48 young artists from
around the world, it also organized several activities for kids.
At one event, Camille Henrot, one of the artists, reworked her
film by drawing and scratching on the negative. Children
participating in this workshop created their own works of art.
While many of the activities
are conducted in French, language is unlikely to prove a barrier
to participation. For example, instruction is only a small part
of Learning to Create Glasswork, a children's activity offered
at the Musée National du Moyen Age (Middle Age Museum).
But there are other ways to
making learning fun at museums in Paris. Rent audio guides
designed specifically for kids and available in several
languages. Take a family tour, often 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 kids under 18 years of age. Avoid 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 of Objectif
Musée, available at 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 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 kids in Paris.
About the Author:Ann LoCicero is the founder of
www.kidscantravel.com
an emergent website for families intent on making the most of
their leisure time together.
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