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Guide · Paris

Free things to do in Paris with kids

Paris is more affordable with children than its reputation suggests, mainly because of who gets in free. Under eighteens enter the national museums without paying, and residents of the European Union under twenty six do too. The saving is real: a family of four often pays for two adults rather than four tickets.

The other free layer is the city itself. Squares across Paris have fenced playgrounds, the parks are open to everyone, and the riverbanks have been closed to traffic and given over to walking and play. For children under about six this is usually the better half of the day anyway, whatever the museums are showing.

The places below are the ones marked free in our Paris data. Worth reading the small print on any museum you plan around: free entry for children does not always mean free entry for the adult with them.

Open Paris on the map

Free places in Paris

Free to enter, at least for children.

🎠Activities 2

  • Coulée Verte René-DumontFormer railway line converted into a green walkway from Bastille to Bois de Vincennes, with a playground midway.
    Play areaPark
  • Little VilletteFree inside play for small kids. Closed in Summer.
    Indoor
    Official website

🌳Parks 14

  • Arboretum de la Vallée aux LoupsFree entry to a beautiful arboretum with open space for children to run around and a woodland play area.
    Play area
  • Bois de BoulogneVast park in west Paris with forest bike trails, a large sandpit playground, a hire lake and wildlife including ducks and otters.
    Play area
  • Bois de VincennesParis's largest park, with a zoo, multiple playgrounds and a tropical garden.
    Play areaGames
  • Étang Colbert GardenPark with view of the lake.
    Play area
  • Jardin Atlantique - hidden rooftop park -Secret rooftop garden above Gare Montparnasse with ocean-themed playground. Open from 8am weekdays, 9am weekends.
    Play area
  • Parc de la Bonne AventureLarge park with separate play areas suited to different ages.
    Play area
  • Parc des Buttes-ChaumontDramatic 25-hectare park built on steep terrain, with caves, suspension bridges and sweeping views over the city.
    Outdoor
  • Parc du Château SoubiranPeaceful city park with a playground and an educational farm on site.
    Play area
  • Parc Georges-BrassensPark named after the French singer, with swings, pony rides and a puppet theatre.
    Play area
  • Parc SemalléTucked away in the forest, with swings, slides and climbing frames.
    Play area
  • Park Blaise PascalWell-designed park for a range of ages, with wooden animals for toddlers and slides, hammocks and climbing frames for older kids. Picnic benches and a book library on site.
    Play area
  • Queen's Gate (Other access to Versailles Palace Gardens)Free access to the quieter section of Versailles Palace gardens, with horses grazing in the surrounding fields.
    Play area
  • Récollets GardenSmall garden good for picnics.
    Play area
  • Tuileries GardenFormal gardens next to the Louvre, with carousels, trampolines and open lawns for children to run around.
    Play area

🏰Castles 1

  • Château de RambouilletKids tours on Sundays and throughout summer. Entry is 8 euros for children, 11 for adults, free under 3. Check the events calendar before visiting.
    Outdoor
    Official website

🦁Zoo & Animals 3

  • Animal Park JanvryFree park where goats and llamas roam freely in the woods. Large playground nearby.
    Outdoor
    Official website
  • Ferme Pedagogique - Parc du Château SoubiranOne of the oldest city farms in Île-de-France, set in sprawling grounds. Free entry.
    Outdoor
    Official website
  • The Paris FarmEducational farm with animals.
    Outdoor
    Official website

🛝Playgrounds 122

  • Belleville ParkOutdoor playground.
    Outdoor
  • Berges de Seine - playgroundPedestrianised riverbank with activities dotted along the water: mazes, hopscotch, ping-pong, scooters and climbing walls.
    Outdoor
  • Georges-Lamarque Square - playgroundOutdoor playground.
    Outdoor
  • Jardin Atlantique - hidden rooftop playground -Outdoor playground.
    Outdoor
  • Jardin Catherine-Labouré - playgroundA hidden gem, playground nestled among flowering trees, plus a grassy picnic area with a sandpit.
    Outdoor
  • Parc de Choisy - playgroundOutdoor playground.
    Outdoor
  • playgroundOutdoor playground.
    Outdoor
  • playgroundOutdoor playground.
    Outdoor
  • playgroundOutdoor playground.
    Outdoor
  • playgroundModern playground with trampolines, an obstacle course and a large climbing frame, with views of the Army Museum dome.
    Outdoor
  • Square Boucicaut - playgroundSmall play area.
    Outdoor
  • Square Capitan - playgroundOutdoor playground.
    Outdoor
  • Square Chautemps - playgroundOutdoor playground.
    Outdoor
  • Square d'Ajaccio - playgroundOutdoor playground.
    Outdoor
  • Square Gaston-Baty - playgroundCompact playground near Montparnasse station, good for a quick stop between outings. Basic but functional.
    Outdoor
  • Square Jean XXIII - playgroundSmall park near Notre-Dame with climbing and swinging structures for young children.
    Outdoor
  • Square Louise Michel -playgroundPlayground at the foot of Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre.
    Outdoor
  • Square Saint-ÉloiOutdoor playground.
    Outdoor
  • Trampolines TuileriesOutdoor playground.
    Outdoor
  • Tuileries playgroundPlay area among the Tuileries trees with equipment for all ages: seesaw, small slide and roundabouts for younger children, plus a large slide and climbing frames for ages 6 and up.
    Outdoor

Showing the 20 most central. See all 122 playgrounds in Paris

💦Water Parks 2

  • F Louis Lumière -Free outdoor swimming poolFree outdoor swimming pool with a family area, open on Weekends until end of August.
    Outdoor
    Official website
  • Family swimming in the Seine at GrenellePop-up outdoor swimming pool facing the Ile aux Cygnes with Eiffel Tower views, suitable for families with young children above 1m20.
    Ages 8+
    Official website

🧺Picnic Sites 7

  • Jardin du LuxembourgOne of Paris's most loved parks, with a large playground and the famous Grand Bassin where children can hire toy sailboats.
    Play area
  • Parc André Citroën72 water jets activated across the park in summer, ideal for cooling down.
    Outdoor
  • Parc BalbiPark with a small lake, ideal for picnics. Children will enjoy watching the ducks and geese.
    Outdoor
  • Parc de ChoisyLively local family park.
    Outdoor
  • Parc des NouettesPicnic area in a forest setting, with plenty of open space around it for running.
    Outdoor
  • Parc des Quatre Saisons playgroundLarge park with picnic and baby facilities.
    Outdoor
  • Prairie des GonardsViews of Versailles. Good spot for a picnic.
    Outdoor

⭐Local Tips 1

  • Petite CeintureDisused railway line reclaimed as a green walking path. Stroller friendly.
    Outdoor
    Official website

🍔Kids Restaurants 1

  • Guinguette de ClamartOutdoor café with lake views and a playground nearby. More bar than restaurant so opens from 4pm.
    Play areaTerrace
    Official website

See everything we have mapped in Paris

Practical tips

  • Check who counts as freeRules differ between national museums, city museums and private ones. National collections are the most generous to children and young EU residents.
  • Playgrounds are behind gatesMost Paris playgrounds sit inside a fenced square with one entrance, which makes them unusually relaxing. Many close at dusk, earlier in winter.
  • Carry water, not a buggy, on the MetroLifts are rare and stairs are many. If your child can walk part of the day, a carrier will cost you less effort than the Metro will.

If you pay for one thing, make it something the city does not hand out free: a boat on the river, a puppet theatre, or the top of something tall.