Playgrounds in Paris 1-20th Arr. ?
 

Dear Fodorites,
We're going to Paris April 9-21st with our 3½ year old daughter.
We've tried to find an apartment within the vicinity of a playground, but would actually like to create a "map of playgrounds" in 1-20th Arrondissement for every Fodorite or their family's entertainment ;-).

Please post your tips with an excact location if possible and a description of the size and equipment of the playground (ie. swings, carroussel, sandbox).

I know of the following:
Jardin du Luxembourg
Champs de Mars
Sandbox in the back of the sculpture garden in Musee Rodin

I just got tipped about Jardin Atlantique behind Gare Montparnasse and a couple of local playgrounds around Cimetiere de Montparnasse.

TIA and best regards
Cecilie Thorning Jacobsen

hi, Cecilie, that is a nice idea but there are so many of them that I think it may not be the most useful to list them by address. They are marked on any good map of Paris, and I think that is the best way to visualize them. Maybe you should buy a map and that will show the green areas. I don't have a Streetwise map in front of me to see what it looks like, but I know they are very well marked (even the smallest green areas) in a typical Paris book of small arrondisement maps.

For example, in the 15th arrondisement, there are probably about 30 of them.

our favorite was the one behind Notre Dame.
Our kids were playing and some American tourists came and took their picture. AFTER they'd taken the pictures they came over to my husband and I and asked if was ok. We laughed and said "Sure, but they are American kids!!" ( you would have thought that the Lands End jacket was a tip off. But I guess the scarves tied just right were a distraction.)

<>Eglise Notre-dame-des-champs
27, Rue du Montparnasse 75006
typical small park playground (sand, slide...)

<>Place Denfert Rochereau 75014
triangular park between Cimetiere Montparnasse
and place Denfert Rochereau
typical small park playground (sand, slide...)

<>Avenue du Maine at rue Brezin 75014
small carrousel

<>Square d'Anvers 75009
don't recall the particulars

my daughter's faves are the jardin du luxembourg and the jardin du tuileries. both have a carousel and pony rides nearby. the lux. charges a small fee, though there may be a weekly pass. farther down in the tuileries is a place where kids can jump on "trampolines" - more like big mattresses!

most other parks in paris have a playground, though it may just be a sandpit and/or climbing bars.

Thanks everyone,
I guessed that there might be small playgrounds somewhere in all the major parks, but not necessarily the smaller green squares particularly in 2-4. Arrondissement.

Christina, which map would you recommend that shows a detail like playgrounds ?
The otherwise detailed maps I have in guidebooks such as the Visual guide etc. show all the green areas, but not whether they have playgrounds.

There's a sandbox in Place des Vosges (4th)- can't remember if there are slides or anything to climb on.
http://www-proj.loel.hs-anhalt.de/lp...er/vosges2.jpg

There are 2 small parks behind Musee Carnavelet - I'm almost sure one of them has a playground. I think it is along rue du Parc Royal (3rd) - Square Leopold Achilles. yep,here is a photO:
http://www.insecula.com/salle/photo_ME0000044569.html

Travelnut, I was just thinking of the one at Place des Vosges! But the Place d'Anvers is closed due to renovations. :(

Hello again everyone,
It's very nice to have a selection of playgrounds put on the map in advance.

I already have all the public toilets covered thanks to http://www.mairie1.paris.fr/mairie1/...d_rubrique=421
;-)

Thanks for the tips so far.
I'll post a more detailed itinerary of toddler-family-friendly activities when I get to that stage of planning.
Cecilie Thorning Jacobsen

Parc Monceau has a lovely childrens playground in a beautiful setting. The sandpit looked quite large and of course lots of benches for the Nannies!
Same goes for Parc des Buttes Chaumont.
I don't remember a sandpit here but definitely a carousel.

Children really enjoy the Parc de la Villette in the 19th, especially its big dragon slides and so many nooks and crannies to explore.

What wonderful parents you are! We used to do the same when our daughter was younger. The Jardin D'Aclimitization (spelling?) in the Bois de Bologne is nice. There is a bit where you have to pay for some tacky rides, but there beyond that is a nice playground with huge slides, and sandboxes with miniature diggers and tractors.

Cecilie, I hadn't realized the toilettes were now free (in 2003, last trip, they were .40€), so I started taking photos of them. I saw them at:
149 Bd St-Germain (near St-Germain)
Place de la Bourse
Rue de Belleville

One not listed on the website is in the 7th walking from RER-C to the Eiffel Tower along Quai Branly.

Cecilie,

What a great idea, compiling toddler-specific activities! I can't wait to see what you come up with, as we are taking our 3 year old to Paris this summer. If I stumble across something other than the attractions that have already been mentioned, I'll be sure to post.

The good news is that the list on that 'mairie' website does not <i>begin</i> to list <u>all</u> the 'sanisettes'.

for instance, there is one on ave due General Leclerc in the 14th that we pass by everyday, and there is one at the foot of the funicular up to Sacre Coeur, and there is one on Ile de Cite somewhere around Palais de Justice...

There's a strange relief in the fact that not only toddler parents take interest in public toilets ;-))

It'll probably be an interesting map.

John, have you read any of the &quot;Kid-friendly&quot; guidebooks ?
I don't think I'll invest in one, because most of the 3-year old relevant activities I can think of are mentioned on this website or in general guidbooks.

On the other hand I need a good updated guide for outlet shopping in Paris/France.
In Italy they have the &quot;Scoprio Occasioni&quot; in Italian which is a *great* directory of virtually all factory outlets, but what's the equivalent in France ?

Am considering the Louis Vuitton shopping guidebooks since they should be rather up to date.

Cecilie,

I have two:

Paris With Kids (Open Road's Paris with Kids) by Valerie Gwinner

and

Take the Kids: Paris &amp; Disneyland Resort

Both have been pretty helpful with little tips here and there.

There is a book out on that very topic that has every single park in paris, with their size, square footage, restaurants, whether you can sit on the grass etc.; however, it is in French. The name is &quot;Les Parcs et jardins de Paris&quot; It is a wonderful book if you read French, but even if you are not fluent, the maps are useful.It is published by Rustica, and put out by the Mairie de Paris (city hall of Paris).
Also, every arrondissement has a web site, and I think feature their own parks.