New Orleans with a 6 year old
 

Hello, I am a nanny travelling with my employers and a 6y.o.in July ,from Sydney Australia.We are spending 4 days in New Orleans and I would like to know what there is there to keep a child amused! <BR>Thanks!

The street performers in Jackson Square should prove pure delight for a 6-year old. They should be able to keep him/her entertained for hours. You will run into some "interesting" charactors however. <BR> <BR>While I haven't been, I've heard good things about the zoo in the Garden District. I always hated zoos as a child, but maybe your child isn't as negative on them. <BR> <BR>A horse-drawn carriage ride through the French Quarter should be fun. <BR> <BR>Maybe a riverboat ride? <BR> <BR>I'm sure there are people on this forum who actually have kids who'll have better insights. When I'm in New Orleans, I spend most of my time eating, drinking and playing video poker. But even in New Orleans, a six-year-old will only be allowed to do one of those.

The Audobon Zoo in New Orleans is one of the best zoos in the country. There's also an aquarium near the French Quarter that'd be wonderful fun for a child. You may take a cruise between the two places or a trolley ride up St. Charles, which would be a nice treat for a child whether en route to the zoo or not. Jackson Square has street entertainers, so that should be good for a few hours, and there are swamp tours that would be fun. A word of warning: it's VERY hot and humid in New Orleans in the summer, so come prepared.

I definitely recommend the Aquarium of the Americas - great for a hot summer day. You can make a day of it by adding the IMAX theatre feature (next door to the Aquarium) and a zoo cruise. July will be an awfully hot time for the zoo, though - so maybe skip that part or go to the zoo first thing in the a.m. There is also a children's museum in the warehouse district - I think it's on Julia Street which is maybe 10 blocks from the Quarter - a $5 - $7 cab ride at most. I've never been but my step children have, and my husband says it is a good museum. A six year old would probably enjoy Jackson Square with a stop for chocolate milk and beignets at Cafe du Monde. There's also an ice cream shop on the Square that is a great stop in the summer - or really, any season here is a good time for ice cream. A carriage ride is a good idea and a ride on the streetcar up St. Charles Avenue would also be fun. If the child is a girl, she might enjoy touring Anne Rice's orphange uptown on Napoleon a block off St. Charles. Anne houses her incredible doll collection here in this 55,000 squre foot building that she has restored. Hope this helps you fill some time.

Thank you so much for your help so far!There sounds like there will be some graet things to do,I was just wondering though exactly how hot it gets in July in New Orleans?? <BR>

Louise, in July it will be about 95 degrees fahrenheit with 95% humidity. It can be quite uncomfortable midday, and you should expect an afternoon thundershower. It's comfortable shorts weather at night. Just about all buildings are air conditioned, so don't worry about that!

Having been to N.O. as a child, I definitely recommend the steamboat ride, the streetcar ride, and the beignets at Cafe Du Monde. <BR> <BR> <BR> Anna

My home town. Don't let anyone tell you NO isn't a kids' town. The Old Mint museum in the Quarter is great; and <BR>don't miss the La. Children's Museum in the old warehouse district (near Riverwalk); walk along the Riverfront <BR>Park early in the morning and go to the <BR>French market. Do the Aquarium/Zoo cruise package. Ride the free ferry across the river to Algiers and go to <BR>Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras float workshops. And for my favorite splash of <BR>local color, the whole group should go <BR>out to the Bucktown fishing village at Lake Ponchartrain for dinner; not fancy, <BR>but authentic and fresh. The place is <BR>pretty much locals; they don't get many <BR>foreign visitors there and will treat you very well. (If you pick Deanies on a weekend night, prepare for a wait!) If you have a car, there is a classic New Orleans institution in City Park not quite as far out as Bucktown; the StoryLand playground in City Park. It's <BR>a little worn, but charming -- it has <BR>Mother Goose play areas, if you get story "keys" you can plug them in to hear the stories; kids just love this. <BR>(But go as soon as it opens in the <BR>morning, it will get too hot to touch <BR>the metal in midday July heat.) Have fun <BR>and eat, eat, eat!!!