18 ways to enjoy Paris in March with the family

Tips for Paris in March 2019

Spring is arriving and there is so much to see and do in the city. MLP has some great tips to help you and the family enjoy Paris in March. So if you haven’t taken the kids skiing this school break, don’t worry there is plenty to do in the City of Light instead!

Tutankhamun at Villette

This is your chance to see ‘Tutankhamun – The Treasures of the Pharaoh‘ in the Grand Halle de la Villette!  Fifty years after “the exhibition of the century” which attracted more than 1.2 million visitors in Paris. It is a special opportunity to see 50 pieces from this collection that will travel for the first and last time, out of Egypt.  Advance tickets are a must!

Grand Halle de La Villette, 75019

Legends of the Force at Disney

A special limited edition Stars Wars  – Legends of the Force theme, is now on at Disneyland Paris until March 17th. All the main characters will be present, giving you and the kids the chance to get up close and personal with Darth Vader et al. Plus they can enjoy a 3D experience on the StarSpeeder 1000 ship and so much more.

There’s even a Star Wars themed rollercoaster! If all that wasn’t enough, they have a Marvel Superhero experience going on too and Princesses and Pirates. All of these offerings will no doubt entertain the offspring! For more information check out the DisneyLand Paris website.

Vivian Maier photo exhibition

The wonderful story of Vivian Maier captured the imagination of culture lovers worldwide. Outside of her full-time job as a nanny in Chicago in the 50’s, she would grab her camera and take photos of people going about their everyday lives. It was her hobby and her passion. She died without anyone knowing of her love affair with photography. But thanks to the discovery of storage boxes that housed over 100,000 negatives of images – her extraordinary talent was presented to the world. The first exhibition of her work was in Paris in 2013 with a collection of black and white shots. Now, we get the chance to explore her colour prints. Having only been open a short while this exhibition has already been hugely popular. Try not to miss it.

Until March 30th at Les Douches la Galerie, 5 rue Legouvé, 75010

Courtauld Collection at Fondation Louis Vuitton

The Fondation Louis Vuitton is reliably great at creating the must-see blockbuster exhibitions of the year.  This time is no different, as they bring us the Courtauld Collection: A Vision for Impressionism.  The exhibition presents the collection of the British entrepreneur and art patron Samuel Courtauld, which hasn’t been shown in Paris for the past 60 years. Be sure to check out the Vice Versa workshop for families with children aged 6- 10, which is related to the exhibition.  And don’t forget to build in time for your children to admire this magnificent building and get out on the terraces.  Plus you’re already inside the Jardin d’Acclimatation for lots more fun!

Ice skating on top of Montparnasse

Skating on top of the Montparnasse tower is a great family activity and it’s fast becoming a February half term tradition. Until March 10 you and the kids can go ice-skating at the top of one of the tallest buildings in Paris, and savour the beautiful views of Paris. Enjoy the highest ice rink in Paris and  we suggest you get your tickets in advance.

Tour Montparnasse, Panoramic Observatory of the Montparnasse Tower, 33, avenue du Maine – 15th Avenue. Monday – Friday: 12:00 – 8 pm, Saturday – Sunday: 10 am – 8 pm

The Toddler Film Festival

Every year at the Forum des Images the little people are prioritised with a collection of suitably chosen movies for their entertainment. Check out the website for more details, it runs until March 10

Forum des Images, Forum des Halles, 2 Rue du cinéma, 75001 Paris

Star Wars cine-concert at Philharmonie

Watching your favourite movie while the soundtrack is being played by a live orchestra is a phenomenal experience. Paris has indulged this cinematique experience for years, and now here comes Star Wars! There is no doubt that this will certainly be a memorable music and film moment, especially as the venue selected for this event is the stunning Philharmonie de Paris. We are sure the kids will love it. On March 2 & 3

1001 Orchids at Jardin du Plante

Until  March 11, there is an exposition of plant life celebrating the Orchid. In the tropical greenhouse at Jardin du Plante, you’ll get to walk amongst the most stunning display of familiar and unknown species of this ornamental flower. In the newly refurbished greenhouses along the Grand Serres take advantage of the opportunity to see 30,000 orchids in a beautiful setting.

Jardin du Plante 57 Rue Cuvier 10 am- 5 pm. €7 or €5 reduced, Free for 4yrs old and under.

A night at the Museum

On the first Saturday of each month, you can now go and explore the Louvre in the evening for free. It is a new initiative, aiming to encourage new visitors to discover more of what the Louvre has to offer.

From 6 pm until 9:45 pm, without a reservation,  you can admire the collections of Italian and French paintings, as well as, Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities. There is, of course, the Mona Lisa, The Victory of Samothrace or The Venus of Milo for you to see too. If you fancy doing a free activity: music, games, storytelling and workshops, you have to book. Bookings can be made on the museums Facebook page.

Free entry by the Pyramid or the Carousel Gallery, within the limits of the safety gauges.

The Louvre,  Saturday, March 2nd and very first Saturday after that!

The Paris Carnival

Every year, February welcomes this carnival – celebrated by the natives of this beautiful city. Typically the usual elements you would expect make the final presentation: the parades, music, workshops, mini shows. It kicks off at 1 pm at Place de Gambetta in the 20eme, with the carnival moving through the streets of Paris to a rhythmic beat, finally arriving at Republique at around 5:5pm. Check out www.carnaval-paris.org for all the info. It takes place on March 3.

Place Gambetta, Métro Gambetta, Paris 20ème.

The Body and Sport at Cite des Sciences

The Body and Sport exhibition at the Cite des Sciences celebrates how sport has changed the way we look at the human body. This exhibition takes a historical, sociological and scientific look at how the body is sculpted by sport. It also invites visitors to test themselves, to gain a better understanding of the remarkable capacities of the body and its fragilities.

This museum is loved by kids. It caters for the children in such a spectacular way with dedicated spaces and experiences that truly get children excited about science. They have a new special haven called ‘cabanes’ for children over the age of 2, a video game space for older kids, an oceans explorative experience and so much more. So make a day of it.

The Body and Sport Expo is on until January 2020 at the Citè des Science

New Space for families at the Paris War Museum

The Musee de la Grande Guerre has just opened a dedicated family space designed for children over the age of 6. It has been designed as a camp, putting any little visitor in similar surroundings to those who have experienced the war. During the war, about 18 or so fighters, would rest in these camps away from the trenches, to write letters to loved ones and rest. Children can reenact this for real! Uniforms are provided and places allocated for them to write letters, there are also some great tours of the museum. It’s a trip out of Paris but may well be worth it.

The Great War Museum in Paris, Rue Lazare Ponticelli 77100 Meaux

Sound Poetry at the Palais de Tokyo

This art space is an MLP favourite. It always amazes and inspires us with creative installations. This month sees the opening of a new exhibition entitled La Voix Libérée in conjunction with the Bonotto Foundation. They describe it as an artistic experience, allowing us to assess the connection between past and present voices. Essentially, it charts the history of sound poetry and is bound to be dynamic in its execution. It’s on from March 22 until May 12. Whilst there, check out this stunning interactive installation by Frank Scurti (pictured), we think the kids will have a lot of fun playing in this space, which is open until May 12.

The new Garden cafe for Kids

A new restaurant has opened up in Paris and its unique selling point is that it’s kid-friendly. Not only does it look fabulous inside, in term of decor, it also has a dedicated kid space and a super appetising menu. Located in Boulogne Billancourt, this new eaterie gives you the chance to enjoy delicious food whilst your kids are entertained.

And on Sundays, they take it a step further by offering workshops while you have fun with your friends and some well-deserved adult time. Might be worth checking out.

The Garden Café, 63 Avenue Pierre Grenier 92100 Boulogne Billancourt.

Agricultural Show

The Salon d’Agriculture is a huge annual event in the February school holidays.  Until March 3rd, the countryside comes into Paris and sets up camp!  There will be farm animal for the kids to see, tasting stands where you can try all the wonderful food and drink produced around France and get a real insight into what makes the French tick.  It brings to life how the amazing food we taste in a sophisticated Paris restaurant has its roots in the rural soul and the quality of ingredients that the French pride themselves upon.  Take the kids along to experience this huge farm show, but be ready for big crowds!  The show takes place at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles and you should get your tickets in advance.

Van Gogh at Atelier des Lumieres

Atelier dés Lumières is the newest art venue in Paris and it’s dedicated to digital art. Their style is a truly immersive experience, with light shows projected on their walls and accompanying music. This makes it especially great for kids as they get drawn in and this Van Gogh expo is outstanding.

It is perfectly timed for the ski break school vacation. Expect it to be very busy, so advance online tickets are a must.  This venue also leaves you perfectly positioned to explore the 11th arrondissement, one of our favourites. It’s on until December.

Games at Place de Republique

We love that Paris dedicates an entire open air space to fun and games in Paris. This spot at Republique is over 1000m2 and is packed with every board game you can imagine for kids of all ages. So if the sun is out and it’s a beautiful day, hang out here with the little ones and take in the rays, while they challenge other kids (or you) in gaming duals. So much fun.

Opening days :

–         School holidays: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
–         Outside School holidays: Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday

Opening time :

–         Summer: from 15h to 20h
–         Spring and Autumn: from 15h to 19h

Body-Conscious at the Pompidou

37.5 is the name of this immersive and interactive show designed for children, and it’s all to with the human body, the functioning or organs and their tissues.

Davide Balula invites you to slowly focus on your body, using objects to help you become aware of your own body and your environment.

‘Walk through the interstices of the fabrics, playing with different speeds, movements and sensations. Enjoy organic sounds with blindfolded eyes, play with the temperature of your breath or your skin on heat-sensitive areas, listen to your anatomy at the same time or simply enjoy a moment of silence with the help of helmets. –bruits. Live this exhibition as an experience that connects your environment, your body and the other.‘ (Described in the Pompidou’s own words)

They have a great video demonstrating all of this which you can find on the Pompidou website or watch it on Youtube.

Designed for young audiences it is on until March 11

We hope these tips give you some idea of how to spend your time over the coming month.

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