august-2011

august is when locals abandon Paris
for the Côte d’Azur or Atlantique, so the
city becomes a visitor’s playground –
quite literally – and even locals who
remain enjoy an extra sense of space.
In the vacuum aft er Bastille Day
festivities, arts festival Quartier d’été
(until August 9, quartierdete.com)
enlivens Paris streets and parks with
concerts, dance and circus. The
genre-defying Mummenschanz, (until
August 7, €5-18, mummenschanz.com)
mixes mime, theatre and giant puppets.
Their surreal art returns to Paris for the
fi rst time in 15 years aft er wowing
audiences in Broadway and Beijing.
For the 10th edition of Paris Plages
(until August 21, free, paris-plages.fr)
ON THE
RADAR
La Maison des
Petits
Kids’ space at Le
Cent Quatre with
krump sessions and
workshops at the fi lm
festival, Silhouette.
64 metropolitan
Joli espace dédié
aux enfants au Cent
Quatre avec des cours
de krump le vendredi
et des ateliers dans
le cadre du festival
du court métrage
Silhouette (27 août-4
septembre ; également
au Parc des Buttes
carousel and dodgems. Meanwhile,
Bernard Tschumi’s vast, ultra-modern
Parc de la Villette (villette.com) hosts
scientifi c exhibits at the Cité des
enfants, (€6-€8, cite-sciences.fr) and
three kids’ gardens: musical forest
Jardin des frayeurs (6+), the sandy
Jardin des vents et des dunes (0-12), and
playful Jardin du dragon. Check out the
free Open Air Cinema Festival (until
August 21) here or take a boat to
explore fun family events on the Canal
de l’Ourcq (until August 28,
tourisme93.com).
At the Parc Floral, Les Pestacles (until
September 21, €2.50-€5, under 7s free,
lespestacles.fr) is an annual festival for
5-12s with acrobatics, storytelling and
bands. The Bois de Boulogne off ers
distractions year-round: bikes, lakes,
and Napoléon III’s Jardin
th the Mairie has blanketed the From top left / d’Acclimatation. Aft er the 150th
Se Seine riverbank with 10 times
mo more sand than usual, sculpting
it iinto
castles and dunes. The
De gauche
à droite :
Galerie des
enfants;
anniversary last year, a fun
carbon-free train (€1.35-€5.60,
jardindacclimatation.fr) now
kid kids’ zone of the beach is at the
Po Pont-au-Change with pedalos,
Petite Bains;
Batofar
ferries passengers from the Porte
Maillot to the Garden’s swings,
se seesaws, pétanque and table
zip lines, tree climbing, crazy
foo football for 3+. For over 6s, bassin
mirrors, puppets and pony rides.
de
la Villette holds Tai Chi, BMXs
Nearby, the Centre Pompidou’s
and a library.
charming Galerie des Enfants (under 18s
Heading east to the hip Quai François free) has themed seasons tied to
Mauriac, the iconic barge Batofar has its exhibitions. There are daily workshops
own sandy patch and kids’ events (until for 6-10s alongside the usual Wednesday
September, batofar.org, see website for cinema sessions and Saturday art
events). Last month it was joined by the sessions (2-5s and 6-10s, €8-€10,
equally cool Petit Bain, a “fl oating cultural centrepompidou.fr). Its namesake over
centre” led by the brains behind defunct at the Muséum national d’Histoire
Chinese junk boat the Guingette Pirate. Naturelle (€7-€9, galeriedesenfants.fr) is
Kids can roam the terrace (€5-€10, 7+, equally fun, focusing on nature.
petit bain.org) during Sunday brunch. Finally, musical parents can breathe a
August in Paris means a trip to the sigh of relief thanks to Rock en Seine’s
city’s parks. The sumptuous Fête Foraine very cool Mini Rock Fest (August 26-28,
(until August 21, feteforaine-jardindes 6-10s, free with paying adults,
tuileries.com) in the historic Tuileries has rockenseine.com) with plenty of musical
a ferris wheel, games, slides and climbing activities battling to drown out headliners
walls alongside the original 1900 Arctic Monkeys and Foo Fighters.
Chaumont). Gratuit
pour les moins de 6
ans, 104.fr
Musée du Louvre
Family workshops
around museum
exhibitions and trails
for all ages.
Ateliers familiaux
autour des expositions
du musée et circuits
pour tous les âges.
20-31 août, 6-13 €,
louvre.fr
Théâtre de Guignol
Changing weekly
puppet shows in the
Parc Floral.
Spectacles de
marionnettes
hebdomadaires au
Parc Floral. 2,40-
2,80 €, guignolparcfl
oral.com
Aquaboulevard
Europe’s biggest
water park hosts
slides and a huge
Jonah the whale with
Jacuzzis for adults.
Le plus grand parc
aquatique d’Europe
propose toboggans et
une énorme baleine
avec des jacuzzis pour
les adultes. 12-62 €,
aquaboulevard.fr