Let me share a delightful story about my seven-year-old son, Bobby, and his first encounter with the Mona Lisa. It could have been at home, flipping through one of my art books; or in his school’s renowned art class, where Leonardo Da Vinci made an appearance; or, quite possibly, during one of his adventurous YouTube explorations. However, the point is, the Louvre’s iconic masterpiece had captured his imagination – and I was determined to make his first trip to Paris in December a memorable one, despite the crowds and other challenges.
The Louvre is booming: In the wake of COVID-19, 7.8 million visitors lined up before I.M. Pei’s famous pyramid in 2022, a 170% increase from 2021 (though attendance is still down slightly from 2019). Everyone decided to visit Paris on holiday: people strolled down the Rue de Rivoli in droves and snaked past Notre Dame, even though the cathedral was boarded up. Still, I was determined to squeeze into the big sites. This leads me to ask a very “tiger mom” question: How do you bring culture and art alive to a small child – one who is more prone to tantrums, hunger, and jet lag? How do you leave a big European city like Paris feeling like you’ve delivered a teachable moment? Based on some of my experience, I recommend following these four simple rules, especially if you’re keen to try out the main attractions.
Visits during off-peak hours.
Museums tend to be quiet when they are open, with crowds at noon and thinning out in the evening. For example, the gorgeous massage Picasso-Paris in the Marais district opens at 10.30 am on weekdays. We bought tickets to arrive at 11 am and breezed in to see some of the nearly 300 paintings on display up close. By the time we left, people had already started filling the main galleries – but our early-bird slot gave us a head start. Another tip: Museums typically have extended opening hours in the evening, which we took advantage of during a trip to the Vatican in the summer of 2022.
Limit your time indoors to less than two hours.
We wanted to conquer the message D ‘Orsay and the Louvre, the two great works of art. It’s a huge entity with thousands of pieces in its collection. But when you accept that you won’t be able to see every nook and cranny, it’ll be easier to limit yourself to a strict schedule – and keep the kids from burning out. “Two hours or less is the most important time,” says Julia Pirrung, founder of Jet Set World Travel, Family Travel expert, and Travel + Leisure advisory board member. “If you choose to visit without a guide, encourage research in advance so the children can take the lead with a map.” The more invested they are before they arrive, the more ownership they have inside, the more successful the experience will be.”
We did have a guide at the Louver, thanks to Pierre Donel, the head concierge at the Rosewood Hotel de Crillon, who booked us a two-hour “Louvre Express” tour through Little Paris. It enabled us to enter at a particular time with 15 other travelers or so Through a special group security entrance and see three great paintings (Mona Lisa, wing Victory, Venus de Milo) with an English-speaking expert who also shares historical details about the museum’s role as a medieval fortress and ultimate palace. We saved the “Mona Lisa” for last, and my husband, Rob, lifted Bobby on his shoulders so he could see her smile more clearly.
Embrace the unexpected little people.
A good concierge or local expert can also recommend places worth visiting that aren’t on the typical tourist trail. “Paris has great museums dedicated to children, such as the Museum of Wax, the City of Science, the Grand Gallery of Evolution, the Parsay Parsay, and the Museum of Illusions,” Donell said. Although some say Orangery is off the beaten track, it became Bobby’s favorite stop because of its convenience and size. You can see Monet’s Water Lilies in 30 minutes and essential Impressionist works by Renoir and Matisse.
Make it interactive… Save it for the gift shop.
Donel and Pirrung suggest adding a scavenger hunt element to make the game more fun and dynamic. “Children can find treasures and solve riddles,” said Piran, who did so while visiting the Louvre with her two children. We did something a little more lo-fi but still fun: we asked Bobby to remember the three favorite things about each Parisian museum – and then recounted them over dinner. (Gross, but true: He still remembers Picasso collecting nails and hair.) Let’s face it: if a child starts crying, an easy way to calm them down is with a small toy. We flew home from Paris with some nice souvenirs (Christmas decorations, bookmarks, socks, and even a Claude Monet doll) that made us smile every time we saw them.
