Paris with Kids During Christmas Holidays: Unique Family Visits 🎄✨

Christmas holidays are a truly special time to explore Paris with kids 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦. The streets glow with lights, department store windows sparkle, and the city turns into a real-life fairy tale 🎁. But beyond the famous monuments and traditional markets, there are plenty of ways to enjoy a unique family visit in Paris.

Here’s a handpicked selection of unusual, original activities to make your December stay unforgettable.

1) Treasure Hunt in the Covered Passages 🕵️‍♀️✨

When the weather turns cold, Paris’s 19th-century covered passages are the perfect place to explore. These glass-roofed galleries are filled with toy shops, bookstores, and cosy cafés. At Christmas, they shine with twinkling decorations ✨.

👉 To make it more fun, turn it into a unique family visit in Paris: join a treasure hunt! Armed with a puzzle booklet, kids and parents solve riddles together while wandering through Passage Verdeau, Jouffroy, Panoramas and Galerie Vivienne.

💡 Practical tip: these passages are located just minutes apart near the Grands Boulevards, so it’s an easy and warm way to explore Paris in December.

2) Explore the Winter Magic at Parc Floral ❄️✨

If you're looking for an evening activity that feels magical without being overly crowded, the winter lights festival at Parc Floral is a wonderful choice. Each year, the park transforms into an illuminated trail filled with glowing sculptures, immersive light installations and whimsical projections that bring nature to life in a completely new way.

Instead of rushing through another museum or shopping street, families can stroll at their own pace, stopping whenever a child gasps, points, or insists on taking one more photo 📸✨.

The atmosphere is peaceful, enchanting and surprisingly immersive — the perfect balance between festive spirit and quiet winter beauty. Unlike the busier city center holiday events, Parc Floral offers plenty of space, making it a great experience for families with younger kids or anyone who prefers a calmer winter outing.

📅 The event typically runs from late November to early January, which means you can still enjoy the magic even after Christmas — ideal for families visiting during school holidays.

💡 Tip: Dress warmly and grab a warm drink at the entrance — it makes the experience even cozier.

Book your trasure hunt here

3) Go Ice Skating in Festive Rinks ⛸️❄️

No Christmas in Paris is complete without a skating session. Each year, several rinks pop up across the city:

• ⛸️ Grands magasins : on the roof, grat view and magical atmosphere.

• 🗼 Champ-de-Mars rink: with the Eiffel Tower sparkling above.

• 🎠 Grand Palais Éphémère rink (if confirmed in 2026): one of the biggest indoor rinks in Europe.

It’s a perfect way for families to laugh, move, and create unforgettable holiday memories — even if no one skates perfectly 😅.

4) Watch a Christmas Show 🎭🎪

Paris offers a rich cultural program in December, much of it tailored to families.

• 🎪 Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione: acrobats, clowns, and magic under a historic circus dome.

• 🎶 Christmas concerts in stunning settings like Sainte-Chapelle or La Madeleine church.

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Musicals and children’s plays inspired by classic fairy tales.

💡 Tip: book tickets early, as shows sell out quickly during the holidays.

5) Make Your Own Chocolate 🍫👩‍🍳

Why only eat chocolate when you can make it yourself? At the Musée Gourmand du Chocolat – Choco Story, kids and parents can join workshops to create their own bars or truffles while learning about cacao’s history.

The result? A delicious, hands-on family activity in Paris… and treats to take home 😋.

👉 For chocolate lovers looking for something more refined, stop by PLAQ Chocolat (Rue du Nil or Rue du Cherche-Midi). This artisanal bean-to-bar manufacturer creates exceptional chocolate directly from cocoa beans. They don’t offer workshops, but a visit is a unique tasting experience for families curious about world-class chocolate.

6) Visit a Château Illuminated for Christmas 🏰✨

Fancy a fairy-tale day trip? Just one hour from Paris, Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte turns into a Christmas wonderland.

Expect lavish decorations, monumental light projections, festive hunts for kids, and glowing gardens after dark. It’s one of the most enchanting ways to experience the French countryside during the holidays.

💡 Plan at least half a day — between the château, activities, and outdoor illuminations, the experience is complete.

7) Family-Friendly Snack Break paris with kids

After exploring, warm up with a cosy family goûter (snack time). Skip the most obvious spots and try:

• 🥞 A crêperie in Montparnasse, the historic Breton district.

• 🍩 Colorful donuts at Boneshaker (2nd arrondissement).

• 🍰 A giant slice of cake to share at Le Loir dans la Théière (Marais).

A simple but essential way to recharge, and each child can pick their favorite treat.

8) Admire the Christmas Windows 🛍️🎠

Every December, families flock to the Boulevard Haussmann department stores. The animated windows of Printemps and Galeries Lafayette sparkle with moving puppets, snowy villages, and festive scenes 🎠.

Inside Galeries Lafayette, don’t miss the giant Christmas tree 🌲 under the art-nouveau dome.

👉 It’s free, magical, and one of the most iconic holiday traditions in Paris.

Covered passages glowing with lights, dazzling illuminations, skating rinks, Christmas shows, chocolate workshops, château escapes, and delicious goûters — there are countless ways to enjoy a unique family visit in Paris during the Christmas holidays.

👉 The secret? Mix cultural, playful, and gourmet activities so that everyone finds joy. And for something truly original, add a treasure hunt 🕵️‍♀️: the best way to discover Paris while having fun.