Are there any shows for Kids?

I don't know of any shows but I have two suggestions... the playground in the Luxembourg Gardens is amazing and so fun. They also have a marionette theater and shows, a carousel and donkey rides. Also, there's an old-fashioned and wonderful amusement park called the Jardin d'Acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne (the park on the western side of Paris) that's very fun for 5 yr olds. It's nothing like Euro Disney (or whatever it's called now. Although my son loved that too).

When my son was 7 we took him to Paris. One of the first places we went was here...

http://www.thoiry.net/en/chateau/plan-your-visit

It is a chateau not too far from Paris - about the same distance away as Disneyland but in the opposite direction, west of the city. The family has been collecting animals for a couple of hundred years and it has turned into a zoo that is open to the public. There is a drive through safari park with lions and all manner of beautiful animals. The zoo is manageable with a young child because it isn't overly huge and you can get up close with the animals. Our family's favorite part was the lion enclosure. They have constructed a plexiglass tunnel over a lowered walkway through the lion area. Your waist is about at ground level and the lions are inches from your face! At feeding time they toss meat into the enclosure so that the lions jump over your heads and lay down on top of and up against the plexiglass...getting this close to them is an experience I will never forget. It's a very unique place and your 5 year old would love it!

Luxembourg Gardens has a really nice kids area with a great play structure and the famous puppet show...I think they only perform on weekends and one or two weekdays. It's also fun to rent a little sailing boat to push around the main fountain in the central part of the garden. Very Parisian!

There is a very nice merry-go-round at the base of the hill below Sacre Coeur.

I took a risk and brought my son to Sainte Chapelle (sp?)...I treated it like an adventure climbing up the tiny stairway and entering the magical, jewel box main chapel with it's spectacular stained glass...he was awestruck even at that age. We didn't stay more that 15 minutes but he still remembers it!

Another fun adventure might be to rent bikes and ride around the grounds at Versailles. The bike rental kiosk is just at the north corner of the Grand Canal behind the palace. You can go see the animals at the Petite Hameau and have a picnic somewhere. I don't remember if they have kid-sized bikes or a little trailer he could ride in behind you but you can probably find out on their website.

Rick actually wrote a guidebook about seeing Paris with kids...don't know if it's still in print but it's where we got a lot of our ideas from when we went. Have fun!

Thoiry seems very interesting. Do you know if there is public transport from Paris to that place?

anushs.. you must rent a car.. besides if you read the site for the chateau it clearly says you can only visit the drive through safari in your own vehicle.

It does look like a great idea though.. but you won't get there by public transport.

There is a doll museum in Paris the children might like. It is small and it's easy for the children to see the displays. La Musée des Poupées.

Is the little amusement park in the Bois de Bologne still around?

There you go! The Jardin d'Acclimatation is on the far north end of the Bois de Boulogne. The website is in French, but they have small amusement park, pony rides, even kid's classes in English for 4 to 12 year olds. Just use google translate to get it in English.
http://www.jardindacclimatation.fr/
Roland Garos is at the far south end of the park, 4 km away. It's a long walk, but there is a roundabout way using the Metro with a couple of changes. Depends how up you are for a 3 mile walk.

The Jardin d'Acclimatation is still there... that's why I recommended it in the first post.

How soon we forget.

Just to clarify, Bois de Boulogne is along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Parc de la Villette (also a great park for children) is on the eastern side of Paris.

JHK you are so right, thank you! I changed it in my post.

Great. Thanks a lot folks!

Let me look at all the options mentioned.

Here's a link to the marionette theaters and circuses in Paris. I used to take my children to the marionettes and my husband was taken by his parents as a child. It's very French (and Italian). Don't miss it!

http://www.secretsofparis.com/circus-marionettes/

Yes...you will definitely need a car. I would suggest taking the train out to Versailles, renting a car there and then driving on. Trying to get out of central Paris with a rental car is not easy unless you are used to the traffic, the roundabouts, and general spiderweb-shaped layout! We combined the visit to Thoiry with Monet's Gardens and House in Giverny, about 40 minutes north. A very full day but very nice!