Paris must sees with kids

The catacombs and the sewer tour! My 12yo daughter and niece really enjoyed them. Also consider some of the Paris Walks - I think there is a chocolate one that would be fun at any age [assuming they like chocolate]. The sculpture garden at the Rodin museum has a little café where we got ice cream, combining culture and a tasty treat. We also enjoyed the food section at Galeries Lafayette. And we walked to the top of the Arc de Triomphe to see the Paris skyline and watch the car ballet on the Place de l'Etoile, below us. In general, our kids liked being up high - Sacre Coeur, Eiffel Tower, tower at Notre Dame... If the inlaws want to go to lots of museums, good for them! but you and the kids can enjoy the broader range of activities that Paris offers.

What are the kids' interests? and where are you staying?

I have to say it again, now that Kathleen has mentioned it: I loved the Paris Sewer Tour, it's a much deeper ;-) story than one might expect! And no, the smell is not so bad. It's not so good, but not terrible.

The best possible approach (been there done that) is to
A. put kids in charge of their own happiness i.e. in this case put them in charge of at least half a day each that THEY plan.
B. split up into smaller groups for some things. It is fine if Grandma and grandson have different tastes and 6 people is way to many to march lockstep through touring a city. Plan to break into groups of two or three sometimes and then meet up for dinner or drinks in the afternoon to share separate adventures.

The classic is shopping -- pull my fingernails out before you put me through an afternoon of shopping -- but some women and teens love love love it. So we go here and you go there and we come together and share and everyone is happy.

Death marching kids through museums is a sure way to turn them off on art. My daughter wanted to climb the Notre Dame Tower and Visit the Cluny, both of which we did and enjoyed. My son was interested in Arts et Metiers in Paris and in the John Soanes in London and the Specolo in Florence and the Aqueduct Parc in Rome. Most of this I would not have done without them.

I would love to hear the results after your trip next week. We're going later this month with an 11 year old and a 9 year old. I've read the tips in Rick's books and also in previous posts, but am always interested in hearing what kids enjoy.
For one suggestion not listed above: walking around Montmartre - it's an opportunity to see and also shop without really shopping. The kids could have a picture / sketch drawn of themselves or grab a souvenir for a friend.
Other posters have said their kids really enjoyed the boat ride on the Seine.
Enjoy your trip!

Do your kids like to ride bikes? Mike's Bikes has fun day or night group rides. Or you could do one if their segway tours.

Don't miss the street entertainers day or night on the pdestrian bridge behind Notre Dame that leads to Ile St. Louis or in front of Notre Dame at night.

Climbing the stairs to the top of Notre Dame is very fun. Be sure to get there and in line by 8:30-8:45 am.

My son has been going to Paris every year or two since he was 11 and he loves everything about Paris... cafes, walking around the different neighborhoods, the Metro, Luxembourg Gardens, Ile St. Louis, the Conciergerie, Seine boat rides, the double-decker Hop On Hop Off bus, museums (in small doses), the Nissim de Camondo museum (the former mansion of a wealthy family), rue Mouffetard, outdoor markets... I could go on and on. Just being outside and walking around exploring is very fun in Paris!

I took my kids at exactly that age and we did the segway tour and they loved it! They also really liked the Eiffel tower, where we walked up to the second level and then got tickets to the top. It is important to keep them physically active. My daughter really liked the museums, but for my son not so much. I'll never forget at the Orsay, my son went into a room there and literally took a nap while my daughter and I toured the museum. Granted this was at the end of a 14 day trip, but he ended up meeting a girl in there who he remained pin pals with. I would also think they would like the gardens of Versailles, maybe rent a bike there. The catacombs are really awesome unless your kids are the type that scare easily. You are after all, looking at thousands of bones in an enclosed space, and once you are in, you pretty much have to walk the whole way through. Hope these tips help, I thought it was a great age for Europe because the had not hit that super teenage faze.