small Paris charms

This isn't out of the way, but my favorite place in Paris are the Luxembourg Gardens in the 5th arrondissement. In addition to so many wonderful things about it, they have the best playground I've ever seen. My son loved it when he was young. Also, I don't know how young your child is, but in the Bois de Boulogne (the huge park on the western side of Paris) there is an old-fashioned amusement park called the Jardin d'Acclimatation. It's wonderful for younger kids.

I love the markets and there's one somewhere in Paris almost every day! One of our recent favorites was the President Wilson Market (On av. du Président Wilson between Place d'Iena and Rue Debrousse, 16e) open on Wednesday and Saturday. The October issue of "Food and Wine Magazine" has a section on Paris--Best Pastry Shops, Best Restaurants, Best Chocolate Shops, etc. We went to a recommended pastry shop called Gontran Cherrier Boulangerie near Montmartre (http://gontran-cherrier-boulanger.com/). The breads and cakes were amazing! Parc Monceau is one of my favorite parks. You're so fortunate to have the opportunity to spend so much time in Paris! Enjoy!

Merci! Merci! Great suggestions all around! Keep 'em coming! @Susan, I Googled Jardin d'Acclamation and I think my son will love it! Thanks Chris

You'll be there for the Christmas markets - "les fetes" - which line half of the Champs Elysees. There are stalls selling all kinds of amazing goods from candy to electronics to cheese to mulled wine. There are toy stalls. There are lights in abundance. There are rides - perfect for families with kids. There are other children! There are bathrooms! Not "out of the way" - just an awesome destination for a family. There's a giant Ferris Wheel at Place de la Concorde. The windows at les Galeries Lafayette are animated delights - kids line up to see them. There will be a skating rink set up at l'Hotel de Ville, and another at Trocadero - perfect for the kiddies. The carousels at either end of Pont d'Iena (the bridge to the Eiffel Tower), and at Christmas these get festooned with additional lights and glow-in-the-dark Santas. And check out what's showing at the Cirque d'Hiver (110 rue Amelot). They have magic shows, horses doing dressage, concerts, circuses - very cool. We also love the Carnavalet Museum (23 rue de Sévigné). Depending on how old your child is, this could be riveting - they have mastadon teeth and Roman relics, Napolean's death mask, and a replica of the Bastille. If your child is very young, this might not suit.

We like the Red Children's Market in the Marais. We were led to it by Paris Greeters when we arranged a tour with them by a local Parisian, at no charge. You should check out Paris Greeters to find the delightful places off the beaten path. You can book on their website and it's free, but we did make a small donation as suggested. We plan to use them next time as well and bring a small gift of some kind for our guide.

Chris,
A much smaller, intimate flea market, Puces de Vanves (I think it's in the 14th); small boat ride on the Canal St. Martin (totally different experience than boat rides on the Seine); Musee Marmottan (loads of Monet) in the 16th...markets, markets, markets!! Enjoy!

There is a nice book called Quiet Corners of Paris that includes many lesser known places but worthwhile places to visit in Paris.

My favorite small Paris charm is Chocolat Chaud. The super rich, thick, velvety, kind. My wife swears by the stuff at Cafe Central, which is in the Rue Cler neighborhood. But if you really want to splurge, head to Angelina. To... Die... For...

I love the gardens on Champs Elysee between the place de Concorde and the Avenue Matignon. It is very quiet and pretty in the summer, and a lot of interesting buildings. i believe there is a small playground there as well. The gugnal puppet theatre is there as well

There is a very nice toy store in the beautiful Passage Vivienne.

There is a great chain of restaurants found at http://www.lepainquotidien.com/. They have delicious meals. But what really got me was their "Jelly" sitting on each table for breakfast. There were 6 choices, all 8-12 oz jars with long-handled spoons in them, sitting on each table. 4 were fruit based, 2 were chocolate. And each was fantastic to spread on a butter croissant (actually 2 croissants). We loved our visit to the antique market in southern Paris (?street name... it's online) on Sunday morning. Brought home some souvinirs. http://www.parisperfect.com/paris-flea-markets.php There is an 'unknown' (to tourists... nothing but locals here!) market in the Bercy Village area. Great shops and restaurants! And the candy store there will be one of your findest memories! http://www.la-cure-gourmande.fr/
http://europeforvisitors.com/paris/articles/bercy-village.htm