What to do in Paris with your kids during the Christmas vacations 2022? Follow the guide!

Can you feel the Christmas Magic coming? Are you looking to prepare the perfect program for the Christmas school holidays, between December 17, 2022 and January 3, 2023? You want to discover Paris with your family during your next vacations?

I’m Clémence, French mom of 3 children aged 10, 8 and 3 and here is my selection of activities to do during the Christmas vacations 2022-2023, in Paris, with your kids!

• Discover the illuminations
• Listen to Christmas carols with the kids
• Take a nice walk in Paris
• Admire a Christmas crib in a church in Paris

1 – Christmas lights in Paris

Parisian illuminations are famous all over the world at Christmas time. Parisian department stores put their best foot forward for this festive period and many neighborhoods are adorned with garlands of lights and other glittering wonders to dazzle you during the Christmas vacations.

– Best Places To See Decorations And Christmas Lights In Paris with kids:

• On the Opera side: the circus-themed windows of Printemps Haussmann, and those of Galeries Lafayette, right next door. Then keep walking to the Place Vendôme. As a bonus, go to the skating rink in the Tuileries gardens?
• On the Ile de la Cité side: The windows of the BHV Marais, which honors Provence, the illuminations of the Hôtel de Ville, the windows of the Samaritaine where the theme of dance will be declined in all its forms.
• On the left bank: the windows of the Bon Marché, which will be transformed into a workshop for making Christmas tree baubles for Santa Claus’ elves!

– Other illuminations that are worth the detour:

(Paying access)

• The Lumière en Seine festival, at the Domaine Saint-Cloud: a great concept that will fill your eyes.
• The luminous paths of the floral park (Bois de Vincennes), an immersive walk in the heart of a multitude of luminous works, a real sound and light show! Count 1h30 of magic (2km, 22 luminous structures).
• The National Museum of Natural History also offers an original and enchanting nighttime tour: Mini Worlds in the process of illumination. Hundreds of luminous structures – to discover in the alleys of the Jardin des Plantes!
• You can also discover the illuminations with a panoramic bus, to avoid the rush in front of the windows and the little legs that get tired, with the Tootbus circuit. Departure at 6pm for 1h30 of wonder, with plaid, hot drink and Christmas carols as a bonus!

2/ Listening to Christmas carols with your family

Who here doesn’t love Christmas carols? Who doesn’t watch “Home Alone” and think it would be great to find a nice Christmas choir to listen to as a family?

A must do to awaken their curiosity about music, singing, while spending a great moment with their family during the Christmas holidays!

– Our selection of Christmas concerts for your stay in Paris:

• “Christmas concert at the Opéra Comique“: The Opéra Comique’s popular masterclass offers you to discover traditional Christmas tunes as well as modern melodies, for a moment of sharing, emotion and celebration. What to delight you and warm your hearts with music! Thursday, December 15 and Saturday, December 17, at 3pm.
• “The Great Christmas Concert” by the Helios ensemble, at the Saint Eustache church, on Wednesday December 21, 2022 at 8:45 pm. At the church of Saint-Sulpice, on Thursday December 22, 2022 at 8:45 pm. and at the church of the Madeleine, on Friday December 23, 2022 at 8:45 pm.
• Paris Choral Society invites you to a Christmas concert at the American Cathedral in Paris (December 1st, 3rd and 11th)

3/ Have a nice walk in Paris

Do you dream of having your children discover Paris by strolling through its beautiful streets? You’re thinking “I’d love to but I don’t know what to explain to my kids !!! 😬 “. That’s why we created Milirue!

– A walk suitable for children from 4 to 12 years old:

Go for a very nice walk with very very well done exploration notebooks, which exist in Mini version, for 4-7 years old apprentice readers, and for 8-12 years old, who already know lots of things! With Milirue, the children will be the mini-guides of the family, it’s turnkey, easy and fun for the whole family

– 2 discovery-tours proposed:

• Idea #1: discover the Ile de la Cité (Notre-Dame, la Conciergerie, la Sainte-Chapelle, le marché aux fleurs, …) with Milirue’s booklets at the end of the morning, then, after lunch, head to the Musée en Herbe to discover the exhibition “En avant la musique!”. After that, you will just have to stroll around the City Hall and the BHV to watch the beautiful illuminations of Paris!

• Idea #2: Discover the Louvre, the Tuileries and the Palais Royal with the “Milirue à Paris” booklets! After a good lunch, head for the skating rink in the Tuileries garden. Then, a hot chocolate at Angelina’s (rue de Rivoli), and you’ll be ready for the grand finale of this perfect day in Paris: the illuminations of the Place Vendôme, the Galeries Lafayette and the Printemps Haussmann.

As a bonus, and to extend the experience of a perfect Christmas in Paris, go on the Ferris wheel that is installed in the Tuileries garden with your kids! The view is absolutely stunning!

4/ Admire the most beautiful cribs in Paris’ churches with your children

After the songs, the illuminations, the discovery of Paris and its main monuments, the cherry on the cake in this period of Christmas celebration: the cribs!

– Our selection to discover now :

You can discover the one of the Sacré Coeur basilica during a walk in Montmartre, but also the one of the Madeleine church (located between the Spring illuminations and the Tuileries garden), the crib of Saint-Germain-l-Auxerrois (ideal before starting your “Milirue à Paris” special tour of the Louvre, the Tuileries, the Palais Royal) or the one of the Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth church.

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=> To sum up : a special “Family” program for a 2-days holiday in Paris for Christmas

Here is a proposal to organize your stay in Paris, to discover a maximum of things without tiring the children too much, by optimizing your travels and keeping a rhythm adapted to this family trip.

• Day 1: discovery of the Ile de la Cité with Milirue – Lunch – visit of the Musée en Herbe then discovery of the windows of the department stores BHV and the Samaritaine.
• Day 2: Discovery of the Natural History Museum – Lunch – Visit the Eiffel tower
• Day 3: Discovery of the St Germain l’Auxerrois crib – walk around the Louvre, the Tuileries and the Palais Royal with your Milirue notebooks, adapted to the age of your children – Lunch – Christmas concert of the Opera Comique at 3pm, then discovery of the Printemps and Galeries Lafayette illuminations.
• Day 4: A day of walking in Montmartre and discovery of the crib in the Sacré-Coeur basilica.

I wish you a very nice Christmas vacation in Paris with your family!

Hope you will enjoy your trip,

Clémence, Mum of 3 kids and Milirue’s founder