Jardin du Luxembourg stretches over 25 hectares of space and is handily located in a corner of the Latin Quarter – great for shopping and playing in the same day.

This pretty park is just the right size for a break from Parisian streets, and offers a variety of attractions to entertain children including a great playground, a boat pond where you can rent and sail toy boats using sticks, pony rides, a merry-go-round and Paris’s largest guignol (puppet) theatre, Les Marionettes du Theatre du Luxembourg (shows are in French—but that hardly matters with a puppet show).

For older children, the playground also has one of the most impressive flying foxes we have ever seen. There are three levels of flying fox, and
you pay a fee to ‘fly’ for a
set amount of time

If you are here with grandparents, you can break up the team and have the older set enjoy the cultural treats of taking a look through the museum while you are entertaining the children in the playground. And you can then all meet up at the entrance to the Musée du Luxembourg, for a chic tea break at the Angelina tearoom.

Why go? A brilliant spot for breaking up a day of shopping with a little outdoor activity.

Who is it best for? All ages, as the playground is great for the younger set, while the flying foxes will delight older tweens and teens.

Top Tip Get to the flying foxes as early as possible in the day on weekends or holidays, as they are very popular with local children too.

Our favourite bit The playground? The sailing boats? And the fact you can do a spot of boutique shopping just around the corner.

Don’t Go… On the grass areas that are ‘fenced’ off with ankle-height wire loops. Otherwise you will just settle down on your picnic blanket in the centre of these tempting little oases before you hear the tweeting of the guardian’s whistles, telling you to get off.

While You’re Here… Pop into the Bonpoint Flagship store where you can enjoy a bite to eat and perhaps pick up an elegant piece of French children’s fashion.