In the Bois de Boulogne, by Porte des Sablons (M° Les Sablons/Porte-Maillot), www.jardindacclimatation.fr. Adults and children €2.30, under-3s free; rides around €2, or buy a carnet of 20 tickets for €35. Daily: June–Sept 10am–7pm; Oct–May 10am–6pm, with special attractions Wed, Sat, Sun & all week during school hols, including a little train to take you there from M° Porte-Maillot (behind L'Orée du Bois restaurant; every 15min, 11am–6pm; €4.60 return, includes admission).The garden is a cross between a funfair, zoo and amusement park, with temptations ranging from bumper cars, go-karts, pony and camel rides, sea lions, birds, bears and monkeys, to a magical mini-canal ride (la rivière enchantée), distorting mirrors, a huge trampoline, scaled-down farm buildings, and a puppet theatre. Astérix and friends may be explaining life in their Gaulish village, or Babar the world of the elephants in the created-for-children Musée en Herbe (Mon–Fri & Sun 10am–6pm, Sat 2–6pm). The museum also has a permanent interactive exhibition aimed at 4- to 12-year-olds, introducing them to the history of European art. There'll be game sheets (also available in English), workshops and demonstrations of traditional crafts. The newest attraction is the high-tech Exploradôme, designed to help children discover science, the five human senses and art through interactive computer-based exhibits and the usual array of hands-on activities. Children who are after more passive participation can just watch and listen at the Théâtre du Jardin pour l'Enfance et la Jeunesse, which puts on musicals, ballets and poetry readings. Outside the jardin, in the Bois de Boulogne, older children can amuse themselves with mini-golf and bowling, or boating on the Lac Inférieur. By the entrance to the jardin there's bike rental (bring your passport) for roaming the wood's 14km of cycle trails.
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