Paris is known for being the city of love, as well as the city of lights. It has some of the most famous art museums & heritage sites in the world. But if you’re travelling with children who need to blow off some steam, Paris also has a lot to offer. Here’s a short list of family-friendly sports you can practice in Paris.
Go for a swim
Paris boasts almost 40 public swimming pools. They are located all around the city, including some 20 pools open until 8pm or later at least one evening a week (opening hours change in July and August). Our favorite with kids ? The Pailleron sports complex, a listed national heritage site, located at 32, rue Edouard Pailleron, in the 19th district. Don’t forget to book your slot beforehand : you can find all the details on their website.
Ice-skating
Of course, ice-skating is mostly associated with the winter and Christmas, as we mentioned in a previous blog post. But some locations offer an ice-skating ring all year round. For instance, at the same complex mentioned above, outside of a swimming pool, they offer an all-year round ice-skating ring. You can find details here (they even have a family-reserved slot, on Sunday mornings, from, 9am to 1pm).
For soccer fans
You might know about France’s passion for soccer – or, as we call it here, football. A lot of public parks allow informal soccer games to be played (like Parc de la Villette, Parc André-Citroën, the Champs-de-Mars and the esplanade at Les Invalides). If you’re looking for the stadium experience however, there are also a number of stadiums run by the city. You’ll find them in every Paris district. Finally, if you’re want to imagine being a professional soccer player, you can also try to play at 32 football stadiums and 60 pitches spread throughout Paris.
Dunks & Hoops
As the recent NBA Paris Game 2023 between the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons reminded us, Paris is second only to the USA in terms of passion for basketball. As such, there are tons of courts you can experience all around the city. Our favorite is the one displayed on the image above : the Pigalle Duperré, located on Rue Duperré in the 9th district. More information is available here.
Racket sports
Finally, Paris being the home of the Roland-Garros French open, we had to say a word about the tennis courts. Paris has up to 175 public courts, located all around the city. You’ll need to book a court beforehand here. Looking for a partner to play ? Paris also has a website for that. If you’d rather play table tennis, you can find a list of all the open-air tables here.
We hope this post gives you a better idea of the sports you can practice with your family in Paris. If you still have questions, feel free to contact us !
Article written by Lucien
