18.07.2011
Cité des Sciences of Paris – Awaken the Curious Scientist Sleeping Inside You!
If you plan to go to Paris with your kids, you definitely need to go to the Cité des Sciences to entertain your kids, but also for you to learn a lot of things about sciences through a very playful and funny way. I’ve always loved this place, and even if I am now far too old for the temporary exhibitions reserved to children, I am always thrilled when I see them with my little cousins or brother.
First of all, for the permanent settings, the space is divided into quarters or districts in which are explained the major sciences, from the beginning to nowadays. You can thus see how were considered and approached Physics, Mathematics, Astronomy, Acoustics, Chemistry… and many others. Various activities are provided for the kids – and their parents! – to try everything and have a part in the exhibition! For example, you can modify the face of Mona Lisa and make her speak, you can experience the centrifugal force in some kind of a merry-go-round and then try to catch some balls, and it is very difficult!
Then you may book tickets for temporary exhibitions which are always great. Everything is always well-explained with always a lot of humor. One or two years ago, they had asked a famous French comics writer to organize an exhibition on the transformations during the adolescence, from a child to a teenager, there were different ways for the parents and their kids. One year ago, they had made the whole exhibition an investigation for the children, and there were laboratories where the kids could compare the fingerprints and footprints analyze the DNA, examine various bullets and guns. They always have great ideas, I would say. At the moment, the most thrilling exhibitions concern the shadows for the kids, and for the teenagers, one about the oceans, another one concerning the healt, and a last one concerning the connected world we live in.
Finally, you can take tickets to see films at la Géode, the fabulous circular cinema of la Cité des Sciences. Usually, they show films about nature or animals, and these documentaries seem to be more than real since the characters go out of the screen and nearly touch you! It is a fabulous experience, much more impressive to my opinion than the 3D-films.
It is not very difficult to enjoy Paris with your kids, especially at la Cité des Sciences, since you can enjoy the same things altogether!
Location: 30 Avenue Corentin Cariou, Paris 19th District – +33 1 40 05 10 00, www.cite-sciences.fr
Prices: from 3EUR (for kids) to 15 EUR for a complete pass for one day for the temporary exhibit, the permanent collections and the cinema.
First of all, for the permanent settings, the space is divided into quarters or districts in which are explained the major sciences, from the beginning to nowadays. You can thus see how were considered and approached Physics, Mathematics, Astronomy, Acoustics, Chemistry… and many others. Various activities are provided for the kids – and their parents! – to try everything and have a part in the exhibition! For example, you can modify the face of Mona Lisa and make her speak, you can experience the centrifugal force in some kind of a merry-go-round and then try to catch some balls, and it is very difficult!
Then you may book tickets for temporary exhibitions which are always great. Everything is always well-explained with always a lot of humor. One or two years ago, they had asked a famous French comics writer to organize an exhibition on the transformations during the adolescence, from a child to a teenager, there were different ways for the parents and their kids. One year ago, they had made the whole exhibition an investigation for the children, and there were laboratories where the kids could compare the fingerprints and footprints analyze the DNA, examine various bullets and guns. They always have great ideas, I would say. At the moment, the most thrilling exhibitions concern the shadows for the kids, and for the teenagers, one about the oceans, another one concerning the healt, and a last one concerning the connected world we live in.
Finally, you can take tickets to see films at la Géode, the fabulous circular cinema of la Cité des Sciences. Usually, they show films about nature or animals, and these documentaries seem to be more than real since the characters go out of the screen and nearly touch you! It is a fabulous experience, much more impressive to my opinion than the 3D-films.
It is not very difficult to enjoy Paris with your kids, especially at la Cité des Sciences, since you can enjoy the same things altogether!
Location: 30 Avenue Corentin Cariou, Paris 19th District – +33 1 40 05 10 00, www.cite-sciences.fr
Prices: from 3EUR (for kids) to 15 EUR for a complete pass for one day for the temporary exhibit, the permanent collections and the cinema.
