THE PARIS LETTER: Maison des Petits, CentQuatre

Way better than hanging out in our tiny pad

It rains a lot here. In fact, Paris's dirty little secret is that it's weather is exactly like London's. Or Seattle's. It never gets too cold or too hot, but it is gray. Graaaaay. And rainy. We've already had two months, June and October, where it rained for at least half the time. And while I'm very happy to have skipped out of New York before Hurricane Sandy, or any number of severe blizzards and blistering heatwaves, I can tell you that rain rain rain day after day is no fun either.

Especially when you've got a child. And a 450 square foot apartment.

So that is why this week's endorsement goes to Paris's many free indoor playspaces, which I've been exploring this fall. Today's playspace: Maison des Petits at CentQuatre.

CentQuatre, or 104, is a huge public arts space in what used to be Paris's premiere crematorium and coffin factory. Yes, that's right. Just like Parc de la Villette repurposed Paris's slaughterhouses, CentQuatre has turned this factory for death into art. So French, right?

Anyway, it is GREAT -  a huge space where you can go hear a concert, see an art installation, have lunch at Les Grands Tables de CentQuatre (or at the fun Camion a Pizza, a pizza truck with a woodburning oven).

And, if you have children between the ages of 0 and 5, you can take them to the Maison des Petits:

This is basically a giant playspace, with areas for toys, fingerpainting, books and music, plus a little space for babies who aren't walking yet, coffee and tea for parents, and an all important changing room. Though at least one parent is expected to stay with their children at all times, there is a staff on duty that runs things, helps kids get toys, and breaks up any conflicts, so you can sit in the corner and read a book if you want, or chat with other parents.

For me, its both a great way to get Sophia out of the house on a rainy day, and for her its really stimulating to be around the other kids , and - of course - all the new toys -

On the weekends and on Wednesdays (when maternelle, the French preschool, is not in session) there can be a bit of a wait, but CentQuatre is so lively that the wait is never boring - one afternoon we got to play with huge boxes of Legos provided by a charitable organization while we listened to a rock band tune up for a concert that night (Sophia found the thumping bass particularly exciting), and another day we found ourselves in the middle of a breakdancing festival, so we got to watch various dancers do amazing tricks.

Each time, the wait was not much more than 20 minutes, and if you come right when they open there's usually no wait at all. And, did I mention it's free? Paris tourists with little ones, this is also an option for you, though be prepared to speak some French and blend in, as this is more designed for Parisian families -

Here's some details for all you cooped up parents out there:

LE CENTQUATRE

LA MAISON DES PETITS
LE 104
104 Rue d'Aubervilliers, 75019 Paris
01 53 35 51 21
Metro: Stalingrad or Riquet
Tuesday-Friday  3-6PM
Saturday/Sunday 2-7PM 
Closed Monday