After much anticipation, our family finally visits the Louvre, and we girl’s are here to tell you all about what’s best for kids at the ginormous and beautiful museum
The Anticipation:
Mum got her wish – paper maps but they are horribly useless! Dad kept on getting us lost and our feet hurt. We chose no audio, the headsets are often too large and the art work descriptions for kids are generally pitched for five year olds. We also chose no kids group tour. (We were lucky enough to have tickets – buy at least a few days ahead and definitely purchase any special activities for children in advance. Your hotel concierge might be able to do this, but they need a few days to arrange with the museum staff.)
We are attracted to the Greek gods- Apollo slaying the serpent looks like he’s holding a cell online- serpent has not lasted the test of time. Our fascination comes from reading Percy Jackson books.
Our expectations on the Mona Lisa:
Chelsea- I was expecting Mona Lisa to be 10 x 8 and Audrey 2 x 3 feet. Chelsea- it’s quite tiny – looks like all the other paintings. Audrey- “there’s no one special thing about her- why is she so famous?” We learnt later on what the hype is due to; the fact the painting was stolen at the turn of the 20th century!!
Our parent’s also explained other than the fact DaVinci is a genius painter and sculpture- it’s about her gentle smile and eye gaze- she’s holding a confident secret… her eyes are secure in who she is…. maybe she’s carrying Jesus…
Comments and opinions on other pieces of art:
The Oceanic sculptures are weird – their body shapes, droopy breasts are how grandma draws breasts.
There was another Sculpture two figures canoodling- Mum thinks it’s sweet and we think it’s disgusting.
The first part of this museum, we had to walk past all this blood and gore- heads chopped off again in all the paintings.
The Ancient Egyptian artifacts are fascinating – All these little old statues are really really really old action figures. Remarkable how they made them!!!
There is a lot to look at in this museum, choose wisely as our feet hurt! The cafe on the second floor makes for great views and a good break. We enjoyed a Cornetto ice-cream. Besides the balcony cafe ice-cream treat and getting off our feet, below we girl’s give you our best for kids at the Louvrè museum.
Our top five:
- The Greek God statues
- The Crown Jewels – The Apollo room
- The Crypt of the Sphinx
- Treasures of the Eastern Mediterranean; the neolithic statue for Ain Ghazal Jordan, 7000 BC
- The Mona Lisa
Other family outings in Paris: Museum D’Orsay, The Eiffel Tower, Afternoon tea at the Ritz Carlton, Seine River Cruise
Some other educational/museum experiences: Picasso Museum Barcelona, Battlò House Barcelona, La Famigla Segrada Cathedral Barcelona, Malta’s War Museum, NG London, The Tower of London
Our parents made us put this in:
The Louvre was a long anticipated activity with apprehension on how the girls would go. It turned out to be for naught as they were real troopers. It is a long day on your feet on hard flooring. It helped that we basically didn’t wait in a single line all day! Entry was smooth arriving at 9:30 per our ticket we walked basically right in. As above book ahead of time to minimize stress and especially if you do want additional kids tours and activities.
The balcony cafe although a limited menu, it was surprisingly affordable and had a couple of options for vegetarians.
From there it was straight to the Mona Lisa which was enjoyable to view again for us after twelve years. Expect crowds, I wish children had special front access. Our approach to large museums in keeping them fun and educational is more about what appeals to our kids. We invite them to explore areas and talk to us about what they think and feel. We speak about the period of time and geography.
Greek statues and Eastern Mediterranean fascinations
Traversing the Louvre certainly had us mesmerized in many rooms; Eastern Mediterranean statues, the Greek God's, French Crown Jewels and so much more
