10 must-do activities with kids in Lyon!

1 - Go for a walk in the Parc de la Tête d'Or 

A true Lyon Gone must know the Parc de la Tête d'Or like the back of his hand. And it's never too early to start learning! On your scooter, on foot or by bike, stroll in the shade of the cool, wooded paths in summer, enjoy the warm colors in autumn, breathe in the fresh air in spring or admire the landscape under the snow in winter: as you'll have gathered, each season has its own charm and splendor at the Parc de la Tête d'Or.

Here's something to make your day at the Park even more special:

• Watch a Guignol puppet show, a real institution that has been entertaining the Park’s children since 1948!
• Visit the zoo for free. From the African savannah to the Asian forest, children of all ages will be fascinated!
• Hop aboard the Petit Train, a 1966 locomotive, or the Le Lézard, which criss-crosses the Park’s 117 hectares, to explore it in a friendly and original way. 
• Play mini-golf in a leafy, green setting.
• Go mini-karting or take a ride on the park’s carousel. 
• Take a tour of the park in a Rosalie.
• Go pedal boating or rowing on the 17-hectare lake.
• Take part in a workshop or themed tour offered throughout the year by Lyon Nature (land art, gardening, wildlife spotting, etc.)

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Jardin Botanique de Lyon

2 - Visit a museum

For 3-6 year olds, head to Vieux Lyon and the Petit Musée de Guignol. Book a puppet show then enjoy a look behind the scenes! You’ll get to know the characters Guignol, Gnafron and Madelon better.

At the Lugdunum museum (ages 4 and up) your children will be able to explore the Roman era and dress up in the children’s area. You can follow this up with a visit to the Roman theatres. On the first Sunday of every month, entry to Lugdunum is free for all visitors.

For ages 6 and up, the Musée des Confluences will have the whole family fascinated with the animal mummies in the Species - the Web of Life collection, the lion, giraffe and wall of butterflies, and the dinosaur skeletons in the Origins - Stories of the World collection. Then, in the museum gardens, you can capture the moment with an Instagrammable photo of the children in front of the ONLYLYON sculpture!

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Quentin Lafont / Musée des Confluences

Le Musée Cinéma et Miniature is a must-see for anyone interested in special effects! Older and braver kids won’t want to miss the horror section and the Alien Queen… 

Musée Lumière : learn about how cinema was born in Lyon in the Lumière brothers’ house. You can see the recreation of the bedrooms upstairs and the amazing bay windows on the ground floor. The museum also has gardens where you can sit outside for a drink. 

The Museum of Illusion (ages 4 and up) plunges young and old into a fascinating world of holograms, kaleidoscopes, visual puzzles, distorting mirrors and many other optical illusions.

There are many other activities offered in Lyon’s museums that are great learning experiences for kids: Le Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, Le Musée des Tissus, les musées Gadagne.

Budding heroes will love the Musée des Sapeurs-Pompiers (Museum of Firefighters), Musée de l'automobile (Automobile Museum) or Musée de l'aviation (Aircraft Museum)…

3 - Explore La Croix-Rousse - the silk weavers’ district  

Take your children to see a demonstration of a weaving loom at the Maison des Canuts.

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Maxime Brochier

Introduce your kids to the ‘Bistanclac-pan’ sound of weaving looms at the Soierie Vivante workshop. Also, don’t miss the weaving sessions held there.

Round off your visit to La Croix-Rousse passing by the Mur des Canuts and visiting Place des Tapis square: here you can see street decorations in the shape of cocoons.

4 - Admire the view from Fourvière hill   

It's time to get some height! From the esplanade de Fourvière or the Jardins du Belvédère, have fun getting to know Lyon's iconic sites and buildings!

From here, the skyline reveals its secrets, with a breathtaking panorama: the Place Bellecour with its little horse, the domed roof of the Opera House, the “Tour Crayon” and the “Tour Gomme” as children call them, stand majestically in this urban landscape.

Want to explore all the way to the top? Join us on a guided tour of the roofs of the Basilique de Fourvière, and take in the sights of the city from a completely different angle!

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Gaël Fontaine

Want to explore even higher? Take a guided rooftop tour of the Basilique de Fourvière basilica for a unique way to look out over Lyon! 

5 - Take a walk in Vieux Lyon

Discover this atypical district with its 'traboules' as a historical heritage, but also as a living heritage, because even today, you can still live and breathe in Vieux Lyon!  

Enter here, leave there, and be sure to look up as you go! These traboules are truly magical passages! But be warned: in this preserved, listed district, silence is golden...

Have you worked up an appetite? Now's the time to educate your children's taste buds: together, enjoy a delicious gourmet ice cream at Nardone.

Push open the doors of the Cathédrale Saint-Jean and admire its astronomical clock. 
 

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Tristan Deschamps

6 - Enjoy unique experiences as a family

Explore the mysteries of the Universe at Science Expériences, an immersive course open to all (from age 3). Let your little ones discover science in a fun and playful way!

Suitable for everyone, Mini World Lyon can be enjoyed on different levels depending on age. An ideal family outing!

Finally, immerse yourself in magical underwater worlds at the Lyon Aquarium de Lyon which offers live shows, as does the Planétarium de Lyon which will take you on a journey through the cosmos!

Even more ideas...

7 - Take part in sporty activities together

Children need to be active. Take them on a treetop adventure course at City Aventures and share an amazing adventure with them in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon forest. Or at France Aventures, located at Fort de Bron, a former military fort built in 1870. 

From the age of 2, children can develop their balance and refine their motor skills with play trails on the ground. Daring older children can take on the challenge of the trails in the trees. Try out the zipline adventure! 

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©Adventure Group

The Exalto leisure complexes in Villeurbanne and Dardilly have 8 indoor activity areas: Trampol, Ninja Warrior, Funclimb, Lasergame, VR, LaserBall, Arcadrone, Escape Game, Karaoké Box et Bowling !

8 - Go for a walk in one of Lyon’s parks

Les Berges du Rhône,
The Berges du Rhône stretches for 5km along the banks of the Rhône, linking the Parc de la Tête d’or and the Parc de Gerland in a succession of developments varying between natural, mineral and urban styles… There is a picnic area between L’Université and Galliéni bridges.
Limited to non-motorised modes of transport, they provide safe, landscaped paths for bicycles, scooters and pedestrians. 

Le Parc de Gerland, in the south of Lyon, is dedicated to leisure, sporting activities and nature.

On the site of an old military fort, Le Parc Sergent Blandan is a green haven for everyone, perfect for your family outings!

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9 -  Go on a fun guided tour

Take a special family tour together. 

Older children can see the whole of Lyon in an hour and a half with  Lyon City Bus.

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Les Bateaux Lyonnais

10 - Be amazed on a cruise in Lyon

In the series of unusual forms of public transport, don’t miss a trip on the Navigône! This river shuttle, sailing along the Saône, offers a unique way to explore Lyon. A magical experience for every member of the family, and especially for children who can imagine themselves as captains or sailors!

The guided sightseeing cruises offered by Les Bateaux Lyonnais, meanwhile, allow older visitors to deepen their knowledge in just one hour. Did you know? The river boats you can take in Paris were actually built in Lyon, and more specifically in the Mouche district, hence their name!  

More ideas for family activities.