What to do with Kids in Nice

Nice is a natural for kids, very family-friendly, and with many great activities to appeal to children of all ages. Here’s our top list of things to do in Nice with kids.

Playgrounds

Nice has innovative playgrounds in every corner, from the Promenade du Paillon (giant climbing whale, octopus swings, fishing treehouse, mini-trampolines…), to the the top of the Chateau (giant climbing rope tree, ducks, huge waterfall), to the Parc des Deux Rois (shooting water spouts and ping pong tables, take bus #33 direction Mont Boron).

Take it up a level and head to Parc Phoenix, where they just opened Nissa’venture, a new climbing adventure park for the tikes.  Tickets are 10-12€ for depending on the age, and after the big adventure, go see the animals in the Parc Phoenix nature park and covered arboretum.

For a rainy day, try Kid City, an indoor lego-land-like amusement park for little ones, 15 minutes from Nice in Lingostiere.

Water Fun

• The misters and water jet fountains off Place Massena are massive kid-pleasers
• Li Rateta beach is a city-sponsored supervised beach club for 6- to 12-year-olds, with pools, swimming lessons, bouncy toys, trampolines, canoes, beach sports, and even a wave machine for learning to surf.  Half-days or full days.  Tram stop Magnan.
• Two towns have netted jellyfish-free swimming areas, Beaulieu-sur-mer and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, both of which have gradually sloping sandy beaches in a protected cove.
• For rainy days, there is an indoor swimming pool in Old Nice.

Animal Adventures

• Parc Phoenix nature park/arboretum has bargain-priced admission for their child-oriented botanical gardens and exotic animal reserve, which is also very interesting for adults.  And… the first full weekend of each month Parc Phoenix nature park/arboretum is free to local residents (but you need to bring proof: a recent phone or electric bill, or tax notice).  Right after lunch is the busiest time with a line to get in so mornings or late afternoons are best.  Tram stop Parc Phoenix near the airport
• The small Natural History Museum behind Place Garibaldi is full of nature’s wonders, and admission is only 3.50€ for adults and free for kids under 18.
• The cave man museum Terra Amata above the Port is really well done for children and depicts the cave men hunting woolly mammoths.  Adult single tickets are 5€ but kids are free.

All Nice museums are free for kids under 18, and with a 15€ 4-day all-museum pass, can be low-cost for adults as well.

For horses and fishes you have to go outside of Nice… 

• The Hippodrome in Cagnes-sur-Mer has special horse racing days for children in the summer
• Drop your child off for a morning or afternoon session at the Mon Ami Poney Equestrian Center for Children in Tourrette-Levens in the hills above Nice, and leave tranquil with a couple of hours to yourself.
• The wondrous Oceanographic Museum in Monaco is expensive but worth every penny!

Blow their Minds…

Give them the Sensas experience: a ingenious tactile voyage of the 5 senses, that is half-way between a science lab, an amusement park, and an escape game.  Really unique and fun and reasonably priced for such an unforgettable 90-minute activity.  Click the link above to see what it’s all about… 4 participants minimum.  53 rue Beaumont in the Port/Riquier neighborhood.

Kid-Friendly Culture

The Nice Opera offers an incredible slate of family-oriented programs on most Sundays.  Tram stop Opera.

• Concerts en Famille The Nice Philharmonic plays family-friendly concerts once a month, open to children from 4 years and up.  Dates for 2023 Sunday at 3pm Oct 29, Nov 5, Feb 11 2024, and Jun 9 2024; Sunday at 11am Nov 12, Dec 10, and Feb 25 2024.  10€ adults, children under 12 free.
• Viens avec ton Doudou (come with your stuffed animal) is for parents and kids from 2 years and up, to interact with dancers, musicians and their instruments.  Offered at 10am and again at 11am Sundays 2023 Oct 8, Nov 19, Dec 17; 2024 Feb 4, Mar 24, Apr 14, May 19.  10€ adults/5€ children
• Viens avec tes Parents (come with your parents) These are for kids from 5-10, who will participate in the show while their parents watch.  2023 dates are Sundays at 3pm Oct 1, Oct 15, Dec 24; 2024 Jan 28, March 10, April 7; and Saturdays May 4, and Jun 1. Tickets 5€
• Viens avec ton Smartphone (come with your smartphone) is for tweens and teens from 12 and up, an on-stage, participative and highly Instagrammable immersive experience.  2024 Tuesdays at 2:30pm Jan 30, Mar 12, Apr 30, and May 30.  Tickets 5€

The Belmondo Cinema at Place Garibaldi sometimes has special Cine-bebe showings on the last Thursday of each month, where you are invited to bring your babies and toddlers and no one will complain.  Check the website ahead of time to confirm…  Tram stop Garibaldi

Tire them out…

At Roller Station at the top of the Promenade des Anglais, you can rent skateboards and scooters (trotinettes) so that you can walk while the kids cruise.

And there is always the big mini-golf at the Parc Carol de Roumanie, tram stop Fabron, then take bus #34 up to the Vallon stop.

Antibes for Amusement Park Overload

Antibes is amusement park Mecca with a bevy of boffo themed parks all in the same massive complex so you can do them one-at-a-time or or go for broke:

• Marineland – (or maybe not: under investigation after an Orca recently died)
• Antibes Land amusement park with giant roller coasters
• Aquasplash water-slide park
• Adventure Golf 3 trippy golf courses

But wait, there’s more!  Elsewhere in Antibes you’ll find

• Ninja Warrior Adventure Obstacle Challenge which just opened this summer
• …right next door to Warrior Paintball Antibes

And even Farther Afield…

• Is your tot crazy for Choo-choo trains? Medieval castles?  Take the family on an authentic steam train ride on the Train des Pignes, which leaves from Nice and chugs its way into the mountains, arriving at the town of Entreveaux, with a real moated castle with drawbridge.

• The The Saint Cezaire Grotto between Cannes and Grasse is a natural wonder with spectacular stalagmites and stalactites, and wondrous cavernes to explore.  Here is a page with the details and how to get there.
• The Musee de la Mer on Sainte-Marguerite Island off of Cannes is a little hard to get to: The only way to get there is a quick boat trip, but that’s half the fun!   The museum is in the former prison, where you can see the cell that held the infamous ‘Man in the Iron Mask‘, and has remnants Roman shipwrecks found in the bay. The island itself is a joy to explore with lots of easy trails, so make it a day-trip.
• Canyon Forest adventure climbing park in Villeneuve Loubet also has a Pitchoun Forest for the littles
• And even farther out…  Alpha Wolf Park nature animal park in the Mercantour

Winter Fun

It’s easy to keep kids busy in winter in Nice, with Christmas markets, concerts, and more, but don’t forget the indoor Ice Skating Rink:  Nice has a full-sized indoor ice skating rink with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the rooftops, and it’s just 7€ including skate rental.  Easy access: the Patinoire Jean Bouin is right across from the Palais des Expositions tram stop.

For thrills and chills there are small winter amusement parks in every town, but in Nice there is a giant indoor amusement park Luna Park set up inside the cavernous Palais des Expositions in Nice (tram stop Palais des Expositions) for one month only from early December to early January.  Spin and fly on 20 giant rides while warm and dry, at a bargain cost: all-ride punch cards good for the whole month, for 31€ for the 18 big rides for the teenagers, and 15€ for the baby card for the little ones.

For more ideas, check out the website www.recreanice.fr, which is in French only, but is very visual so easy to navigate even without French.  RecreaNice is the ultimate authority on family-friendly activities on the Cote d’Azur.

And if all else fails… Fenocchio!

 

See Related Pages:

• Family Train Passes, Discounts and Deals
• What to do on Sundays in Nice, many of which are kid-friendly
• Nice by Month with lists of events and activities by month, many also kid-friendly

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Photo credits: All photos by Best of Nice