Le Bois des Lutins, is an adventure playground in Villeneuve-Loubet. It is giant playground in the forest, with netted walks in between the trees, linking tree-houses and platforms to each other and with enormous slides and tunnels that take your kids back to the ground. There are also giant inflatables, including a "hamster wheel", toboggans in the woods, an underground cave, traditional wooden games and unusual swings. Because most of the park is in the woods, put on a jacket in mid-season or choose a hot day in summer time. You can take your own picnic or buy food on site at the snack bar. The park is suitable for 2-102 years old! It’s the ideal place to enjoy a day in the nature!
Musée Océanographique de Monaco. This oceanography museum is spectacularly placed on the cliff of Monaco, facing the Mediterranean sea. The view in itself is worth the journey but perhaps not for the younger folks. For the kids there's a touch pool, a breeding aquarium, a turtle station and an outside playground and a feeding programme, where they can observe the fish being fed. The museum is stuffed full of marine world curiosities. Inside the museum you will find a whale skeleton and an enormous polar bear, along with all sorts of sea monsters! On the roof terrace, you can enjoy a restaurant, while the kids join the play area next to a turtle enclosure. All this is accompanied by 360° panoramic views on Monaco and the Mediterranean.
Rollerblading, cycling or strolling along the seafront of Cagnes-sur-Mer. Of course this can also be done on the Croisette in Cannes, where you can enjoy a wide and spacious sidewalk next to the beach or on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.
Le Village des Fous is a another adventure park called "crazy village". In order to access the village, you have to get through a labyrinth, where you also have to face physical challenges at each stage. Once you've made it through the maze the "crazy village" awaits! You can also by-pass the maze and go directly to the crazy village. This is a fun/adventure park with original activities, such as pedal karts, a flying bath tub, water catapults, crazy mirrors, water slides, rope walks in the trees, toboggans in giant tires, water jets and much more. In summer time make sure you have swim suits, towels and especially sunscreen.
Parc Phoenix, 7 hectares of exotic gardens with 2500 plant species and 3000 different animals and one of the biggest glass-houses in Europe, located in front of Nice Airport. The pyramid-shaped glass-house has 6 different climatic zones offering the visitor a rich, colourful, steamy, tropical experience. There is an incredible number of animals such as otters, wallabies, crocodiles, monkeys, lemurs, flamingos, peacocks and other birds. The whole place is beautifully landscaped and well maintained and there are plenty of play grounds for the kids. Picnics are allowed or you can buy something at a small café.
Take the Mini Train around Nice and then stroll along the Promenade du Paillon through the water jets to the children's playground. This way you can conceal sightseeing of the old town of Nice and of the Promenade des Anglais, while your kids are playing on, in and around the fountains. In summer make sure that kids have swim suits and bring a towel along with you. The playground is great at any time of year.
Aquasplash in Antibes, just next to Marineland, offers a vast choice of waterslides, from soft to steep and scary, and a pirate play zone for the little ones. As it can get very crowded in high season I highly suggest you to get there as soon as it opens. You're not supposed to take picnics but you can get away with it if you're discreet. Aqualand in Frejus is divided into 4 zones: adrenaline, Kids paradise slides, family fun and chill out and play. There is something for every taste! Picnic is allowed in the picnic area, otherwise there are plenty of bars, restaurants and grills.
Pitchoun Forest, is an adventure park in the trees. There are 4 different trails with different difficulty levels, consisting of rope ladders, zip wires, rope bridges, wooden tunnels, trapezes and swings. The park is suitable for kids from 1 m of height, as much as for adults, but if you prefer, you can walk around the park along with the children to provide assistance. For security reasons the children are permanently buckled with safety clasps and wires. You can take your own picnic or eat in the café at the Village des Fous next door.
Canyon Forest is a climbing, trecking, canyoning park for adults and older kids (≥ 8 years or ≥ 130 cm and max 120 kg.). The park offers 4 different trails, from easy to extremely difficult. It is in the middle of a forest and a canyon, so enjoy the day in the nature. Make sure you have enough water, and comfortable sportshoes and clothes with you. Picnic is allowed.
A 15 min. ferry ride to Ile Sainte Marguerite from Cannes, followed by a walk along the Croisette to find the stars' handprints. Sainte Marguerite larger one and it is covered by a wide range of paths that cross the entire island. It hosts a 17th century fort, where the man in the iron mask was imprisoned, a bird reserve, rocky coves and majestic pines. There is a restaurant and a snack bar, but this is the perfect place to take a picnic and spend a day on the beach, paddling, swimming or simply relaxing, away from the crowded beaches along the coast. Once back in Cannes, you can stroll along the famous Croisette seafront boulevard, eating ice-cream and search for the hand-print of your favourite actor.
Marineland, is the biggest marine life theme park in Europe with dolphin, orcas, sea lions, sharks, rays, penguins and polar bears. Different shows and feeding programmes are scheduled during the day, so program you visit carefully so as you don’t miss them. Kids normally really appreciate the dolphins and the orcas shows. In high season, it can get very crowded so I highly recommend to arrive as it opens in the morning. You can picnic or eat at one of the many cafés and restaurants.
Les Grottes de St-Cezaire, are situated 15 minutes from the town of Grasse, the perfume capital of France. Guided French and English visits, take place 40 m underground, on a 200m long path, accessible by the entire family. I recommend good walking shoes and a sweater or jacket, as there is a constant year round temperature of 15°C.
