Bordeaux is one of the favorite destinations for anyone who loves wine and food. Many tourists choose other destinations in the region when traveling with kids because they are unaware of how friendly Bordeaux is for families. There are so many amazing things to do in Bordeaux with kids! With beautiful parks, kids-friendly biking paths, stunning beaches, and attraction parts, Bordeaux has it all!
In this list, I gathered 30 things you can do with your kids in Bordeaux and the region. I included both outdoor and indoor activities and even kids-friendly wineries you should visit. I hope it’ll give you plenty of ideas to plan a perfect family trip to Bordeaux. If you’re also looking for a kids-friendly hotel in Bordeaux, I’ve got you covered in this article.
If Bordeaux is not the only destination on your list, check out my other guides for kids-friendly destinations:
Best things to do with kids in Toulouse
What to do with kids in Arcachon
Travel in Dordogne with kids
A family-friendly vacation in Ile de Ré
Now let’s dig in!
Things to do with kids in Bordeaux Metropole
Splash in the Miroir d’eau
The biggest water mirror in the world is one of the best things to do with kids when the temperatures rise in Bordeaux. Every 15 minutes the water rises and creates a very shallow pool where kids can run and splash in the water. When the kids are tired just spread a blanket in the little garden nearby and have a picnic.
The water mirror operates daily from 10 am to 10 pm and is closed in the winter for maintenance.
Eat in a kids-friendly restaurant
Bordeaux is the city of restaurants but we all know how exhausting it can be with kids. That’s why it’s important to choose a kids-friendly restaurant when traveling here. While there are quite a few restaurants now that offer a kid’s menu, there aren’t many where kids can actually occupy themselves so you can eat.
Here’s a partial list of the places of the restaurants in the center of Bordeaux that I like taking my kids to: Max a Table, for their hamburgers and touchscreen tables, Monzu is a great Italian restaurant where your kids can color while they wait for the food. La Douce Parenthèse is a very sweet Salon de The with great tarts and a small coloring table for the kids. And if you’re not too hungry you can also take them to the games cafe Atelier B and order a charcuterie board and wine while you play.
Cap Sciences – kids science museum
Cap Sciences is a kids’ science museum and one of the more fun and educative places in Bordeaux. The museum proposes interactive exhibitions and activities all dedicated to different aspects of science.
Another interesting feature of the museum is the kids’ workshops arranged by different age groups. Among them, you can find photography, molecular cooking, eco-citizens, and more. For more details click here.
Where: Hangar 20, Quai de Bacalan, 33300 Bordeaux
If you want to visit other museums check out my article about the best museums in Bordeaux.
Take a scooter or bicycle and go to the Quai
One of the main accomplishments of Bordeaux’s makeover in the two last decades is the beautiful riverfront on the left side of the Garonne. A pedestrian-only 4.5 km promenade stretches out between Gare Saint Jean and Bassin a flot in the north of the city.
When it’s sunny outside you can see plenty of families with bikes, scooters or skates riding the paths. The bridge-to-bridge trail is one of the most popular routes to discover the Garonne area. It allows you to enjoy the stunning view on the more wild part of the right side as well as the preserved houses on the riverfront.
If you don’t have bicycles you can take the (almost) free city bike, all you need is a credit card. Check out all the stations in Bordeaux here. That option will be great for you if you’re traveling with teenagers.
If you need bikes for smaller kids, you can use the services of Bike Hire, who will deliver them to your hotel. Another great option is taking a biking tour of Bordeaux, it’s an amazing opportunity to discover the city in a fun way.
Picnic in the park (Jardin public and many others)
A picnic in the park is one of the easiest ways to spend some time outside with your kids. You can enjoy your bottle of rosé while they run around the park. When in Bordeaux, many people head straight to Jardin Public, and while it’s a beautiful park, it’s far from being the only green spot in the city.
To help you get familiar with the green parts of the city, I gathered a list of the best places to have a picnic in Bordeaux, which include both big parks and little gardens and some necessary playgrounds – click here to read the post.
Take the little train to tour the city
If you want to discover Bordeaux in a fun way, take the little train which departs from the tourists’ office. This 45 minutes tour passes by the main sites of the historic city like Place des Quinconces and Place de la B
Natural History Museum
After years of renovations, the Museum of Natural History of Bordeaux finally opened its doors on March 2019. Created in 1971, the museum has one of the biggest collections in France with more than a million specimens.
Besides the new design and the incredible collection, one of the new features in the renovated museum is the “Early Years Museum” for kids under 6 years old. The museum also hosts many temporary exhibitions that kids usually love! See if they have any special events when you’re in Bordeaux.
Entry to this museum is free every first Sunday of the month (except July and August) and if you have the Bordeaux city pass.
Where: 5 Place Bardineau, 33000 BordeauxSee other cool museums to visit in Bordeaux here.
Go to the beach at Bordeaux Lac
If you’re vacationing in Bordeaux but have no time to go to the ocean, there’s actually a beach in Bordeaux itself. So if you’re kids are desprate to go to the beach and play in the sand, the beach in Bordeaux Lac is your solution.
Note – if you do have a car, I highly recommend trying one of the amazing beaches outside of the city.
The cute beach of Bordeaux Lac (Plage duLac ) has everything you need: a sandy clean beach with beautiful clear and calm water and a lot of shade from the nearby trees for those who don’t really like the sun. The beach is open to the public daily from June 1st to Mid September. Starting July 1st it offers water and beach activities such as sailing, kayaking, mini-golf, and more. Check out the list of daily activities here.
Artistic workshop in institut Bernard Magrez
Institut Bernard Magrez is one of the best places in the city for art lovers. They present beautiful street art exhibitions several times a year and frequently hold kids’ creative workshops around the theme of the exhibition. To be updated on their future workshops follow them on Facebook.
Where: 16 Rue de Tivoli, 33000 Bordeaux
Surfing in a coffee place
This is a super cool activity for kids (over 8 yo). The Wave Surf Café is the first indoor cafe where you can surf! The Big artificial wave in the middle of the coffee shop imitates the ocean waves and allows you to feel like a professional surfer in the city center :). If you’re kids love big waves but you don’t have the time to get to the ocean, this is a great experience for you!
The Wave surf cafe is open daily, reservation is required. For more details click here.
Where: 174 Cours du Médoc, 33300 Bordeaux
Puppet show at the Park
Le Guignol Guérin, founded in 1853, is the oldest puppetry show in France. Every summer (July and August) the theatre company is hosting daily spectacles for kids in Jardin Public and Parc Bordelais. Read more about the theater here.
The show usually starts at 16:00 but can be canceled or postponed when it’s raining or getting too hot. In December there are a few spectacles taking place at the Inox theatre in Bordeaux. The shows are in French.
Go to the pool
There are several kids-friendly pools in the Bordeaux metropole, with one of them being very close to the city center.
Next to the Meriadeck, you’ll find the Piscine Judaique located in a beautiful art deco building. That’s where most people living in the city center take their kids to swim. It’s a very kids-friendly pool with a kids pool, water slides, floats, and more. The pool is closed on Mondays and bank holidays.
If you have a car there are many other great kids-friendly pools in Bordeaux like the one in the Stade Nautique Pessac, the Pinsan pool in Eysins, and the Ucpa Aqua Stadium in Merignac.
Go ice skating at the Meriadeck
La Patinoire de Mériadeck is a sports complex in Bordeaux Center that hosts hockey games as well as many different concerts. However, several days a week the place is open to the public and you can come with your family and enjoy ice skating in this huge arena.
As the Patinoire hosts many different events during the year, its opening hours might change from time to time, so before heading there with your kids, check out the schedule. It is usually closed during the summer vacation.
Where: 95 Cours Maréchal Juin, 33000 Bordeaux
Discover Bordeaux and the region through a game – Terra Aventura
Our region, Nouvelle Aquitaine, has come up with a perfect way to discover the region with kids. It offers a free a geocaching game called Terra Aventura, an immersive activity that will help you get your kids engaged when discovering a new destination. Be it a natural reserve or a historic landmark, the game makes them discover the place playfully through a series of questions and clues.
Terra Aventura is a free app, all you need to do is download it on your phone. The games are offered in French and English. The app offers four games in the suburbs of Bordeaux and many other in different parts of Gironde. See all the details about the games in Ile de Ré following this link.
Go rollerblading with the whole family
Kids love rollerblades so if you’re looking for a fun family time, why not do it with them? You can join the Airroller club association that organizes a big family ride once a month. You don’t have to be a member to join the ride, but if you do, you can enjoy skating lessons adapted to all levels and ages. For more info about the activities of the association click here.
Skating
There are two great options for kids who like to skate. One is the skatepark on Quai des Chartrons which is a great facility. For those heading to the Sunday market on Quai des Chartrons, that would be a great break for the kids.
If you need a change of scenery from the center of Bordeaux, cross the river to Darwin. It’s a super cool urban space that has a skateboard park made from recycled materials and a special cultural landscape of street art and electronic music. This is a good option for rainy days. You can also rent a skateboard there.
Where: 87 Quai des Queyries, 33100 Bordeaux
Shopping in one of the malls
Who doesn’t love shopping, right? Well, I personally don’t but I know that quite a lot of teenagers see it as a legitimate site seeing in the city.
So where do we shop in Bordeaux? The main shopping street is rue Sainte Catherine, the longest pedestrian street in France. Very close to it you have the Meriadeck which is the only shopping center in the city center. But if you’re looking for bigger malls, with plenty of clothing retailers, you’ll have to go a bit further to the shopping centers in the surrounding towns such as Rives d’Arcins in Begles, Aushopping in Bordeaux lac or Mérignac Soleil.
Spend time at the main library
If your kids are interested in books, the Bibliothèque in Mériadeck has a library for kids between 0 and 13 years old. The place includes novels, comics, manga, music, movies, and even a coloring space for the little ones.
Apart from books, the Meriadeck library also hosts different events such as little shows for kids, story time, and video games in groups. On the first floor of the library you’ll find a kids room with games and books for the the little one. It’s a really great option for rainy days. The opening hours of the Meriadeck library vary throughout the year, see schedule here.
Where: 85 Cours Maréchal Juin, 33000 Bordeaux
Soft play
When you really need your kids to let off some steam the best place to go is a soft play and there are several of those in Bordeaux: Youpi Parc and Royal kids in Pessac and Kidooland in Bordeaux Lac which is actually my favorite one. In Kidooland parents have comfortable sits and even and outdoor bar to enjoy while they wait for their kids.
Ferme urbaine des Iris
The Iris animal farm in Lormont is a magical place that allows you to spend a fun day with your kids in nature. On the farm, your curious kids can learn about animals and feed them. They have a big variety of animals, among them rabbits, donkeys, and goats.
Ferme urbaine des Iris is located just a few minutes walk from one of the most beautiful parks in Bordeaux, Parc de L’ermitage.The farm is closed for groups on school vacations. For more info click here.
Where: 8 Rue Sourbes, 33310 Lormont
Climbing
Indoor climbing has become extremely popular in Bordeaux and there are numerous facilities where you can do that with kids. These are the climbing centers in or close to Bordeaux: Arkose, Block
Kfe des familles – Café associative
Kfe des Familles is a cute associative café that allows parents to spend time with their kids while also enjoying a coffee or lunch.
Besides a nice little restaurant, the place has a room for kids’ workshops as well as a space for the little ones, where they can play accompanied by their parents.The cafe organizes plenty of activities and events throughout the year. For more info click here.
Where: 46 rue de New-York 33300 Bordeaux
Adventure park in Merignac
Tepacap is a new amazing adventure part in Merignac, one of Bordeaux’s suburbs. The park is located in the Decathlon sports village, and offers a variety of activities such as treetop walking, a labyrinth, and a treasure hunt group games.
It’s very popular in the summer so be sure to book in advance. The park is open from April to the beginning of November. You can see the opening hours and prices here.
Where: 10 Rue Archimède Entrée à Décathlon, 33700 Mérignac
Go to the zoo
The zoo of Bordeaux, which is actually located in Pessac, is a beautiful family-friendly place. It allows you to discover more than 250 different animals from monkeys to giraffes and white tigers. The zoo organizes plenty of events for kids throughout the year. The Zoo is open daily all year long, except on Devember 25 and January 1st. For more details click here.
Where: 3 Rue du Transvaal, 33600 Pessac
Take your kids to a classical music concert
Every first Sunday of the month the National Orchestra of Bordeaux (ONBA) hosts a classical music concert either at the Grand Theatre or the Auditorium of Bordeaux. The concerts are usually around 45 to 60 minutes long and the ticket price is €10 for adults and €1 for kids, so it’s a great opportunity to introduce your kids to classical music. You can see this Sunday’s concert on the Opera website.
Throught the year the Grand Theathe offers special activities to the little ones and event for babies. Follow their program here.
A bit farther – things to do around Bordeaux (Gironde)
Route du vin with kids – visit family friendly wineries
Traveling to Bordeaux with kids doesn’t mean you can’t discover this incredible wine region.
I have been visiting many wine estates (wine chateaux) with my kids since moving here and the owners were very welcoming most of the time. However in recent couple of years (since my kids became very hard to travel with 🙂) I discovered a few super kids friendly wineries that offer different activities to keep kids busy and parents happy.
You can read all my recommendations for kid-friendly chateaux in the Bordeaux wine region in my article. I have included wineries in Saint Emilion, Pessac Leognan, Medoc and other appelations so you should find at least one that fits your route.
Kayaking on one of Bordeaux’s rivers
If you’re looking for a thrilling outdoor activity, kayaking/ canoeing on the river is perfect for that. Bordeaux is surrounded be several both wide and narrow rivers which all offer kayaking/ experiences.
The closest one to Bordeaux is the L’Eyre, a coastal river that flows through the Gascogne forest into the Bassin d’Arcachon. There are plenty of places to rent a kayak/ canoe on the l’Eyre. The closest town to Bordeaux would be Mios where you can rent all the equipment from T en Leyre.
Recently I went with my girl on a canoe trip in the more sauvage part of the river and it was amazing. We rented the Canoe from Alokanoe and were very happy with it. Other kayaking options are on the Cerons in the south of Gironde or traveling a bit farther to the wider Dordogne river. Here are all my recommendations for Kayaking on the Dordogne river.
Discover contemporary art in the forest
How about combining nature with art? One of the best ways to discover the massive forest of Landes de Gascogne in the south of Gironde is by following the map of La Foret d’Art Contemporain.
This is a cool project that aims to promote contemporary art by placing it in different spots in the forest. Around 30 different pieces of art were placed in all parts of the forest, usually close to one of the smaller towns, to allow you to discover the more rural parts of Gironde. Follow the map of the project – here.
La Ferme Exotique
La Ferme Exotique is a charming animal farm located in Cadaujac, about 20 minutes from Bordeaux. There are almost 1000 animals on the farm, coming from all over the world and in all sizes. It’s a unique experience as they allow kids to really connect with the animals and even help feed some of them.
The park is open daily from April to October and mostly on weekends and Wednsays the rest of the year. For more details click here.
Where: Domaine de la Roussie, 1932 Chemin du Port de l’Esquillot, 33140 Cadaujac
The inflatable water park in Biscarrosse
Bordeaux is just one hour away from the biggest inflatable water park in the world! The AquaPark is equipped with water ziplines, several diving boards of different heights, trampolines, catapults, climbing walls, slides, and more.
The park is accessible to kids over 4 years old. In the summer, the park have special slots for kids from 4 to 10 yo, so they can enjoy it in a calmer environment. The Aquakids is open on July – August on Wednsday, Friday and Sunday from 9:00 to 11:30. Kids must be accompanies by an adult. For more details and tickets click here.
Where: Port Maguide, 18 Chemin de Maguide, 40600 Biscarrosse
Take the kids to an amusement park
Parc de la coccinelle is an amusement park in Gujan-Mestras, on the Bassin d’Arcachon. This park is a perfect day out that your kids will definitely enjoy. It has everything from water slides, roller coasters, trampolines,, and even an animal farm where you can feed baby goats.
It’s open from April to the beginning of November, however, it’s not open every week, so check out the schedule before going. For more info click here.
This park is perfect with little ones, however if you’re kids are a bit older they will probably enjoy Kid Parc, located in the same area in Gujan Mestras. If you need more ideas on what to do with kids when going to Arcachon, check out my post about the best things to do with kids in Arcachon.
Where: Parc de loisirs, La Hume, 33470 Gujan-Mestras
Where to stay in Bordeaux with kids?
There are quite a few kids freiddly hotels in Bordeaux, you can read all my recommendations in my article about the most family friendly hotels in Bordeaux.
If you need ideas for what to do with kids when it’s raining in Bordeaux, click here. Apart from that list I constantly update about kids-friendly events and activities taking place monthly in Bordeaux. And don’t forget to join me on my weekly newsletter where I share plenty of recommendations on where to go and what to do in and around Bordeaux – click here to subscribe.
You can also get plenty of tips on things to do in the Southwest of France via Lost in Bordeaux’s social media accounts and email list, check them out here:
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*Note – Some of the links in this article include affiliate links for which I earn a small commission. It adds absolutely nothing to your cost and helps me continue writing about this amazing region. Don’t worry, I’m not getting rich here, I’ll never recommend anything I don’t believe in 🙂
