Tuesday, October 7, 2025
French Museums Focus on Children and Families: New Fun and Immersive Experiences
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Museums Becoming Ever More Family-Friendly
French museums are decisively expanding their spaces dedicated to children and families in order to attract and retain these audiences, as evidenced by the number of new initiatives recently implemented.
This movement is driven by several factors: the growing need for playful and interactive mediation spaces for children, a reinforced commitment to accessibility (physical, sensory, cognitive), and the desire for museums to be places of culture, relaxation, and shared discovery.
This movement is driven by several factors: the growing need for playful and interactive mediation spaces for children, a reinforced commitment to accessibility (physical, sensory, cognitive), and the desire for museums to be places of culture, relaxation, and shared discovery.
This evolution is reflected in dedicated tours for the youngest visitors, reading corners, workshops, tactile or interactive installations, and more.
Local and national cultural policies support these initiatives through grants, labels such as Mom’Art Muséum joyeux for families, as well as institutional and educational partnerships.
Local and national cultural policies support these initiatives through grants, labels such as Mom’Art Muséum joyeux for families, as well as institutional and educational partnerships.
Musée de l’Homme: A New Immersive Family Space
The Musée de l’Homme: A New Immersive Family Space
This past weekend, to celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Musée de l’Homme in Paris inaugurated its Family Space, inspired by the Galerie de l’Homme.
This immersive area offers a new way to explore Prehistory, with a children’s game trail, workshops, and fun activities for families.
Covering 120 m², the space provides children aged 0 to 11 with an intergenerational, immersive, playful, and educational experience, bringing them face-to-face with prehistoric families.
An exploration booklet for children has been created in collaboration with Bayard Jeunesse and its character Ariol. School groups will be welcomed starting in 2026.
"The number of families visiting the Musée de l’Homme each year is steadily increasing, and family-oriented activities are very popular with the public. There is a growing demand for playful and educational offerings within museums, which are no longer seen solely as places of scholarship reserved for adults or school groups," explains Aurélie Clémente Ruiz, director of the Musée de l’Homme.
"The Family Space strengthens the relationship we build with our audiences. It is an additional offering designed to be as accessible as possible, serving as a prelude to the visit of our permanent collections or current temporary exhibition."
Lyon’s Musée des Confluences: A ‘Little Cloud’ to Spark Curiosity
Recently opened, the “Nuage des Petits” is the new permanent space for children aged 2 to 6 at Lyon’s Musée des Confluences.
This new offering aims to spark curiosity, stimulate imagination, and enable playful exploration of the world, allowing children to discover independently with the support of accompanying adults.
For its launch, the Nuage des Petits features an immersive story on the theme of physical and emotional fragility: Fragile!
"Families account for one-third of individual visitors, many of whom are young children. Offering them a new space, the Nuage des Petits, is a major focus for a museum dedicated to youth," emphasizes Hélène Lafont-Couturier, Director General of the Musée des Confluences.
This initiative is part of a broader cultural offering: workshops, visits adapted for children aged 0–36 months, performances, conferences, illustrated books from age 3, and temporary exhibitions designed for 8–12-year-olds, such as Trop forts! this year.
Bordeaux’s CAPC: An Art Gallery Designed for Children
The Bordeaux Museum of Contemporary Art (CAPC) inaugurated a new permanent gallery for children, the “Cool Kids Space,” during the recent Heritage Days.
This large immersive and interactive space, designed for children aged 2 to 11, allows them to explore contemporary art through the vision of an artist.
The museum already offered a dedicated program, “CAPC Kids,” including guided tours, workshops, and activity booklets tailored for young audiences.
A National Trend Supporting Family Spaces
Many other openings have taken place in recent months:
- the Family Space at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris,
- the Cocon at the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace in Le Bourget,
- the Jeunes Pousses space at the Musée de Revermont in Ain,
- the new Family Space at the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire Louis Senlecq in L’Isle-Adam…
Finally, last June, the Grand Palais in Paris inaugurated the Palais des Enfants, designed for children aged 2 to 10, combining art and science with its first exhibition on the theme of Transparency.
Written by Actu kids