Even if our plans today don’t include a French military parade on the Champs-Elysées, in honor of Bastille day today, we’re giving a special nod to our fashionable friends on the other side of the pond by featuring some of our favorite French gifts for kids, or at least French inspired. Especially good for kids not old enough to watch Les Miserables on Netflix yet.
Even if your kids don’t have one drop of French in them, we think they’ll love to receive some of the playthings here, that have us longing for Paris.
Each of the soft, squishy Paris-themed pillows from A Little World (shown at top and above) is inspired by Sashiko reinforcement stitching from Japan which results in a sturdy stitch that babies will love for the texture. Choose from the Eiffel Tower, a neighborhood patisserie, or a little Arc de Triomphe. Or grab all three for colorful collection of Parisian pillows for a nursery or kid’s room.
Designed in France, it’s no surprise that Corolle dolls are among some of the very best dressed, like this beautiful 13″ Corolle Cecile doll from the Les Cheries collection. From her pink cap, to her Eiffel-tower embroidered tweed jacket, down to her two-tone ballet flats, my girls would probably love to wear this outfit themselves.
Little architects can challenge themselves by building a replica of the Eiffel Tower in LEGO bricks. Recommended for kids 12+, we think you can go a little younger; my 9-year-old, LEGO-loving son would find it worthy project to tackle on the weekends.
Give your kids an entire Paris city without leaving the house with Made By Joel’s free printable paper Paris city. I love that this set includes famous city sites, as well as seven easy-to-assemble people that all look perfect as is, or set out the crayons and let your kids color in Paris the way they imagine it. Just use thicker card stock so your city doesn’t flop over in a gentle wind.
Whether you fill it with l’eau or jus d’orange, SIGG’s Paris water bottle from their new kids’ travel series is a colorfully chic way to keep hydrated this summer.
This ingenious Paris playset by Kaz Shiomi and Kiko+ can change on a whim thanks to the magnets in the moveable beech wood pieces as well as the chalkboard base which give kids a chance to play city designer with a piece of chalk. (We’re sorry, but this item is no longer available.)
Yes, of course there’s Madeline which will always be a favorite. But I wanted to recommend Miroslav Sasek’s This Is Paris as a must-have on any future Francophile’s bookshelf. Originally published in the 50’s, it’s just as charming and informative today.
Search our archives for previous Bastille Day posts and French picks on Cool Mom Picks. And have a happy La Fête Nationale!
