We moved to Paris three years ago with our then four-year-old twin boys. Ready to embrace the child-friendly side of the city, we struggled at first but then stumbled across Les Berges, a mile-long creative playground and cultural space on the Left Bank of the Seine, affectionately dubbed Berge Street.

Kids were having a wild time, skateboarding, leaping onto climbing frames, playing hopscotch, tagging the giant slate drawing wall. Our boys were stoked. They sped off to hide in the tipis then challenged me to a game of swingball.

We discovered a row of glass “Zzz” pods – renovated ship crates in their own gardens that are free to hire for 1½ hours to snooze or relax in – and also a five-lane running track. We grabbed pizza at Rosa Bonheur (great value and delicious), then sipped hot chocolate by a makeshift cafe strewn with board games and danced under the disco ball at Place de la Concorde, where music played through massive speakers. Later we chilled at FLOW, a cool alfresco bar that didn’t mind the little people!

As a family we have lost hours here; discovering something new on every visit – DJs at night was the latest. It’s free, loads of fun, forever changing and beautiful. Open all year round but in full swing over summer, it’s a fabulous place to unleash the child within and exhaust the kids.

• From Port de Solférino to Port du Gros-Caillou, lesberges.paris.fr

Claudette Parry is founder of the blog mamalovesparis.com