kids and New Orleans

Our family just returned from a 4 day visit in New Orleans before we boarded a cruise ship docked there. Because kids and New Orleans do not seem to go together as a rule, I wanted to share the things we did while there and how the kids enjoyed themselves. Ages of 7 children were 5 years to 24 years.

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the Dr. Wagner Honey Island swamp tour with a guide named Melvin who did an outstanding job of informing and entertaining the kids with his knowledge. I think we came across about 6 alligators and lots of birds.

In the French Quarted we arranged to go to the New Orleans School of Cooking on Sunday. For our group of 10, we got a narrative of the history of the people and culture of New Orleans by Anne-who had been a kindergarden teacher (and knew how to keep the 5 year old interested) while Barbara was preparing to show us how to cook gumbo, (chicken and andouie sausage), jambalaya (again, chicken and sausage), bread pudding with whisky sauce (you can withhold this for the kids), and pralines. When all the food was finished, we got to eat it. For about $23.00 adults, 10.00 kids-(look for coupons at your hotel), you get the meal, (complete with biscuits and cane syrup and your choice of beer or root beer) the history, the cooking lesson and cooking tips, and 2 1/2 hours of pure entertainment. Outside of this cooking school is their general store where you can buy their recommended spices or your favored brand of spices for the gumbo. This was fun for all, informaive, and delicous food!

We did a haunted history tour and I know this gets controversial, but it doesn%26#39;t have to. If you want to get scared-this is not what you%26#39;re looking for. If you want an informational tour of several buildings and their history which makes New Orleans so colorful, this might interest you. Not my favorite thing we did in NO, but my 19 year old and my 24 year old enjoyed this a lot. The 11 year old was disturbed by one of the stories told about one of the buildings but got over it after the first night. (she is a little sensitive so keep that in mind before you decide to take your child to this.) You will walk a lot on this tour. This tour is at 6pm and 8 pm. and lasts 2 hours.

IMAX-we all enhjoyed the film about Hurrican Katrina and the effects. This town and its people are survivors and know how to come back from a disaster like no other. We prefaced this film by a trip on the ferry (free) which is near the IMAX theatre.

We took 2 plantation tours-Oak Alley, an American plantation and Laura, a Creole plantation. They were as different as could be, but both were equally informative about life on a plantation and Southern living. The youngest children were a tiny bit bored-it might have been the heat that day-but the rest of the family enjoyed these tours.

Great food:

Muffalattas at Central Grocery-I drool just thinking about them.

Beignets at Cafe Du Monde.

I put these in order of most enjoyed by the children to least enjoyed, but bear in mind we enjoyed all we did in NO., and the plantations were still a good choice despite the ended my list.

kids and New Orleans

Thanks for posting this. You included some things in your trip that I wouldn%26#39;t have thought of with kids, especially the cooking school.

For most people with kids, we recommend the Audubon Zoo, the Aquarium of the Americas, and Mardi Gras World.

kids and New Orleans

strose-thank you for your response, not only because you have good suggestions, but it reminds me of a few things I should have added.

We wanted to soak up the culture of the people of NO (the historical side of things and the environment of this part of the country, but not the party atmosphere so to speak...) Since we are from the midwest, we don%26#39;t have swamps and can%26#39;t experience the wildlife that exists there. We do not eat the spicy food in our area that is the heritage of the people of NO. We just wanted our kids to experience the cajun and creole people and their culture. With that in mind-the cooking school was a good choice. I meant to preface that recommendation with this thought. Know your kids-if they can%26#39;t sit for any extended amount of time-don%26#39;t take them to the cooking school. If they can%26#39;t walk great distances, don%26#39;t do the haunted history tours. If wildlife and ecology don%26#39;t have an appeal to your kids-the swamp tour would be lost on them. If your kids aren%26#39;t aware of plantations and the oppulant lifestyles that come at the expense of slavery, the plantation tours would also be a bust.

Your suggestions for the aquarium and Mardi Gras museum are good for all kids, but better for those kids who can%26#39;t do the above.