Travel Size Paper City Paris!

January 5, 2012
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166 comments

It seems like we’re always in the need of more kids activities for restaurants and travel. Shortly after I made Paper City Paris, I wondered what a miniature version would look like. Finally, this week I had the time to try it out. It was really fun redesigning and simplifying the folds and structures. For example, the people in this set are so small that I just made them into single strips of paper that bend in half. It ends up being even easier to make than the original. It’s also quite handy to have the entire set print out on only one sheet of paper. Great for larger groups of crafting kids. And when you’re all done, you can fit all of Paris into a mint tin, so it can be stowed in a pocket or bag.

Happy traveling, and amusez-vous bien!





If you enjoy an activity and would like to support my continuing effort in creating art projects for our kids at home and in schools around the world, a PayPal tip donation would be awesome.

Thanks!

Click on the template below, then print. (I printed on matte photo paper, but any paper works great.)

166 Responses
  3. se7en

    Oh how cute are these!!! My kids so want to make a Cape Town printable like this… Lots of features, lots of fun!!! You are an inspiration!!!

    1. Joel

      Thanks everybody!

      Aly S – I definitely might. If people like this idea, then I’ll probably do more sooner. Travel size Dressy Cats? hmmmm. It’s kind of fun, shrinking things!

  7. zan

    I love the travel size paper paris. More important printed it out today and the kids love it even more than the original. They tend to like small things though. This is perfect I would love to see the other paper city sets miniaturized! (Mini helicopter? or Mini road trip would be great when you are on the road!)
    You are awesome Thank you for sharing with all of us!!!!!

  9. Susan

    My 8 1/2 y.o. granddaughter LOVES miniature anything. I gave her lots of art stuff for Christmas, i.e. crayons, paints, colored pencils, etc., and I KNOW she will love this…and using a mint tin for storage is a brilliant idea! I’m even going to print out a set for myself and my 33 y.o. daughter, who is ALSO another mini-lover! Thanks so much for this set. Can’t wait to see what is next!

  14. Rana

    This is great. My 8 year old daughter wants to go to Paris. This is a close as she is going to get for a while. Maybe I will make one of our town. Thanks for the idea!

  15. libbywilko

    Thank you so much this is great ! Can’t wait to print it for the kids… Maybe you’ll do some other countries too :) maybe even Australia !

  19. Scott Putnam

    I’m going to try this Paris cutout with my Granddaughter tomorrow. I’ll bet she will love it! Thanks Joel.

  20. Pete

    Opportune timing to check out this post. We’re taking the boys out for dinner this week so will definitely be printing out a set of these to curb the dinner table fidgets. Will give us adults a chance to reminisce about Paris too. Double win!

  21. shannon

    My 7 year old little girl will freak out! Thanks so much I am total making this for a small I love you gift!

    1. Joel

      Thanks everybody!

      zombiemommysaves – Yes, it would definitely fit into a CD sleeve. I have a couple of other repurposed things that I used for additional sets. Like a tea tin, and a cool cardboard box that some soap came in. ha. You could even just slide the whole city into a pocket in your wallet.

  25. MGIHJT

    I just made them with my 2 year old, she loved them. I’ll probably have to make them again, though. Thank you!!

  26. Marjolijn

    Hello Joel,
    I found your website in the Dutch magazine 101 Woonideeën (www.101woonideeen.nl), glad they published your site!! Beautiful ideas and decorations, I surely will download these Parisian profiles and work on it with my children. Thank you very much!
    Best regards from Belgium,
    Marjolijn

  29. Caroline

    Wow Im an 12 year old and whenever i baby sit i bring none of you project with me! it would be great to see more travel size stuff, i love it!

    1. Joel

      Hey Caroline. Yeah, mini paris would be a good small project to bring for babysitting. Nice! I definitely have plans to miniaturize other things too, so keep on the look out.

      Thanks!

  32. holly

    Hi Joel! I have 3 little boys and we are all enjoying the daylights out of these little cities. LOVE it. I am going to suggest this as a project for my son’s preschool class. Great stuff!

  34. Sue Stirling

    I cannot wait to make the travel size Paris! I cannot believe how amazing your creations are, they are so inspired! I would love to provide miniature additions for children to use like some tiny scrap booking pieces to the set to extend it, like tiny jewels for the girl’s dress, a tiny newspaper for the man . It is so delightful I want one just for me!!
    Your children are truly blessed to have such creativity flowing in their lives.They will be children to watch! I am a teacher and I live in Perth WA. I loved your Sydney version! WOW!
    Sue

  35. Sue Stirling

    Hi
    Last comment!
    I printed out another set of travel paris cards and with a brush that has about 10 hairs on it I did a wash of colours over the buildings and a little on the clothes!
    Thanks
    Sue

  37. Jen

    My daughter is representing France for World Thinking Day in Girl Scouts. We were so excited to find these. The original version is going to really make her display stand out and we know that the girls will enjoy taking home the mini version. Thank you so much for sharing your creativity!

  38. Rita

    I love this! My boys, ages 7 and 10, and I are preparing to see my favorite musical, Les Miserables, next month. How fun to have some Paris landmarks to play with. I wish I was arty enough to make them some of the characters. We may have to make do with Lego minifigs.

  41. Laurette

    Merci pour votre partage! J’ai envie de visiter Paris chaque matin avec ma tasse de the et croissant!

  51. Catherine

    These look so lovely. My children will love playing with these. Could you add London to your designs please. It would be perfect for the Olympics.

  52. Alli S

    Joel,
    I am a stay at home and I run a small summer art camp from home. This year we are doing 2 weeks all about France and the French language. I found these and they couldn’t be more perfect! Thank you so much!

  55. Frederique

    Génial, je cherchais justement quelque chose à faire avec mes élèves de Français pour notre dernier cours avant les vacances. Ce sera parfait et en plus ils peuvent apprendre les mots des bâtiments en même temps! (j’enseigne à des petits anglais. Merci beaucoup.

  57. Carolina Escobar

    Love these…what an amazing teaching tool. Thanks for your delightful creativity, Joel. :)

  58. amy c

    I’ve been following for a while but have neglected to comment. You have some of the coolest content on the web. It’s fresh, it’s interesting and I love that it’s all about the little people!
    Thank you for making such cool stuff.

  67. josephine

    Thanks so much, Joel for the great worksheets! I used them to teach English to young Italian children in Rome. We cut out and glued the city to a long sheet of colored construction paper. Then students added their own special touch, by cutting the faces of the people and putting them in shop windows, letting the caravan drive uphill or having the people cross the street hand in hand while cars and trucks passed this way and that. Lots of imagination was used and they loved cutting and coloring and gluing the lovely scenes. I wish I could send attach a photo from this super lesson!
    Grazie mille!

  68. le monde d'Is

    hello !… j’avais découvert il y a quelques mois la ville de Paris, via Pinterest… et aujourd’hui, au gré de mes balades virtuelles, me voici ici… j’adore !… j’avais beaucoup aimé la première version mais celle-ci n’a rien à lui envier et elle est sans doute plus facile à utiliser pour les petites mains : merci de partager toutes ces merveilles !…

  71. artmomcg

    Thanks SO much. So inspiring! So fun! I’m going to let my art club (grades 1-4) have a go at it. Maybe we’ll dress up in berets and have croisants. The world is big and beautiful and it’s great to explore, even from the artroom. Blessings!

  81. Marie-Paule Cotie

    My daughter is studying school as part of French immersion program and this has provided the perfect setting for our french conversations! We have been having a blast creating shopping trips that almost always end with buying “les croissants au chocolat”. Both my kids love how teeny tiny they are and I love how they fold up and fit into an envelope to travel with us. More please! A zoo version would be AMAZING!
    Also wondering if you do custom artwork?
    Wondering site bursting with ideas to keep my girls busy for the next few months!

  83. Dylan

    This is so wonderful! I work as a social/emotional counselor in a French international school in the Midwest, and many of our students are from France. Some speak little to no English, and are very homesick — I can’t wait to add this little bit of Paris to my office to help them feel a bit more at home. :) Merci beaucoup!