Some 2000 tonnes of finely ground sand dumped on a urban expressway may spell disaster for taxi drivers and car lovers, but for children stuck in Paris over the summer it means a massive, free waterfront play area.

For one month, between July 20 and August 20, a strip of highway along the river Seine between the Tuileries gardens and the Henri IV bridge will be closed to motor vehicles and decked with playgrounds and water-games for children, as well as sundecks, ping-pong tables and petanque courts for adults. Sailboards, rowboats and pedalos will also be offered for free beside the Saint Martin canal (Quai de Loire) and up at Parc de La Villette in northern Paris.

Intended for those who cannot leave the capital over the summer, this year’s Paris Plage (Paris Beach) is explicitly targeted towards low-income families in a “context of socio-economic hardship,” according to city authorities.

Paris Plage kicked off in the French capital on Monday with a Samba line along the banks of the Seine.Ségolène Allemandou The eighth anniversary of the beach offers Parisians a "summer of solidarity in difficult economic times".Ségolène Allemandou A chance for an economical vacation, and a bit of exercise in the outdoors.Ségolène Allemandou Tai Chi, fencing and dance classes are also on offer.Ségolène Allemandou Some 1,200 metres of quai, and 2,000 tonnes of sand, allow plenty of room for a game of petanque.Ségolène Allemandou Free 15-minute massages are available on the quai Celestin.Ségolène Allemandou Four themes are underscored for Paris Plage 2009: the sea, astronomy, sand and sustainable development.Ségolène Allemandou The beach will be open from 8 am to 8 pm until August 20.Ségolène Allemandou A spray of Eau de Paris on the square, from an underground mineral water source 150 kilometres below the surface.Ségolène Allemandou The idea of Paris Plage has also taken off in Toulouse, as well as Brussels, London and Amsterdam.Ségolène Allemandou

The activities proposed are also meant to be educational: science workshops on aquatic life, the solar system, how sand is made and sustainable development will take place on Paris Plage sites everyday. Games based on Parisian history are also scheduled, and a mobile library has been set up at the foot of the Pont Marie bridge.

Free concerts to please tourists and locals alike will be hosted in front of Paris’ Hotel de ville (city hall): Neneh Cherry, Cirkus, Charlie Winston as well as Amadou and Mariam are among those scheduled to perform.

The cost of this summer fun? Two-and-a-half billion euros, of which one billion is sponsored by external partners. The town council foots the rest of the bill.

Find more information on www.paris.fr.