The 7 Best Things to Do With Kids in Florence, Italy

Don’t force your children to go with you on a cultural marathon, unless you are sure they’ll appreciate it. Start the Florentine tour with them from Piazza della Repubblica, the main square of the city centre. Here they can take a ride on the antique carousel located in the square. The young travelers will love this place and can have a lot of fun before stroll through the city.

If the sun shines there is no better place to go than the Boboli Gardens, the biggest park of Florence right behind Pitti Palace, in Oltrarno neighborhood. This is one of the most famous Italian parks and is home to many sculptures, fountains and caves built between the 16th and 18th centuries. Boboli is simply marvelous, it is a great spot for a stroll in the nature during the last days of summer when the weather is still good. Kids will love the freedom to run around and explore every pathway of the garden.

Florence is full of museums but not all are equipped to entertain the smaller visitors. The Leonardo Da Vinci Museum, completely dedicated to the genius, is a small but interesting museum located just down a street off from the Cathedral of Florence. The museum hosts reconstructions of various civil engineering projects designed by the great artist and several machines are interactive to let the kids experience directly the operation of these reproductions.

Ice cream is a must for everyone in Florence and if you are visiting the town in summer, having a gelato is a pleasant break between visits. The legend says that the ice cream was invented in Florence by Bernardo Buontalenti, a Florentine artist, who created a new dessert for a banquet for the Grand Duke Cosimo I de Medici. True or not, Florence is full of good ice cream shops and especially if you are traveling with kids, don’t miss the opportunity to taste one of the best gelato in the world.

One of the best kid-friendly museums in Florence is Museo Galileo which preserves a big collection of tools designed by Galileo Galilei and scientific collections of the Medici and Lorraine families. It is located behind the Uffizi Gallery and here you’ll not find lines or tourists more attracted by the famous gallery. The Galileo Museum organizes activities for children and families on weekends, so be sure to include it in your tour.

Parco delle Cascine is one of the largest parks of Florence, open to the public and perfect for picnics and family days out. It is outside the city centre but with a short tram ride from the central station, you can easily reach it. This green space with playgrounds, a swimming pool, a ferris wheel, bike lanes, a market and a bar is the perfect escape from the crowds.

Kids love to cook, create and get their hands dirty. If you like Tuscan cuisine, the best way to experience the typical Tuscan flavors and plates is to take a cooking class with your children. In Florence there are a lot of cooking classes for family where you can learn to make pasta, bruschetta and other Tuscan delicacies. Afterwards, you can eat with your kids what you have created together.