Kids and parents will get so much more out of their trip to Florence with a little bit of preparation beforehand. Your kids will love Florence, Italy! Here are a few of our top tips for things to do in Florence with kids.
Get the kids excited in advance about the sites they will see, by reading books about the heroes of the innovations of the Renaissance, and the feats their inspired minds achieved. Depending on the age, there are a range of great books on the most famous stories of the city, such as the contest for the building of Brunelleschi’s dome, Michelangelo’s mentors, Leonardo DaVinci’s experiments, and Galileo’s experiments. See our recommended kids books about Florence, Italy here! With a little bit of preparation, your family will enjoy all the Florence has to offer on a deeper level.
Here are some things to do in Florence with kids recommended by locals and traveling families:
1. Stay a little longer in the city
Florence has charming neighborhoods where your family can experience living life as a local, such as the Oltrarno. If available to you, Florence deserves more than just a day trip, and is worth a stay of at least 3 days. When you stay a little longer, the kids will have a since of the local culture of the city, and your pace can slow down to let you enjoy daily life and discovering hidden places. Perhaps even making some friends! When considering where to stay in Florence with kids, we highly suggest the Oltrarno areas of San Frediano and San Niccolo. See our tips on Where to Stay in Florence Italy with Kids here!
2. Take a kids art class
Florence is a city of art, and surely will inspire your kids, sparking curiosity about how the great masters created such incredible art and architecture! Arte al Sole offers year-round art workshops for kids themed around the main masterpieces you will be seeing. Let the kids engage with the beauty they are seeing, and create their own with painting, mosaic, and sculpture. For a longer stay, Arte al Sole offers kids summer camps in Florence, Italy, during June and July.
3. Experience life as it was under the Medici
The Children’s Museum at Palazzo Vecchio, in Piazza della Signoria, offers severable tours and programs for kids and families on the theme of daily life in the Renaissance during the golden era of the Medici. For a self-guided visit, request the “Family Kit” when you purchase your ticket, which includes a map and activities that will keep the kids engaged. It is also possible to reserve tours in English on the theme of family life in the Medici Court, or the inspiring theme of “hasten slowly” (festina lent), an ancient Roman motto that the Medici adopted, and illustrated in art around the city with a tortoise and a sail insignia. See the Firenze Family Tour site for more details. (Please note: the family kits were paused during 2020-22 due to the pandemic. This is still a fun and age-friendly site to visit with families, with resources available on request at the ticket office when you enter).
4. Visit the Leonardo Da Vinci and Galileo Museums
The Da Vinci Museum in Florence is an interactive exhibit that contains reconstructions of many of Da Vinci’s inventions, on display together with replicas of examples from DaVinci’s journals. Just down from the Duomo, this museum illustrates the genius of DaVinci and the context of the term “Renaissance Man” in reference to the variety of talents such legendary minds developed. Similarly, the Galileo Museum contains important artifacts not only from the work and life of Galileo, but similarly tracing the inspiration of those who influenced him.
5. Mercato Centrale
The Mercato Centrale Firenze is a reconstruction of the ancient covered market of San Lorenzo into a vibrant foodie paradise, with stalls and shops featuring the traditional Tuscan artisans foods, from gelato, to paninos, to bakeries and pizzerias. Inside you will also find an Eataly shop, where you can buy the best artisanal food products from all regions of Italy. The Mercato is next to the San Lorenzo outdoor market, a popular spot for souvenirs and Florentine specialty items such as leather and paper for all ages!
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