We are taking our grandchildren, ages 8 and 5, to Venice, Siena and Rome next June, and were wondering if anyone had any good ideas for things that they'd enjoy.
Posted by
Monroe, WA, USA
151 posts
Sounds like a great trip! We took our kids ages 5 and 9 this last summer. Our best advice is to make sure you scout out the parks in your area of travel. Our kids were willing to put up with a lot of "boring" stuff if there was a park visit at the end. Fortunately, Italians seem to adore their children and there are lots of parks around. Gelato is a must, and very inexpensive. We also refilled water bottles in publics drinking fountains (not gross at all and a huge benefit for kids.) Our favorite game with our daughter in Venice was to try to find as many "Winged Lyons" as possible. They are everywhere and the symbol of St Mark. Overheated Rome was stressful but the Night Walk that Rick Steve's mentions in his book was magical. (We had gelato at the end of that one too.) Our kids enjoyed the museums we went to (including the Borghese Gallery) much more when they had some points of interest to look for. (I think this works well for grownups too.)
We let the kids pick out one or two big things to see and made sure they made it on our itinerary. Our favorite times together were being silly in piazzas and having low-stress picnics. There is so much to see and experience, it's just wonderful. Cheers!
Posted by
Austin, TX, USA
492 posts
It might be worth checking out the romewithkids.com web site too. A lot depends on the kids and what interests them.