Keeping Preteen/Teen Boys Interested in Italy

Instead of planning "events" for them I always have my kids read through the guide books and pick out what they want to visit. This way you for certain which sites will hold their attention and which won't. They might or might not love the underground colosseum tour and the palazzo Valentini, it's really a personal thing. At least if you have them go through the guide book they will know what sites and activities are going to be available to them. You may be surprised by what they say the wish to visit. I took my daughter for the first time when she was 10. Her big thing was visiting the Borghese gallery. I had my doubts but she was so excited by the visit that she bought a book and poster on the artwork from the gallery. Every time we visit Rome she visits the gallery.

Donna

Go to Acquaduct Park for an afternoon - plenty of space for the younger and historic architecture for the older.

The Underground Tour at the Colosseum was pretty cool -- I'd highly recommend it for adults or kids, especially at night. I don't know what it would be like as a teenager to go to Italy, but I was surprised by how moved I was by certain things like The David or Raphael's Rooms in The Vatican. It might be worth leaving some room in the itinerary to see if they change their minds along the way, once they actually start seeing the sights?

Here is a suggestion for an activity that they might enjoy, and would benefit all of us. You can tell them if they take on this assignment, many of us will be waiting for the results with excitement. Have them make a chart and keep records of all the gelatos your family eats during the trip -- which gelato shops in each city and town, what flavor or mix of flavors you all had, and then somehow give a grade, maybe A to F, for each gelato. Then in the end, they can report to us what gelato shops and flavors your family found to be the very best in Italy! This could even turn into a research paper for school, or later a college thesis or the beginnings of a dissertation. They might become international gelato experts! Your sons could also feel free to come onto this forum before you travel to get various people's suggestions for which gelato shops to seek out in each place. Always my motto, "when in doubt, have a gelato!"

In Rome, take them to the Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, the Capuchin Crypt. The crypt of the church is decorated with the bones of the deceased monks from the monastery and is quite beautiful in a macabre sort of way - my pre-teen son LOVED it when we took him. The best bit is the end where it says something to the effect, "As you are now so once were we, as we are now you soon shall be." In other words, straighten up and fly right!
Most of the churches in Rome have at least one collection of bones of one sort or another and, often, whole skeletons that are dressed and decorated lying in glass coffins near the altar or in a niche of honor. These relics are those of saints and priests and are quite revered...something we don't often see here in the west.
My son also loved the Boca de Veritas (mouth of truth) - it's an old carved face in stone with an open mouth. Legend has it that if a liar puts his hand into it, then the mouth will bite off the hand. Kind of fun - expect to wait in line though if you want a photo op.
There is a fantastic gelatto shop right across from the Vatican walls next to the main bus depot - I'm sure someone here will know the name but you really can't miss it because of the lines of people - huge portions of gelato at the best price in town.
In Lucca you can rent bikes and ride around the perimeter of the city on top of the walls.

I'm taking my 14-year-old grandson to Rome in May, and I can't wait. He's in his third year of studying Latin in school (I recently asked him what he's studying in Latin now. He said, "pluperfect subjunctive." I minored in Latin in college, and I don't think I ever got to the pluperfect subjunctive!). He made a scale model of the Circus Maximus in history class. He used his iTunes gift card from Christmas to buy Italian language lessons to prepare for the trip.

As was suggested above, I gave him a Rome guidebook and told him to write a schedule for us.

I've been to Rome many times before, but I'm looking forward to seeing it through his eyes.

I found out through this forum about luccahorseriding.com - haven't tried it ( yet) myself, but it looks like a great thing for kids, so if you're planning to be in Lucca (a lovely place), you might want to check it out.

I agree that rather than trying to plan something special for them, let them plan something special themselves. This way, they are already interested, and they're not just tagging along on your trip - it's theirs too.

Thanks so much for the ideas so far. Especially LOVE the gelato idea. It looks like we are on the right track. This weekend we are sitting down together to see what each of them hope to do. They are looking through the guides to see what interests them. (The boys are the ones who originally chose Cinque Terre as the place they most wanted to visit.) Thank you for reminding me to trust them in the process once again. Any additional ideas are welcome.

For reading before the trip: A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome by Alberto Angela. Very engaging on all kinds of subjects. It would definitely appeal to most teens, and enhance their trip as well.

For me, I think the key to enjoying a trip to Europe as a kid/teenager would be understanding the history enough to be excited by what is around me. Also being involved in the planning process (as others mentioned above) would be great.

If they aren't into history that much (or find it generally boring) there's a great Youtube channel for kids/teens to introduce history topics in a fun way (kind of like Bill Nye the Science Guy except for history). Its fast paced and full of animation and humor throughout. I'm 27 and enjoy them. I'm pretty sure teenagers would like them even more than I do.

Here's one on the Renaissance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vufba_ZcoR0

The same Youtube channel also has videos on Venice, the Dark Ages, the Roman Empire and Italian Unification.

There are also some pretty great PBS/NOVA specials they might enjoy available free online:

Roman Colosseum Death Trap:
http://video.pbs.org/video/2365423149/

Great Cathedral Mystery:
http://video.pbs.org/video/2365175110/

Rick has a great podcast where he talks with two Authors who've written books about traveling with kids. Lots of good advice here:
http://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/radio/programs/program-386

When all else fails, I've yet to meet a person who wasn't made happier by pizza and gelato. :)

Also this looks like a great place to find more ideas:
http://www.travelforkids.com/Funtodo/Italy/italy.htm

Mine were a little younger, 9 and 11 last summer, but they never seem to like things other "little" kids like...

They really enjoyed both the Underground Tour and Row Venice! So I think you have 2 winners there. The rowing was really fun!! :)

Oh and we also biked the walls in Lucca a couple times (we stayed 2 nights there) which they really liked. Also climbing to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa was a highlight as well.

They also liked seeking out shops to buy soccer jerseys. :) There was an amazing little hole in the wall in some little side street in Venice that I would never be able to find again even if you offered me a million bucks! (Oh now I see he loves soccer.... let me see if I can remember it... I'll get back to you)

We took the stadium tour in Barcelona but you might find other stadium tours in Italy - we didn't look.

Kim

OK I feel like it might be on this street - which was a super cute shopping street to walk on! Ruga Vecchia S. Giovanni

I am pretty sure we crossed Rialto bridge and then walked to the left (back towards Dorsoduro where we stayed)... the shop was on the right. And I mean it was tiny.

Google map this place to see the street
Chiese San Giovanni Elemosinario
Ruga Vecchia San Giovanni
Venezia
Italy

Will they have cameras? People who enjoy photography can find great shots all over.

Row Venice sounds cool! I hope they'll like it, along with the gelato plan. If you want to consider painting your own masks in Venice, I liked this experience a couple of years ago: http://www.camacana.com/courses/abc-mini-courses/. Only issue is they don't have the price online; it might have been about €80 per person for the 1-hour project.

Wow!! Thanks for the additional responses. Back2Italy, thanks for the YouTube programs. We will be putting them up on the television so all of us can enjoy it. Kim, thanks for the suggestions for the soccer jerseys. My son's eyes lit up with that idea. (We would love to see a soccer friendly game, if we stumble upon one.) Inbsig, thanks for the Lucca horse riding website. I had never even heard of it, but the scenery looks amazing. And the boys will definitely be taking pictures. Lots of pictures.

I bet they would enjoy renting bikes or pedal powered carts for four in Rome's Villa Borghese - the huge park akin to Central Park in NYC.

Jan

Yes it pretty much became our mission to seek out jerseys in every city... I think the jerseys cost more than the whole stinking trip! We ended up with Munich, Germany, Barcelona, Roma, Venezia, Italy.... it was world cup too so that added to it! And then we went to visit my mom in Florida after and there was a big soccer shop at Downtown Disney, where she ended up getting them some more countries! :) I am sure next trip will add to the collection! It was fun though to seek them out and a nice souvenier... every time they wear them (which is almost daily) I am reminded of our trip!

Kim